My Sweet Journey

3 weeks till 100!!!

2012-01-25T09:40:00.004-07:00

Alright, so I have been lacking in my Arizona 100th Birthday MUST DOs... but then I remembered, I actually have a whole other year if I include the 100th year in my plan :) DONE!! Here is the updated list:
Completed:
Downtowns:
- Phoenix
- Glendale
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Tempe
- Gilbert
- Scotsdale
Towns:
- Bisbee
- Tombstone
- Sedona
- Payson
- Prescott
Montezuma's Castle
National Parks:
- Grand Canyon
Phoenix
- Arizona Science Center
- Heritage Square
- South Mountain Park

TO DO:
Northern Arizona
Jerome (NC)
Slot Canyon (NC)
- Lake Powell
Oak Creek (NC)
Havasupai Indian Reservation (NW)
Lake Mead (NW)
Hoover Dam (NW)
Wupatki National Monument (NC)
Flagstaff (NC)
- Route 66
Sunset Crater (NE)
Meteor Crater (NE)
Petrified Forest National Park (NE)
Canyon de Chelly (NE)
Monument Valley (NE)
Navajoland (NE)

Southern Arizona
Tucson
- Arizona State Museum
- El Presidio Historic District
- Mission San Xavier del Bac
- Pima Air and Space Museum
- Saguaro National Park
- Tucson Mountain Park
- Kitt Peak National Observatory
Sabino Canyon
Mt Lemmon
Biosphere
Organ Pipe Cactus National Park (SW)
Tumacacori National Historical Park

Western Arizona - hopefully will complete this on my way to Disneyland next month!
Lake Havesu - London Bridge
Colorado River

Phoenix:
- Desert Botanical Garden
- Heard Museum
- Pueblo Grande Museum
- Phoenix Art Museum

I have so much I need to do!

Day 17: Sydney (Day 3) - THE END

2012-01-18T09:59:00.000-07:00

On my last full day in Sydney, I had done everything I wanted to do in the city! When planning my trip to Australia I planned my time in Sydney to go through a Sunday so I could go to Hillsong Church. I have listened and sung Hillsong music for years at church and in my car. I was so excited to go to the main church that produced some amazing worship music. It took me a bit of the morning to get to the bus station. The bus for Hillsong was super late, which made me anxious about whether I had actually missed it or not. Fortunately the delayed bus gave me the opportunity to meet Theresa and Brian! They are the sweetest couple who were also visiting Sydney and going to Hillsong for the first time. They have grandkids my age and were visiting them and their son in Sydney for a couple weeks.
Theresa and Brian were from New Zealand, but originally they came from Northern England, so we talked a lot about the places I had gone to and New Zealand, which I wanted to visit.

But back to Hillsong...
The church is a lot smaller than I expected, and sadly the main Hillsong band was touring the U.S. and the main pastor Brian Houston was visiting the campus in New York.
Hillsong United was leading worship however, and I love them!

It was such a powerful morning and I loved being there! It reminded me of going to Hillsong in London with my parents. The message was about seeking God and after the amazing adventure that I had had over the last couple of weeks, it was a timely message.
After church I met Brian and Theresa back on the shuttle back to the train station where we met. They invited me to join them for the rest of the afternoon. I was so thankful that I had finished wandering the city and had nothing on my agenda for the day, so I was more than happy to go where they were going. We went to lunch together at the Subway in the train station and then walked through the city to catch a ferry that would go through the Sydney Harbor back to Circular Quay.
We had amazing conversations, the three of us, as we walked through the city and then sat on the ferry back to the city. I had spent three days mostly alone and talking with God and I was so in need of a good talk. This couple was such a blessing. As we sat on the ferry Theresa told me how she and Brian had been married for nearly 40 years, but Brian had only become a believer 4 years ago. What an amazing testimony of prayer and trusting God. I was so blessed. They were so sweet and fun.

The Harbor, from the ferry windows, whizzed by and before we knew it we were floating beneath the Harbor Bridge.

It was a lovely afternoon and I was sad to part with them when we reached Circular Quay. After promising I would be visiting them in New Zealand soon, they headed back to their son's house, and I went to pick up my luggage from my hotel and switch to my new hotel.

My friend Chris had set me up with an amazing deal at the Four Points Sheraton in Darling Harbor. It is the largest hotel in Sydney and overlooks the harbor. I absolutely LOVE hotel rooms and was looking forward to the rest of the day relaxing in my nice hotel.

When I got into my hotel room I immediately did the normal thing and dove onto the fluffy, perfectly made bed and danced around the room to my heart content! I wanted nothing more than to take a bath and watch a movie and sleep, but I needed food before settling in for the night. I was willing to pay anything to make sure I didn't have to leave the hotel, so I splurged on the dinner buffet! So many delicious dishes! I sat alone, which was strange, but still delicious.
After dinner I got my relaxing bath and then watch Victoria & Albert on my lap top and edited the dance video Phoebe and I had made!!!
Then I slept in the fluffiest King sized bed!

My trip ended the following day in the morning when the shuttle came to pick me up for the airport. I have to admit, I was ready to go home, however I was still sad to leave Australia. I felt like I left having accomplished all I wanted to do in this amazing country, but there is still so much I would love to go back and do!

But my arrival back in phoenix was well worth the sleepless night! My parents and younger brother, Tyler, were there waiting at the gate for me! I was so happy to see them and then while we talked in the terminal, I heard little kid sandals smacking against the floor coming toward me and before I knew it, Emolyn was right in front of me! Shawn and Nicole surprised me by coming to meet me too!! So lovely to be home with family!

I will finish by saying that Australia was THE greatest and wildest adventure trip I had been on! From crocodile attacks to holding a koala; From jumping off a 164ft tall platform to swimming 30 feet deep into the ocean on the Great Barrier Reef; from walking through the streets of Sydney to walking through the Daintree Rainforest - I had the trip of a lifetime!

Day 16: Sydney (Day 2)

2012-01-16T21:07:00.001-07:00

When I woke this morning I was determined to have a game plan rather than just roaming around the city. I had gotten a map from the tour guide the day before, so I took it and mapped out all the sights I wanted to see and then started my day.

First stop was through Hyde park again to get to St Mary's Cathedral. I am such a sucker for old and ornate cathedrals.

The journey continued through Hyde Park I reach the "rum hospital" again and this time I had time to rub the procelino's nose and hope for good luck!

A short walk away I got to the Royal Gardens and spent a good amount of time wandering through those grounds. It was overcast and so the gray cloud cover made the day feel rather chilly, but the grass was that much more inviting and smell of the flowers was that much more aromatic.

There is a part in the gardens were it juts out into the Harbor and it is from there that the more popular images of the Opera House and the Harbor bridge.

It is also in this spot where I found Mrs. Macquarie's Chair. Mrs Macquarie was the wife of a prime minister of Australia and she loved to sit in this spot and watch the ships come in. There are a lot of places around Sydney names for this Prime Minister, and this spot is for his wife.

I made my way aimlessly across town to the Sydney Aquarium next. The Aquarium is attached to a Wildlife park too with kangaroos and koalas, but since I had seen those already, I was only interested in the underwater life.

Now I have seen my fair share of fish and stingrays, and clown fish. After the Great Barrier Reef, I feel I had gotten enough of them. So going through the aquarium, I was most excited about the sea turtles, mantees, and sharks. Especially the sharks!

The sharks were pretty dang awesome. I will confess, I stood in front of this window exceptionally long trying to get a good picture with a shark in it. I finally got a good one of me smiling and low and behold, it turns out the shark behind me was smiling too!!

I think one of the most fun parts about my time in Sydney was being able to aimlessly walk around the city and loose myself in the streets and the maze of buildings. I would sit or walk and had no expectation for the day. I could decide on what I wanted to do and had no one I had to run it by. It was heavenly to be able to think and dream and spend hour after hour talking to God... sort of like I was on a date with Him.

After the aquarium, I walked along Darling Harbor for a bit and looked in the shops and stuff. I even sat in a coffee shop and had a chair tea with biscotti. Then I made my way to Paddy's Markets. This market is a huge indoor shopping area with countless stands selling useless touristy, knock-off junk - I loved it!!! It reminded me so much of Camden Markets in London, but without the high fashion and delicious asian food. I bought a pocket watch there and generally enjoyed being able to scan the merchandise.
Then it was back to the hotel where I nursed my horribly aching feet.

Day 15: Sydney (Day 1)

2012-01-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

I woke up early for my first full day in Sydney. I had planned a month before to take a Blue Mountain Day Tour with OZ Experience. The Blue Mountains are a national Heritage site and are on the list for the must see sites in Sydney....
Unfortunately, the tour never happened. Apparently there was a misunderstanding with the tour company and when I said I was going to take the tour, they took it as a maybe and requested I confirm my tour 2 days before the tour day. Sadly I had no internet for the 2 days before leaving for Sydney and so I never got their confirmation request... and so they never came to pick me up. My whole itinerary for Sydney was shuffled in a moment.
I walked back to the hotel rather frustrated and dejected (since I had walked 20 minutes to the meeting spot) and crawled back into bed and opened my computer to plan the day.

Since the free walking tour I had planned on taking the next day was offered daily, I decided that is where I would start my time in Sydney.
The walking tour started at 10a, so I started to make my way to town hall where the tour started. My hotel was right across the street from Sydney's central park. Oddly enough, this park is called Hyde park, which is actually the major park in London, England... as I discovered A LOT of the stuff in Sydney is names after places in London, down to their metro stations.

Upon entering Hyde park, I came upon the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) memorial.

I then leisurely made over to town hall to meet the walking tour.
This free walking tour was awesome. What was most interesting is that the sites we were taken to were not the most popular sites in the city, so I felt like I was getting an even more well-rounded view of the city.

Sydney Town Hall

Around Sydney there are these plaques in the ground that say "eternity". There is even one in the bell tower of the Main Bank of Australia building. The story goes that the word "eternity" was being written in chalk all over Sydney mysteriously. It occurred for years and years before anyone knew who was doing this.
Come to find out a man named Arthur Stace, a reformed alcoholic had heard his pastor, John G. Ridley, say "Eternity, Eternity, I wish that I could sound or shout that word to everyone in the streets of Sydney." He was inspired to do just that. So for a period of over 35 years he wrote that word countless times throughout the streets of Sydney.

Queen Victoria Statue

Inside the QVB (Queen Victoria Building)

There are two clocks in the Queen Victoria Building. One shows different scenes from Australia's history and the other shows scenes from England's history - one of the silhouettes shows Charles I being beheaded.

Fountain in Hyde park

We were shown the "Rum" Hospital, which at one point was actually the meeting house for the Australian parliment. It was actually built using profits from rum sales, making the Australian government building funded by alcohol. Out front there is pig, known as Porcellino. It is believed that if you rub its nose you will be lucky. He was decorated for Daffodil Day for Cancer Research.

The Bank of Australia, is supposed to be the Sydney equivalent to London's Big Ben... unfortunately even the people of Sydney acknowledge that it is a most lame attempt.

Above the Bank of Australia sign is the Australian Coat of Arms

A little while into the 3 hour walking tour we stopped for a short break in Australia Square and saw this statue sculpted by J Seward Johnson. It is incredibly intricate all the down to the watch on his wrist.

Then we continued on making our way down closer to the Harbor. In once of the lawns near the water's edge there placed the actual Anchor and canon from the Norfolk Island wreckage from the HMS Sirius. This ship was the flagship for the first group of settlers to form a colony in Australia.

Then we moved on to the Harbor and full view of the Harbor Bridge.

The first settlers house in Sydney

Our next stop was to the area of Sydney known as the Rocks.

The Rocks were historically the slums of Sydney and the site for Sailors to find entertainment. It is now the site for shopping markets and bazaars.

After taking a walk under the Harbor Bridge, we arrived in full view of the Sydney Opera House. There we ended the tour and I was left to finish exploring on my own.

The Sydney Opera House is the most iconic thing in Sydney. I remember seeing is in the 2000 Summer Olympic Games. It was like seeing Big Ben when I first arrived in London. It was the sight that made it real that I was actually in Sydney. You actually can't go into the main part of the Opera house unless you pay for a very expensive tour, but walking around the outside and look in the lobby was definitely enough for the little architect in me.
The building is shaped in order to look like the sails of a boat. It was designed by Danish architect, Jom Utzon, who won the privilege to design the building in global contest.

Oddly enough my favorite part of the Opera House was actually the bathrooms. The sinks were crazy interesting. The counter was actually waved and each of the dips was a sink. The sinks didn't actually have drains, but instead the water would run off the back of the sink into a trough and then drain out of site. Seriously is was super cool. It seemed that even the detailing in the bathroom kept the water theme of the waves and sails of the ocean.

After I had gotten my fill of the Opera House I decided to walk down to Circular Quay for lunch. I was desperately craving a hamburger and was glad to find a Burger King for lunch. Actually, it wasn't called Burger King, but instead it is called Hungry Jacks in Australia - same menu, same logo, but different name. Apparently when Burger King franchised out to Australia, there was already a trademarked Burger King restaurant in Perth or something like that, so they had to change their name. I got a simple whopper meal (which cost the equivalent of $12 in the US) and ate in the Royal Park in view of the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge.

Found these awesome building fragments to sit on while I ate.

After my quick lunch, I decided to go spend the rest of the day in Manly Bay across the Harbor. I was told my a family friend, Greg, that I should visit Manly Beach while in Sydney and it would seem that everyone else I spoke with from the receptionist at the hotel, to the tour guide on the walking tour. So after lunch, I went down to circular Quay, bought my ticket, and headed out to spend the afternoon and evening across the harbor.

While waiting for my ferry to depart I was thoroughly entertained by a kid out from of the terminal, who was seriously skilled!

Jack Dawson

Quote by Jack London in the walkway

The main reason why everyone told me to go over to Manly is because the views of the city from the middle of the Harbor are not to be missed.

the opening to the Pacific Ocean

Upon arriving to the Manly Harbor I had really no idea what I was going to do with myself. I wandered around the shops and then sat at the beach for a bit and watched the surfers.

While pulling into port I had seen a rather old looking building on the top of a hill that looked all British and ancient, so I decided to go exploring for it before I grabbed dinner. Turns out it was an old seminary that is now an international business school... nothing too fantastic, but then you get the view of the beach down below.

