A Side Note

I can't help it-  I have to tell you about my flight over. 

A good friend of mine offered to let Lisa and I use buddy passes to get to Australia. (Her Dad is a pilot for Delta). This was a BIG deal as our tickets were extremely inexpensive! The catch with the Buddy Pass is that every flight is a standby ticket. So with 3 planes to catch and less than an hour layover between each of them it made for a blur of a day!

When I landed in LA I walked right over to the gate for my AUS flight to find my name on the standby list #24 out of 25 people. I had been told that if there were any business class seats left then I would get one. Seeing my name at the end of the list left me with little hope.

I patiently waited for all of the ticketed passengers to board. All of the standby tickets to be cleared. And then. They called my name. They handed me a ticket and I walked on the plane.  Was directed to my right and... There it was- My seat. My Bed. My own little cubby! I was in Business class and it was AMAZING! I was greeted with champagne, enjoyed a three course dinner, snacks unlimited, and a giant breakfast and I was entertained by a personal TV with movie and TV show options galore!            

                                    Relaxin                             The Cubby

 

 

                                   All of the directions my seat could go!

                                                                                

 I am so thankful for this seat. I was able to sleep a good bit of the way and I am pretty sure that I have already conquered jet lag!

It Hit Me.

I'm here.

It hit me.

 Culture hit me.

I found myself questioning everything I did yesterday. Questioning whether or not it was culturally acceptable. Keep in mind I was in a bit of a daze from the long day of travel, but I don't ever recall feeling so insecure before in my life.

Questioning myself everywhere I went: 

Getting ready for the day: What do I wear so I don't look like a tourist?

Wondering around a suburb of Sydney: Can I cross the street before the walk sign? Is jaywalking illegal?

Eating at a cafe: How many toppings are ok to put on my sandwich? Will the girl behind the counter get annoyed if I keep asking for more toppings? Does the price go up as I add more to my sandwich?

Finding a place to sit and eat: Can I sit outside? Is outside seating just for smokers?

Am I being too polite that it's annoying? Am I not polite enough? What are the appropriate manners that I am missing?

Is it frustrating that I am asking to hear everything twice because I can't understand it the first time?

Is it weird to ask for an iced coffee?

All of this seems like common sense, and turns out most of it is. However...an iced coffee pretty much equals a cold hot chocolate. No ice.

So. Day 1.

 Not in love with the place.

But... I don't think it will be long before I am.

A Marathon

Goodbye Chi-town! 

It kind of feels like a marathon. Not that I would really know. But if I had to guess- the preparation, excitement and exhaustion would feel something like this. Not physically, but mentally. I have been planning this trip for a year. And today- I'm doing it. I'm really doing it. Wait...What am I doing?! I honestly don't think it has hit me yet. Not sure when it will. Still on a runner's high. 

Right now I am on the second leg of three flights. My travels began at 10 this morning. Drove to Chicago, said a tearful goodbye to Mom and Dad and hopped on a plane to Detroit. I landed in Detroit with enough time to check in with Mom and Dad, use the restroom, order a peanut butter, marshmallow cream and banana sandwich (it was spectacular), and walk right onto my next flight- where I am now. So far I feel good, getting tired, but comfortable otherwise. This flight is about 5 hours- just a little training flight for what is to come > a 15 hour flight from LAX to Sydney. 

The pilot came over the intercom a bit ago to explain that we will be heading through Iowa skies and then directly over Denver before descending into LA. I found it comforting to be able to wave goodbye one more time to my friends and family.

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So this marathon began in January of this year. My roommate in Denver,  Lisa, had talked about traveling somewhere overseas for a while. Always suggesting she was ready when I was. It took some time, but not a whole lot of persuasion to agree with her- traveling was a must and it should happen soon. 

We debated Europe, but ultimately determined Australia was more fitting for our 6 month sabbatical from the real world. We talked to some Aussie friends, did a little research and next thing you know we had plane tickets. Then... a Visa. Next...we ended our apartment lease, packed our bags and well...here I am- flying. To Australia. (Lisa is joining me in February) 

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To my parents' dismay I, of course,  waited until the last minute to complete some necessary tasks before embarking on this journey. Like...getting currency- oops. I have a wallet full of dollars, but unfortunately they are US dollars not AUS dollars. Who knew banks in Iowa didn't just have a bunch of AUS money on hand?! And outlet converters- why doesn't every country just enjoy the ease of 2 parallel prongs? I guess I won't be straightening my hair for the first few days..or even drying it for that matter! Oh well, what can ya do?! It's all part of this adventure...right? 

