Livin the Dream

Fraser Island

2010-05-31T22:10:00.001-07:00

After celebrating Lauren, Scott, and Tommy's birthdays, we decided to take a weekend trip. A couple of our friends had gone to Fraser Island and said it was amazing so we researched it and made plans. We went through a company that supplies everything for you. They provided us with a 4 x 4 off-roading Land Cruiser to drive around the island in, tents, camping equipment, and all the permits needed for the island. The package included 3 days and 2 nights of camping on Fraser Island so on Thursday, we rented a car and drove up to Hervey Bay where we stayed the night. In the morning, we met up with the company for a debriefing and after an hour of food shopping at Woolworths, we headed for the Kingfisher Bay ferry to take us, and our 4 x 4, to the island. Once we got on the island, we were free to roam around so we followed the signs to a sightseeing spot called Lake Wabby that was a highly recommended stop on the drive. We had to walk down a hike through the forest until the trees opened up to vast sand dunes and a serene lake. It was absolutely gorgeous and we all went swimming in the lake.

View of the port at Fraser Island from the ferry!

Tim, me, and Lauren on the Kingfisher Bay ferry

Me with a lifesaver on the ferry!

Tommy and I waiting getting ready to go!

Our Fleet of Land Cruisers!

Me and Sarah sharing the front seat of the 4 x 4 Land Cruiser! You can see the tall roof and all of our stuff piled in the back!

Lake Wabby sign

View of Lake Wabby from the lookout point

The rolling sand dunes

Swimming in Lake Wabby

Me, Lauren M. and Sarah on the Dunes!

Because the ocean tide changes so fast, there are only certain times that we are allowed to drive on the beaches. So after cooling of in Lake Wabby, we had to drive to the beach and stake out our camping spot for the night before the tide got too high. We found a great little flat patch that had a couple trees surrounding it and great views of the water. We decided to make that our camping spot so we unpacked all of the equipment and assembled the tents. The rest of the day we just hung out, played soccer on the beach, and enjoyed the nice weather. That night we cooked hamburgers, drank beer, and listened to music under a sky full of stars.

Our camping site! You can see the waves and the beach in the background!

Melissa and me! My shirt is wet from jumping in Lake Wabby.

Lauren and I hanging out at night

The next morning, we woke up early and did most of the trips sightseeing. First we drove for about 2 hours up the coast to Indian Head, a peninsula point that juts out into the Pacific Ocean. We parked and hiked up a slope to the top where we had amazing views of the white beaches and amazing blue water. These were the best views in Fraser Island and with not one cloud in the sky, it was a perfect day!

This is a picture I took while we were driving to Indian Heads

Lauren and I again on the beach

Climbing to the top of Indian Head

Northern view from the top of Indian Head

Southern view from the top of Indian Head

Lauren and I at the top of Indian Head

Me, Melissa, Lauren, Lauren M., Nina, Sarah, and Katie. All the girls!

Timmy and I at the top

climbing back down

After staring at the breathtaking panoramic views of the Fraser Island Coast, we headed back down to our 4 x 4s and drove to the next destination: The Champagne Pools. These are large sandy tide pools that fill up with water as the waves crash against the barricading rocks. So people go to float in the water and relax. It was a really unique thing to see and so much fun!

Lauren and I getting sun at the Champagne Pools

Our gang at the Champagne Pools! Scottie, Me, Katie, Lauren, Timmy, Tommy, Nina, Lauren M., Sarah, Melissa.

On the drive back from the Champagne Pools and Indian Heads, we stopped at the Mahano Shipwreck which is a famous shipwreck that's remains are found on the beach. It was really old and withered from the years, and rusty from all of the salt water. We looked around it and took some pictures before heading back to the campsite. The rest of the day we listened to music, cooked food, drank beer, and enjoyed eachother's company. Later that night, campers from a spot a about 100 yards away came and hung out with us. They were from all over the globe and it was really nice to meet interesting people from other cultures who were traveling and experiencing Australia like were are.

Mahano Shipwreck

Sarah and I

Melissa, Nina, Lauren M., Katie, Me, Lauren, Sarah at the Shipwreck

Lauren M., Me, Melissa, Lauren, and Nina in the back of the 4 x 4 on the way back to the campsite

Katie, Nina, and Me

Afternoon view from our campsite

Beautiful sunset from our campsite

Melissa, Me and Nina hanging out at night.

The next morning was our last day so we woke up early and checked out Birrabeen Lake. It was such a beautiful and tropical lake hidden in the rainforest. The white sand and crystal clear water reminded me of places on the Travel Channel. It was so pretty and such a hot day so we laid out, got some sun, swam around, ate lunch, and then headed back to Kingfisher Bay. All in all, it was a great weekend! We saw so much and it was definitely one of the most memorable weekends in Australia thus far.

Our entire crew at Birrabeen Lake!

Cinco de Mayo + Tommy, Lauren and Scotties Birthdays!!

2010-05-17T22:47:00.002-07:00

The beginning of May brought about a lot of days of celebration. After the Creamfields festival, came Cinco de Mayo, which also happens to be our friend Tommy's 21st birthday. The night before, we went to a great little Thai food restaurant in Broadbeach. It was my first experience eating Thai food and it was really good! Then it was Cinco de Mayo so it was a day full of cervezas in the sun :)

Tommy, Timmy and me at the Thai food restaurant

Lauren, me, Alyssa, and Taylor drinking Coronas!

The birthday boy, Tommy, and me!

me and Melissa!

That next weekend, May 7th-9th, was the weekend before Lauren's 21st and Scott's 20th birthdays. We decided to do a girls weekend for Lauren's birthday so Sarah, Lauren, Alyssa, Taylor and I rented a car and drove up to the Sunshine Coast and visited Noosa Heads. We got there in the afternoon on Saturday and walked around the town. It was so adorable and quaint...my parents would have LOVED it! And the beaches were amazing! We checked into our rental accommodation for the night- which was a huge house!We decided to book a sunset cruise that took us around the channel that was lined with really pretty houses. We brought a couple bottles of wine and took some great pictures and chatted- it was so worth it! After the cruise, we had dinner at a restaurant called Laguna Jacks and Lauren got a desert with a candle in it in honor of her birthday. The next morning we woke up and booked a camel ride! Sarah had been dying to ride camels since she came to Australia so we all decided it would be fun. The ride was an hour long and we got to ride our own camels on the beach. It was so random but such a blast! Not many people can say they rode camels in Australia! After stopping at the most photographed pub in the world for lunch, we packed up and headed back down to the Goldie.

Lauren, Taylor, Alyssa, Sarah and I in Noosa Heads!

Alyssa and I on the beach in Noosa

Taylor and I trying on hats!