I felt a little odd strolling around the grounds with no one else around. I also felt like with all the international flags hanging over the entrance, I was afraid there were going to be armed guards keeping watch over a foreign diplomat. But then I stumbled on a group of students playing rugby and figured I was not intruding on an international meeting.

After taking in the gardens and then walking back down the hill, I bought a cornish pasty for dinner and ate it while watching the darkness fall over the waters. A pigeon and I had a stare down over a couple of fallen crumbs and then I was ready to head back and go to sleep.

If I thought the look of the harbor in daylight, the view in the darkness was even more sparkly and beautiful!

Day 14: Goodbye Mossman...

2011-12-18T17:44:00.000-07:00

Sad Day...

My trip to Mossman and visiting Phoebe was at an end. I will say that saying goodbye was easier this time around than saying goodbye in England was. At least this time we knew for certain that when we said we would see each other again, we weren't lying.

My flight didn't leave until the evening, so we spent the morning walking around Mossman Gorge again. Phoebe and I had been working on our Australian edition of a dance video and we needed a few more shots to complete it.

After our filming session (and yes people stared at us while we danced in a public place), we met Liam, Karla, and their other roommate Tara for lunch at Junction.

We then had little photo shoot by the ambulance. I had spent most of the time in Mossman hanging out with paramedics (Liam, Karla, and Tara) so it was only fitting that we commemorate our time with some pictures:

After lunch Phoebe and I headed to the airport. It was awesome that in Australia they don't have as heightened of a security protocol as in the U.S.A. so Phoebe was able to go through security and wait with me at the gate. So nice to be able to sit with her until the very last moment. We talked the whole time about planning her visit to the States and all the things we would do when she came - Disneyland, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas... everything. Then they started calling for boarding for my flight and the crying started. Every step to the gateway was so sad. When I finally was in my seat on the plane, I cried even harder (sunglasses in place to hide the red eyes from the strangers on the plane next to me).

Then I was on my way to Sydney for 4 days in the big city all by myself. The flight was short and the view down along the coast were stunning.

My shuttle transfer picked me up at baggage claim to take me directly to my hotel and luckily I had the van all to myself... unluckily my driver talked A LOT and had the thickest eastern European accent I had ever heard and I only understood every few words... our conversation was difficult at best. Finally I got to my hotel.
Note: I love hotels! I love having a fresh bed to sleep on all to myself. I love having a private room all to myself. This particular hotel had shared bathrooms though, and although they were clean, it was still weird showering in a stall. Upside, The Proposal was on TV! I had an early night ready for my morning tour to the Blue Mountains...

Day 13: Last full day in Queensland

2011-12-16T23:13:00.000-07:00

For my last full day in Queensland, Phoebe and I decided to relax and just spend as much time together as we could. Liam was at work, so it was just Phoebe and I on our own. We spent the morning on the beach enjoying the sun and Australian beach one last time.

Remembering what the water and sand felt like on the other side of the Pacific Ocean

Australia!

Best friends!!

I loved how on this vacation I had the perfect balance of action and relaxation. After the true adventure of the day before, it was the perfect ending to my trip in northern Australia to get a day of wandering and relaxation.
We had lunch in Port Douglas and then headed home to wait for Liam. When he got home from work, the 3 of us headed to On the Inlet, a restaurant in the harbor at Port Douglas. On the Inlet is home to George the Groper, who is a large groper fish who they feed for an audience and it is a rather violet and thrashing process.

true love

The best Australian Host and Hostess a girl could ask for.

These were not all mine...

Oysters! super yummy :)

I actually still have dreams about this tuna steak

mmm.... prawns...

It was truly a feast fir for my last night! I will say that Phoebe and Liam really did wine and dine me the entire trip! They took me to the most delicious restaurants and I took the opportunity to order the best dishes. I have never eaten so well, or for so much money... but it was amazing!

Day 12: Bungee Jumping & Day in Cairns

2011-12-15T23:14:00.003-07:00

This was the day I was looking forward to since I arrived on Australian shores. When Phoebe and I began discussing my visit, she asked if there was anything I HAD to do while I was there. I told her of course I wanted to visit the Great Barrier Reef and then I REALLY wanted to do something like Bungee Jump. I know Phoebe is not into stuff like that at all, so I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do it. But when I mentioned it to her again, Liam said he would definitely go with me.
In the planning process I decided I wouldn't tell my parents I was going to do it until I had actually done it. I know my mom would freak out and be so nervous for me, but if I waited till after the fact she would be so excited for me.

We booked with AJ Hacketts and decided to do it earlier in the day because I didn't want to be waiting around all morning to finally go and do it. I knew I would have an amazing experience and absolutely LOVE bungee jumping, but I couldn't help but feel that nervous turning of my stomach the whole drive to Cairns. I kept saying over and over in my head that it would be just like the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland or any other free fall ride... it is NOTHING like that and SO MUCH BETTER!

We approached the jump site with incredible butterflies in the stomach. Karla came with us and jumped too. When we parked the car and started the walk up to the tower, we were greeted by this "Caution" sign. Loved it.

The infamous tower!! It is actually much higher than it appears

We signed in and then waited until they were ready for us at the top. In order to let off some of the nervous energy, Liam and I spent our waiting time dancing to the music in the bar area. Good times!
They gave us the go ahead to make our way up the tower and we began our ascent. I have to say that walking up the stairs was the worst part. I literally couldn't remember why I decided to do this as I took every step... but I was determined to follow through cause I knew I would regret it if I didn't. I got to the top and my knees were shaking horribly!

Phoebe of course didn't actually jump, but she cheered us on from the ground and told me later that she had a mini heart attack every time one of us jumped.
At the top, Karla went first while Liam and I had mini freak outs on the sidelines. After getting her all strapped in, she stood on the ledge of the platform for seriously an entire 2 minutes after they gave her a countdown before she jumped. By that time I myself was getting strapped in and the blood curdling scream she let out as she jumped nearly took a year off my life. As they were putting on all my gear, the guy strapping me in was rather lovely and kept me preoccupied asking me about Arizona and going to ASU. In my head I was reciting the Lord's prayer to calm my nerves... "the Lord is my shepherd, the Lord is my shepherd."
I actually was rather calm as I felt the sturdiness of the belts and straps. Then he stood me up and had me waddle to the edge. As I reached the end of the platform and looked down I couldn't not believe I was so high and that in a mere moment I would be diving the height of the platform into thin air. They told me they would count down from 5 and then I could jump when I was ready. I nodded and waited for them to start the counted... a few moments later the guy kindly told me that they wouldn't start until I actually let go of the railing... whoops! I let go and they counted down from 5 and I dove. I knew that if I didn't just go for it I would continue to get more and more freaked out... so in an instant I was airborn and plunging into oblivion.

waving to the camera man who caught it all on digital and film.

the perfect swan dive

It was so much easier than any free fall ride I had ever been on... I didn't have that rushing feeling in my stomach because it happened so fast. I kept my eyes open most of the time and remember seeing the ground get dangerously close and almost touching the water and then being gracefully pulled back up. I didn't feel whipped around and kept myself limp as possible to avoid being sore later. The only thing that felt off was the amount of blood rushing to my face as I dangled upside down at the bottom. Once I was steadied at the end of the bungee cord, a man on a raft paddled out to help pull me down. I gave a wave to the camera at the top and then was released from the cord and rode to the edge of the pond.

waving to the film crew at the top

waving to Phoebe

relaxing with the boat master

I can't believe I actually did it.

As I inched to the edge of the boat to step on solid ground I completely expected to have jelly legs, but no. I was as steady as ever. My heart was pounding like crazy though.
Seriously it was the most amazing thing I have ever done in my life and the most fun I have ever had in a moment. I would do it again in a heartbeat and actually plan to in the future.

Liam jumped next. There was a question as to whether he would actually do it because his nerves were starting to get the better of him at the top. But he finally did it and he felt like a champ!

The victors!!

Liam, Karla and I feeling like we could conquer the world

After the jump one of the staff members informed me he could hear my scream all the way from the parking lot. I apparently have incredible mile spanning lungs. Haha!

After the jump I was feeling so exhilirated from all the adrenalin. I was also very hungry. We headed into Cairns for some serious shopping at the mall and the outlet stores and then dinner along the harbor.

Australia really puts more limits on itself than America does... we have Bed Bath and Beyond, while their store ends at the table.

Stylish

We had cocktails at The Salt House on the harbor. Each of us would order a cocktail and try each others and then all have to order the other person's cocktail. My favorite was a Kiwi cocktail.

As the sun set on the harbor over the boats and out into the ocean, thus ended another one of my favorite days of the trip. We drove home playing eye spy and laughing hysterically.

Day 11: Shopping in Kuranda

2011-12-15T19:45:00.001-07:00

Liam, Phoebe and I took a day trip to Kuranda. Known as the village in the Rain Forest, it is known for its shopping and shops filled with Australian gifts and souvenirs. I had been searching all week for the perfect Australian opal ring, and this was where I was sure I would find it.

We spent most of the day just wandering the streets looking at all the stuff the shops offered to the visiting tourist.

stuffed crocodile

Viagra shaped rock candies

I do love a man with a beard... my Australian boyfriend

Large Koala

Some of the more charming souvenirs you can purchase are a lucky kangaroo foot or a change purse made from the scrotum of a kangaroo

these change purses are made of real Australian toads

Australia sure loves their manikin displays

I kept seeing these creepy black dolls everywhere and didn't understand why they were everywhere. They are called Golliwogs and are supposed to be Aboriginal dolls or something. I think they looked borderline offensive...

golliwogs hanging in a shop window

There was a shop that had an underground geological rock display. It also had a huge Dinosaur skeleton in the entry way

the dinosaur mural is attacking Liam

For lunch we had a German braut from the braut stand. It reminded Phoebe and I of the delicious braut she and I had while in England one time. We sat outside on the deck (which is where the large stuffed Koala was located). I got a Lemon Lime and Bitters and it was gloriously delicious. Gosh, I wish they had Lemon Lime and Bitters in the US. While we dined on our German food and Australian soda, we were serenaded by David Hasselhoff in true German fashion.

I found my opal ring at last!

Kuranda is also home to a crashed US Airplane. It is now completely destroyed after being used in a few films and crashed in the last one. It reminded me of the TV show lost a little bit. Ah there is a little piece of the US everywhere I go.

Before heading home we drove up to Barron Falls in Barron Gorge.

Since it was the dry season, the normally impressive falls were pretty meager. I could imagine how rushing and huge the falls normally is based on the size of the gorge. Although we decided to drive up to Kuranda, there is also the option of taking the Skyrail up from Cairns, which travels through the gorge and drops you off at Kuranda for the day. I liked the drive better because it was much less expensive and we weren't on a timeline.

Phoebe, just hanging around

I love when you ask people to take a picture of you and a landmark of any kind and you walk away with a picture of you covering up the said landmark...

Day 10: Camping (part 2)

2011-12-15T14:41:00.001-07:00

The night of camping was absolutely gorgeous. We didn't even have to zip up the tent, it was the exact perfect temperature! The only strange thing was the wild turkeys that would walk by the tent and rustle to bushes. There also was the matter of our campsite neighbors whose children ran around naked... "crazy Victorians" as Phoebe would call them - any Australian tourists she claims are Victorians (as in being from the province of Victoria in southern Australia.

When all of us were ready to go, we headed for breakfast at the Beach House, which was reputed as the best restaurant near by. It was apart of a cabin campsite up the road. The food was delicious but the dining experience was not without its problems. The cash register was broken, when our orders were brought out (after a super long wait) they were wrong (luckily we were served more expensive meals than we ordered, but still charged for the cheaper meal), then the waitress spilled my drink all over the table and floor... poor girl was flustered.
After breakfast we began the journey home to Mossman. Along the way we came upon a Thompson Creek sign. YAY! Thompsons are represented in Australia! Below the Thompson sign was a Horse crossing sign that had been turned into a Unicorn... awesome!

Along our journey we took a walk through the rain forest yet again. I seriously feel like every rain forest preserve I walked through was a completely different world. Even through it is all the Daintree Rain Forest, I still feel like each section holds its own character and uniqueness that your can't find anywhere else.

This vine was once wrapped around a tree, but the power of the vine sucked the life out of the tree until it became dust. Not the vine is hollow... beautiful nature

Liam, Phoebe, and I

Liam and Phoebe kept telling me how I needed to have the most delicious tropical ice cream! We stopped at a stand one the way up to Cape Tribulation, but the plantation we stopped at on the way home was supposed to have the best ice cream. We ordered the seasonal sample bowl, which had Mango, Wattleseed, and Jackfruit. It was actually super delicious. Phoebe had been serving me Wattleseed tea throughout my visit and in ice cream form it is just as yummy.

the banana crop was wiped out by a cyclone that hit this area of Australia just months before my visit. So any banana trees are considered VERY precious.

Another quirky Australian roadside attraction was a memorial to a WWII bomb that was dropped near a tiny house. It is the site of the only civilian casualty in this area of World War II. It was dropped by a Japanese aircraft.

Yee-haw!!!

A lady always rides side saddle

The story

And on that note, our camping adventure was over...

Day 8-9: Winery & Camping (part 1)

2011-12-15T14:08:00.004-07:00

On Day 8 Phoebe and I had an errand running day to prep for camping over the weekend with Liam. We stopped in to a little winery not far from Phoebe and Liam's house to try their Mango liqueur. There were lots of other flavors and I was willing to try them all if I had to.


interesting hanging flower vine

The next day Liam, Phoebe and I got ready to embark upon our weekend of camping at Cape Tribulation. We started the day with breakfast at Junction in Mossman town center, and I had the most delicious eggs Benedict.

We then moved on to complete our drive. It was a gorgeous drive up the coast to Cape Trib. There was a beautiful canopy of trees above us the whole time and the winding roads through the rain forest were truly majestic.

on the road... that's right, I'm on the left side of the car...

side mirror pic

our courageous driver

Along the road there were plenty of look outs to stop and take some pictures. Beautiful views of the ocean.

Karate Kid!

We also stopped along the way at the Daintree Discovery center. The Daintree rain forest is one of the largest rain forests in the world and is home to some of the most unique plant and animal life. The discovery center was a collection of exhibits and sanctuaries for some of those plants and animals.

the walkway high above the rain forest floor

camouflage

a smaller tree growing on a larger tree

tree hugger

Australian seeds and berries... the blue fruit is for Cassowaries to eat.

