Yesterday I had the morning off from the hotel, so, at Alison's recommendation, I hoofed it over to the Alice Springs Desert Park. Now, as a brief side note, I have been using Bill Bryson's book In a Sunburned Country as a travel bible; everything I do or plan to do, I check to see if Mr. Bryson did it, too, and to see if he had any pithy remarks about it. This is the conversation he had with his travel companion, Allan, on their arrival in the Alice:
"And what is there to do for two days in Alice Springs?"
"Quite a lot," I said encouragingly, and pulled out a brochure I had taken from a rack in the motel. I flipped through it. "There's the Alice Springs Desert Park, for one thing."
He inclined his head a fraction. "What's that?"
"It's a nature reserve where they carefully recreated a desert environment."
"In the desert?"
"Yes."
"They've recreated a desert in the desert? Have I got that right?"
"Yes."
"And you pay money for this?"
"Yes."
He nodded contemplatively. "What else?"
All hilarity aside, though, it was fantastic park. I got there just in time for the "Birds of Prey" show (as did dozens and dozens of other people: school kids, tour groups, etc.). It was incredible! There were galahs, black kites, whistling kites, a black breasted buzzard, an owl, butcher birds and an uninvited eagle circling off in the distance. The buzzard was definitely the coolest; it's one of two birds in the world that instinctively uses tools to eat. When it finds an emu egg, it picks up a stone in its beak and hurls it as hard as it can against the egg until it cracks and it can eat the insides. Very cool.
As soon as the bird show was over, I ran over to the nocturnal house to beat the crowds. There were so many animals! I saw bilbies, malas, quolls and countless other desert rats and marsupials. And the reptiles! Tons of snakes, skinks, legless lizards, thorny devils and anything else you can imagine. I probably spent an hour in there, visiting all of the animals over and over again. They didn't have an echidna on display, which was a bummer, but apparently there's one living in the back yard, so maybe, if I bide my time, I'll get to see one in the wild.
After the nocturnal house, I wandered around and found the kangaroo and emu paddocks. I actually got to walk around with the kangaroos, but they were pretty lethargic and wouldn't come say hi. But the fact that I was allowed into their pen is probably a point for the cute and cuddly, yeah? I don't know. The emus were separated from the path by a couple of fences, but it was still neat to see them. I think I am going to try to find some in the wild when I am down in South Australia, 'cause apparently that's where they all hang out.
In hindsight, I really only went to look at the animals, and didn't spend to much time in the "environment" parts. But it was still really cool. Probably would have been nice to go there with company, but what can you do, eh?
The worst part is that as soon as i turned on my camera, the low battery light flashed, so I only ended up with a couple of pictures of the kangaroos and maybe one or two of the emus. Ah well.
Peace.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Continuing the Great Debate
During my last several months of employment, there was an ongoing debate: Are kangaroos cute and cuddly or ruthless fighting machines?
I continue to stand my ground that they should be regarded with great caution from great distances. I mean, look at the boxing gloves for goodness sake!
But there have been other positions made and evidence presented, and I try to keep an open mind. And besides, who doesn't love a good debate? So I encourage you to talk amongst yourselves (via the comments) and argue your side for the kangaroo debate and I will do some hardcore research while I'm in their natural habitat. In the mean time, I will share some of my kangaroo stories with you!
As I mentioned, I saw a kangaroo on my first day here, but it was pretty far away. However, when I got home from my first night at the Steakhouse, I came around back to the veranda, and there were two 'roos sitting right in front of me. The looked at me with this face that said very clearly "Oh crap! A human!" and then bounded off into the darkness. It was thrilling to say the least.
I see them pretty regularly hovering in the bushes on the sides of the road when I drive in the more crepuscular times of day, and they make pretty spectacular roadkill as well. Truly, they are the deer of down under.
Today, though, was kind of exciting. We were having a little birthday party barbeque for Liam at the Telegraph Station (where the town of Alice Springs was born), and there were kangaroos all over the place! So after I had gorged myself on sausages, I decided to stalk some in the bush. Here are some of the shots I got:
There he goes, bounding away. They really do "bound". It's not just hopping because there's so much tail involvement. And they're definitely graceful.
Have I mentioned that Australia rocks?