Noosa Beach :)

Noosa Beach

Houses along the bay- sunset cruise

Sunset cruise

Me, Alyssa, Sarah, Taylor, and Lauren doing a cheers on the sunset cruise

Sunset in Noosa

Me, Sarah, Alyssa, Lauren, and Taylor riding camels on the beach!

Me and my camel, Gobi!

Lauren, me, Taylor, Sarah, and Alyssa with my camel!

The most photographed pub in the world, Ettamogah Pub!

Creamfields Music Festival!

2010-05-17T22:47:00.001-07:00

All of my friends and I bought tickets to a music festival in Brisbane called 'Creamfields'. A lineup of about 30+ electronic and techno bands that I love signed on so we had to go! Our Aussie friend Noddy is from Brisbane so on Sunday, May 2nd, we took the train to his parents house. They cooked us a home-cooked meal (finally!) and we all sat around playing games and watching movies. There were about 20 of us sleeping there for the night since the festival was the next day. On Monday morning, we woke up and headed to the festival. It was a 12-hour long event and we were all dressed up in bright colors. We had such a good time dancing all day to live music and enjoying the nice weather.

Alyssa, Nina and me on the bus on the way to the festival!

Melissa, Nina, Lauren and I enjoying ourselves!

All the girls that went! And almost everyone was an AustraLearn kid :)

Lucy, Taylor, me, and Kiki D. at Creamfields!

April

2010-05-17T21:57:00.000-07:00

Wow it's been forever and so much has happened! I can't believe the last post was from New Zealand...that feels like ages ago!

After I got back from New Zealand, the rest of April was pretty low key, with no major plans or trips. However, I did keep really busy and saw a lot more of Southern Queensland!

ANZAC DAY

April 24th was A.N.Z.A.C. (Australia New Zealand Army Core) Day, which is a huge holiday usually celebrated with parades and festivals. My Aussie mate, Rob, lives in Brisbane and invited Lauren, Sarah, and I to come up and experience Brisbane's night life. Since Sunday was a national holiday, Monday was also a public holiday and our classes were cancelled. Rob and his friend Nathan drove down to Gold Coast and picked Lauren and I up from the village- very exciting since public transportation has been our dominating means of getting around! We cruised up to Brisbane - about a 45 minute drive- and checked into a really nice hotel that had holiday apartments, called Oaks Aurora. It was right downtown in a central location to everything in Brisbane! The 2 bedroom suite sat on the 41st floor of the 65 floors. It had a huge balcony that overlooked all of Brisbane and the water channels. It was truly amazing and inexpensive! We hung out all Saturday night and listened to music. On Sunday, which was A.N.Z.A.C. Day, we walked around downtown and watched some of the parade. It was really neat to see proud Australians who fought for the country before it was even considered a country! We enjoyed the nice weather and met up with Sarah, Tommy, Scott and Tim, who took the train up that day. We sat on our amazing balcony that overlooked the water and played cards and listened to music- very relaxing. On Sunday night we all went out to this bar in downtown Brisbane called Birdie Num Nums. It was a really fun weekend and we got to experience a more local lifestyle.

Me, Sarah, and Lauren in the car on the way to Brisbane!

The view of downtown Brisbane and the water from out hotel balcony!

Some of the veterans in the ANZAC Parade in downtown Brisbane

BYRON BAY

Because we loved Byron Bay so much when my brother was in town, we decided to go again! This time, we rented a car and I squeezed my surfboard in the back! This was our first time actually renting our own car and it was really fun driving on the other side of the car and the other side of the road! It was a beautiful day and I got plenty of practice in (I surfed for 3 hours!). It was a really good time and I took some great pictures!

Reflection of the clouds in the wet sand

My friend Dave broke his surfboard...not to worry, he has 3 more!

View of Byron Bay, the beach and the lighthouse on the peninsula

My friend Greg (sitting) and Collin hanging out on the beach

random guy with a longboard
Taylor Paige and Lauren Flynn in the sand

close up of the tide!

RANDOM TIMES IN APRIL

Dave, Alyssa, me, and Adrian hanging out at O'Malley's Pub

The amount of sand in my room. Gold Coast<3

View of Chevron Island canal

me and Lauren goofing off in our apartment

Lauren, me, Scott, and Lindsey at O'Malley's Pub

me and Sarah waiting for the bus

me, Lauren, and Sarah. The girls of 2109!

Melissa, me and Nina

Melissa, me and Sarah in Surfer's Paradise

Tommy, serenading Lauren, Sarah, and I from his balcony

New Zealand

2010-04-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

Just got back to the Gold Coast from our Easter holiday in New Zealand. What an amazing country!

The crew: Scott, Collin, David, Rob, Greg, Tommy, Tim, Lauren, and I

We flew out of Brisbane airport on Sunday, April 4th at 9:20 A.M. and landed in Christchurch, New Zealand at 3:40 P.M.

We rented a 10-passenger van from Ace Rentals so after we got our luggage and went through the customs process (very time-consuming), we took a shuttle over to the Rental company's warehouse to pick up our car.

After signing paperwork and loading up the van, we drove our manual van around Christchurch in search of food. We saw a cute pub called Speight's Ale House and decided to eat there. It was such a great restaurant and it had a really great patio that wrapped around, which is where we sat. All the boys ordered huge slabs of steak and I settled for a burger. I can honestly say, it was the best meal I had had in a long time. Speight's is a brewery in the south island and they have an entire line of beers that are sold throughout New Zealand so we all tried a bunch of the different draft beers and stuffed our faces before leaving to find our hostel. I had booked us all a room at a hostel called Charlie B's Backpackers. We all got put together in one 10-person room which was nice

so we didn't have to worry about our luggage. After playing CatchPhrase for about an hour, we headed out to explore the city of Christchurch, as it is one of the biggest cities on the South Island. We ran around the downtown, taking pictures and enjoying the cold but fresh air.

On Monday, we woke up early to get an early start on the drive. Since Sunday was Easter, Monday was still considered an extension of the holiday so nothing was open. We had to settle on brekky from Subway (not good at all). Then we left Christchurch to head down south on the eastern side of the island. We drove for about 3 hours when we looked to the left and saw the ocean! I had no idea that we were that close to the edge of the country so it was really exciting. We decided to stop off in a town called Timaru where we walked down this random trail through fields and ended up at a little alcove where the beach was. It was nothing like the beaches in Gold Coast. It was gorgeous and kind of private. I took some great pictures with my Canon Rebel and the boys explored the rocky point near the water.