Phoebe and a Cassowary statue

Cassowary love

there is an actual fruit called Idiot fruit

The Thunderbird is also known as the "demon duck of doom"

After the Daintree Discovery center, we crossed a rive on a ferry boat and then continued our journey. For lunch we stopped at a cafe along the side of the road. It was seriously the worst lunch I think I have ever had. I got a Chicken sandwich with Avocado, which was mostly gristle and browning avocado. For the first time I sent a meal back at a restaurant. My second meal, however, was no better.
After lunch we sought directions to a Blue water hole, but alas the directions we were given were not very good and we got a little lost and never found the hole. Instead we continued on to our campsite to regain our barrings and then continue to explore.
One thing we kept seeing along our journey were signs for speed bumps and Cassowary crossings... then near our campsite, we found this sign:

someone turned the speed bump sign into a dead Cassowary

When we got to the campsite we set up camp. Phoebe and Liam only had a two man tent, so Liam borrowed Karla (their roommate's) swag to sleep in. It was supposed to have structured poles to allow it to pop up, but they were not in the package (turns out Karla had no idea there were even supposed to be poles), so Liam basically had a glorified sleeping bag to sleep in.

Liam in the swag

Phoebe in our little tent

After we had our tent all set to go, we took a short walk through the rain forest (literally several steps) to the beach. I don't think I have ever seen such a breathtaking open beach. There were no people and it stretched for miles!

Cape Tribulation. Named because Captain Cook's ship, upon discovering Australia, had quite an unfortunate time here.

Jumping beach pictures

We changed into our swimsuits to get some sun and spent some time reading on the windy beach

After a little bit of relaxing, we decided to ask the campsite if they new where this blue water hole was. It was the strangest thing, when we asked the lady at the front desk if she knew where it was and in an oddly quick response she said, "no". Not "no, I'm sorry I can't help you" or "no, we get asked a lot, but I can't tell you", but just simply "no" as if she didn't want to talk about it cause it was too painful. haha. I don't understand exactly what was going on, but Liam and Phoebe and I found it to be the creepiest and most hilarious conversation. This was the first of many off exchanges with the local people in Cape Tribulation.
We did find a small secluded creek where we hung out for a bit. We had leaf races (which I proudly won)!!

the rock Liam is standing on looks like a turtle!

Go leaf!!

We had dinner at Whet, a restaurant near the campsite.
When we got back to the campsite it was late at night. We walked out onto the beach to take a look at the stars before heading to bed. I cannot describe to you how incredibly beautiful it was out there. This was one of the best moments of my entire time in Australia!! It was like I was standing in the middle of a planetarium. It seemed almost fake. Since there were no town or city lights for miles and the ocean stretched on to infinity, you could see the starry night sky dipping into the ocean along the horizon. The moon was not yet out and so I could hardly see steps in front of me. All I saw were stars and I swear I could see every single one of them. I don't think I will see anything so beautiful in all on my life!!

Day 7 (Part 2): Flames of the Forest!

2011-10-30T22:04:00.002-07:00

After the awesome day on the reef, I couldn't believe my fortune - the day was not over!!! Phoebe and I had jam packed the day with the best of Australian culture and experience. Out next stop was a culinary experience like non-other:

FLAMES OF THE FOREST!

It is a dining experience hidden away in the forest under a romantically lit tent, surrounded by the sounds of the rainforest, and warmed by candlelight.
Actually it wasn't very warm at all, but no matter, it was an incredible experience of Australian foods, aboriginal music, and mystical storytelling.

Upon arriving back to the house from our day at sea, Phoebe and I cleaned up and got fancy. In light of the cool evenings, we couldn't get super fancy and had to think about warmth... most of the evening my outfit was covered by a coat. In order to properly capture the attire, we took photos before leaving the house.

Classy ladies

Liam had taken the car to the Paramedics station, so he had to drive us into town in the Ambulance. It was my first time in an ambulance, so of course I wanted to ride on the gurney... Phoebe even strapped me in so I could get the full affect. Best. Car ride. Ever!

I needed to feel like it was more authentic

We met a shuttle in Port Douglas that would take us the rest of the way into the Rainforest. It was so dark as we moved away from the town and honestly there was something inside me that feared they were just luring us into the middle of nowhere to kill us. Luckily the trees thinned just slightly to reveal a torch-lit walkway. We got off the shuttle and walked to the staging area where we were handed champagne and offer hor deurvs. It was the classiest dining experience I'd ever had. On the lawn near the bar where we waited to be escorted to our tables was a beautiful iron candlabra.

After we had mingled for a bit (or in Phoebe and mine's case, were antisocial for a bit), a didgeridoo sounded a little ways away. Then a man dressed in traditional Aboriginal garb greeted us in his native tongue and ushered us to the dining tent.

Rainforest trees

The dining tent

The set up for the meal was family style, so we were forced to be kind and mingle with the other guests. Phoebe and I enjoy the company of each other enough that we find it hard to join in any other conversation but our own, but we tried our best and got to know some lovely people.

The food was delicious and I was so excited to get to try Barramundi (Australian cod) and Kangaroo loin. Truly an Austrlian style cuisine.

Our menu

Kangaroo loin

Phoebe and I marveled at the beauty of the place and decided that Phoebe HAD to get married there one day.
After our meal had been thoroughly enjoyed we were entertained by a traditional Aboriginal Dream-time Story.

Didgeridoo

The dream-time story telling

The beautiful backdrop to our story

This story was about the Platypus and basically went like this:

Long long ago there was a female duck who fell in love with Mr. Rat. It was a forbidden love and the two were outcasts from their communities. The two lovers had children and when the female duck returned to her family to introduce them to her beloved children, they were rejected and seen as unnatural. They were in fact the Platypus.

Of course the story was much more epically told and the man who told it walked around the tent as we all closed our eyes and listened, so it seemed the story came from all around. It was magical. The coolest part was when they turned all the lights off so we could be in darkness and listen to the sounds of the rainforest, then they turns on a light of sorts that projected what looked like a million stars all around us. It seriously took my breath away.

A picture with the aboriginal men who hosted our evening.

This was probably my favorite day of the whole trip. I got to swim in the ocean and see one of the natural wonders of the world. I then finished the night being emersed in Aboriginal culture and eating delicious food in one of the most beautiful venues I've ever seen.

Day 7 (part 1): Great Barrier Reef Day!

2011-10-24T12:14:00.059-07:00

Sorry for the delay in posting... much has happened since my return that has distracted me and kept me busy... but here is the beginning of the rest of my Australia trip posts:

On day 7 of my adventure "Down Under" I experienced one of the Natural Wonders of the World - The Great Barrier Reef! That is 2 down and 5 to go :)
Phoebe working at a Hotel in Port Douglas afforded us a lot of perks along our journey and our cruise out to the Great Barrier reef was one such perk. She was able to get me a 50% discount off the all day excursion.

Our sturdy vessel

"I'm on a boat!"

Now I know I am not a great person on large boats and so I was prepared for the hour long bout of slight nausea all the way to the GBR. From the beginning of our trip Phoebe has been all about trying to convince me to scuba dive, but I wasn't too keen. It mainly had to do with the cost, but also because I just didn't know how I would handle it. A lady came by and kindly asked if we were interested in paying extra for an intro Scuba Diving trip, but we politely declined... moments later I realize that was a stupid decision and that of course I HAD to scube dive! I mean it was the Great Barrier Reef! It is a once in a lifetime experience and definitely something I would regret if I didn't do it. So we chased after the lady and signed up. BEST DECISION EVER!!! Seriously it was the best decision I made on the whole trip... thus far ;)

This is me super excited about Scuba diving

They gave us a crash course in scuba diving. The trip would only be 4 people and a guide and we as beginners were not responsible for any of our equipment. We wouldn't be too far from the Pontoon and not too deep to cause any alarm. Nice and easy.

I was so excited to get in the water (even though it was freezing cold) and see all the underwater wildlife. Peole on the boat kept talking about how they wanted to see Nemo... I would roll my eyes and mock them for not having higher expectations for one of the most beautiful places in the world... but I will get honest here.... I got under the water and the first place we landed (it feels like you are flying through the water, so when you land I felt like I was Peter Pan, lightly touching down on the ocean floor) was in front of a wall of coral. our guide started waving her hands in front of some stringly underwater plant and 3 little clown fish popped out and you would have thought I had seen the second coming! I was so excited!!! I felt like a complete idiot for mocking those people because it just amazing. I was really at the Great Barrier Reef, underwater, seeing one of the most majestic and beautiful places in the entire world. Breathtaking! Our scuba diving group was Phoebe and I, along with an older gentleman who was pretty quiet and unassuming, and a younger girl who just couldn't get her stuff together. She was a little slower than the group and we kept having to wait for her to stop freaking out or whatever about her breathing or her face mask or her stinger suit. It would have gotten ridiculous if it hadn't been cause for us to truly take our time looking at everything around us under the ocean.

Our fashionable stinger suits

Have to be careful of the jelly fish

Getting all suited up with our group

ready to submerge

I will admit I had my fair share of troubles with equipment. Nothing too troublesome, but mainly the mask kept getting some water in it. They taught us a trick to get it out, but when I would try it out, I would get the water out but not before some of it sprayed in my left eye... ouch. Totally worth the discomfort though.
Another stop along our Underwater journey was at a HUGE clam shell! Seriously is was the size of a Saint Bernard! Our guide demonstrated how we could stick our hand down in it and then back out and we could watch the clam close and open again. I was the first to try it out.
There also was this little fish that kept running into me. They had told us not to touch anything cause we could disrupt the eco-system of the GBR, but this fish kept doing it to himself. He was pretty gorgeous though - purple and green and blue depending on the angle to looked at it and it was like the colors were electric. I loved him.
The whole scuba diving experience was too short lived and I wished we could have seen more wildlife, like seas turtles, sharks, maybe a whale or two, but I plan on definitely scuba diving again when I can.

When we got back to the Pontoon, and emerged from the water I was quickly reminded of how HEAVY my oxygen tank was and it gave me quite a jolt of disorientation. Between that and the wooziness from the boat, I was pretty sick immediately following the dive. The best cure was the buffet dinner to get some weight in my stomach.

Awesome chicken

After that Phoebe and I laid in the sunshine on the deck of the Pontoon and readied ourselves to snorkle a bit before the boat was set to leave. I am so grateful I decided to scuba dive, because I seemed to have blocked the fact that I hate snorkling. The actual activity, I have nothing against, but without fail I will swollow a huge gulp of salt water on accident, gag or throw up and then I am pretty much done for the day. It was cool to see a bit more reef and fish from a different angle, but I was content to sit on the deck in the cool sunshine for the rest of the time.

Underwater coral wall

Fish!

Underwater Phoebe

My underwater picture

On the deck of the boat

Random guy who wanted to take a picture with us... weird

Enjoying the sunny pantoon deck

We set sail back to Port Douglas after 3 hours out on the reef. As we went out further in the ocean to turn the boat around we caught a glimpse of the continental shelf. All you can see is a steady line of white waves foaming where the ocean floor drops down into oblivion. It was little overwhelming and creepy to think about.

Continental shelf

We also got to catch a glimpse of a whale as we drew near to the Port Douglas harbor. It was only of his tale and he was so far away... but I saw a whale!

Once we returned to the port, we quickly headed home to change and get ready for a fancy night out...

Day 5 & 6: Australian Wildlife & nothing...

2011-08-19T01:25:00.002-07:00

Today was a day of enjoying the Australian Wildlife... in habitats that is.

Our first stop was to have Breakfast with the Birds at the Wildlife Habitat in Port Douglas. When we checked in for our meal the lady notified us that the food was in a separate room from where the bird were due to Food and Drug requirements. She sounded as if she thought it was ridiculous that they had to move the food. I quite frankly am with the FDA on this one...

Before eating we had a little fun in the gift shop:

bat mask!

creepy koala

I think this bird is planking

Then on to Breakfast with the Birds. The buffet was lovely and as we ate they brought around some birds for us to see. The bird they brought around for us was not yet trained to be held by guests, so we just pretended.

Then on to the rest of the bird habitat. It was so fun to have birds flying around you everywhere! in one of the pens was a cassowary, which is a native bird of Australia that kind of looks like an emu, but more colorful. They are apparently very aggressive, so I'm glad we were separated by bars.

Cassowary

After the bird room, we moved on to the "Grassland" room which had all the Wallabies, Kangaroos, Emus, and tons of ducks!

Wallabies

relaxing Wallaby doing its best Kate Winslet pose

Phoebe had brought some food to feed the animals, so we had them all eating out of our hands.

Phoebe and the pushy Emu

We was kind of violent as he pecked the food out of my hand...

... not gonna lie, it kind of hurt.

It was not happy when the food was gone and kept trying to grab the whole bag

Then it followed us around. We finally threw some food on the ground and ran away while it was distracted

Kangaroos!

While trying to feed the kangaroo, this bird totally pushed its way in

... So I had to reprimand it.

and then the swamp wallaby wanted in on the action

we named this Kangaroo Marbo and he was so cute!

kangaroos, as they eat from your hand, will hold your hand still to make sure you don't pull away... it was like we were holding hands. Once the food was gone from my had it started gnawing on my thumb for more

the kookaburra... my morning alarm clock every day

We went to a Koala presentation where we learned about Koalas. We learned that they sleep for 20 hours a day and mostly this is because the eucalyptus plants they eat are semi-poisonous for them. They didn't tell us this in the show, but the Koala population has a high percentage of Chlamydia... this is due to the fact that their mating ritual is that the male rapes the female to conceive... sad, but true.

waiting to hold Glen the Koala

Chlamydia infected rapist!

After seeing the Habitat and enjoying all the wildlife, we weren't done yet. Our next stop was Hartley's Crocodile Adventure!! It is an entire preserve dedicated to Crocs. I was a little hesitant, but also fascinated!

Upon entering we saw this owl... which bears a striking resemblance to Hedwig from the Harry Potter novels... so glad to see she survived :)

This is Paul... one of the largest crocs in the park... he looked hungry.

staring contest

getting ready for the Croc river tour

attack 1

Attack 2

Attack 3

The River tour was pretty inpressive and creepy. At one point the tour guide stuck a piece of chicken onto a branch over the water to show us how the croc would get it, but before the croc even came out of the water, a bird swooped down and grabbed it instead. It was a hilarious let down.