I continue to stand my ground that they should be regarded with great caution from great distances. I mean, look at the boxing gloves for goodness sake!
But there have been other positions made and evidence presented, and I try to keep an open mind. And besides, who doesn't love a good debate? So I encourage you to talk amongst yourselves (via the comments) and argue your side for the kangaroo debate and I will do some hardcore research while I'm in their natural habitat. In the mean time, I will share some of my kangaroo stories with you!
As I mentioned, I saw a kangaroo on my first day here, but it was pretty far away. However, when I got home from my first night at the Steakhouse, I came around back to the veranda, and there were two 'roos sitting right in front of me. The looked at me with this face that said very clearly "Oh crap! A human!" and then bounded off into the darkness. It was thrilling to say the least.
I see them pretty regularly hovering in the bushes on the sides of the road when I drive in the more crepuscular times of day, and they make pretty spectacular roadkill as well. Truly, they are the deer of down under.
Today, though, was kind of exciting. We were having a little birthday party barbeque for Liam at the Telegraph Station (where the town of Alice Springs was born), and there were kangaroos all over the place! So after I had gorged myself on sausages, I decided to stalk some in the bush. Here are some of the shots I got:
This guy was just chillin' under a tree. He was scoping me out, I was scoping him. I would like to take this opportunity to say I have a rockin' zoom on my camera.
There he goes, bounding away. They really do "bound". It's not just hopping because there's so much tail involvement. And they're definitely graceful.
And this little guy was lurking not too far away. There were three there that I saw, but one got away before I could get a good picture. They were all very beautiful, though. In that "bottomless reservoir of rage and violence" kind of way.
Have I mentioned that Australia rocks?
For Make Jealous
I totally get to drive Uncle Timmy's Jeep around. It is everything I hoped it would be and more!
*For those of you who aren't in my immediate family, this has been a dream of mine since I was about 10 years old, maybe younger. And I am sure it was a dream shared by several of my siblings.
*For those of you who aren't in my immediate family, this has been a dream of mine since I was about 10 years old, maybe younger. And I am sure it was a dream shared by several of my siblings.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Workin' hard for the money
First of all, congratulations to all of you who made it through that marathon of a blog post the other day. I'll try not be so... verbose.
Now where was I?
Ah, yes. Employment.
As I mentioned, I got two jobs, both of which started on Monday. My job at the Comfort Inn Outback is basic housekeeping, but I've also been trained to do the laundry. My new friend Bawang taught me everything I need to know about cleaning rooms and making beds. Lately he's been trying to convince me to go home to Indonesia with him in November or December. The island he lives on doesn't have any cars or motorbikes or an airport or anything; he says that you just lie an the beach and go diving all the day long. It's pretty darn tempting. Cleaning rooms is all well and good, but I really enjoy doing laundry. I get to be by myself in the laundry room, folding sheets and towels and ironing table cloths and singing at singing at the top of my lungs. It rocks.
Job number 2: Overlander's Steakhouse. My first couple of nights on the job I was food-running; not too bad, kind of a flash back to my days at Carlos and Charlies back in high school. Last night I was "trained" on bar. It was pretty much by the skin of my teeth. Far more stressful, a lot more to be on top of. It wouldn't be so bad, but when drink orders come back, it just says the name of the beer or wine, not whether it is beer or wine. So while this wouldn't be an issue back in the states, where I know the names of beers and wines, but here, I am clueless.
The place itself is pretty funny. The manager puts on a show of being a grumpy old bugger, but I think it's all a facade. He seems like kind of a pushover to me. The steakhouse itself is full of outback kitsch. There are saddles and hides everywhere and the music is all of the Australian standards: "Tie Me Kangaroo Down", "Home Among the Gumtrees", etc. And they sell meat. Kangaroo, emu, crocodile, beef, camel, barramundi. Pretty intense, man.
Having the jobs is all well and good, but what's important is how much they're paying me. And the answer is: a lot. I'm getting $17.70 an hour at the hotel and somewhere in the neighborhood of $19 at the steakhouse. I'll have to pay a lot of tax, but I should get it all back when I leave the country. Basically, I'll be able to continue living the lavish life to which I've grown accustomed. That is, I'll be able to travel where ever I want. Which is why I'm here.