The next place we stopped was about an hour later when we were starving for lunch. We stopped in Oamaru, a pretty small town but big compared to the towns we had previously driven through that day. Some of the boys got fish and chips at a hole-in-the-wall but the rest of us cruised down to this pizza and pasta joint called Filadelphios. It was delicious and definitely hit the spot. Before getting back in the van we went into a surf shop and looked around. Rob was talking to the guy that ran the shop about skateboarding and the guy says, "if you like skateboarding, you should go check out upstairs." We all decide to go see what the guy was talking about and the 'stairs' was a narrow passageway that served as shoe storage for the store, behind a hidden wall up through a midget-size door. Once we got to the top of the sketchy stairs, we couldn't believe what we saw. The entire second floor was converted into 2 huge skate ramps! The boys, being the skater/surfer/snowboarders that they are, grabbed skateboards and started working these ramps. It was really cool and reminded me of something out of a movie.

We finally left Oamaru and headed down for our final destination of the day- Dunedin. Tommy, Tim, and Scott had purchased a tent and sleeping bags back in Australia so they decided to camp at a travellors camping grounds in Dunedin. Collin, David, Rob, Greg, Lauren and I decided to pay the extra $5 and sleep at The Central Hostel which was right in downtown. Dunedin is a really cool city and home to one of the South Islands biggest universities. So it was a lot like a college town but absolutely beautiful with the rolling hills and victorian architecture. After showering and getting ready, we all headed out to dinner and drinks at the Bog Irish Pub. Like I mentioned, Monday was still considered a holiday so the town was really quiet and it was a more mellow nightlife.

On Tuesday, we woke up and decided to walk around and see more of Dunedin. We made our way through the downtown shops and up to the Cathedral Station which was an ornate train station set in the center of this circular plaza, surrounded by a large stone cathedral and some primitive shops, grass lawns and fountains.

We ate lunch at a little cafe and then drove the van to Baldwin Street. I had done some research before our trip of the coolest things to do and see in the South Island and I discovered Baldwin Street. This is in the Guinness Books as the World's Steepest Street. Obviously, I knew we had to see it. We drove to it and decided to run up it- it is way steeper than it looks! We all took some pictures on the street and watched as our friends' van struggled its way up the street. It was really cool to see it and be there.

After that we got back on the road and headed to Te Anau, a little town in the Fiordlands. We arrived as the sun was going down so we booked a room at the Lakefront hostel (the 3 boys camped again) and walked into town to find dinner. We ended up eating at a tavern called The Ranch and it was a loud, fun sports bar with pool tables and music. We knew we had an early wake up call the next morning so we hit the hay relatively early.

On Wednesday, we woke up before the sun was out. We got gas and coffee (awful tasting) and started our drive to Milford Sounds. We booked a cruise the night before so we had to get up there early. It was a gorgeous drive throughout the Fiordlands and the scenery was unreal. It was also freezing out. I had on 2 shirts, a flannel shirt, and a sweatshirt and I was still freezing. We made it up to the port and got our tickets.

We eventually boarded the M.V. Sinbad, a large catamaran/cruise ship. We set sail and the boat took us for an hour+ ride throughout the Milford Sound and through various channels. The sights were absolutely breathtaking- I've never seen such beautiful and picturesque sights! We saw dolphins swimming and seal perched on rocks and numerous waterfalls. It was awesome and I took a ton of pictures!

The Milford Sound cruise took up a majority of the day and by the time we got back to Te Anau and started on our way up the western coast, it was getting dark. We drove for about 2 hours when we finally made it to Queenstown- one of the highly anticipated stops on our roadtrip. It was already dark so we didn't get to see much of the town.

We checked in at the Base Hostel which had a perfect location in downtown Queenstown. We showered, got ready and headed next door to the Altitude bar. It was a really cool place with a dance floor, large tables with couches, and pool tables. It was fun and we ran into a lot of our friends who were doing their own roadtrips around New Zealand.

On Thursday morning, Tommy, David, Collin, Greg, Rob and Tim got up early and went bungy-jumping at a place called Nevis which is known as the second highest bungy-jump in the world!

Lauren, Scott and I didn't want to waste our money so we walked around downtown Queenstown, ate lunch at Winnie's Pizzeria, and watched boats come and go from the harbor. It was a beautiful day with not a cloud in the sky and the perfect day to explore the quaint and gorgeous town. We met up with the rest of the boys after they bungy-jumped at a burger joint called FergBurger. Honestly, hands down one of the best

burgers I've ever had and the portions were huge!! After lunch everyone went their separate ways to do/see various things. Rob and I went on a hunt for a store that sold cheap sunglasses since my cheap ones broke in the car and my nice Marc Jacobs were missing a screw. Later that night a big group of us went to dinner at the World Bar. It was a really cool place and the atmosphere was like a ski lodge with large deer heads on the walls and a huge fireplace. After we ate we got some drinks at our favorite spot, The Buffalo Club, and ended up going to a couple different bars- Altitude, The Pub, Winnie's, Lonestar, and World Bar. It was a really fun night and a lot of our friends from Australia were also in Queenstown so it was fun hanging out in a huge group!

On Friday morning, our crew [except for Collin] got up early and went Jet-Boating. Its an hour ride through the Shotover River in a fast boat that whips around and does 360-degree spins going over 200 km/hour! It was very adrenaline pumping and awesome!

After that we all met up at FergBurger again. In the afternoon, a couple of the guys went to an internet cafe while Tommy, Tim, Scott, Lauren and I headed on a hike. We hiked up the very steep trail up Queenstown hill, a large mountain that overlooks the city and lake. It was such a pretty hike and the lovely pine smell made me miss Colorado. We made it to the top where there was a lookout point where we got panoramic views of the mountainous terrain of New Zealand, as well as the lakes and town that comprises Queenstown. I'm glad we went on the hike and I got some great pictures! That night we went to the Buffalo Club bar again and helped our friend Hayley's (who also goes to CU) 21st birthday which was at midnight.

On Saturday, we walked around the town some more and browsed through a flea market on Steamers Wharf. The boys had soup and played pokies at The Pub while Lauren and I bought souvenirs. We left Queenstown in the afternoon and headed north along the western edge of the South Island. We drove through the popular town of Wanaka which is known for its placid lake, Lake Wanaka, and for being very close to a major ski resort. We drove for what seemed like forever until we reached our next destination- Franz Josef Glacier. We got into the town around 10 and struggled to find a hostel with vacancy until we finally stopped at a Camp grounds/hostel area that could fit us all. We then hurried to the couple stores in the small town and luckily found another Speight's Ale House open and serving food. We ate and drank a couple beers before going to bed.