This croc is fake... so don't worry.

We also took a tour of their Croc farm on site, which is where they raise Crocodiles for their meat and skins. There were bins FULL of baby crocodiles being bred for slaughter. I'm sure some of you expect me to have been horrified at them being raised only for fashion and food... but I really don't care cause they are horribly scary creatures.

They also had a Cassowary at the park.

They also had huge snakes at Hartley's but since I hate snakes and probably would have peed my pants at the sight of one, I was content to avoid them like the plague.
We also saw a Crocodile attack show. It is much like a sea world show, except crocodiles are not cute and they want to kill things all the time. This was such a heart pounding show, and what made it such was that the trainers were even surprised by the crocodile trying to charge them every time they entered the ring. The crocodile wouldn't cooperate at all! At one point it even swam over to the glass wall between it and the crowd and stared at a little girl on the other side of the glass eating her popsicle. Totally not ok!
It was insane though to see the Crocodile do a death roll and clamp its jaws really loud.

Then after Hartley's Liam and Phoebe and I went to dinner at Mojo's in Mossman... seriously great place! I had the Filet Mignon and it was amazing! I also took the opportunity to try some Australian wine. I like sweet wine and since a lot of Australian wine is not sweet, I stuck with the Riesling wine. yum!

Phoebe had a rum and coke with Bundaberg Rum. It was disgusting! It tasted like disinfectant.

Phoebe :)

After Mojo's it was off to bed.

Wednesday was a nothing day for me again. I spent the day in Port Douglas while Phoebe worked. I sat on the beach, walked through all the local shops, read my books, had a picnic of Thai food in the park, read some more, and was pretty bored of it by the time Phoebe was done with lunch. It was nice to get some sun and read and relax though :)

Day 4: Lazy Day around Mossman

2011-08-19T00:21:00.000-07:00

Phoebe had to work this day, so I was on my own from the time she went to work until Liam came home... so a total of 6 hours. I did a lot of relaxing. I read for quite some time and then for lunch I rode my bike into town. I had lunch at this small cafe recommended to me by Liam called The Junction. It was so charming, but when I grabbed a table and ordered my sandwich I sadly realized I forgot my book to read... no matter, I enjoyed people watching on the high street of Mossman instead.

My chicken sandwich with the most delicious Blood Orange soda!!

Abandoned building in Mossman

The road leading to Phoebe and Liam's house

You can't see it in this picture, but the clouds rolling down from the mountains behind the house were beautiful!

When Liam got home we decided on a walk through the neighborhood while we waited for Phoebe. It basically was like a walk through the woods on a paved road. So nice out and such beautiful scenery.

The Liam and I started on dinner. He taught me how to shell prawns!

I'm kissing a prawn... disgusting little things

Dinner: Prawns in Squid ink pasta, garlic bread, and balsamic vinegerette salad.

Overall relaxing day at home :) I felt almost like I was living in Australia rather than just visiting.

Day 3: Port Douglas

2011-08-18T23:56:00.002-07:00

Sunday morning in Port Douglas there is the Sunday Market, which is a bunch of local businesses and random people set up stands with arts and crafts, food, drinks, and clothing. It is super crowded and quite the tourist crap, but it was a must. There were loads of useless items, but some definite highlights for Australian culture.For example there was a stand selling Cane juice, which is juice from the sugar cane plant they grow in Mossman. It tasted my sweet grass juice, but at the same time was incredibly delicious and refreshing.

this is how they made the Sugar Cane juice

delicious Cane juice! ... and Liam in the background.

Other treasures of the markets included pineapple "slosh". They called it Pineapple juice, but it really was basically all the pulp from the pineapple and little juice. It was still yummy in its own way.
They also were selling coconuts that you could drink out of and then when the juice was gone they would mash up the coconut for you to eat. I wanted to get one really bad just for the photo op, but then I remembered I don't like coconut, so that would have been a waste of money.

Just behind the Sunday Markets was a small park with a children's playground and the most beautiful views of the ocean! truly paradise

The weather was absolutely beautiful and we has brought our suits, so we ducked into the bathroom at Phoebe's work, changed into our suits and were off to the beach! I was told that the ocean water would be cold and with my experience of the Pacific ocean in California is that it would be frigid. Regardless, Liam and I decided we needed to run into the ocean, as I needed to get the full effect of Australia's coral sea. As my feet hit the water I discovered the water was actually quite refreshing and perfect!!!

After running into the ocean

The coral sea

Miss America pose

Running on the beach

More running

Traditional beach jumping picture

Enjoying the sunshine

This was such a perfect moment! I can't believe I was sitting on a beach in Australia on an amazingly beautiful day! Seriously the weather couldn't have been more perfect!

We waited for Karla at the beach to meet up with us and then we headed into town for lunch. I of course was in the mood for sea food and was glad we ate at a streetside restaurant with delicious prawns. I also had Lemon Lime Bitters with a hint of Vodka to drink... hey I'm on vacation.

Seafood dinner at a restaurant by the beach

This was such a perfect moment! I can't believe I was sitting on a beach in Australia on an amazingly beautiful day! Seriously the weather couldn't have been more perfect!

Before leaving Port Douglas we went down to the Marina to get some fresh Prawns to go along with some Squid ink pasta.

Liam eating his first twinkie

enjoying coffee and biscotti on the porch

Second best moment of the day

After much relaxing we started on dinner... and by we, I mean Liam. He is the cook in the house. Since it was sunday we delayed having our Prawns and squid ink pasta and instead had traditional Sunday Roast. One of the side vegetables was roasted pumpkin (which is not Australian, it was just delicious and I had never had pumpkin not in pie or soup form... so now I'm hooked).

After dinner I introduced Phoebe, Liam, and Karla to Apples to Apples! I brought the travel version along with me. They loved it and I have now promised to ship Phoebe the actual game upon my return :)

... Sorry for the delay in this post. Blogspot has been having trouble uploading my pictures... hopefully it won't be a problem anymore.

Day 2: Rainforest and Wetlands

2011-08-15T02:51:00.001-07:00

My second day in Australia began with a rude awakening... my first taste of Vegamite.

The first time I tasted Vegamite

The first time I want to throw up Vegamite

It tastes like a really bitter beer in a paste form spread over toast. It is SO SALTY!
Luckily the day got way better from that point and our next stop was Mossman Gorge. Phoebe, Liam, their roommate Karla and I went to Mossman Gorge to take a peak of a portion of the Daintree Rainforest!

The walkway through the Mossman Gorge is made out of recycled milk jugs!

It was pretty overcast and a perfect temperature.

Australian Berries

TOMS in Australia

dipping our feet in the water

Liam and I were the only ones brave enough to get in the freezing cold water

wild scrub turkey... these are the same turkeys that were in Phoebe's tree

These vines looked fake

huge rainforest tree

After the Mossman Gorge we decided to head to a completely different climate and see the Australian Wetlands. These are a little more inland and closer to the Outback so the terrain starts seeming a little more desert like.

We went to a small town called Mareeba that has a great restaurant/coffeehouse/shop called Coffee Works.

delicious chocolate with Chili powder in it

This is made of chocolate!

At Coffee Works Karla, Phoebe and I had lunch and the lady sitting next to us was from California, so we swapped notes on Australia and how we were enjoying it thus far.

this is a termite mound and is almost as tall as me

path to the wetlands

The Wetlands

We wanted to talk one of the walking paths around, but it cost a lot of money just to gain access to it. I didn't want to do it that badly and none of us had brought hats for worn sunscreen, so we passed on it.
On our way back to the car we walked passed an emu in the wild. We figured it was pretty tame and was being somewhat cared for by the people in the Wetlands information center, but it was still "in the wild" in my mind.

Kingfisher

On the way home we drove passed these on the side of the road, which confused me...

And then a little ways up the road was this...

Crazy Australian roadside decorations. Another less photograph-able roadside decoration was a couple posts that had severed pigs feet on them.

We also stopped on the way home at a Mango Winery to try from Mango wine, champagne, and liqueur.

really quite delicious

this was along the side of the road as well. So beautiful!

Amazing view!

Phoebe and I and the awesome view of the coast

The drive there and back was pretty zig-zaggy so I was a little queasy, but the view was so spectacular!

When we got home, we ordered pizza from a gourmet pizza shop in town and then watched Two Weeks Notice. Jet Lag officially conquered!

Day 1: I can't believe I am actually in Australia!!!

2011-08-14T23:03:00.001-07:00

That's right, I am living it up in the Southern Hemisphere as we speak!

Today Phoebe and Liam had to both work, so I am enjoying a bit of down time by myself in their lovely little home. Just so you know. I am sitting in a big house on a hill that has rainforest all around it and a stunning view of the rainforest covered mountains from the back windows. All the windows and doors are open to let in air as there is no air conditioning and I could not be more comfortable. I really do love my life right now.

I will take this opportunity to bring you up to speed on my adventure thus far...

I guess we'll start at the airport when I left - my flight from Phoenix to LAX was well enough except for the 30 minute delay. It made for a stressful transfer through LAX (which is a horrible airport). to add to my already shortened transfer time, I also was stopped at security for random extra testing where they had to swab my hands and run the swab through a machine. After that pointless exercise they sent me on my way. I made it to my gate just in time to board, but luckily that flight was also delayed. I sat down at the gate only to immediately be called to the desk and there was asked about my Australian visa - again, another pointless questioning - and then I sat down. The flight from LAX to Sydney was the most worrisome flight because I don't sleep well on planes and often get squirmy... but miracle or miracles the two seats next to me were empty!!!! I got to stretch out to sleep the whole way there!
Our flight started with a welcome from John Travolta on the screen in front of me (I'm sorry I thought I was flying on an Australian Airline, why is John Travolta talking to me?). I tried my hardest from that point on to stay awake. Our dinner meal was going to be served within the first 3 hours of the flight, and I wanted to wait to sleep till after that. I made it about 20 minutes after take off before I was out. I woke up a couple hours later to see the people around me with empty dinner trays. In a panic I called the attendant to see if I could still get food cause I was starving and she happily brought me a tray - it was the fish instead of chicken like I requested... but I was so eager to go back to sleep I didn't care. After dinner I set my watch to Sydney time and fell back asleep. I woke up 3a Sydney time as rested as I was going to get and proceeded to watch Water for Elephants and Thor. They served us breakfast around 5a and then we landed at 7:45a Friday Sydney time (2:30p Thursday Arizona time).
Since my flight was late getting into Sydney, I had even less time to get through Australian customs in Sydney, so I was racing like a mad woman again. I stood in the passport line for 30 minutes (where the passport man told me I had a beautiful smile) and then the line for actual customs for another 20 minutes (where I declared that I had a whole box of twinkies and they let me go through no sweat - for those of you who don't know, Australia has THE STRICTEST customs EVER! They don't like any type of food or animal product entering their country from elsewhere. Foreign objects tend to create havoc for their eco-system). After customs, I raced to my gate, when I saw they hadn't boarded yet I ran to the bathroom only to start washing my hands and have them call last boarding call for my flight... holy moly! (due to my rushed state I left my hat in the Sydney bathroom. It is actually no matter cause I have since gotten a WAY cuter hat here.)
I made my flight from Sydney to Cairns (where the in flight movie was Water for Elephants) and made it to Cairns with no sweat! It was only as we were flying along the coast that it truly hit me that I was in Australia!!

Australian Coast

Elephant shaped pennisula

I landed at Cairns Airport and in just a few short steps I was running like a crazy woman toward Phoebe. We probably scared most people around us with our screaming and crying and hugging! It was so great to see her!
We promptly got my bags and got into her car and drove the 1.5 hour drive up toward Mossman. I attribute the excitement of being in Australia and being with Phoebe to my burst of energy.
The drive to Mossman is spectacular! Phoebe and I kept reminding each other that I was in Australia!

Along the way we passed over a river and Phoebe told me to check the banks for Crocodiles. Low and behold, there it was. What first looked like a log, noticeably had legs and was in fact a crocodile in the wild... creepy.

Before getting finally home to Mossman, I was up for some walking around after being on plane for the better part of 30 hours, so we stopped at Port Douglas, a beach town just 20 minutes from Mossman.

Port Douglas Chapel

First picture in Australia on the Coral Sea

Port Douglas main street

Me with an awesome tree!

Phoebe and I together again!!!

After 2 years 1 month and 20 days!

After a little time around Port Douglas we continued on home to Mossman. Phoebe and her boyfriend Liam live with a couple of Liam's co-workers in a super cute house right outside of Mossman. It is on a hill which has the most spectacular view of the mountains of the Daintree Rain forest!

Phoebe and Liam's backyard

Phoebe had awesome welcome gifts to Australia for me, including a rain poncho, Australian kids' storybook, earings, and a lovely Kangeroo hat!

The latest Australian fashion

I also brought gifts for Phoebe which included Twinkies! They don't have them in Australia at all and Phoebe wanted to know what he fuss was all about.

I then went straight on to unpacking and discovered that my face wash had exploded in my bag... sad day.

Sun set from the back yard. That tree on the right is also full of scrub turkeys.

Liam came home from work (he's a paramedic in Mossman) and made burritos for dinner and I was in bed by 8:30p. I consider it a great feat to have made it all the way till then without completely passing out.

2 days!!!

2011-08-08T10:05:00.001-07:00

This will probably be my last post before I leave for Australia. From here on out I will be pretty busy finishing packing, cleaning (I like to leave a clean room behind), and generally running errands like a mad woman preparing for my trip. I am very excited about it all, but also realizing I don't exactly know what to expect... I'm praying for unexpected adventures, relaxation, and unforgettable memories when I get home.

So this post is going to be about what I have in store for myself in Sydney, Australia...

