#123 A quick update from me, the masochist

Capo d’Orlando, Messina (image by Rochelle Del Borrello)

Hello friend, 

Sorry to have been out of touch this past week. Things have been super busy. Apart from preparing for a trip back to Australia in the next few days, I have heaped many things upon myself during this period. Being an absolute glutton for punishment, I have been balancing my parental responsibilities with studying simultaneously and the end of the school year here in Italy.

This meant trips back and forth to my son's school to ensure he did alright this year. I’m happy to report he did okay. Still, he needs to study more to keep his grades up at the beginning of the next academic year in September. Because Liceo Scientifico (science based specialized high school) in Italy isn’t the same as middle school, it’s a giant leap in maturity and educational requirements.

On top of that, I have enrolled myself in not one but two online courses. In an attempt to see where my passions lie, I have taken two very different online courses. Simply because I didn’t know what I liked anymore. 

I feel that I have changed emotionally, mentally, perhaps even a little bit spiritually. I guess it must be some kind of midlife crisis where I am not interested in everything I used to be interested in, so I’ve taken some courses to see what I still like and don’t like anymore.

This has resulted in me enrolling in one English literature course through the University of Oxford and a second course through the Australian School of Film Television and Radio.

I’ve been playing around with the idea of going back to studying, probably working towards a master's in arts. But I wasn’t sure if I still had the patience, persistence, and desire to do so in literature. So, I enrolled online in a short course dedicated to Victorian literature. 

I found the extension courses offered by Oxford University did not require any prerequisites, so anyone interested in literature can take them. The result was that I enrolled myself to study Trollope, Elliott, Dickens, and Hardy and, more specifically, a close reading of these authors. 

It’s been a challenging course to pursue, and I’ve been overwhelmed and impressed by my lecturer and fellow classmates. There are a lot of people out there who are very passionate about English literature and also very knowledgeable about it, but I’m afraid I cannot count myself amongst them. 

For me, the course has been a bit of a struggle. It’s literally 20 years since I’ve been outside the academic context, so I have been free to read what I please, when and how I please. So when I found myself back in academia, I found it very dull, restrictive and a bit of a dirge. 

I had never read Trollope, and I had never really read a lot of Elliot. I had obviously read Dickens and Hardy in high school and university. Still, the chosen texts were weighty, particularly the Trollope and Elliot texts, which were all about the Anglican church in England, so I found them very heavy-going and dull. 

But it’s been an exercise in persistence and the art of finishing something you’ve started. I have finished the final of two essays. I can honestly say I never want to have anything to do with Victorian fiction again. I might read some more Dickens, but I’ve had enough. 

No more literature for me. Honestly, I don’t know how patient I was in my youth. I had a real passion for literature. At that stage, when you’re younger, you’re hungry for knowledge, and you need to consume a lot of literature before you understand it and can find your own voice within it. 

At this stage of my life, I find the whole process of close reading and analysis within an academic context tiresome. I’d much rather be reading for enjoyment and analysing what I’m reading but reading what I want to get some enjoyment and information that I would like to use within the context of my writing. 

So, rather than study literature, perhaps I could try something related to writing literature or writing a specific genre that seems to coincide with my current interest in writing.

Sinagra, Messina (image by Rochelle Del Borrello)

The second course I enrolled in was the opposite of the literature course. The AFTRS course that I enrolled in is all about the world of radio broadcasting. 

Since I studied postgraduate broadcasting and am interested in starting my own podcast, I thought reviewing and renewing my industry knowledge and the practicalities of creating a radio show, writing a script, and possibly publishing a podcast would be good. 

The course has been fantastic. The projects or assessments are not compulsory, but I’ve been doing a fair bit of them. The course content has been wonderful because it has taken us through every aspect of the broadcasting industry in Australia, from early history to broadcasting law, performance, script writing, content creation, interviewing and all the other elements required in the dynamic and creative world of broadcasting. 

This Radio Fundamentals course has consisted of online reading and projects with a live Zoom session with a lecturer and other participants once a week. At the end of each weekly lecture, there is an opportunity to ask questions and get advice. 

Now, the lecturer or rather facilitator of the course is this great guy who has been working in broadcasting for many years, and he has a real passion and drive, which is exciting to witness. Kristian McKenna is a great facilitator, extremely knowledgeable, highly motivated, and sounds genuine. He’s given us all lots of encouragement and insight into the creative nature of broadcasting, and he seems very sincere. His energy and passion for broadcasting is contagious.

So, needless to say, we’re all very motivated to create our own content, whether podcasts, volunteering for things like community radio or eventually pursuing a career in broadcasting. This course has been the best thing I’ve done all year. It’s helped me to tap into my love of broadcasting and my desire to pursue it.

I’m looking forward to creating something with my new skills.

So I've been doing these two courses and helping my son finish off his school year, start his holidays and organise everything for a trip back home to Australia, leaving me no time to write this newsletter. 

In fact, I think I won’t be able to write as regularly as I usually do over the next couple of months. So, I ask you to be patient with me over the next few months. I will be filled with travel, stress, emotions, and general confusion about changing time zones, hemispheres, seasons, and cultural worlds. 

Perth, WA (image by Rochelle Del Borrello)

I never realised how difficult and tiring it would be to go back and forth from Australia to Italy because it is quite disorientating. Even though I’m familiar with both sides of the pond and comfortable with life in Italy and Australia, that transition between the two can be pretty overwhelming. In Italy, I forget about certain aspects of life in Australia. In Australia, I forget about the inconveniences and quirks of life in Italy. Perhaps I’m just getting too old but a little tired.

Don’t get me wrong, I love travelling. Italy and Australia are firmly a part of my life and identity, but it’s a big transition. They are both very different worlds to adjust to, live in and connect with simultaneously. It’s probably been the biggest challenge of my life.

Hopefully, I’ll write a few short posts to give you more insight into what it’s like to travel regularly between Australia and Italy. Still, I ask for your patience because I have a teenage son and a very anxious husband who does not enjoy travelling to help and coerce through the transition from Italy to Australia. 

So, for my own mental health, I’m not going to promise a regular weekly post here. But I am working on new content for you, including more new posts, writing projects to share with you, and a new podcast.

So, thank you for reading along and asking for your patience. Sometimes, life is complicated, and it does get in the way of creative desires and projects.

Okay, that’s all from me for now; in Sicily, wish me luck on returning to Australia. Fingers crossed that I manage to write a few lines for you while travelling. I wish you all the best until next time. Take care and be well.

Your friend Rochelle,

See you soon, Australia.

Sometimes, I talk about Sicily.

Other times, I talk about whatever is on my mind.

My writing is always lightning, the mental load and sharing something of my thoughts with you.

I hope you enjoy the randomness of A Load Off My Mind. 

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