So I may not have a day off in the foreseeable future, but I'll be able to go on my New Zealand adventure!
Life is good, friends. Very good.
Peace.
Now where was I?
Ah, yes. Employment.
As I mentioned, I got two jobs, both of which started on Monday. My job at the Comfort Inn Outback is basic housekeeping, but I've also been trained to do the laundry. My new friend Bawang taught me everything I need to know about cleaning rooms and making beds. Lately he's been trying to convince me to go home to Indonesia with him in November or December. The island he lives on doesn't have any cars or motorbikes or an airport or anything; he says that you just lie an the beach and go diving all the day long. It's pretty darn tempting. Cleaning rooms is all well and good, but I really enjoy doing laundry. I get to be by myself in the laundry room, folding sheets and towels and ironing table cloths and singing at singing at the top of my lungs. It rocks.
Job number 2: Overlander's Steakhouse. My first couple of nights on the job I was food-running; not too bad, kind of a flash back to my days at Carlos and Charlies back in high school. Last night I was "trained" on bar. It was pretty much by the skin of my teeth. Far more stressful, a lot more to be on top of. It wouldn't be so bad, but when drink orders come back, it just says the name of the beer or wine, not whether it is beer or wine. So while this wouldn't be an issue back in the states, where I know the names of beers and wines, but here, I am clueless.
The place itself is pretty funny. The manager puts on a show of being a grumpy old bugger, but I think it's all a facade. He seems like kind of a pushover to me. The steakhouse itself is full of outback kitsch. There are saddles and hides everywhere and the music is all of the Australian standards: "Tie Me Kangaroo Down", "Home Among the Gumtrees", etc. And they sell meat. Kangaroo, emu, crocodile, beef, camel, barramundi. Pretty intense, man.
Having the jobs is all well and good, but what's important is how much they're paying me. And the answer is: a lot. I'm getting $17.70 an hour at the hotel and somewhere in the neighborhood of $19 at the steakhouse. I'll have to pay a lot of tax, but I should get it all back when I leave the country. Basically, I'll be able to continue living the lavish life to which I've grown accustomed. That is, I'll be able to travel where ever I want. Which is why I'm here.
So I may not have a day off in the foreseeable future, but I'll be able to go on my New Zealand adventure!
Life is good, friends. Very good.
Peace.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
All day, every day
Coming to Australia has thrown a few curve balls my way. One of them has been remembering to write the date dd/mm/yyyy, as opposed to the preferred American way: mm/dd/yyyy. I don't think it would be that big a deal except that I am so bloody employed and I have to write the date on EVERYTHING.
However, it has it's perks.
Today is 24/7.
Am I the only one who thinks that's hilarious?
However, it has it's perks.
Today is 24/7.
Am I the only one who thinks that's hilarious?
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
The Slacker Speaks
I can't believe it's been a week since I've updated this! So so soooo much has been going on, I hardly know where to start. I guess I'll try to pick up where I left off.
Thursday the 17th
The flight was great! While waiting for take-off, I looked out the window to see a glorious rainbow arching over the southern sky. I love rainbows. When I got to Alice Springs, Uncle Timmy was waiting right inside, looking very much like himself, which is to say great. Getting into "Uncle Timmy's Jeep" was like coming home. Granted, it's not the same one he used to have (the black one was totalled some time ago in England, I believe), and it's a different color (white), and the steering wheel is on the right side, but it was still just right, the way it's supposed to be.
He took me back to the house to drop off my stuff (sans the duffel that was, at this point, still MIA), then took me on a little tour of Alice. It's a nice small town; we live about 10k out, but you can park downtown and walk any where. Then, we came back to the house again and hung out until the kids got home. While waiting, I was looking out the window when what should I see but a kangaroo hopping across the face of the hill out back! Hurrah! My first sighting!
The rest of the day I spent jumping on the trampoline with my little cousins and hanging out with Timmy and Alison. (I love living here, by the way.)
Friday the 18th
Fridays are Alison's day off, so when she got back from running the kids to school and stuff, she came and picked me up and took me down town. We did some cleaning up at her dental practice, ran some errands and caught up with a friend of hers for lunch, who gave me some much needed career advice: work mornings in hospitality and get a job clearing plates at the steakhouse. She was very specific.