Good friends of my family's, Greg and Stephanie, are travelers like myself. They just finished a whirlwind adventure through Europe with their 3 daughters. Greg travels a lot for business and he is an amazing resource for knowing what to do in each travel destination.
** Greg actually was in England for the first 2 weekends of my time there, and happily showed me all over London - how to use the tube, where to buy my phone, and all the popular attractions I had to see on my first visit. See here. **

Greg was just in Sydney in May and he sent me the most amazing email filled with suggestions for walking tours, places off the tourist path, and must knows about Australia. So the rest of this post is taken from his wisdom:

Suggested Walking Tour of Sydney:

1) The Harbour Bridge – Expensive! You can walk with a guide all the way up the arches to the very top. Everyone I’ve ever talked with who’s done it says that it’s a once in a lifetime experience. If you don’t want to climb, you can take the metro to the Milson’s Point station, and then walk across the bridge (there’s a pedestrian path). If you walk on the East side, the views of the Opera House and the harbor are awesome! From the bridge, you can head east to:

2) Circular Quay – Located at the south end of the Harbour Bridge, you can take a Ferry to almost anywhere in the harbour (British spelling required). The Ferry system is great, and reasonably priced. From Circular Quay, you can walk East to:

3) The Rocks – This is where Sydney started. It was originally the open air jail where prisoners from England were off loaded. Today it’s filled with weekend markets, artsy stuff, restored old warehouses and sailor’s homes, etc. http//:www.the rocks.com. From The Rocks you can see:

4) The Opera House – You can walk around the exterior and you’ll take way too many photos (it’s an obligation). Sometimes you can get inside, but the interior’s almost a disappointment compared with the exterior. Just to the west of the Opera House is:

5) The Royal Botanical Gardens – This is an awesome park, with flora from all over the world. I spent a couple of hours walking around the park watching the vegetation and the people. If you keep walking East around the shoreline you’ll come to:

6) Mrs. McQuarrie’s Chair – The wife of Australia’s first Governor used to sit on a “chair” carved into the rocks to watch the tall ships sail in and out of the harbor. From the chair, you can walk south through the Gardens and then through a park called “The Domain.” If you keep walking south (and slightly west), this will lead you to:

7) Hyde Park – Not as big as the one in London, but often considered to be the “Heart of Sydney.” The park contains the ANZAC Memorial and absolutely gorgeous trees. In the evenings, it’s filled with adorable Australian Opossums. Walking West from Hyde Park will take you through downtown Sydney and, eventually, to:

8) Darling Harbour – You can get to Darling Harbour by walking or by ferry. The Australian Maritime Museum is on the West side, and a place called “Sydney Wildlife World” is on the East side. The Sydney Convention Center is in the middle, along with dozens of restaurants. I recommend Sydney Wildlife Worldhttp://sydneywildlifeworld.myfun.com.au . It’s a small indoor zoo, but there are lots of animals and the displays are awesome. I got within 3 or 4 feet of Red Kangaroos, and even closer to Koalas. The Sydney Aquarium is right there as well (I have not gone there). If you walk South from Darling Harbour, you’ll wind up at:

9) The Haymarket (Sydney’s Paddys Markets) – This is a building filled with hundreds of booths (like a flea market) with people selling everything from clothes to toys to souvenirs. I found it to have the lowest prices in the city on Boomerangs, stuffed Koalas, Opera House statues, etc. You have to ignore a few sleazy booths (Really? lingerie? here?) and some pretty crude t-shirts, but there’s a lot of stuff at reasonable prices.

There is also a free walking tour company that might be interesting if I don't want to go it alone like Greg outlines above. They actually meet right near an STA Travel office in Sydney. Details here.

Other options:

Sydney Aquarium

Bondi Beach – locals say that this was the beach with all the action (whatever that means). I think it’s a surfer’s beach.

The Blue Mountains – To get out of Sydney for a day trip, I am taking a train to the Blue Mountains. The scenery is supposed to be spectactular.

The Taranga Zoo is on the North side of the harbor, across from the Opera House on Middle Head. It’s wonderful, but also a serious workout, due to changes in elevation (kind of like walking at the San Diego Zoo).

Sydney Tower – In the heart of the city. I’ve heard that the view is awesome.

I am also planning on visiting Hillsong Church in Sydney!

I absolutely love their worship music and my parents and I visited their London Campus when I was there. I am so excited to get to visit this church while I'm in Sydney!

Check back here while I'm away - or at my facebook for pictures and updates :)
See you in Australia!!!

12 days!

2011-07-29T08:10:00.040-07:00

Alright, departure is getting close people! I only have to turn two pages in my day planner (yes I still use a paper day planner, because I am old school!) and I see in large writing - "AUSTRALIA!" I can't believe it is so close!

For this post, I will give you a glimpse of my time in Sydney!

Lets start with where I will be staying :)
Since I will be alone (a fact that both excites and scares me) I needed to book hotels, and since I am 26 and have a full time job as a travel agent, I decided I do not want to stay in a hostel. My job allows me staff discounts at hotels all over the world, so I was excited when I found such a great deal on a hotel right by Hyde Park (Sydney's Central Park).

HOTELS:
Y Hotel Hyde Park:

This hotel is a little interesting cause I will have my own room, much like the one pictured, but I will have to share a bathroom. It is affordable though and right by Hyde Park in the middle of Sydney. It is a 15 minute walk to the Sydney Opera House and Darling Harbor.

I got a great discount on this hotel with my STA Travel Agent Discount. But it is totally affordable regardless of the discount :)

I will only be staying here 3 out of the 4 nights I am in Sydney.

Four Points Sheraton Darling Harbor:

I have to generously thank my friend Chris for his awesome friends and family discount! I got this hotel for my last night in Australia as a treat to myself :) It is right on Darling Harbour and has great views! I also get a discount card for food and drinks, so I will be living the fine life in a hotel that will continuously make me feel poor. hahaha

So when I am not peacefully (hopefully) sleeping in my lovely hotels, I will be seeing the sights of the city!!
One of the things I am very excited about seeing is the Blue Mountains just outside of Sydney! It is a World Heritage site and something not to be missed apparently.
We have a very popular tour at my work that I promote to my passengers traveling to Sydney that is an all day hike and lunch through the Blue Mountains. It costs $120, but because I am a travel agent and contacted the company directly, they gave me a 90% discount... so $12 later, I will be spending August 26th here...

and here

and here...

Next post...
What I'll be doing in the city of Sydney...

15 days

2011-07-26T08:52:00.001-07:00

Exactly two weeks from tomorrow I will be on my way to Australia!! As much I have been thinking about it constantly for the last few weeks and have been kept up on my count down, it stills seems to have snuck up on me. 2 weeks seems so much closer than 17 days, so from yesterday to today, I feel the pressure of imprending departure! I am beyond excited though for what God has in store for this adventure!
As stated in the previous post, I will be spending 2 weeks with Phoebe up near Cairns, Australia! Cairns is definitely a temperate climate, so despite it being just the beginning of their spring there, the weather looks to be somewhere around 75 degrees as the high. Add the humidity to that, and I am looking at pretty warm weather. I am super happy about it cause it will be perfect beach weather, and that is what I am planning on doing most of the time while I'm there - spending time on the beach.

Phoebe is still working to figure out what kind of days off she will be able to get, so I might be spending quite a bit of time on my own. Lets hope a miracle happens and Phoebe is able to get time off :)

In light of the possibility of extended solitude, I have started a list of activities I can do and that Phoebe and I can do together while I'm there. I have no set plans, so this is more like a list of possibilities rather than an itinerary:

Mossman: This is the small farming town where Phoebe lives. It seems to be pretty sleepy and relaxed and is most famously known as the gateway to the Mossman Gorge...

- Mossman Gorge:

The Mossman Gorge is part of the Daintree Rainforest National Park. The Daintree Rainforest is the largest continuous area of natural Rainforest on the Australian Continent.

Port Douglas: This is the beach town just 20 minutes away from Mossman. I have a feeling I will be catching a bus here when Pheobe has to work and finding a spot on the beach and just relaxing and reading for the day!

Port Douglas is also where they take you out to the Great Barrier Reef! AND they Yacht club offers free sailing on Wednesday afternoons... or at least I read that on a website somewhere... gonna need to check that out.

Cairns: This is the larger beach town in the northern part of Queensland, Australia. I would love to head down there a couple days and hang out.

Other places on my list:
Cooya Beach: The aboriginal people give tours on Cooya Beach of crab spearing... sounds fun!
Bungy Jumping/Hang Gliding: My mission is to try and talk Phoebe into doing one of these things with me somewhere!

Those are the only things I have in my head for things to do, otherwise I am completely at Phoebe's disposal and I am sure she has some pretty entertaining site for me to see!

28 days!!!!

2011-07-14T08:09:00.002-07:00

Cairns is at the top and Sydney is at the bottom.

In 28 days I will be leaving Arizona to spend 18 days in Australia!! I am so beyond excited and cannot believe I am actually going!

I have been dreaming of this for over 2 years. Pretty much since I left England. I have saved and saved, dreamed, planned, and saved some more and now it is finally happening!

So here is the plan...
For those of you who don't know, Phoebe and I were inseparable for 6 months while both studying in London, England. We traveled all around England and Europe, filmed hilarious dance videos, made complete fools of ourselves in front of foreigners, and generally had a complete blast. I miss her TERRIBLY!

Cairns, Australia

I leave August 10th and will spend 14 days with my dear dear friend. Phoebe lives up in Mossman, Australia, which is just an hour and a half north of Cairns. This is the area in Australia that a lot of tourists go in order to swim along the Great Barrier Reef.

Great Barrier Reef

It will be winter in Australia, but in since Cairns and Mossman are coastal towns, the weather will be much like San Diego. I am just praying for enough sunshine to enjoy the beaches and snorkling.

I fully plan on laying on the beach, reading tons of books, snorkeling, touring the rainforest, shopping, and just spending as much time as I can talking, laughing, and hanging out with Phoebs.

After 14 days of tropical bliss, I will travel down to Sydney to spend 4 days by myself in the most famous city in Australia! I will take a day trip to see the Blue Mountains, take a Harbour Tour around Sydney's Darling Harbour, and visit Hillsong Church just outside of Sydney.

Sydney's Darling Harbor

I might even get to stay in a super nice hotel for a night as a treat to myself. Otherwise I'll be staying a cute little budget hotel near the harbor.

It'll be a jam packed trip, but definitely an amazing adventure. I have my new digital Camera (compliments of graduation money gifts from family and friends), my beloved passport ready and waiting, and a sense of adventure that is waiting to be exercised!!

I'll keep you updated as I continue preparing for my journey, and of course while on my journey!

P.S. For those of you who are big dance video fans... you will not be disappointed on this trip!

Disneyland 2...

2011-06-26T09:01:00.002-07:00

After New Orleans Square you are on your way to Critter Country.

Critter Country!

I always forget about this land. It is very small and only has two rides. Since Winnie the Pooh ride was introduced a few years ago it has become mainly dedicated to Pooh stuff. In the middle of the land you can meet the Winnie the Pooh characters - Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and Eeyore.

Rides:
  Splash Mountain - I am not a huge fan of Splash Mt because the line is so long and you get wet... I haven't gone to Disneyland in the summer for quite some time, so getting wet in cool weather is not on the top of my list. Splash Mountain has somewhat of an interesting history. First off, the story of Brer Rabbit is actually rather controversial and sort of racist. Of course the ride took out anything offensive so don't worry about it. Also, several of the animatronic characters throughout the ride are re-used from a previous attraction in the park. The part of Splash Mt where the animals are singing on a river boat use to be apart of America Sings, which was an attraction from 1974 to 1988.
Watch out in the middle of the ride as it starts to dip up and down, you'll get more wet there than on the big drop.
  Winnie the Pooh - While you're in Critter Country, don't forget to go Pooh... hahaha sigh, couldn't resist. It is much like the kid rides in Fantasyland. It took over the space that use to be the Country Bear Jamboree. You basically ride around in the honeycomb and watch a story of Winnie the Pooh unfold. As you enter the room right after the psychedelic heffalump and woozle room, look up and behind you and you can still see the three heads of the Max, Buff, and Melvin on the wall.

Food
  Hungry Bear Restaurant - This is definitely a favorite of the park. It is simple burger, fries, chicken sandwich, etc. There is seating right on the Rivers of America. Very easy eating and great for kids.

Frontierland!

Frontierland is home to one of my very favorite rides - Big Thunder Mt Railroad! It is modeled after the old west and has saloon style buildings for the restaurants.

Rides

Big Thunder Mt Railroad - It is a train style roller coaster and dubbed - "The wildest ride in the wilderness." It is great both during the day and at night. My favorite time to ride it is at night when Disneyland is decorated at Christmas. As you head over the highest point of the ride you can see all of New Orleans Square lit up with Christmas lights.

Note: DO NOT sit in the front of the train. It goes the slowest and as you dip down one of the drops you don't go nearly as fast as you would if you were in the back.

** Hidden Mickey is at the beginning of the ride as you ascend up the tracks, to the left of the train is a set of 3 wagon wheels in the shape of Mickey's head.

River Boats - Take a ride around the Rivers of America on either Mark Twain's river boat or a pirate ship. Also, some times the Pirate Ship is simple parked at the dock and you can take a tour. There are also canoes you can row around the waters. I don't understand why anyone would want to row a canoe around a theme park... but they are there if you want.

Shooting games - I have never taken advantage of any of the shooting and arcade style games in Frontierland, but they are there if you want them.

Bill Hill and the Hillbillies - This is pretty entertaining show, so if you have time check it out. I was pulled up on stage once to be apart of it... pretty fun stuff!

Restaurant
Golden Horseshoe Saloon - never eaten here.
Big Thunder Ranch BBQ - At Christmas they have reindeer here that you can pet.

More to come...

Darkroom...

2011-06-07T08:56:00.001-07:00

I want a dark room really bad now...

Saw a movie last night where the girl was a film photographer and she would develop her pictures and had all these different types of cameras and only shot in film. I loved it!!! I have a film camera that I love and wish I had more opportunity to take pictures with. I need to carry it arround with me more.
Anyway, I wish I had a dark room so I could develop my own film. That would be so much fun! I took a photography class in high school where I got to develop my own film. It was so great. My favorite was when I had to work during lunch or after school and had the dark room all to myself. It was so peaceful, such a methodical and flowing process. I miss it.

So what do I need to make my own dark room???... aside from money...

- Photo enlarger
- Photo paper
- Red light
- Chemicals
- A physical dark room... I could use my bathroom since it doesn't have a window, but I would need to set up and tear down all the time, which is too much work.

Arizona's 100th Birthday Challenege - Update!

2011-05-10T15:45:00.001-07:00

The amazing Arizona sunset!

