My bff, Mary, gave me these bright colored luggage tags that say "Schlep" really big on them. Yeah, yeah. I admit it. I brought too much shit. And I actually realized it as I was running out the door on the way to the airport almost 2 weeks ago. You should have seen me - a crazy woman - tossing things out left and right into a laundry basket. Told my Mom to just put it all in "my old bedroom". The darn suitcase weighed almost 48lbs. and I hadn't even gotten to buy any souvenirs!! My backpack was full to the max as well. Here we are 2 weeks later and I have a package to ship back to my Mom with a pair of jeans (the white jeans I HAD to bring) and some tops (dry clean only tops). What the hell was I thinking??? White stuff just gets dirty and I want to shop! But I have no room to fit anything.... Starting to simplify. Ok, I will admit I caved and bought a flat iron a few days ago. Haven't used it yet, as I'm assuming it will do no good in this humidity, but I am sending back a few tops which should cover the weight of the iron, right? Also just realizing that I just want to be comfortable. I can still look cute in cotten dresses... All I want right now are short shorts and loose tank tops and thin cotton dresses.. So that is what I'm on the hunt for. Anything to keep me a little less hot. The wife beater style tank tops are not cutting it. And I really don't want to do laundry every 3 days since that is the only number of shorts I brought. I'm realizing that I really don't need all that much stuff. Weird, I know. Cool and casual. That's my new style. I'm tired of packing and unpacking and rummaging through the 2500 pockets in my purse and backpack. I just want to dump it all in one bag at this point. I may end up ditching the suitcase and buying a backpack. My arms are getting stronger by the minute, though. :)
Oh and btw, I googled how to spell check and it told me to use the spell check button on my toolbar. I don't have one of those. So we are all just going to have to deal...Sorry!
Off to sail the Whitsunday Islands for 2 days/nights. Will have a report when I return, as long as I don't get lost out at sea.. A joke, Mom! :) Mwa!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
The Scuba of Sarah
Ok. I have waaaay more to talk about than scuba diving, but I liked the title, and figured it would intrigue you. :) Plus, it's probably been the highlight of my trip thus far. I must admit, it's really difficult to get to updating this thing. I'm busy. What else is new? I'm on a 5 month vaca and I still can't relax or sit still. Today was supposed to be my down day and here I am at 7:15pm (I was up for a morning run at 8am this morning) and still haven't just sat and watched the telly or tried reading a book. Oh yeah - I also need to apologize for my spelling and grammer (as my Mom pointed out to me); but like I said, I'm busy. Can't find the damn spell check on this blog (also spent about an hour trying to figure out how the heck you all can get an update via email everytime I post - but I've had no luck) and it costs me $5 an hour to use the internet - so as you can imagine, I'm racing, as usual...
As I mentioned before, I was really comfortable in Melbourne. Ruth was absolutely amazing. She took my on a duck crawl on my last night. Basically we went to a few different restaurants in Chinatown and wine tasted (winemarkers get up and talk about their wines being featured). The life, right? Below is a few pics of me and Ruth (at her vineyard and out on the town). I didn't know how else to thank her besides taking her to dinner and a movie and also bringing her a book on Chicago and a box of Frango mints to remind her of a few wonderful things about "my city" and hope she comes back to visit someday so I can return the favor and host her.
So almost 2 weeks down and I can't believe how fast it's gone by already. I have probably learned more in the last 2 weeks than I have in a few years combined. Really! I can't even believe this experience. I was going to title this post, The Sink of Sarah (as in the Kitchen Sink), b/c pretty much everything "S" has happened in the last 1.5 weeks. The Sickness of Sarah - Ruth had to pull over on the side of the road on the way to the airport - God help her (and I swear it was a bug and not the fact I was out drinking the night before..). The Stealing of Sarah - first night in my hostel and my food got broken into in the community fridge (jerks! but see more below on my first hostel experience), The Snorkeling and Scuba of Sarah (again, see below). I can go on and on... Way easier to come up with "S" words than I thought. I think of new ones every day, but I've been terrible w/ updating my journal as well, and as the days go by, I forget! I'll try a little harder (as I must try a little harder to relax anyway..).