While down town, we also stopped in to Flight Centre, a travel agency, where I met my new friend Daniela. She helped me figure out my first big adventure! Right now, the plan is to leave in late August for Cairns (in Queensland, on the Pacific coast, a little ways north of the Gold Coast), go from Cairns to Sydney for a few days, head from there to New Zealand South Island for a 7 day tour, fly back to Sydney for a few days and then head back to Alice. I'm pretty stoked, myself. I hope it pans out!
After we got home, I started calling around to hotels for jobs and got a few nibbles, so I ran around with Uncle Timmy filling out applications. I also called the steakhouse (Overlander's), and set up an interview for the following evening. That evening, more trampolining, more hanging out. Just good times.
Saturday the 19th
Saturday morning, my duffel finally caught up with me. Joyness! I took a celebratory shower with my towel and bathrobe and razor and soap and shampoo and conditioner and loofah. I was pretty excited.
Afterwards, I learned to drive. Driving in Australia is startlingly similar to driving in the States, surprisingly enough. I mean, the driver's side is on the inside of the road, the difference is that the driver's side is on the right, so you drive on the left. But it makes pretty logical sense to me. The biggest challenge is the blasted turning signal. It's on the right side of the steering wheel, so every time I want to turn left, I inadvertently turn on the windshield wipers. Oops. I haven't accidentally drifted over the line or anything, haven't hit any kangaroos, so I think I'm doing alright.
Exciting fact: the car I'm driving is named Toby!!! For those of you who don't know, Toby was the name of my most beloved light blue '97 Mercury Sable. Sigh.
I had my interview around 5pm; the "interview" consisted of "So, when can you start? Tonight?" I said I could start Monday, which seemed ok with them. When I got home, Alison's brother and (beautiful pregnant German) sister-in-law and mother were over for a bar be que. We ate and drank and enjoyed a bonfire and generally had a good time. Around 9:30 I left to go meet my friend Daniela and her sister and cousin and various others at Todd Tavern, a local watering hole. It was lovely going out, and I even managed to stay awake past 10 for the first time since I left the States. All in all a great day.
Sunday the 20th
I decided to go to the 11am Mass, but got there and found out it was at 9:30. Lucky for yours truly, they have a 5:30pm, so I resolved myself to get back there later.
Before I had left, I had a phone call from the head of housekeeping at the Comfort Inn Outback for another "interview". This one when something like this: "Can you be here at 8am tomorrow?" Seriously. That's how easy it is to get a job here. That's two, count 'em, two jobs and I had been in town for 2 and a half days.
The rest of the day consisted of a lengthy nap and watching TV until I went back to church. It was an exciting drive for several reasons:
1) a kangaroo hopped across the road in front of me
2) the DJ said, in regards to the hottest curry in the world, "You could come out unscathed, but you could also come out very very scathed," which I found hysterically funny.
3) I heard "Neverending Story" on the radio.
Mass was nice, very Mass like. When I'm far away from home, I always find Mass very comforting. I like hearing the same songs we do, and knowing that thousands and thousands of miles away, they're hearing the same readings. The pastor was at World Youth Day, so when he comes back, I'm going to see about getting involved in reading or singing or something. There's also a potential opportunity to get involved with Prison Ministry, which would be cool. I'll let you know if it pans out. That about wraps up Sunday.
It's past my bed time! The rest of this update will have to wait for another time.
Join us next time for "Jo's first day!", "Jo meets a kangaroo up close!" and the long-awaited "Jo opens a bank account!"
Peace.
Thursday the 17th
The flight was great! While waiting for take-off, I looked out the window to see a glorious rainbow arching over the southern sky. I love rainbows. When I got to Alice Springs, Uncle Timmy was waiting right inside, looking very much like himself, which is to say great. Getting into "Uncle Timmy's Jeep" was like coming home. Granted, it's not the same one he used to have (the black one was totalled some time ago in England, I believe), and it's a different color (white), and the steering wheel is on the right side, but it was still just right, the way it's supposed to be.