Updated Arizona's 100th Birthday List
I have formed a list of all the Arizona attractions I NEED to see and some I want to see... everything that makes AZ worth visiting. I have actually made quite a dent in my list since February :) Excited to continue, especially now that I am done with school and have my weekends free!!!
Downtowns:
- ~~Phoenix~~
~~- Glendale~~
- ~~Mesa~~
- ~~Chandler~~
- ~~Tempe~~
- ~~Gilbert~~
- ~~Scotsdale~~
Towns:
Bisbee
Jerome
Flagstaff
Tucson
- Arizona State Museum
- El Presidio Historic District
- Mission San Xavier del Bac
- Pima Air and Space Museum
- Saguaro National Park
- Tucson Mountain Park
Tombstone
- OK Corral
Slot Canyon
Oak Creek
Lakes:
- Havesu - London Bridge
- Mead
- Powell
~~Montezuma's Castle~~
Meteor Crater
Colorado River
~~Sedona~~
- Winery
~~Payson~~
Prescott
National Parks:
- Grand Canyon
- Organ Pipe Cactus
- Petrified Forest
- Canyon de Chelly
Wupatki National Monument
Sunset Crater
Havasupai Indian Reservation
Hoover Dam
Kitt Peak National Observatory
Monument Valley
Mt Lemmon
Navajoland
Biosphere
Phoenix:
~~- Arizona Science Center~~
- Desert Botanical Garden
- Heard Museum
~~- Heritage Square~~
- Pueblo Grande Museum
~~- South Mountain Park~~
- Phoenix Art Museum
Sabino Canyon
Tumacacori National Historical Park

The smell of springtime...

2011-03-10T20:23:00.001-07:00

I smelled it today!
As I was walking out of work today on my lunch break, I smelled the distinct smell that tells me it is spring time...
It is not the smell of flowers or a crisp breeze, but it is the smell of... ladybugs.

When I was little my family lived right around the corner from my elementary school. There was a girl in my neighborhood who lived a few streets down and was older than me. She actually babysat for us a bunch of times... but I first met her as she was walking by my house. She was carrying a gerbil cage filled with grass... and LADYBUGS!!! She told me that she would walk over to the elementary school, search around the grassy fields, and find as many lady bugs as she could and put them in her cage for safe keeping. As a 6 year old little girl... I was HOOKED!
The nicest thing ever is that she found me a gerbil cage also and we would walk down to the school together and crawl around in the grass and find hundreds and hundreds of ladybugs.

Now every time I smell that particular combination of dirt and grass and spring time, I think of ladybugs and remember a very magical adventure I had into the insect world.

Tea Time...

2011-03-08T00:47:00.001-07:00

One thing I would like to have in the new kitchen when I move is a tea station... well actually I would be content to just have a tea pot and cool mugs to drink tea out of... none of them have to match, I just want the perfect mugs.

I have a night off tonight :) No homework, no errands, nothing. I honored my free night with a cup of tea! Nicole made me this amazing tea syrup that I am still using in my tea. It is seriously delicious! The whole ritual of the evening was quite lovely! Drinking tea in my room with some girl scout cookies, starting the packing process and watching TV on my computer.

The packing process is coming along quite well, in that it is hardly coming along at all. I basically got out already packed boxes, went through them and added some more stuff to each one. It doesn't really look like much of a difference yet, but it is a process.

I'm moving!!

2011-03-02T21:57:00.004-07:00

Very excited to announce that I will be moving to Gilbert, Arizona at the end of this month! My dear friend Elisabeth has bought and house and Me, her, and her sister, Nina will be living there together! I am so excited for this new season.
One thing I am looking forward to, aside from living with two AMAZING women, is nesting and decorating! I really want this house to feel like a home, and so I am taking the time to dream about decorations and things that will make is comfy and inviting. Elisabeth and I spend all day at work emailing back and forth about ideas.

One thing I am planning on is buying a new bed! I have had the same bed since I was 2 years old, and side from 2009 (when I lived in Europe and my parents guest room) I have slept in that bed. It was my Aunt Patty's bed until she passed away at 18 years old and when I came around years later, I was given her bedroom furniture. But as I move into a new house, I think it is time to store is and preserve it for when my daughter can sleep in it one day.
I want an iron bed frame and headboard. I'll just share some of my photo inspirations for my new room :)

LOVE the maps on the wall! I'll just have one on mine

This picture makes me thing of travel

I REALLY want a branch hanging above my bed

I want to do something like this above my bed

I also am very excited to be able to get some of my old home stuff out of storage in my parents' backyard shed and use it again! My couch, kitchen stuff, framed pictures, book shelves, etc.

Disneyland...

2011-02-15T14:26:00.004-07:00

I have been asked if I can share some info about Disneyland from my many years of experience with the park :)
I found out yesterday that another benefit of my new job is that I get 50% off admission into Disneyland (among other theme parks around the world)... I am loving my job more and more!! So here are some secrets, tips, and tidbits about one of my very favorite places in the entire world :)

First off, my first trip to Disneyland almost 25 years ago is one of my first memories of my entire life. I was 2.5 years old and I remember meeting Cinderella. I don't remember a ton, but what I do recall is the incredible embarrassment and frustration over the fact that my mom had dressed me in overalls. I actually remember thinking that I wanted Cinderella to know that I had so many pretty dresses at home and I couldn't believe she had to meet me like this. Hahaha! It is hilarious to think that I was only 2 and felt and thought all of that.

Luckily, I have seen her a couple times since then and although I have not yet worn a dress, I have felt much better about myself as a person and therefore don't have to prove anything to her.

But as you can see Disneyland is a huge part of my life and something I get very excited about.

So from my years of knowledge and from my time roaming around the streets of the most magical place of earth, here is what I have learned...

Route
It is very important to have a strategic route around the park in order to maximize your time in the park. I am speaking as someone who usually only goes for two days at a time, so I want to get as much done as I can the first day in Disneyland, so the second day can be all about California Adventures and riding the favorite Disneyland rides over again.
I start my day getting to the gate as the park opens or soon after. I then immediately head to Adventureland! This is for two reasons - the kids are going to Fantasyland, and other people usually head towards Space Mountain to start the day. In Adventureland, I pretty much walk on to Indiana Jones and The Haunted Mansion in New Orleans Square (Pirates opens later than other rides, so I'll come back after Haunted Mansion). Then it's Big Thunder Mt Railroad and maybe a fast pass to Splash Mountain (although I skip this cause I don't really like the ride or getting wet). With that I am done with the big rides on that half of the park and I move on to Fantasyland. Peter Pan (the line is always longest), Mr. Toads, Alice in Wonderland... and if the lines are short - Snow White and Pinnochio. Done with Fantasyland. Tomorrowland - Buzz Lightyear, Star Tours, and Space Mountain, and then I am done with all the good rides!!
The rest of the day is all about finishing up the rides I missed - Jungle Cruise, Winnie the Pooh (although I don't much care for this ride), Matterhorn (if the line isn't too long), It's a Small World, and then back to riding the rest of the rides I have already done.
This route has been proven to maximize park time and cuts down on zig-zagging your way around the park!

Adventureland!

Adventureland is pretty small, but pretty awesome!
Rides:

Jungle Cruise - it is fit or miss if you get a good tour guide. I like annoyingly laughing at the cheesy jokes the tour guide says. It is amusing to me at least and as long as I am entertained, I am good.

Indiana Jones - The line for this is never super long if you get to it at the beginning of the day. That is why I ride it first. But as you wander through the halls and caves that the Disney Imagineers have put together, it isn't a terrible wait. The most fun seat on this ride, is in the drivers seat.

Tarzan's Treehouse - This use to be the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse and is now changed. I hardly ever go up it except if I'm with little kids. If you haven't gone through it yet, you should check it out at least once

Food:
Bengal BBQ - I just discovered this place a couple of years ago. It is a food stand in the center of adventureland. They sell bacon-wrapped-asparagus, which is a MUST HAVE! They also have different meat skewers in yummy sauces. A great afternoon snack for someone with a big appetite and a great meal if your appetite is small.

New Orleans Square!

Haunted Mansion - One of my very favorite rides! This ride changes for the last 3 months of the year to become Nightmare Before Christmas. I definitely am a bigger fan of regular Haunted mansion. It is dark and creepy and I remember being legitimately creeped out when I was little. Nightmare Before Christmas Haunted Mansion is more colorful, but gets a little annoying. I do however want the skull wrapping paper on the presents in the ride.
** check out the Hidden mickey in the dining room where the ghosts are dancing. In the center of the table, three plates form Mickey's head.

Pirates of the Caribbean -Another very favorite! I love everything about it! The ride opens later than most rides, so don't expect to ride this first.
** The hidden Mickey on this ride is on one of the breast plates banging on the wall at the very end of the ride on your left.

Pirates Lair/ Tom Saywer's Island - This use to be Tom Sawyer's Island, but I they have redone it to be all about Pirates. They have Pirate shows on the edge of the island that you can watch. This is also great for kids who enjoy exploring the caves and tunnels of a "Pirate's Lair." There are also some picnic benches along the Rivers of America where you can sit while the kids play... and bathrooms!

Food:

French Market - This is the home of the delicious Disneyland Clam Chowder in a Bread Bowl. One of the greatest places to eat in the park. They have a ton of other stuff to eat on the menu here. I like their Mac & Cheese kid menu. It comes with some veggies and grapes and a drink! They also have some awesome desserts. But one of the best things about the restaurant is the music. They have a Dixi Land Jazz band that plays around meal times

Finer Dining -
Orleans Restaurant - This restaurant is right next to the French Market, but is a sit down table service style. I ate here once with my friend Teresa. The salmon sandwich I got was dry... and the jambalaya gave Teresa food poisoning... but I am not opposed to eating there again.
Blue Bayou - I have never eaten here and always wanted to. It is inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. You are surrounded by candle light and the waters of the "Bayou. My family tried to eat there once, but the wait list was 3 days long. If you are going for several days, think about making a reservation on your first day. It is expensive, but I think it would be still very fun!

To be continued...

Arizona at 100!!

2011-02-14T22:41:00.004-07:00

The amazing Arizona sunset!

Ever since coming back from a abroad, I have been dying to become a tourist of my own state. I kept hearing from all my friends in London about how they were amazed that I saw more of their country then they had after living there their whole lives!
I was determined when I came back to become more aquainted with my own state!! I think it would be so fun to be a tourist of AZ.

TODAY marks the beginning of the celebration of Arizona's 100th birthday!!! Next year, February 14th, AZ will be a century old! YAY!!! So I think it is a perfect time to travel around my own state!!

I have formed a list of all the Arizona attractions I NEED to see and some I want to see... everything that makes AZ worth visiting. I need people who will be willing to go with me... especially on the road trips. So let me know if there is something particular you'd wish to see with me :)

Downtowns:
~~- Phoenix~~
- Glendale
- Mesa
- Chandler
~~- Tempe~~
- Gilbert
- Scotsdale
Towns:
Bisbee
Jerome
Flagstaff
Tucson
- Arizona State Museum
- El Presidio Historic District
- Mission San Xavier del Bac
- Pima Air and Space Museum
- Saguaro National Park
- Tucson Mountain Park
Tombstone
- OK Corral
Slot Canyon
Oak Creek
Lakes:
- Havesu - London Bridge
- Mead
- Powell
Montezuma's Castle
Meteor Crater
Colorado River
Sedona
- Winery
Payson
Prescott
National Parks:
- Grand Canyon
- Organ Pipe Cactus
- Petrified Forest
- Canyon de Chelly
Wupatki National Monument
Sunset Crater
Havasupai Indian Reservation
Hoover Dam
Kitt Peak National Observatory
Monument Valley
Mt Lemmon
Navajoland
Biosphere
Phoenix:
~~- Arizona Science Center~~
- Desert Botanical Garden
- Heard Museum
~~- Heritage Square~~
- Pueblo Grande Museum
~~- South Mountain Park~~
- Phoenix Art Museum
Sabino Canyon
Tumacacori National Historical Park

Film Photography...

2011-02-08T17:57:00.002-07:00

I am so excited about a new little hobby I have picked up! I am dabbling in the world of photography... but don't worry, I admit I have no natural eye and minimal talent. This is entirely for my own enjoyment and I don't expect anyone to enjoy it as much as me.

In 1981 my parents bought their first camera as a married couple - a Canon AE-1 Program. It is a really great camera with manual settings where you can adjust the apeture and shutter speeds.

When I was in high school I took a photography class and learned all about how to work my parents' camera, but have since lost the complete knowledge. It has been fun playing around and refreshing myself.

These picture were on the first rolls of film I used up in the learning process. Note the film is probably about 10 years old, so that might be why they aren't great... but its also because I didn't really know what I'm doing yet.

romantic lighting

The texture of the wood is pretty cool!

This one is overly exposed... I just really like this building

messing around with the focus

again... over exposed

lightrail

Anya with a jumping cactus!

Lense flare

Puritan prayers...

2011-02-01T23:06:00.003-07:00

Meeting God

Great God,
In public and private, in sanctuary and home,
may my life be steeped in prayer,
filled with the spirit of grace and supplication,
each prayer perfumed with the incense
  of atoning blood.
Help me, defend me, until from praying ground
I pass to the realm of unceasing praise.
Urge by my need,
invited by thy promise,
called by thy Spirit,
I enter they presence,
  worshipping the with godly fear,
  awed by thy majesty, greatness, glory,
  but encouraged by thy love.
I am all poverty as well as all guilt,
having nothing of my own with which
  to repay thee,
But I bring Jesus to thee in the arms of faith,
pleading his righteousness to offset my iniquities,
rejoicing that he will weigh down the scales
  for me,
and satisfy thy justice.
I bless thee that great sin draws out great grace,
that, although the least sin
  deserves infinite punishment
  because done against an infinite God,
yet there is mercy for me,
for where guilt is most terrible,
there thy mercy in Christ is most free and deep.
Bless me by revealing to me more of his saving merits
by causing thy goodness to pass before me,
by speaking peace to my contrite heart;
Strengthening me to give thee no rest until Christ
  shall reign supreme within me,
in every though, word, and deed,
in faith that purifies the heart,
   overcomes the world,
   works by love,
   fastens me to thee,
   and ever clings to the cross.

- The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions

Sense and Sensibility...