On Sunday, we drove to the Fiordland National Park where the glacier was. We were going to do the guided glacier hike but it was really expensive and lasted 8 hours...none of us were in the mood to hike for 8 hours. So instead we did our own version and followed the paths to through a basin of rocks to where the actual glacier was. It was really interesting to see because it looked like a giant snowball wedged between to mountains. It was really pretty and we went all the way over to it (past the 'no-trespassing' signs!) and touched it! It was really pretty and I had never seen anything like it before! We stayed for awhile, taking pictures and goofing around before getting back in the van and heading towards our last destination on the roadtrip- Christchurch.

The drive from Franz Josef Glacier to Christchurch was a pretty heavy 5 hours and 45 minutes but we enjoyed the last stretch through the "Lord of The Rings" backdrop. We made it to Christchurch before the sun went down and ate dinner at the same Speight's Ale House that we had eaten our first unreal meal at the first night! It was just as good the second time around! We stayed at the Base Hostel in Christchurch this time and we had our own huge room with a connected bathroom! We played more CatchPhrase and headed down to the bar at the hostel. It was a pretty mellow night as well and we just tried to make the trip last as long as possible!

On Monday, Lauren and I woke up and walked to a cafe where we got bagels and coffee. It was a perfect day with sunny skies and 80 degree weather. We walked around the shops in Christchurch for a little since we didn't see much of the city the first night. We ended up walking to the Oxford Terrace- a grassy park area with a statued fountain, pretty trees, park benches, a stream, bridges and beautiful flowers. Since it was such a nice day Lauren and I decided to lay in the middle of the grass and enjoy laying under the hot sun...such a nice change from the cold days we had had prior! Around noon we drove back to Ace Rentals, dropped off our van, and took the complimentary shuttle to the airport in Christchurch.

All-in-all, it was a great trip and I've never done anything like that before and I'm really glad I did. Everyone in our van was a joy to be around and I had such a blast with them all. We saw so many beautiful places and beautiful things and I will never forget this adventure. I am so thankful that I was able to do something like this as not many people can say they roadtripped through New Zealand. It was a once in a lifetime chance and I truly had the best time!

BYRON BAY!

2010-04-12T19:12:00.001-07:00

Since my brother was visiting for such a long time, I wanted to take him to other parts of Australia so he could see as much as reasonably possible. None of my friends and I had been to Byron Bay so we decided to go for the second weekend that Rick was here. Before coming to Australia, everyone I talked to would tell me about all the places I "had to see" and Byron Bay was definitely one place that everyone told me not to miss. We rounded up a solid group of people and decided to go. A couple of my friends- Lauren, Scott, Tommy, Tim, Nina, and Melissa- wanted to Sky Dive in Byron so they cruised down to Byron early Friday morning. The rest of us who weren't skydiving went down later at around 2pm on Friday. Sarah, Robbie, Collin, Greg, David, Rick and I took a charter bus down to the small town. The second I arrived, I knew why everyone gushed over this place. Byron Bay is an adorable coastal beach town that hugs the ocean and is famous for being the most eastern point on Australia mainland. It has the small town charm and although tourists are frequent, it does not have the nostalgia of large tourism, which is a nice change. The 6 skydivers had already gotten a room at the Wollongbar Motel so we followed their lead and booked one room for the rest of us. After walking around the quaint shops downtown and getting a lay of the land, we went back to the motel to change and get ready for the night. You wouldn't think that seven people sharing one room would be that bad but with one queen size bed, one twin and one roll-a-way, this room was very squished. We made do and ordered pizzas for dinner. That night, we all went out to a bar called the Cheeky Monkey. It was a really fun bar with loud music, dancing, and a lively atmosphere. All 13 of us hung out there all night and had a great time before going back to the Motel to sleep.

Downtown Byron

Rick and I walking around the shops

Nina, me, and Lauren at the Cheeky Monkey bar

Rick and I at the Cheeky Monkey

Robbie, Greg, David, me, and Nina having a blast in Byron!

At 5 am, mere hours after going to bed, our room got a wake-up call from the crew in the other room. With Byron Bay being the most eastern tip of Australia, the sun first rises every morning over Byron Bay. So in theory, if we woke up and walked to the beach before dawn, we would be the first people in the world to see the sun rise for that day. We all walked the short path to the beach and sitting with our toes in the sand, we watched the sun rise over the horizon and light up the sky near the famous Byron Bay lighthouse. It was such a pretty morning and its cool that we were the first people to see the sun rise for that day.

Sun rise in Byron

So pretty

footprints in the sand

We went back to bed for a couple hours and woke up to go to the beach. The stretch of beach that perimeters Byron Bay is so gorgeous with white sand dunes and no crowds. It was much different than Surfers Paradise beach which is always packed with fully-clothed tourists that come by the bus-fulls, camera-ready with smiles and peace signs. It was a nice change to be at what felt like a private, locals-only, secret spot. And the ocean was so clear! It was paradise and a perfect sunny day. Some of the boys had rented soft-top longboards to play around on in the waves. Rick, Melissa and I took them out at one point and were catching some small but fun waves! It was cool to surf with my brother, since we've never done that before. We soaked up rays all day and saw more of the cute shops before heading back to the bus stop for the 2 hour ride home. It was the perfect mini-vacation and I was really glad Rick got to see another, completely different, part of Australia.

Rick, me, Melissa, Greg, and Robbie paddling out

Rick and I waiting for a wave

Rick the surfer pro

Deserted tracks on the walk to the beach from our motel

Sarah, Nina, and me on the tracks

The point of Byron Bay

Rick and I

This is for you, mom!

clear blue water, so beautiful!

Rick's Visit to Gold Coast!

2010-04-12T16:41:00.000-07:00

I wanted to give my bro a little taste of how we do things out here in the Gold Coast. We spent many beautiful days at Surfer's Paradise soaking up the sun and riding the waves. Rick was pretty pale having been in freezing Colorado for the past 4 months so he really wanted to get a good tan before heading back to the snow. We went out at night to the various pubs and bars in downtown Surfers and we also hit up the casino and piano bar at Conrad Jupiters in Broadbeach.

I took this picture of my brother and I through the large rearview mirror on the bus.

Waiting for the bus, gazing at all the tall skyscrapers that make Surfers Paradise seem like a mini-big city.

David, Robbie, and Rick having a good time at the Beergarden. They all know eachother from CU.

Rick, Hayley, and I. Rick knew Hayley before from CU, also.

Pregaming and playing card games at my apartment! (L to R) - Scott, Kevin, Natalie, Tiffany, Lindsey, Chloe, Catherine, Rick.

Rick and I on the Village charter bus on the way to Sin City

Rick and I on the bus on the way to Montezumas Mexican restaurant for David's 21st birthday!

Miss my big brother!