He took me back to the house to drop off my stuff (sans the duffel that was, at this point, still MIA), then took me on a little tour of Alice. It's a nice small town; we live about 10k out, but you can park downtown and walk any where. Then, we came back to the house again and hung out until the kids got home. While waiting, I was looking out the window when what should I see but a kangaroo hopping across the face of the hill out back! Hurrah! My first sighting!
The rest of the day I spent jumping on the trampoline with my little cousins and hanging out with Timmy and Alison. (I love living here, by the way.)
Friday the 18th
Fridays are Alison's day off, so when she got back from running the kids to school and stuff, she came and picked me up and took me down town. We did some cleaning up at her dental practice, ran some errands and caught up with a friend of hers for lunch, who gave me some much needed career advice: work mornings in hospitality and get a job clearing plates at the steakhouse. She was very specific.
While down town, we also stopped in to Flight Centre, a travel agency, where I met my new friend Daniela. She helped me figure out my first big adventure! Right now, the plan is to leave in late August for Cairns (in Queensland, on the Pacific coast, a little ways north of the Gold Coast), go from Cairns to Sydney for a few days, head from there to New Zealand South Island for a 7 day tour, fly back to Sydney for a few days and then head back to Alice. I'm pretty stoked, myself. I hope it pans out!
After we got home, I started calling around to hotels for jobs and got a few nibbles, so I ran around with Uncle Timmy filling out applications. I also called the steakhouse (Overlander's), and set up an interview for the following evening. That evening, more trampolining, more hanging out. Just good times.
Saturday the 19th
Saturday morning, my duffel finally caught up with me. Joyness! I took a celebratory shower with my towel and bathrobe and razor and soap and shampoo and conditioner and loofah. I was pretty excited.
Afterwards, I learned to drive. Driving in Australia is startlingly similar to driving in the States, surprisingly enough. I mean, the driver's side is on the inside of the road, the difference is that the driver's side is on the right, so you drive on the left. But it makes pretty logical sense to me. The biggest challenge is the blasted turning signal. It's on the right side of the steering wheel, so every time I want to turn left, I inadvertently turn on the windshield wipers. Oops. I haven't accidentally drifted over the line or anything, haven't hit any kangaroos, so I think I'm doing alright.
Exciting fact: the car I'm driving is named Toby!!! For those of you who don't know, Toby was the name of my most beloved light blue '97 Mercury Sable. Sigh.
I had my interview around 5pm; the "interview" consisted of "So, when can you start? Tonight?" I said I could start Monday, which seemed ok with them. When I got home, Alison's brother and (beautiful pregnant German) sister-in-law and mother were over for a bar be que. We ate and drank and enjoyed a bonfire and generally had a good time. Around 9:30 I left to go meet my friend Daniela and her sister and cousin and various others at Todd Tavern, a local watering hole. It was lovely going out, and I even managed to stay awake past 10 for the first time since I left the States. All in all a great day.
Sunday the 20th
I decided to go to the 11am Mass, but got there and found out it was at 9:30. Lucky for yours truly, they have a 5:30pm, so I resolved myself to get back there later.
Before I had left, I had a phone call from the head of housekeeping at the Comfort Inn Outback for another "interview". This one when something like this: "Can you be here at 8am tomorrow?" Seriously. That's how easy it is to get a job here. That's two, count 'em, two jobs and I had been in town for 2 and a half days.
The rest of the day consisted of a lengthy nap and watching TV until I went back to church. It was an exciting drive for several reasons:
1) a kangaroo hopped across the road in front of me
2) the DJ said, in regards to the hottest curry in the world, "You could come out unscathed, but you could also come out very very scathed," which I found hysterically funny.
3) I heard "Neverending Story" on the radio.
Mass was nice, very Mass like. When I'm far away from home, I always find Mass very comforting. I like hearing the same songs we do, and knowing that thousands and thousands of miles away, they're hearing the same readings. The pastor was at World Youth Day, so when he comes back, I'm going to see about getting involved in reading or singing or something. There's also a potential opportunity to get involved with Prison Ministry, which would be cool. I'll let you know if it pans out. That about wraps up Sunday.
It's past my bed time! The rest of this update will have to wait for another time.
Join us next time for "Jo's first day!", "Jo meets a kangaroo up close!" and the long-awaited "Jo opens a bank account!"
