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

 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!!!

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!

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

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!!!!



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...

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...

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!



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...

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...

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!!

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.