2011-01-27T22:49:00.002-07:00

Elinor Dashwood is very dull indeed. If you have never read Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen, know that Elinor is one of the dullest and least relatable characters I have come across in my Austen readings. She is almost completely void of passion and emotion and god-forbid she ever make a mistake. Dear lord Elinor, LIVE A LITTLE!

But I am still enjoying the book for where Elinor fails in exhibiting any relatable behavior, Marianne come through with flying colors. Although she is prone to wild bouts of passion and misguided affection, she at least follows her heart and dares to embrace the emotions she is feeling... sadly though those affections get the better of her and she cannot seem to live in any other place but in the throws of her emotions, both high and low.

I guess I like Marianne because she is closer to my own mind. I believe it is not right to disregard ones feelings. Although one should not be enslaved to the highs and lows of emotions and make life decisions based on feelings, it is also equally unhealthy to deny emotions their place and give no credence to them at all. Emotions, while not reliable, are not evil.

God has been showing me the danger of giving into the temptation of my emotions and making decisions based on them. But He has also been showing me that there is much to learn in the midst of my emotions and that pouring them out to Him allows me to embrace them and live them out in a healthy Christ-focused way.
My affections and desires of the my heart are not sinful, but when I begin to look to them for fulfillment and place my hope in something apart from God, they become twisted and dangerous.

"What you think about is what you care about, and what you care about it what you'll chase." - Ben Stuart

I have that statement running through my mind a million times a day. It is a powerful truth and one God is using to reshape my thoughts and my affections.

On a more entertaining note, I found this quote from Sense & Sensibility incredibly hilarious...

"'A woman of seven-and-twenty,' said Marianne, after pausing a moment, 'can never hope to feel or inspire affection again; and if her home be uncomfortable, or her fortune small, I can suppose that she might bring herself to submit to the offices of a nurse.'"

Hahaha... I have 10 months left!

Traveling through the Bible (Philippians 1) Part 4...

2011-01-24T08:00:00.005-07:00

4. For Christ's sake...
I "accepted Christ" when I was 3 years old... or so my parents say, I really don't remember it. I think I was actually saved when I was 8 years old at Church Kid's Camp. It wasn't in a chapel meeting or cabin time with my leader, or anything like that... it was on a walk through the rain.

We had gone for a hike to a place along the creek where there was a water fall of sorts. There was a huge group of us and it was a hike organized by the leaders at camp, so we were led by counselors through the woods and along the creek. On the way back it started to rain and as we reached edge of the campgrounds it started to thunder, lightening, and hail. I swear a bolt of lighting hit mere yards away from me (in all honesty it couldn't have been that bad, but to an 8 year old, it was terrifying). I remember walking with some other girls and one was crying cause she was scared of storms and I legitimately started to wonder if we would survive the storm (again, I was 8 years old).
I vividly remember looking around the woods and seeing the rain and hail and getting completely drenched and thinking, "I'm really scared and I have no idea what to do with that..." Then a thought came to me - I have been told all my life about God and Jesus and said I that He was real, but is He really real? This is the type of stuff He is supposed to take care of... God, are you really real? And in that moment I became convinced of the reality that there was a God and it wasn't just stories or stuff my parents talked about. God was real... and by extension everything that people said about Christ was real too.
I consider that the moment of my salvation.

"I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10

There are a lot of reasons why Christ came into the world, but namely it was to save us from sin and eternal separation from God.
It is amazing and humbling to think that Christ died on the cross for me. He suffered the eternal wrath of God on my behalf... for my sake.
But Christ continually said that the reason He came into the world was because Him father sent Him and He was doing His Father's work and will. So if that is true, then Christ died on the cross for God's sake... for His own sake.
This is not to say that God needed saving or reconciliation, but Christ death on the cross, in the end, was in order to glorify God and bring glory to Himself.
Self-centered? self-focused? Heck yes!! He's God and deserves all the glory, reverence, praise, etc that I am capable of giving Him - that the UNIVERSE is capable of giving him.

"For to you it had been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake..." Philippians 1:29

I believe, was saved, live, and die for Christ's sake - in other translations it says "on behalf of Christ", but I like "for Christ's sake".
Everything Christ gives to me, shows me, teaches me, grows me in - all His love, strength, peace, comfort, joy, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, etc, etc - all of it! Is in order to bring glory to Himself. All my talent, hope, ambition, dreams, goals, suffering, pain, etc, therefore should all seek to bring glory to God and worship him.

I love how Frances Chan says it in his book Crazy Love:

"The crux of why we are [half-hearted Christians] is because we have an inaccurate view of God. We see Him as a benevolent Being who is satisfied when people manage to fit Him into their lives in some small way. We forget that God never had an identity crisis. He knows that He's great and deserved to be the center of our lives. Jesus came humbly as a servant, but He never begs us to give him some small part of ourselves. He commands everything from His followers."

I talk to God, seek His guidance, seek His protection, wisdom, and discernment in my day. I thank Him for the things He does for me, apologize for the ways in which I have failed. I also scream and cry and pour out my anger, anguish and frustrations to Him. I would say God and I have a real and genuine relationship. I know I can come to Him with anything and trust in His mercy and grace. It is beautiful and messy and hard and fulfilling and wonderful.
But I realized that I viewed God as being there for ME. What Philippians 1:29 points out is that my entire life - joy, pain, hurt, hope, everything - is for HIM. In everything I go through, I want to turn it back to Him as an act of worship and praise for Him, because that is why I was created... to bring glory to God.
This fact does not make me want to run out and do more things for God as a means of striving to fulfill my purpose in life. I have no desire to contrive things that will please God and make Him happy. That is not what God is asking of me...
Remember:

"Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass." 1 Thessalonians 5:24

"He who began a good work in you will continue it..." Philippians 1:6

But God calls me to seek Him in my hurt and my joy and everything in between and recognize that He has brought me through this time in order to glorify Himself and to show the world His majesty through His work in me.
Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians while in jail, chained to a prison guard for 24 hours a day. He was in a moment of suffering. But he writes:

"Now I want you to know, bretheren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ had become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the bretheren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear." Philippians 1:12-14

Paul saw his suffering and imprisonment as being a means to glorify God and declare the truth of the gospel. It was not in spite of his imprisonment that the the name of Christ was declared, but BECAUSE of it.
My believing in Christ and suffering in Christ and everything else in my life is all for the sake of Christ and all in order to glorify Him more and more and in that I experience life, and life abundantly.

Traveling through the Bible (Philippians 1) Part 3...

2011-01-23T08:00:00.014-07:00

3. Walking worthy...

Philippians 1:27:

"Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents..."

Frances Chan spoke at Passion on this passage and said something that has haunted me ever since. He used the illustration of scales and placed the Bible on one side and talked about how our lives were on the other side. He asked each of us, "Is your life a reflection of the gospel? Based on what you know to be true about Christ and salvation in Him, does your life reflect that?"

What I love about Frances Chan is that he says those things in the most non-threatening way.

It floored me that I so often walk through life behaving like I don't know the truth that I follow Christ, who is more powerful than anything life could throw at me. I walk around with stress, fear, sadness, despair, and bitterness.

"In all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Romans 8:37

Yet, my life does not balance out to the weight and power of the gospel.

Paul's statement is not a call to DO more. It is not one of those "be better" statements. It is a call to remember the truth of our situation in our salvation through Christ.

A manner worthy of the gospel of Christ:

* standing firm in one spirit - not only is Paul saying to stand in the spirit, but also standing firm in ONE spirit. This is talking about other believers. Philippians is written to the whole church in Philippi and Paul was warning against petty disagreements throughout the church that were not worth their time. In light of the gospel, stupid disagreements amongst believers is a WASTE OF TIME!!!

* one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel - Again reiterating that agreeing in one mind is what will help advance the gospel and the truth of Christ to non-believers. When the world looks at Christianity they see that even a faith that claims to have the answer and the undeniable truth can't even agree amongst themselves.

* in no way alarmed by opponents - "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31

As I said before I walk around in fear and stress and uncertainty feeling as if the world is getting the better of me ALL THE TIME! Why do I do this?? Christ came into this world so that we may have life abundantly... his peace is the peace that surpasses all understanding. So why is it that I feel defeated? Why don't I remember that I am a conqueror with Christ! That what matters in the world is Him and only Him! My desires, pursuits, ambitions, hopes, EVERYTHING is nothing without Him.

Does my life reflect this truth? Do I live as if I am saved by the Creator of the Universe? Do I live as if the perfect and blameless son of God BECAME sin on my behalf so that not only would I get to spend eternity with Him, but that I would, IN THIS VERY MOMENT, be free from the power of sin - my own sin and the sin of this world!

Traveling through the Bible (Philippians 1) Part 2...

2011-01-22T10:19:00.004-07:00

2. Love will abound IN KNOWLEDGE...

God: "Miranda, I want you to get to know me better."

Miranda: "How?"

This question is a little more obvious in how it is answered. There are PLENTY of ways to get to know God... His word, His creation, His spirit inside me, His leading in my life so far...

As I said, I have known God for most of my life... or at least known about Him. Since high school I have realized the different between knowing about God and knowing God. But I still fall short of the mark on actually getting to know God. I spent a lot of time thinking if I just talked to God and listened to what He spoke to my heart I would know my God...

Which is part of it...

But not nearly as big a part as actually KNOWING God! Because quite frankly, often times, I cannot tell the difference between God's voice and my own. I think I hear God speaking to my heart, but in fact it is just my own desires speaking louder than God and therefore, I hear what I want to hear. What God is actually asking me is to really grow in my knowledge of him in my mind as well as my heart.

"Be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind." Luke 10:27

I need to study his word. God breathed an entire book into existence for my benefit. He wrote it for me, that I might know Him better. I have relied so long on my own intuition and on the Holy Spirit speaking to my heart and have forgotten that God speaks to me most clearly through His word. He wrote it to me! It is a love letter and an epic adventure laid out before me so that my creator and the God of the Universe could be known and understood by His creation.

If am I supposed to truly know Him, how can I begin to imagine leaving out the most powerful and enduring explanation of who He is?

This week at BSF, the speaker was explaining the first chapter of Philippians and explaining the text as she went. I found myself distracted and letting my mind wander to different parts of the text instead of listening the whole time. I guess that's ok since I was getting truth either way...

She reached Philippians 1:9:

"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment..."

To this verse she explained that we need to love God more because when we love God more we obey Him more. True statement...

But not what I got out of the verse.

I have read that verse several times and each time I stop at "that your love may abound more and more..." and then I zone out on the rest of the sentence. But as we learned previously, truth can be found in the rest of the sentence.

Paul writes, "I pray that your love may abound still more and more IN KNOWLEDGE AND DISCERNMENT" If I were to diagram this sentence and find out the subject, verb, noun, direct subject, etc... I would discover that another way of writing it would be, "I pray that in knowledge and discernment your love may abound still more and more."

Previous interpretation - we need to love God more

What Paul is saying is - we need to KNOW God more and DISCERN His truth more and OUT OF THAT we will love Him... and therefore our obedience will be involuntary and an act of love!

Telling someone to love God more is like saying, "Love your spouse more." It is a very noble call, but you can't just snap your fingers and love someone. It takes intention and it DEFINITELY takes a process of learning about that person in order to understand HOW to love them. This is the same with God!

God calls us to love Him - Absolutely! But he doesn't expect us to do it blindly. He continually reveals Himself to us so that we might see His love for us and then our love for Him is a REACTION. God woos our hearts to His and therefore we know His character, learn that He is trustworthy, see His power and majesty, experience His grace, are drenched in His mercy and lovingkindness, and it is THEN that we fall deeply in love with Him.

Paul understood this and it is why he prayed that our love would abound IN KNOWLEDGE.
It is why God asks us to love the Him with our heart, soul, strength, and MIND. It is not just about emotion and feeling... it is about knowledge of who He is.

God calling me to know Him more... to read His word, experience His truth written on my heart, to witness the glory of His creation around me... is actually a call to fall more deeply and deeply in love with Him.

Traveling through the Bible (Philippians 1)...

2011-01-21T00:24:00.006-07:00

I started BSF last week - Bible Study Fellowship - on tuesday nights.
What drew me to BSF the most is that they were going to be studying Paul's letter to the Philippians. We studied Philippians at Passion and since returning from that conference I have been praying for God to give me an outlet for studying His word in a disciplined way. I need structure or else I tend to not stay on track.

We are studying Philippians and it has been so powerful to read Paul's letter and really study it in context with what Paul was going through and what his relationship was with the church in Philippi.
But what is most amazing, is that God is answering the prayers of my heart in the words of Paul...

Reflections on Philippians chapter 1:

1. HE will perfect HIS work in me...
God: (gentle whisper) "Miranda, follow me..."
Miranda: "um... what does that mean?"
God: "Follow me..."
Miranda: "Yeah, I get it, but what does that look like?"

I spent 40 hours a week in a cubicle taking calls from people who are booking trips all over the world and I help them find flights, tours, travelers insurance, hostels, hotels, etc... I get home from work and I study for my 12 credits of online classes. In the midst of all that, I spend time with friends and family as much as I can... or I read and sleep.
What does it look like in MY daily life to follow God??

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil 1:6

Repeat: "HE who began a good work in you will perfect [HIS GOOD WORK]..."

GOD is the one who began the good work in me. HE is the one who put it in me and convicted me or impassioned me for HIS purposes! Everything good or hopeful or promising thing in me is from God. Therefore this concern and desire in my heart to follow God is from Him. Even the confusion and concern in my heart about why I DON'T want to follow God is from the Lord. The fact that it unsettles me that I don't desire after God is a sign that God is beginning His work in me.

And just as it is God who began the work in you, it is also God who will continue to bring it to fruition. Later on in Philippians, Paul says:

"work out your salvation with fear and trembling..."

Which lets face it, does NOT sit well with someone who is anti-legalism... but what most people fail to realize is that although the verse ends, the sentence does not (don't get me started on the verse and chapter divisions of the Bible, I will just get angry). The WHOLE sentence says:

"So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is GOD who is at work in you, both to will and to work for HIS good pleasures."

Paul is talking about obedience as an act of "working out your salvation" and he goes on to explain that it is GOD who will be doing the "work" in you.
Therefore, what Paul is saying in verse 6 is that God will both give you the desire AND the tools... He will place in you the stirring AND will do the work to bring that stirring to full-fledged passion. God starts the work... and then He CONTINUES to do the work. Your job is to obey... basically just trust Him with myself and walk forward in faith to the things he sets before me.