Peace.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Land Down Under
It is about 9am, Thursday, July 17th. After countless hours on airplanes (or "aeroplanes" and they are called here) I am in Australia! I am writing this from a computer in the Qantas Club in the airport (aeroport?) in Adelaide. Swanky, no? I was kindly informed when I arrived to check in this morning that I would be flying business class to my final destination of Alice Springs. The generosity of my aunt and uncle never stops, it seems, as they were the ones to make the arrangements. Normally, this would be my cue to feel unworthy and undeserving of such preferential treatment by an airline, but after some hellish airport experiences, I think I'm a little bit more accepting.
But who wants to hear mopey air (aero) travel stories? Considering that all six little children sitting around me on a 17 hour flight were actually quite adorable and well-behaved, we only were on the ground in Sydney for an hour and a half to refuel, I was able to get a flight to Adelaide only a couple of hours after my missed connection in Melbourne, and my duffel bag should meet me in Alice today or tomorrow, I don't really have that much to complain about.
I was greeted in Adelaide by my aunt's father, David, and his wife, Lyn. More obliging hosts I could not hope for! They gave me a driving tour of Adelaide on the way back to their house. It is a beautiful town. It is set up on a grid, framed by North, West, South and East Terraces, which are themselves framed by the "Green Belt" around the entire city. It was built as a planned city, so the streets are logical and there's lots of green space. It's the dead of winter here (a bitingly cold 60 degrees), so a lot of the trees have lost their leaves, but the grass is very green. There are lots of olive trees and fig trees, but the major industry in South Australia is wine. When I come back this way, I will certainly be touring some of the vineyards. One of the more eye-catching features of the city was, for me, Rundle Mall (at least I think that's what it's called). It's a pedestrian street that looked so much like Church Street in Burlington, VT, that I wanted to cry. I can't wait to explore it when I am back in town.
David and Lyn brought me back to their house in Walkerville, a charming suburb of Adelaide, walking distance from town. David pulled out an atlas and gave me a much-appreciated crash course on Australian geography. At my behest, he and Lyn compiled a "Don't miss it" list of things to do while I'm in Australia. They themselves have traveled around quite a bit, having recently returned from a four month tour of the eastern part of the country by caravan. (I'm not sure exactly what they mean by caravan. RV? Long line of cars? I'll let you know when I know.)
While Lyn prepared dinner, David busted out his home videos of a vacation to South Africa some 12 years ago and, after some ribbing from his wife, footage of my Uncle Timmy and his family. Just in case I wasn't already excited enough to see them, this definitely got my adrenaline pumping.
Dinner was superb, as was the cab/shiraz blend that accompanied it. David called it a skinless bottle, which is apparently a colloquialism for excess wine that is bottled and sold dirt cheap without a label. Like, $5 a bottle cheap. What a bloody fantastic idea! The jury is still out on whether or not David made up the phrase "skinless bottle", but I'll go with it. For dessert, Lyn baked a pudding. That's right, baked, not mixed with water and refrigerated. This is a strange land! A strange and delicious land!
I forced myself to stay awake until 7:45, and then fell gratefully into bed. This morning, I feel like I have the upper hand on jet lag and I am ready to see my new desert home. Can't wait!
Peace.
But who wants to hear mopey air (aero) travel stories? Considering that all six little children sitting around me on a 17 hour flight were actually quite adorable and well-behaved, we only were on the ground in Sydney for an hour and a half to refuel, I was able to get a flight to Adelaide only a couple of hours after my missed connection in Melbourne, and my duffel bag should meet me in Alice today or tomorrow, I don't really have that much to complain about.
I was greeted in Adelaide by my aunt's father, David, and his wife, Lyn. More obliging hosts I could not hope for! They gave me a driving tour of Adelaide on the way back to their house. It is a beautiful town. It is set up on a grid, framed by North, West, South and East Terraces, which are themselves framed by the "Green Belt" around the entire city. It was built as a planned city, so the streets are logical and there's lots of green space. It's the dead of winter here (a bitingly cold 60 degrees), so a lot of the trees have lost their leaves, but the grass is very green. There are lots of olive trees and fig trees, but the major industry in South Australia is wine. When I come back this way, I will certainly be touring some of the vineyards. One of the more eye-catching features of the city was, for me, Rundle Mall (at least I think that's what it's called). It's a pedestrian street that looked so much like Church Street in Burlington, VT, that I wanted to cry. I can't wait to explore it when I am back in town.