Sarah, Collin, Rick, Robbie, and Lauren in the Maxi-Taxi!

Brisbane

2010-03-24T21:34:00.000-07:00

My Brother Rick has been here for 6 days now and he's gotten to see a lot of my new life :) On Monday we took the train up to Brisbane. I have never seen the city so it was exciting for both of us to experience it. We got off the train station in South Bank and we walked along the river bank.

Rick and I in front of a Peace Pagoda sanctuary along the scenic Arbour Walk along the river.

Wheel if Briz

Queens Street Mall! Hundreds of shops!

Downtown Brisbane

Old Treasury building that is now a casino!

Man-made public beach in South Bank

We then went to the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) which was awesome! They had the coolest exhibits and art, we both really enjoyed it!

St. Pattys Day!

2010-03-19T01:22:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was Saint Patrick's Day. One of my personal favorite (or I guess "favourite" in Aussie) holidays. Everyone always has a great time on St. Patty's Day.

Luckily, I didn't have class and neither did some of my friends. Lauren, Scott, Timmy, Tommy and I and our next door neighbors Morgan and Kelly, went down to Surfers Paradise around noon. Our goal for the day was to hit all of the Irish pubs in Surfers. There are four main ones: Fiddlers, Waxies, Kitty O'Sheas, and O'Malleys. O'Malley's has been a hotspot for our nights out so we knew we wanted to end the day there. We first stopped at Fiddler's Tavern. We danced and had a great time all while celebrating dear ol' St. Pat. Then we walked over to Waxies which was a really fun place and we ate 'chips' (french fries). We checked out Kitty O'Sheas but it was rather boring so we went back to Fiddler's before ending at O'Malleys. I had an amazing time and a bunch of our friends came down around 3 after they were done with classes. It was a really fun time and I enjoyed spending the day with all my new friends!

Lauren, Me, Morgan, Kelly, waiting for the bus to Surfers!

Lauren, Tommy, Timmy, Scott, and me at Waxies

Me, Lauren, Morgan, and Kelly showing off our green!

My brother, Rick, flew in to Brisbane early this morning and took a train and a bus down to the Gold Coast. I showed him around my apartment complex and he saw a little bit of my campus. It was a gorgeous day so we took the bus down to Surfer's Paradise and laid on the beach. I'm so glad that he gets to be a part of a little bit of my entire experience. I know he's going to love this place and I can't wait to show him more!

Rick and I under the Surfers Paradise sign!

Travel Quotes

2010-03-14T06:36:00.000-07:00

I once heard a definition of travel that its “to proceed or advance in any way.” I always liked hearing it put that way. I think when you’re young and traveling, you’re holding yourself open to the world and saying to it,

“I’m open to anything.

Define me.”

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes." -Marcel Proust

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.

So throw off the bowlines,

sail away from the safe harbor.

Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover."

-Mark Twain

"Life is short and the world is wide." -Simon Raven

"What you've done becomes the judge of what you're going to do -- especially in other people's minds. When you're travelling, you are what you are right there and then. People don't have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road." -William Least Heat Moon, Blue Highways

"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost." -J. R. R. Tolkien

Nimbin, Surfboards & Rugby

2010-03-14T05:36:00.000-07:00

Its been about a week and time here is already flying by!

School is officially underway and my teachers are already discussing mid-term papers and projects! But I am enjoying my subjects and I really think I will learn a lot from them.

Last Sunday, Lauren's friend from high school, Tim, who's living here for 2 months, has a car and we decided to take a day trip out to the town of Nimbin. Nimbin is in northern New South Wales and about a 2-hour drive from Gold Coast. Scott, Lauren, Lauren's friend Tim, Sarah, Our friend Tim (from AustraLearn), and I crammed in to a Toyota Somethingorother and headed to Nimbin. I have to say, I've seen my share of weird places and strange people, but this definitely tops anything I've ever seen. The downtown is really small and is known for its 'creative' and unique atmosphere. The locals were dread-lock wearing hippies who hung out on benches downtown. It was a really vibrant and interesting place and I'm glad we went, but I don't think I will ever make the trip to Nimbin again...three hours is more than enough time in the bizarre town. But all of the colorful art made for some great pictures!

So, I've been wanting to learn to surf REALLY bad since I have been here. I've been surfing a few times but I haven't gone enough to actually progress. And what better place than Surfers Paradise?! I didn't want to keep renting a board because if I did that everyday, I'd be able to buy my own board! Last Monday, Lauren and I took the bus from Griffith University down to Surfers, from Surfers to Palm Beach, Miami Beach, Broadbeach, Burleigh Heads, and Coolangatta on a mission to find me a inexpensive used surfboard that I could learn on while I'm in Australia. Even though we were looking in surfboard shops all around the Gold Coast for hours, I unfortunately had no luck in finding what I needed.

On Tuesday, I went to the beach with Sarah and the boys told us about this cheap surf store called Sideways Surf Outlet, a couple blocks down on Surfers Paradise Blvd that had really cheap bathing suits. We decided to check it out. I didn't find any bathing suits but I was telling the employee Cam about what I was looking for in a used surfboard and out of nowhere he pulls out a board that he had just bought off a kid selling his board. Its a 7'2" longboard (which is long enough to learn on but not too long) by Jacks Surfboards. Its thick and buoyant. I took some pictures because I wanted my guy friends, who know a ton about surfboards, to see it before I took the plunge. I told Cam I would be back in the morning to possibly buy it. After I went back, I showed the boys, they said "you'd be an idiot if you didn't buy this board," so I woke up early the next morning and bought my board! I'm so excited to finally have one! Although the weather has been awful the past week so I haven't had an opportunity to ride it yet. But I'm looking forward to learning on the White Rhino.

My friends and I finally booked our Spring Break trip! We bought our flights to New Zealand, where we are staying for 8 nights, 9 days! We fly in to Christchurch and then we are renting a 10-passenger van and roadtripping around the south island of New Zealand, stopping at all the cool places and touristy spots. It should be a great time and its right around the corner!

Today was really fun. Rob, Greg, David, Collin and I took the bus to the train station and then the train to Skilled Park for a Gold Coast Titans rugby game! I have never seen a rugby game so it was a really interesting experience and every fan was decked out head to toe in Titans gear. I guess it was a pretty game because the Titans played the New Zealand Warriors. It took me a while to get my bearings but I finally got the hang of all the rules in rugby. The GC Titans were down for a majority of the game but we came back at the last minute and beat the Warriors 24-18. It was really fun and I'm glad I got to experience it!

My brother is coming out to Australia for his Spring Break and he arrives this Friday!! I can't wait to see him and show him around this beautiful place- I know he's going to love it just as much as I do!