He calls me to follow Him and then gives me the strength to step forward in faith toward Him...

work work work...

2011-01-13T13:05:00.001-07:00

Oh my gosh... I don't know how I am going to make it through the rest of the week. I know it is already thursday and so the week is almost done, but I don't remember the last time I was this tired or this sleep deprived. It isn't even like I have been sleeping so little, but because my sleep pattern has been thrown off and I have been forced to wake up earlier than I have in a long time, for the entire week, I think my body is giving out on me. I am definitely going to be sick soon... :(

Aside from the sleep pattern distruptions I have been good this week. I think I am going to like my job... although all I know of it right now is the data entry and knowledge portion of it. We are learning the booking system and basically about the products offered in each country. But I am feeling nervous about actually speaking to customers and I am interested to know how difficult or easy it is to sell them these products. I guess that is what the rest of training is for until the end of the month.

I have come to terms with the fact that although I will have a lot of discounts and opportunities to be rewarded with travel, I will be spending most of my time in a cubicle talking to people about their travel... which will be both exciting and depressing...

But I am feeling confident that I will get the hang of it eventually and this will be a great company to work for and stay with long term. I am really really really liking it! (But of course I like sleep a little better right now - hopefully they will even themselves out and work together to make a happy life).
Oh and the lady in charge of the international programs department, who interviewed me a month before getting this job in the general sales department, told me she was still wanting to eventually steal me for a position in their department. I would LOVE that! They work mainly with study abroad students and work abroad programs. I think I would fit really well there... so maybe later this year or next I'll get to transfer.

Alright... back to training.

New Job...

2011-01-10T07:26:00.001-07:00

I start my new job today! Very excited and very nervous to begin this new endeavor. STA is an amazing company that books travel for anyone and everyone, but they especially cater to college students and young adults who are looking for Spring Break trips in Europe, service projects over seas, Eurail passes, hostel bookings, summer internship programs and study abroad opportunities. I used them when I studied in England and loved their company. I am so excited to be working for them!

I also love this new opportunity because I no longer fear the dreaded question - "What will you be doing with your history degree after you graduate in May?"

I'll hopefully be doing this!!

I feel very blessed and fortunate...

Passion 2011

2011-01-05T21:28:00.002-07:00

My first travel adventure in this year was to the Passion Conference 2011 in Atlanta, GA.

My cousin Lyle has been going for several years now and last year he even met his wife Anya in the airport as both of them were flying home.
I have wanted to go since he told me about it last year, but never thought I would because of time and money. But after Lyle and Anya's wedding, two of the other bridesmaids, Lauren and Abi, decided to go and begged me to go as well. I thought a little more about it, but it wasn't until my mom suggested it out of the blue, that I felt God tugging at my heart to go. It was divine providence that I got my job at STA and didn't have to start until January 10th and therefore had no reason NOT to go to Passion.

I cannot begin to tell you the amazing power of the weekend! I felt that God had prepared me for weeks before for the truth I was heard. It almost like it was tailor made for me and where I was at in life... as if every message progressively worked to tear down my vices and build up the much needed "renewing of my mind."
That is exactly what I walked away with, a continuous message in my head of "renewing my mind." I took a hard look at what I fill my mind with and where I place my hopes. I realized how this life is ENTIRELY about declaring the glory of God... this is why we were created and whatever I am doing, I need to be doing it to the glory of God. So as I stated before, I walked away committed to simply turning my eyes continually to God and letting go of selfish ambition and destructive thought patterns.

Listen to this song as you read on...

Passion 2011

22,000 college students and leaders gathered together for Passion 2011!

I worship with over 22,000 other college students and leaders. Chris Tomlin, Kristian Stanfill, Matt Redman, and David Crowder on stage was beyond awesome! I stood in the presence of God and sang my heart out!
We also had the immense privilege to listen to messages from some of the top speakers in the country - Louie Giglio, Beth Moore, Andy Stanley, Francis Chan and John Piper and those were just the main sessions! In the Breakout sessions I got to listen David Platt and Ben Stuart (who was my favorite speaker and I have since subscribed to his podcasts from Texas A&M). It was a weekend of truth and so much fun!

Abi and I

Late night concert by Gungor

One of my favorite moments of the weekend was seeing Gungor perform one of the late night concerts. This band is seriously wicked awesome!

Abbi, Abi, and Lauren

Cousins!

Abi, Lauren, Katie, and I

Lauren and I got ready in the morning and ended up looking like this... twinsies

Sweet couple

Display for two organizations that rescue women for sex trafficing

During the conference there was a room dedicated to different charities and ministries that serve all over the world to rescue people in sex-trafficing, provide clean water to communities in India, building homes in Haiti, Bibles to South America, and sponsoring kids all over the world through compassion international, among many others.

the students gave enough money to build over 20 wells in India to provide clean water! Thank you Jesus!

This is the exact spot where Lyle and Anya met exactly one year ago after Passion... they have been married 7 weeks.

When Lyle, Anya, Abi and Lauren dropped me off at the airport to fly home, we parked and went in to visit the Atlanta Bread Co. where Lyle and Anya first laid eyes on each other. It was at this very table were they first saw and spoke to each other just one year ago.

Me, Abi, Lauren, and Anya!

Just before I flew home

I am forever changed by this experience, and cannot think of a better way I could have started this new year!

Travel Blog...

2011-01-05T20:38:00.004-07:00

Alright people... this is going to be a new beginning to my blog!

I am passionate about travel, and for those of you who have been following me for a while know that I have traveled a lot in the past and it would seem it was during that time that you most enjoyed reading my blog. In all honestly it was more entertaining and interesting then. I apologize for my whiney blog entries about homework and being in the ASU library... that won't happen anymore. Mainly because hopefully I won't be in the library that much anymore...

I want to use this blog as an outlet for me to discuss what I am excited about and what I love. I also thought that since I just got an awesome job at STA Travel as a Travel Agent, I am going to be living and breathing travel for 40 hours a week... therefore I should impart my experiences in written form and in relationship to travel.

Travel, journey, adventure, inspiration, courage, sweetness, lovely... those are all things I think of when I think of travel. They are all the things I felt and experienced and LOVED about traveling in the past. I want to live in that moment and those experiences every day... therefore, even everyday life can be an adventure... traveling and journeying through life takes courage, inspiration, and has many moments of despair and hardship, but also amazing moments of sweetness and loveliness.

So that is what this blog is about... my life... as a tourist for everything...

New...

2011-01-05T19:59:00.002-07:00

"The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." - Westminster Shorter Catechism

As I begin this new year I am hoping that the idea of living my life solely to glorify Jesus Christ will be the center of my life. I could go in to how God has led me to this point, but it really doesn't matter where I have been, because it is gone and done... and Christ is inviting me into a new season of life and a beautiful adventure of falling more and more in love with Him.
So how does that play out in my life right now? I know so many people who last friday sat down to write out the hopes and dreams for this next year. I hate New Years resolutions! They mainly consist of things I wish I could improve on and make me think of the areas in my life where I have failed and hope to improve. The idea of a New Years resolution basically takes those areas and inspires in us the idea of coming up with a plan of action on how to deal with those areas of failure. Then the next year rolls around, each of us has barely completed 3 of those resolutions... and none of them are the ones that mattered most to us a majority of the time. Then we feel a sense of failure again that we weren't strong of disciplined enough to correct our behavior and make better choices and so we resolve to do it again the next year...
It ignites in me, and I am sure you would agree in yourself, a cycle of managing my own messiness and it gives me the impression that I am a loser and a failure because I can't correct myself.

WELL OF COURSE IT DOES, CAUSE YOU CAN'T!!!!!

I realized long ago that every New Years is one big pile of disappointments and looking back on a year of lost hopes and dreams and failures. How depressing. I am such a sad-sack on New Years... but this year is different. God has placed on my heart a whispered call to just follow Him... that's it! He didn't specify how, or what it looked like to follow Him... just follow Him. You want to know why he doesn't specify??
Because it looks different moment by moment...
That is what this life is... just one moment after another of the present... and that is all we can live in is this moment and this present time.
CS Lewis... who I have a deeper and deeper crush on the more I read his books, says in The Screwtape Letters:

"The humans live in time but [God] destines them to eternity. He therefore, I believe, wants them to attend chiefly to two things, to eternity itself, and to that point of time which they call the Present. For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity. Of the present moment, and of it only, humans have an experience analogous to the experience which [God] has of reality as a whole; in it alone freedom and actuality are offered them. He would therefore have them continually concerned either with eternity (which means being concerned with Him) or with the Present... obeying the present voice of conscience, bearing the present cross, receiving the present grace, giving thanks for the present pleasure."

It means that in this present moment Jesus is calling you to trust Him, listen to His voice, hear what He is asking of you. It is not about a check list of reading my Bible, going to church, praying, being kind to others... all of those things are amazing, but they should be acted out in reaction to the glorious love of the Savior, NOT as a formula of what you think would be pleasing to Him and therefore what would get you blessed. This life is about glorifying Jesus Christ and when we sit in the majesty and glory of our Lord, what else could be do but long to read His word - the love story He wrote to us and about us, speak to Him and about Him, be around others who also love Jesus and fellowship together, and share with others the immense freedom and joy we have in God.
So in each moment I want to remind myself of that truth and step forward in faith that God is calling me to love Him and out of that I will get direction on where to go and what to do... and all the things I fall short in will be made clean and whole in His glory.

Merry Christmas...

2010-12-24T12:26:00.001-07:00

and I deleted my facebook!

Haha... it is too much to explain why I deleted it, but know that it is a process of God growing a revealing things in me that I am hoping will be made complete and whole in his Love and Mercy.

But know that without a status to update, there is a chance this little blog will get some more action... I make no promises... haha

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!!! I pray you would all stop in wonder and the amazing love of our Lord. I know my heart and because of that, I am beyond confused as to why Christ would deem my worthy to love so beautifully and eternally! That He would come to dwell among us and eventually take my sin... my horrible, ugly, evil sin and take it as far away from me as the east is from the west, I cannot begin to rejoice enough in Him. I pray for you all that God would pause your heart that you may marvel in his blessings and Love for you!!

Weddings weddings and more weddings...

2010-11-28T22:33:00.001-07:00

My lord I feel like I have been hit with a truck. I realized tonight as I was sitting on the couch with my mom at 7:30pm, feeling beyond exhausted that I really have been SO busy for the last couple of weeks... and don't think it is close to being over... OH NO! I have two weeks left in the semester and plenty of homework to give me a panic attack. But I am determined to not lose my mind, so I am taking the night off and watching a movie and blogging. I figure I am too tired to accomplish any real work anyway, and I will be spending ALL DAY in the ASU library tomorrow working on homework, so I should be fine.

So here are some pictures of the last couple of weeks of wedding fun and festivities :)

First off was Lyle and Anya's wedding! My cousin Lyle seriously picked the most AMAZING girl to be his bride. I could not ask for a better cousin/sister! I was honored to be a bridesmaid in this wedding and so as soon as Anya arrived in town two weeks before the big day we were off and running trying to get stuff for the big day. Anya's cousin Alyona was here from Ukraine too, so the three of us together was a recipe for TOO much fun :)

Alyona and I!!! She is seriously so beautiful inside and out!

After some awesome shopping it was time for Anya's bridal shower! What a sweet occasion!!

Thompson girls!!

And then before we knew it, it was wedding weekend!! It flew by!
I have never had more fun at a wedding! I think it was due to the fact that I spent the WHOLE weekend with all the bridesmaids. We were together the whole time all staying at my house. Even after the wedding a couple groomsmen came over and we played Traveling Pictionary/Telephone Pictionary/Paper Game (whatever you know it as). What a beautiful, fun, amazing, godly group of girls! Such a beautiful wedding!
Here are just a few picture highlights...
Personal Shower

waiting for Zlata to arrive!

Bouquet assembly ALL BY OURSELVES!! I was so proud of us!

At the shower we went around and honored Anya, telling her what she means to us. I cannot tell you how much Anya has blessed me! She is one of those people who just exudes Christ's love! You feel encouraged by just having her near. She is so passionate and fun and silly and wise and loving and welcoming. The first time I spoke to her, I knew instantly she was a soulmate! I love this girl and am so proud to have her in my family now :)

Rehearsal/Rehearsal Dinner

Seriously the most fun group of girls ever! We seriously had never met each other except through email until the day of the rehearsal and we were instantly best friends!

Bachelorette Nigh at my house!

everyone stayed at my house the night before the wedding! We practiced hair, did nails, finished the bouquets and boutonnieres and made a trip down to walmart in the middle of the night... in our Pjs.

5:30am wake up call!

I did hair for Anya and the bridesmaids (expect Zlata)... it was so much fun to make these ladies even more beautiful than they already are.

last minute bridal spa!

Alyona and I are hot!

stunning!

Ransom the Bride - there is a tradition in Ukraine where the groom and his groomsmen arrive at the place where the bride is, before the ceremony, and must win his right to see his bride from the bridesmaids. We got to decide what Lyle needed to do to win Anya... we decided a musical of their love story was fitting. I laughed so hard! Steve wrote all the music on the spot. Alan as bearded-Anya was something indeed... all the men were marvelous! I laughed, I cried, I was amazed!

Bravo!

Pictures!!

hotties!

my sestra!

the sun was so bright in our eyes

ERIC KELLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

More pictures...

My handsome brothers were ushers.

Lauren & I were Anya's bodyguards

Thompson family picture!

Alan and I were really the best bridesmaid/groomsman pairing - we were the last ones out and so of course waved to the crowd :) We must give our fans what they want.

The beautiful ceremony! My dad did such a good job :)

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Thompson!

Reception - the highlight was when Lyle and Anya shared their heart and passion for worship!

After the reception the bridesmaids and some of the groomsmen came over to my house for pizza, wine, and traveling pictionary! Picture wouldn't do it justice, but this seriously was the most hilarious time of the weekend. I was crying cause I was laughing so hard!
The weekend ended with a brunch and present opening the following morning.

I seriously miss these girls already!!

We are already planning a wedding party reunion soon - with the wedding party coming from all over the world (Seattle, Orlando, Tuscon, LA, Ukraine) it may take a while, but I think God is on our side with this :)

Next post will be about my second wedding... I have less pictures, but I'll need to get them off my camera before I can post about it.