David and Lyn brought me back to their house in Walkerville, a charming suburb of Adelaide, walking distance from town. David pulled out an atlas and gave me a much-appreciated crash course on Australian geography. At my behest, he and Lyn compiled a "Don't miss it" list of things to do while I'm in Australia. They themselves have traveled around quite a bit, having recently returned from a four month tour of the eastern part of the country by caravan. (I'm not sure exactly what they mean by caravan. RV? Long line of cars? I'll let you know when I know.)
While Lyn prepared dinner, David busted out his home videos of a vacation to South Africa some 12 years ago and, after some ribbing from his wife, footage of my Uncle Timmy and his family. Just in case I wasn't already excited enough to see them, this definitely got my adrenaline pumping.
Dinner was superb, as was the cab/shiraz blend that accompanied it. David called it a skinless bottle, which is apparently a colloquialism for excess wine that is bottled and sold dirt cheap without a label. Like, $5 a bottle cheap. What a bloody fantastic idea! The jury is still out on whether or not David made up the phrase "skinless bottle", but I'll go with it. For dessert, Lyn baked a pudding. That's right, baked, not mixed with water and refrigerated. This is a strange land! A strange and delicious land!
I forced myself to stay awake until 7:45, and then fell gratefully into bed. This morning, I feel like I have the upper hand on jet lag and I am ready to see my new desert home. Can't wait!
Peace.
Monday, July 14, 2008
All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...
I am just about packed. I had to bite the bullet and pack a second bag. I was attempting to wow the world by going away for 5 months and only check one bag, but alas! it was not to be. Darn that 50lb weight limit! But I am not one to let it get me down. Silver lining: I now have room for my Salvadoran hammock.
As I write this, I am sitting on my beautiful porch, enjoying the prelude of what promises to be a spectacular thunder storm. This is my favorite kind of weather, my favorite time of day. My sister Allie is taking mom on a photographic tour of her recent semester in Italy; Pip and Mags, our German Short-haired Pointers, are lounging by our feet; Dad keeps asking when we're going to hit up our favorite local watering hole one last time before I leave. I am going to miss this.
Now, on the eve of my departure, it's hard to let go. It's hard not to focus on what I'm leaving behind and harder to imagine what I'm getting myself into.
(I'm so ridiculous. It's only 5 bloody months!)
But look forward I must! I think I have tied up all the loose ends; car, student loans, health insurance, cell phone, etc. It's all taken care of. (And oi! my bank account is not happy with me!) There are too many people that I wanted to see before I left that I haven't been able to connect with, but I hope they don't hold it against me.
And so tomorrow, I am going to get on a plane, plunge into the great unknown, and hopefully emerge alive and a better person for it. If you're the praying type, keep me in mind. I think I'll need it.
I'm standing on the precipice. Time to jump.
Peace.
As I write this, I am sitting on my beautiful porch, enjoying the prelude of what promises to be a spectacular thunder storm. This is my favorite kind of weather, my favorite time of day. My sister Allie is taking mom on a photographic tour of her recent semester in Italy; Pip and Mags, our German Short-haired Pointers, are lounging by our feet; Dad keeps asking when we're going to hit up our favorite local watering hole one last time before I leave. I am going to miss this.
Now, on the eve of my departure, it's hard to let go. It's hard not to focus on what I'm leaving behind and harder to imagine what I'm getting myself into.
(I'm so ridiculous. It's only 5 bloody months!)
But look forward I must! I think I have tied up all the loose ends; car, student loans, health insurance, cell phone, etc. It's all taken care of. (And oi! my bank account is not happy with me!) There are too many people that I wanted to see before I left that I haven't been able to connect with, but I hope they don't hold it against me.
And so tomorrow, I am going to get on a plane, plunge into the great unknown, and hopefully emerge alive and a better person for it. If you're the praying type, keep me in mind. I think I'll need it.
I'm standing on the precipice. Time to jump.
Peace.
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