That's all for now, more when the sun hits the Goldie<3

First Week of school!

2010-03-05T00:22:00.000-08:00

Although I was really enjoying the 2 1/2 months of vacation, its really nice to be in a routine again. My classes seem interesting and I know people in every class, which is really nice. Hopefully the workload won't be too rough!

A lot of my friends and I don't have classes on Wednesday so we went back down to the Quiksilver Pro Surf Competition in Coolangatta. Unfortunately, it was raining again, but it was one of the final heats and the boys were really excited to see Kelly Slater and Jordy battle it out. I brought both my lenses for my Canon Rebel and I got some really great close-ups of the surfers,which I was really excited about.

After the competition we walked down to Kirra Beach, one of the most famous surf spots in the world. It wasn't crowded because of the weather but it was such a cute small town area with gorgeous beaches. I love Kirra and all of Coolangatta!

Kirra Beach Hotel, right across the street from the beach

Today we went down to the beach to try and keep up our tans but it started drizzling again. I can't wait for the rain to stop!

First Day of School!

2010-03-01T18:28:00.000-08:00

Today was my first day of classes. Its weird being back at school after having 2 and a half months off. And of course, its still downpouring rain.

My day started really early as my first lecture was at 8:00am this morning. Fortunately, living at the Village is really convenient because I only have to walk over a bridge to get to campus. My first class was an Imaging Culture lecture. Being a Journalism major, it seems really interesting because its about images and the ways to analyze and create different ideas from images. I love photography so hopefully this will be a beneficial class. The teacher said we have to start a blog to log our work. That means 2 blogs to maintain. Oh well.

After the 50 minute lecture, I had an hour to kill before the tutorial for the same Imaging Culture course. Collin is in almost all my classes since we have the same major and were on the same track so we walked over to check out the library. Very up-to-date but tiny in comparison to CU's Norlin library. It took us less than 10 minutes to experience all that the library has to offer so we went over to the Koala Cafe near the Student Guild and hung out. I Skyped with my friend Molly who is studying abroad in Barcelona. After an hour, we went down to the tutorial part of class. The first part of the 2-hour tutorial is in a black box studio in the Drama Theatre. We did unique introductory exercises with cameras and mimicked each classmates posture and habits while talking. It was rather bizarre. After an hour in the black box studio, we walked across campus (the rain is relentless) and up to a computer lab where we worked on starting our [new] blogs for the class.

To sum it up, I am SOOOO glad my parents got me that waterproof jacket for Christmas this year. I almost didn't pack it but I am so happy I did because its miserable being wet. Collin, on the other hand, was stuck with a cut-off poncho.....we got some looks.

Collin's Poncho that has no sleeves...

Me, Lauren, and Lucy- running errands at Australian Fair with our black rain jackets {lifesavers!}

Australian Slang

2010-02-28T06:47:00.000-08:00

The common slang terms I've heard so far...

Goon- inexpensive boxed wine.
Pissed- very intoxicated
A Shout- round of drinks. Everyone must take their turn buying drinks for people involved in the shout.
Jug- pitcher of beer
The Chemist- a pharmacy store
Dodgy- awkward or cheesy
Brekky- breakfast
Toilet- bathroom
Rubbish- trash
Notes- paper money, bills
Bathers- swimsuit
Pokies- slot machines, poker
Sunnies- sunglasses
Sun Cream- Suntan Lotion
Bogan- redneck, white-trash
Uni- University, College

Lollies- candy

Suckers- lollipops

End of o-week

2010-02-28T04:22:00.000-08:00

A week since I first touched down in Gold Coast. This place is truly amazing.

A majority of the time we've been here, its been absolutely beautiful weather. I've gone to the beach a ton of times and tanning comes really easily here since Australia has no ozone layer. Lathering on 50 spf sunscreen has become and hourly routine for me. Gold Coast has an awesome bus system so I've been taking various routes trying to get more familiar with navigating myself around this area. Its been interesting and I've already seen a lot of the Gold Coast.

On Saturday, Collin, Lauren, Scott, Tim, and I took an hour bus ride down to Coolangatta to the beach Snapper Rocks where the Quiksilver Pro Competition was taking place. We stood on a mound of ocean rock near the shore break and watch the world's best surfers walk 2 feet away from us as they got on the rocks to jump into the water for their turn. A torrential downpour started the minute we got off the bus and it was pretty cold in a tank top and shorts. But it was a really cool experience.

We walked up beach-side street of the town and past all of the little shops. We stopped at a oceanfront bar and restaurant, Greenmount Beach Club, which had a second story covered balcony seating area so we grabbed a couple pitchers or "jugs" of beer as we tried to dry off somewhat. Even though I was sopping wet and freezing, it was one of those great moments where I was so content with life. Sitting back, enjoying a beer, watching the waves crash against the shore as surfers still paddled out and sheets of water pummeled the coast- it was a very comforting and relaxing moment.

Earlier today there was a huge Tsunami warning for Australia's Eastern Coast (right where I am) and Hawaii. A lot of people skipped laying out at Surfers Paradise because of the warnings but the weather has been awful and rainy the past few days anyways. Collin and David drove with some locals to a surf spot called 'The Spit'. They both said the waves were massive and rather terrifying because of the magnitude break the ocean was creating because of this developing Tsunami. The Tsunami skipped past Hawaii and as far as I'm concerned, it didn't hit Australia.

Tomorrow brings a lot of newness to my life. Its the beginning of a new month and the first day of classes at Griffith University. Fortunately, I don't have class until Tuesday. Unfortunately, its still raining. I hope it clears up so that we can go to the beach tomorrow!

Still love this place<3

Finally in Gold Coast!

2010-02-23T19:14:00.000-08:00

It’s been a couple of days and so much has happened. Like I mentioned in my last post, Saturday was the day that our whole crew of AustraLearn students got to go out on the Great Barrier Reef. We got up early that morning and headed for the harbor. We boarded the large catamaran boat named “Passions of Paradise” and headed out into the big blue. Being from California, being on the other side of the Pacific Ocean was a really cool experience. We were boating for about two hours when we stopped and anchored the ship. We got in to groups and some people got to snorkel first while others SCUBA dived and then we switched off after awhile. I got to snorkel first. I knew the reef would be pretty but I didn’t know how unreal it actually is. The Great Barrier Reef is amazing- really vibrant and unique coral forms and there were so many interesting and striking fish! It truly was an exotic world that seems so undiscovered and secret. I have never seen anything like it and I know why its one of the Wonders of the World.

Me and a couple of the girls on the boat at the Great Barrier Reef!