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Next to "Why Australia?", the second most asked question is "What happens when you land in Sydney?" Until about 4 days ago I didn't really know. Haha- I guess I didn't realize how last minute I have been with some of these important details!  Well the good news is I have a plan and I think it's a good one! I land in Sydney on December 9th around 8am (about 3 pm Dec. 8th in the US). I will take a train from the airport to the Revesby station where I will meet one of my Aussie friends. I am staying with him for a few days and then either driving with him or grabbing a flight to the Gold Coast where I will reside until Lisa comes over. An amazing family has offered to let me stay with them there until I find more permanent accommodations. Once Lisa arrives I will meet her in Sydney and we will most likely head to Melbourne. This is where we plan to call home for the remainder of our time in Australia. It will be fun to see if everything goes as planned!

I'll keep you posted! 

The marathon continues. 

Emotions are all over the place. 

The finish line is close. 

The fun begins SO soon! 

5 Days

FIVE days to pack. FIVE days to spend as much time with friends and family in Iowa as possible. FIVE days to firm up all the details I have been putting off for the last 5 months. FIVE days until I leave on this trip I have been planning for the last ten months! FIVE days folks. FIVE DAYS!

Home is AMAZING. I have thoroughly enjoyed being spoiled the past week and a half. Waking up and filling my day with anything I choose. No alarm, no voicemails or e-mails to respond to, playing with my nieces and nephew, eating at all of my favorite restaurants (I have officially hit them all as of today), waisting time- because I can, crafting, shopping online...  | insert sigh here | Is this Heaven? No, it's Iowa. It's Home.

I know, I know- this life I am living is unrealistic. Just know that I don't take a minute of it for granted. I have a feeling the next six months are going to be unrealistic in a sense. Far from the reality of a normal 25 year old's life anyway.  So... I am going to take it all in and enjoy it while I can. You are welcome to join me!

Here are a few pictures from my days in Heaven.


Back in good ol' Iowa City!

This is the "Walk of Shame" 

Setting: November 20th | a tailgate Saturday | 9 am | 30 degrees. 

A great sight to start the day off right! 

Did I mention it was 30 degrees outside??

Nothing beats a Hawkeye tailgate. 

  

Why not:  Bowl on a Monday afternoon? 

or Break 100 for probably the first time ever? or Enjoy 2nd place two games out of three? 

                      Happy Thanksgiving!     

                               

The final stop on my Davenport Cuisine Tour. RUDYS!

Don't judge. It was delicious. 

 I started packing. Only FIVE days left. 

An update on my Aussie job and living situation up next! Plus a few answers to some FAQs about my trip.

Denver

So much has happened in the 2 1/2 years I have lived in Denver. It wouldn't feel right if I didn't do a quick recap before taking off on my next endeavor. Every move I have made - Davenport, IA to Iowa City, IA to Maine, to Scotland to Georgia to Denver- They have all impacted me greatly. In a good way.

Denver probably the most.

March of 2008 I moved to Broomfield, CO and lived with a co-worker's divorced mother-in-law. (I hadn't met either of them before I moved in- little did I know this would be a good exercise for what will happen when I get to Australia) Great accommodations...not exactly what I had in mind though. So I quickly moved to Denver. The heart of the city. I am surrounded by amazing friends, and have been since I got here- there are so many Iowans here it was impossible not to be! We joke that Denver doesn't go by the 6th degree rule, rather closer to the 4th degree. Everyone knows someone you know- it's comical and I love it.

A good sized city for me.

Colorado has taught me:  to Ski | Explore | Shop | to be Active | Eat Healthier | Work Hard | to be Alone |Try Anything Once | be Confident | to be Me.

Denver has treated me well in 2010 with new friends, a new job and an exciting accomplishment. I would be mad at myself down the road if I looked back at this blog and didn't mention that I finished my first half marathon this year.

I started running when I moved to Denver because EVERYONE else around me was.

My first trek around Wash Park in 2008 - 2.7 miles - was hard.

By 2009 I was ready to do 3 laps - 8.1 miles-  that was plenty.

Ah, what the heck. 2010 bring on 13.1-  exhilarating.

2011....Nope, not a marathon. Ready for a bike.

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Well it's official. I am unemployed for the first time since I was 15. Oddly tough to admit. 

 The support from my co-workers and friends has been unbelievable.

The goodbye's began about a month ago...

