I’ve always wanted to know how academics come to a decision about their research topic? I can only presume their topic has to be something that interests them enough to want to dedicate several months, or even years, to working on. So, what interested me? What would keep me entertained for the next year when undertaking my own 10,000 word creative thesis?

My topic had to revolve around any form of literature (to align with my postgraduate writing and literature degree) so I scanned the book spines on my shelf and pulled out a few that I had remembered intrigued me upon reading them. After umming and ahing between a selection of five texts, I cut them down to two final novels, Goethe’s Faust (1829) and Ellis’s Less Than Zero (1985). Feeling up for a wild challenge, I decided to stick with Ellis’s text and delve into drugs, sex, and violence – theoretically that is. ​

Safety is super important. Always be cautious when walking alone at night and buy pepper spray.
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Rideshare Apps are your best friends. Uber and Lyft come in handy as public transport is so unreliable.
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It’s much harder to spot celebrities. They’re very good at disguising themselves with caps and oversized sunglasses, blending in with us ordinary folk.
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The human mind will erode when exposed to the harsh reality of one's guilty conscience.
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★★★★☆

CREDIT: THE LIGHTHOUSE (2019)  A24

Robert Eggers’, The Lighthouse, is a psychological sexually-charged maritime tale that will have you squirming in your seat. Davy Jones’ Locker unleashes hell onto an old lighthouse keeper by the name of Thomas Wake and his clandestine new wickie, Ephraim Winslow, in a film that meshes greek mythology with 1890s America. But screaming sirens and tantalising tentacle creatures are no match for the monsters embedded within the human psyche.
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For a bit of fun here is a list of the top 10 subtle differences I've noticed as an Australian living in the United States. 

Remember when Hungry Jack's used to let you drown your sorrows with unlimited softdrink? Those were the days of sugar highs and diabetes... Well fear not, pretty much every fast food joint in the US will have a soda fountain centre stage.

First published in Go World Travel 
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I had been living in Los Angeles for just under a month before my eldest brother came out to visit me. I wanted to make his 2 weeks in the US worthwhile so in our classic family style we hired a car and took to the road, attempting to visit a number of National Parks along the way.

We were staying in Las Vegas when we made the decision to spend a day exploring one of the largest and driest national parks in the United States, Death Valley National Park - approximately a 2½hr drive from Vegas (or a 4hr drive from Los Angeles). The night before we left to go on this spontaneous adventure we had come up with a brief list of things to see and do, not really knowing what to expect. All we knew was that the original Star Wars films had been shot in a few of the park's locations. And as big fans we had a feeling the day ahead was bound to be exciting. 

There is so much to see and do at Death Valley National Park. Incredible volcanic colours are pasted across the landscape, there are stunning views of snow capped mountains, creepy ghost towns to explore, and abundant adventures to undertake; from hiking to sand-boarding.

Although we only had one day it was still worth the trip as we got to see most of the touristy sites - the benefits of going in February. But I’d highly advise spending more than one day, it'll give you time to relax and explore further sections of the park up north. And always go during the winter months - weather for us reached about 25°C (77°F ) which then rose subtly when walking through the canyons.

Here is a list of the best places to see in Death Valley National Park.