After lunch we moved on to another diving location. On the cruise back to the harbor, a big group of us started playing ‘drinking games’ around a large table in the inside part of the boat. They had a mini bar on the boat where we bought beers and snacks. The games got really funny and loud and we definitely had a good time.

Sunday morning came VERY early. A 5:50 a.m. wake-up call was followed by groggy luggage packing and a bus ride to the Cairns airport. I think all 70+ of us students were excited about leaving the awful humidity that northern Queensland is famous for. Just like on the flight from LAX to Sydney, as well as the flight from Sydney to Cairns, my bags were overweight (surprise surprise!). Even my carry-on duffle bag was too heavy to carry on so I had to check it as a third bag. The guy was really nice and didn’t make me pay any overweight baggage fees like the US does. After a shopping spree at the terminal newsstand store, an Iced coffee that I swear was spiked with Baileys (probably needed the additional boost), and testing 4 different kinds of Australian candy bars (TimTam is all the rage here and it tastes like a can of tennis balls in an antique store), we were finally taking off on a JetStar Airbus A320 to Brisbane.

Destination: Gold Coast, Australia. aka- “the Goldie” & Surfers Paradise.

I’ve now been here for four days and it’s been awesome. When we landed, we got all our bags- they all made it this time- and got onto yet another charter bus because Gold Coast is about 45 minutes south of Brisbane. With our faces pressed up against the windows, we anxiously watched the lush scenery wisp by while being fascinated by cars driving on the opposite side of the road. The bus took us directly to our accommodation and home for the next five months- Griffith University Village. The Village is really interesting with its very modern architecture and simplistic style. We went in to the office, signed some papers, and got our apartment assignment. Luckily, my good guy friend from CU, Collin, and I got put in the same apartment. We made our way over to apartment 2109 to find Scott and Lauren inside. They were both part of our AustraLearn group and I had become friends with Lauren over that past week in Cairns. She and Scott were friends from home also so we were all in the same boat. These apartments are five bedrooms so we were all really anxious to see who the lucky 5th roommate would be. Collin and I were in the apartment for no more than 10 minutes when we threw on bathing suits and headed to Surfers Paradise- the place we’ve all been looking forward to since summer. David, Greg, and Rob, our friends from CU that are in this program too, came with us and all the boys brought their surfboards from home so they surfed in one of the best surf spots in the world while I people-watched from the sand. After a couple hours in the sand, we went back and our 5^th roommate, Sarah, was there. She went through a different study abroad program but we all get along great! After unpacking our suitcases, we showered and got ready for our first night out in Gold Coast.

My Roommates! (From Left: Sarah, Collin, Me, Lauren, Scott.)

A big group of us went to this bar called Sin City, which is in downtown Surfers Paradise. It was a really fun club and we all had a blast dancing and hanging out with locals. Later in the night the rapper Shwayze came out on the stage and performed. I am a huge fan of Shwayze so I was ecstatic to watch him play at a random club in a random part of the world. It was a really fun first night.

On Monday, Sarah, Lauren and I, took the bus to a plaza with an indoor walking mall. We hit up the Target and after spending over an hour looking at all the things they had/didn’t have and complaining about how much more expensive things in Australia are, we each left with a laundry hamper, a fan, hangers, and a mirror. We walked around a little more, had lunch, and headed back. That night the RAs at the Village planned a barbeque for all of us to mingle and get to know each other. There’s a really great pool area with grass and picnic tables and everyone had a blast drinking and enjoying the warm night air.

I woke up really early yesterday (Tuesday) and Lauren, Collin, Scott and this kid Tommy and went to the beach. We got there early at around 10:30 in the morning and it was already scorching hot. Because there’s no ozone layer above Australia, sunscreen is a necessity and I had to apply SPF 50 multiple times all over and I still got some color. A bunch of our friends ended up meeting us there and we had a big group sitting together while all the boys surfed the whole day. It was fun just relaxing and soaking up the rays with good company. I rented a soft-top surfboard for 2 hours and attempted to catch some baby waves. Living in California, I’ve always wanted to learn how to surf but I’ve never had the resources to make it happen. Now that I am in one of the best surfing destinations in the world, I really want to get better at surfing. It’s so fun and I know that if I practice a lot, I will get the hang of it in no time. I had a great time paddling out on the amateur surfboard next to all the experienced boys and I caught a couple of really good rides!

We left the beach at 5:30pm after a long day of sun and surf. Once we were back at the Village, Collin, Rob, Greg, David, and I walked across Griffith University campus to a liquor store, Dan Murphy’s, down the street from the other side of campus. Since all the alcohol in Australia is imported, it is extremely expensive for what is normally pretty cheap in the States. The solution? Boxed wine. Really cheap and VERY classy ;) Last night Sarah, Lauren, Collin and I drank our wine and then took a taxi to Surfers to meet up with everyone at a club called Bedtime. When we got there everyone was walking out of it saying it was boring. We all walked down the road to this small bar with live music and an outdoor patio. It was a little bit of an older crowd but still fun! Then we walked over to the BeerGarden, which is famous in this town for having a wild nightlife. Unfortunately, last night it was dead there but it’s a really cool place on the inside. It was a fun night but everyone was worn out from the beach so we didn’t stay out late.

I decided that today was going to be dedicated to getting my errands done. I have to buy a Go-Pass for the bus system but in order to that I had to get a Griffith University student ID card so Lauren and I walked through campus and picked that up. It started drizzling so we came back to our place. I also need to get a cell phone from Global Gossip so that I can communicate with my friends here. And we need groceries. All of these things would be so much easier if I had a car but sadly we all have to rely on the bus system (which is decent but gets expensive) or walking. I think I might go to the grocery store and push the entire shopping cart (“Trolleys”) back. Hopefully this rain lets up soon.

So I’m loving life in Gold Coast already. Its gorgeous here and the people are really nice. The way of life here is so relaxed and carefree- very refreshing compared to the fast-paced, chaotic southern California vibe.

And its so nice not living out of a suitcase and having my own room. With all my new friends in this same complex, it’s like the dorms freshman year but 100,000 times better.

To sum it up:

I love Australia. Still haven’t tried Vegemite. Still searching for my aussie boyfriend. Still loving my life.

Me at the top of a mountain overlooking Cairns

Gold Coast city!

A bunch of us at the BeerGarden at Surfers
L to R: Alyssa, Nina, Melissa, Jodi, Me, Collin

Surfers Paradise!

Another view of the buildings that line Surfers!
Downtown shops at Surfers Paradise!

Griffith University Village apartments!

Inside of our apartment...Our living room

our kitchen :)

My Room!

My room again. I brought pictures from home and my friends to decorate my walls.

My closet.

Me and Rob on the bus from Brisbane Airport to Gold Coast

View from the top of a hill in Cairns overlooking the coast

Another view of Cairns..

