Saturday May 11th people. Mark it in your calendars, with one of those annoying pop up alerts that you’d usually just snooze guiltily for days.

It’s… *nervous drum roll*…  Big Feels special event time!

(And to our many outside-Melbourners, read on to see how you can still take part, without even leaving the house! Yuss!)

An event that’s been months in the making... is finally happening

This event is happening in just two weeks (eek!) but it's actually been a long time in the works. 

Ever since we started this collective experiment in feelings, we’ve been scheming and planning to bring over one particular guest from deep in the South Island of New Zealand. A man you may know of already, without realising it. A man who's helped both me and Honor find our way through more than one 'oh-god-what-have-I-done-with-my-life' crisis.

Gareth Edwards. 

Woo!!... (Wait on, who?)

Gareth is our feelings mentor. You may remember him from episode 6 of No Feeling Is Final. He’s the British guy Honor calls when she is completely losing her toast crumbs (listen from 21:00 onward in ep 6 for a reminder). He’s also the author of The Procrastinator’s Guide To Killing Yourself, which you may remember from this guest piece he did for us last year.

Gareth is the guy Honor and I both turn to when we have some Big Life Decision to make. When we're wrestling back and forth with some agonising fork in the road that is made all the more complicated by ALL THESE DAMN FEELINGS. And he has a magical knack of helping us find some perspective, and feel like just maybe we do know what we're doing afterall.

So we thought we'd call this event...

What the hell should I do with my life?

Ever wish someone would just tell you what you’re supposed to be doing? That you could meet yourself 7 years from now, and they’d just give you all the answers?

Well okay, we can’t offer that. That’s time travel. But! We can offer y’all the next best thing.

Communing with other people who've asked themselves those same big questions. People who’ve felt completely lost in the German Forest of Feelings. And who somehow - on good days at least - have learned how to walk this big feelings path with a little bit of self-kindness.

It's like Q & A but for feelings! Hosted by me and Her Royal Commission-ness Honor Eastly. Along with our special guest Gareth Edwards.

Join us for an evening of chat about life, feelings, and how to feel like you're doing what you're supposed to be doing (even when you feel completely lost). And meet fellow-feelers of all ages to swap thoughts on how we all navigate this whole "life + feelings" thing.

Where / when / how much is it?

6.30pm on Saturday, May 11th at a cute bookstore / venue called Hares & Hyenas in Fitzroy, Melbourne.

Tickets are $25 (+ a small eventbrite fee).

(Card-carrying members, go here for your discount ticket sign-up link.)

Ticket sales will go directly to paying for the venue and (at least some of) the cost of flying Gareth here from NZ. Venue capacity is limited so get in quick. Bringing friends is encouraged! There will be beers!

More info on what to expect on the eventbrite page:

I'm not in Melbourne! Or I *am* in Melbourne but I'm trapped under a large amount of blankets! Can I still get involved???

Fret not my interstate / international friends, there are two ways for you to take part in this event, wherever you are. 

1. We're going to record it, and release it most likely as a podcast.

2. We're asking y'all to send in recordings of yourself asking a question for Honor, me, or Gareth. Select questions will be played at the event and also feature in the podcast that follows.

Update: You can now listen to the podcast here (the live event recording had terrible audio, but we made this special podcast version just for youse.)

I want to ask a question for Honor, Graham, or Gareth! How do I do that? 

On the night, we'll be playing little recordings of Big Feels Clubbers asking questions for us. Which we'll then do our best to answer.

To send in a question, here's what you gotta do: 

1. Think of your question (see below for inspiration)

2. Make a 30 to 60 second recording on your phone, with the following structure: 

i. Hi my name is _______ and I'm recording this from _________ (e.g. "Brisbane" or "in my closet, so I don't wake my boyfriend")

ii. My question is for ___________ (Honor, Graham, Gareth, or just 'all my fellow feelers')

iii. My question is ______________?

* Keep 'em under 60 seconds please or we can't use 'em *

Think big gooey philosophical questions rather than advice on specific life situations.

Once you're happy with your recording hit reply to this email and attach it :)

Some examples of questions you might wanna ask us. . . .

• Are your 30s easier than your 20s?

• Are your 40s easier than your 30s??

• (Or does it all finally start to click in your 60s??? Okay we can't answer that one directly but happy to cede the floor to anyone that can on the night :)

• I don’t think I’m built for the career I’m pursuing, but I still want to do it. What do I do with that?

• How do I stop worrying about the fact that my family don’t understand me?

• Do big feelings and long term relationships mix?

• How do I prepare for my next trip to Doomtown, when I know that what I have in place is not enough?

• Would you recommend having kids, for someone with big feelings who often still feels like only kind of an adult?

• Should I get a dog for my mental health, or would Bodie just get jealous?

Note: if you're coming to the event you can still send in a question ahead of time! And there'll be a chance to ask questions on the night too.

Want to help out on the night?

We need a couple keen beans to help us do the door and set up chairs and such. If that sounds like you, hit reply to this email.