 A girls wine night- a nice little surprise that my roommate put together! Everyone brought a bottle of Australian wine and a tip about the land down under!

Last Friday I got to see all of my favorite Denverites in one place and it was quite a party! We started at the Rio and then took over the Gaslamp. We had the place to ourselves and it allowed me to see exactly how many amazing friends I have in Denver.  

A dinner at Earl's with 8 of my co-workers and my roommate was a wonderful way to say goodbye (for now) to work. We devoured a plentiful amount of food and wine while enjoying each other's company outside of the office. I am lucky to have worked with such great people and excited about the thought of working with them again when I return.

I cheers-ed (a word?) to unemployment with my favorite ladies at Bistro Vendome and then turned the party up a notch when we met an Aussie from Melbourne at the Red Square. Lisa and I are in for a real treat. It is going to be tough to keep up with these Aussies!

 I do not like goodbyes. But when they are preceded with events like these- they can be a lot of fun!

 Thank you to everyone that made this goodbye such a celebration.

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Time to load up my car. Iowa bound tomorrow.

Mondays

M O N D A Y

Today this journey became very real.

I started packing today.

I have 18 days left in Denver.


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I love Mondays because most people don't. I love Mondays because they are my Sunday. They are           Mydays- or Medays- or Bridays.

I get them all to myself to do whatever I please. I always plan how the day will be achieved and get excited about crossing off the tasks on my list of to dos.

To start Myday- I treat myself to a latte and often a delicious breakfast too} like the one pictured from http://www.parisontheplattecafeandbar.com/ that I enjoyed today! I try switching up my coffee shop locations. Today's location topped the coffee shop charts! A fun atmosphere, eclectic crowd and a solid breakfast!

Recently I have been spending my coffee shop hour(s) by researching a place to live in Australia. I have been a bit lost and indecisive about what city I would like to live in.  How I was ever going to figure that very question out was a mystery. UNTIL...this past Friday!! Breaking News! I am headed to the Gold Coast. Thanks to a wonderful family- that I have yet to meet- but whom invited me to stay in their home anyway! They live 10 minutes from Broadbeach. Key word BEACH!  I am going to be living 10 minutes from a beach! (cue audience applause and cheering now)

SO- this means today's Monday I was able to switch things up a bit and research for JOBS! Normally job hunting is a daunting task BUT when you are looking for part time/casual jobs along the beach it is VERY exciting!
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Medays often mean trying something new. Sometimes out of my comfort zone. I look at it as training for the day I land in Australia and don't know what to do with myself. "Doing" will be a necessary evil as I will have the urge to ball up in a corner somewhere and dream of seeing someone familiar- like my Mom and Dad. (This situation occurred when I landed in Scotland -I found myself in a red phone booth wishing I could call home- I am mentally preparing myself for it to happen again) I will have to keep occupied, I will have to introduce myself to strangers, I will have to ask for directions, for help, for a friend...

So, in order to soften the blow- I continue my training here in Denver
new coffee shops | new yoga practices | new recipes |  conversations with strangers-new friends | new perspectives

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The countdown to Australia continues. One Task at a time.

One Monday at a time.

The Little Things

I am happy to say I have always been one to take time to revel in the little things.

Perhaps this is because s o m e t i m e s I get excited about things like a child would and an adult probably shouldn't. I'm OK with that.

Children get the little things- I hope I will always get the little things too.

Some little things...
My first ever golf tournament- well it wasn't a true tournament. We didn't have to sign a scorecard at the end. But it was an invitation only outing, and my name was on a cart sign- SO - it was my first tournament. And I loved every minute of it!

A Pumpkin Patch. Hundreds upon hundreds.  Any kind of squash you could ever dream of. An aroma of cows even made for a true
 | I'm in the c o u n t r y | experience. I could have stayed all day.

Ran 12 miles- the longest distance I have ever achieved. Felt good. I saw a catchy slogan on a sign during my run that made me smile- "A Cure is in Sight" { It was a fundraiser  for the blind. Simple and Intelligent.

Drove to Estes Park with Lisa. A fun little weekend adventure. We explored Estes Park. Got a Kick out of putting Beavers on our heads { note picture below. Devoured a great breakfast from the infamous Stanley Hotel. Had the best time laughing about a sign that said |Elk * Nuts|  We saw it on the way up and laughed. Saw it on the way home, and wouldn't you know-we laughed... just as hard.

The sign is sure to surface in conversation over the next couple of days and we will absolutely laugh all over again.

{Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.} ~Robert Brault