Greetings from Cairns!

2010-02-18T23:42:00.000-08:00

I am finally in Australia! I took a 14 hour flight out of Los Angeles on the evening of February 14th and landed in Sydney Tuesday morning. I booked the flight through AustraLearn so everyone in my program was on the same flight as me. It was really cool to talk with a group of kids in the same situation as me and get to know them for the duration of traveling. After landing in Sydney, we had a 3 hour layover where some of us hit up the terminal bar and ordered our first beer legally. VERY exciting (haha). We finally boarded a smaller plane for a 3 hour flight to Cairns which is in far north Queensland.

The whole group of us, about 70+ students that are studying through the AustraLearn program at Griffith University in Gold Coast, are staying at Serpents which is a backpackers hostel in Cairns, Australia. The program consists of a bunch of activities pre-planned by the AustraLearn folks. Its been interesting here although its really hard to live in a dorm with 6 girls when each of us has 3 or more pieces of luggage....living out of a suitcase is not fun. Cairns reminds me a lot of Hawaii...very tropical and EXTREMELY humid. The weather changes a lot, usually really sunny and changing to overcast and rainy. The rain is warm and not too bad but the humidity is just not my favorite thing. But we're all drinking TONS of water and enjoying the heat.

I'm already obsessed with this country. Although I'm not in Gold Coast yet, I love the culture and lifestyle that Australians live. Everything is very laidback and no problem. People are super nice and just really mellow to be around. I've realized that the U.S. is a very complicated place and a lot of the things we do are more complex than they should be. Very refreshing to be surrounded by a 'no worries' mentality. They often say "work to live, not live to work" which I totally love.

On Wednesday, the day after we flew in and our first whole day in Australia, we took charter buses up a mountain to this tropical zoo called Rainforestation. It was really neat because we got an introduction to the indigenous Australian culture. We learned how to throw a boomerang, how to throw a spear, and how to play a didgeridoo (basically an Aussie instrument made out of a long bamboo shaft that makes really cool noises when you blow into it). We also got to feed and pet kangaroos, watch a huge alligator get fed, and hold a koala bear. It was a fun day but very hot.

Thursday was our adventure day and I had signed up for an activity prior to getting to Australia. My guy friends from CU and I all went on the 1/2 day ATV and 1/2 day white water rafting adventure. The first part was ATVing and it was SOOOOO fun. We were driven up to a ranch that had 1,200 square acres of wilderness to explore. The instructor was really cool and super fun so he led us through huge trenches and mud puddles and off of jumps. We each got to ride our own 4-wheel ATV bike and it was a really great time. The second half of the day was supposed to be white-water rafting but because it rained too hard the day before, the company canceled it. It was kind of a bummer but the 3 hours ATV-ing was really exhausting so I didn't mind relaxing.

Today, Friday, was Community Day so we drove up to a wilderness reserve in the tropics. The nursery gave us gloves and gardening tools and we got to pot seeds and plants for growth. The purpose of this day was to teach us about taking care of the environment as Australians are very 'green' and consciencious of the ecosystem. One of the birds here is endangered because the trees that they eat are all being eaten by other animals and so the birds don't get what they need to survive. So we planted 5 trees to help keep this species from dying out. It was really cool to give back to a community that is so new to all of us.

I'm really excited about tomorrow. We get to go out on a huge boat and experience the Great Barrier Reef. We get to snorkel and dive and just do the whole Reef experience which will be awesome. And later in the day, we're going to just cruise around and relax. I hope the weather is nice because it will be so much fun.

I think everyone, including myself, is excited to just get to the Gold Coast because right now we have an agenda and I think most people want to explore the country on their own. We leave Cairns on Sunday so it will be awesome to finally get to our apartments, move in, and start fully engulfing the Aussie experience.

For now, I'm sitting at an internet cafe, enjoying the heat. More when I hit the 'Goldie'.

Peace :)

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

2010-01-26T19:31:00.000-08:00

I recently rediscovered 'Vienna' by Billy Joel. I am currently obsessed. Although I am not going to Vienna, its such a great preamble for traveling. Makes me happy :]

As I was looking into the meaning behind the song, (which I often do because I think lyrics can be pretty powerful) I discovered another reason as to why I like it so much.

Billy Joel describes the song saying, "Vienna, for a long time was the crossroads. During the Cold War, between the Eastern Bloc, the Warsaw Pact nations and the NATO countries was the city of Vienna... Vienna was always the crossroads - between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire. So the metaphor of Vienna has the meaning of a crossroad. It's a place of inter...course, of exchange - it's the place where cultures co-mingle. You get great beer in Vienna but you also get brandy from Armenia. It was a place where cultures co-mingled."

I also read somewhere that on a trip to Vienna, Billy Joel witnessed how the city valued the elderly. Older people are useful and still have a lot of life in them and he compares that to how the elderly are treated in other countries especially America. We have this idea that once we're over the hill, we become more and more useless. But there is so much more life to live at any age and the older we grow, the more value our life has.

"slow down you crazy child,

take the phone off the hook

and disappear for awhile.

It's alright

you can afford to lose a day or two...

when will you realize

Vienna waits for you.."

Less than A Month!

2010-01-22T14:19:00.001-08:00

Less than ONE month until I leave for Australia! That's right...23 days until life in another country! I can't wait :)

Why 'Wet Paint'?

2010-01-15T14:05:00.000-08:00

A gentleman once asked me, if I had an autobiography written about me, what would I name it. I thought for a second, sorted through my brain for appropriate titles. The Life of Me. The First 20 Years. Or simply, Kiki Wilson: An Autobiography. These would do. But none of them represented me or my life. I closed my eyes to concentrate and pulled from the depths of the folds in my brain.

I responded, "wet paint."

Why, Wet Paint?

Changing the color of walls in a room. You start with a primer, making a thick coat to neutralize the existing color. And then you begin with the first layer of the sunshine yellow paint. You wait, it dries. From that point on, you add another coat of the liquid art. and another. and another. and another. Each coat making the final masterpiece that much more beautiful.

I'm young, I have a lot of learning, experiencing, and growing up to do. Right now, the chapters of my life are much closer together and I am closing doors as I move on to opening new ones. Every experience that I have is a new layer of that sunshine yellow. I'm in the midst of one chapter in my life but I am about to embark on an additional new chapter. The walls are wet with a new skin..

The Beginning

2010-01-15T13:31:00.000-08:00

I'm Kiki, some call me Keeks, Key, K, or Shakiki. I'm heading to Australia for 5 months and I can't wait to embark on a new adventure. I'm simple, just enjoying life and attempting to squeeze the most out of the journey...