So getting to Cairns (pronounced Cans) from Melbourne...Literally booked my flight and hostel 3 days before...Not like me at all, but I've realized it's so normal to just fly by the seat of my points. Before arriving here, I was notified it was "wet season", something I failed to research obvi... So I was basically panicking thinking I would never make it here. But when I landed, it was bright and Sunny. Perfect! But as I stepped off the plane, I immediately began to sweat bullets (The Sweating of Sarah). It is so hot and muggy here. Gross! But I can't complain, as most of you are freezing your asses off. Sorry! I arrived at the hostel and it was way better than expected. I can't believe how many people are just traveling alone, hanging out, etc.
Made me feel so much better and normal! It's clean. The people here are so friendy. The staff are so helpful - not only am I getting accomodations for like $30/nights, but it's like I have my own personal concierge service. They immediately helped me book my Scuba trip for the next day. I got to my room (thank goodness it was w/ a private bathroom, as I thought I had a shared), and I had 2 roommates. Ann from Germany (she is traveling for about a year) and Sayaka from Japan (she is on a few weeks vaca in between jobs). Sayaka and I immediately hit it off and were ironically on the same dive trip the next day. We also made friends with Vesa (from Finland) on the boat. The 3 of us went to dinner that night - to Outback Jacks of all places (almost identical to an Outback Steakhouse - haha) and Sayaka and I spent some time shopping and getting lunch today before she was off to Brisbane. I might meet up with Vessa this week on the islands and Sayaka at the end of the week in Brisbane. 2 weeks in and I already have friends literally all over the world.
Scuba diving was unreal! For those of you who knew me when I was in grade/high school - I was always obsessed with the ocean/fish/dolphins. Even being a swimmer for 10 years, for some reason I never had the huge desire to learn to scuba (just felt that all that equipment was too much work), but OMG, I don't know what the hell I was waiting for. And the fact my first trip was at the Great Barrier Reef is crazy (which by the way from the plane, the reef was literally glowing - like neon!). It is such another world down there. B/c I'm not certified, I had to go "assisted", which really doesn't mean much besides the instructor is swimming close by the whole time. The first dive was tough. I sort of panicked... But once you are down there I kind of like to think of it as "Fight or Flight". Sounds nuts, but when you don't have a choice, you breath through that darn thing and make it work! My second time down was so much easier. I got to take a underwater camera with me as well and just snapped away. I saw a sea turtle, sting ray, parrot fish, clams that opened/closed when I put my hand over them, these purple things that looked like those purple tissue paper like flowers that when I stuck my finger to them, they popped inside their home. I pet a sea cucumber (picture of one below), which is basically velvety/slimey, and those big orange fish (pic below) had huge teeth and swimming right up to us. The pics don't do it justice AT ALL, as I say so many different fish and the color of the corral was unbelievable, I could go on and on for days.. So needless to say, I will be getting certified at some point (when I am in one place for more than 3 days) and can't wait for my next dive.
I have so many more udpates, but now I'm off to relax before my 11 hour overnight bus to Airlie Beach, in which I am hoping to get some sleep (I swear I sleep better on moving vehicles). Hoping it doesn't get canceled, as it's been pouring here alllllllll day (perfect for me, b/c I just ran errands and sat on the computer all day). Until then....
As I mentioned before, I was really comfortable in Melbourne. Ruth was absolutely amazing. She took my on a duck crawl on my last night. Basically we went to a few different restaurants in Chinatown and wine tasted (winemarkers get up and talk about their wines being featured). The life, right? Below is a few pics of me and Ruth (at her vineyard and out on the town). I didn't know how else to thank her besides taking her to dinner and a movie and also bringing her a book on Chicago and a box of Frango mints to remind her of a few wonderful things about "my city" and hope she comes back to visit someday so I can return the favor and host her.
So almost 2 weeks down and I can't believe how fast it's gone by already. I have probably learned more in the last 2 weeks than I have in a few years combined. Really! I can't even believe this experience. I was going to title this post, The Sink of Sarah (as in the Kitchen Sink), b/c pretty much everything "S" has happened in the last 1.5 weeks. The Sickness of Sarah - Ruth had to pull over on the side of the road on the way to the airport - God help her (and I swear it was a bug and not the fact I was out drinking the night before..). The Stealing of Sarah - first night in my hostel and my food got broken into in the community fridge (jerks! but see more below on my first hostel experience), The Snorkeling and Scuba of Sarah (again, see below). I can go on and on... Way easier to come up with "S" words than I thought. I think of new ones every day, but I've been terrible w/ updating my journal as well, and as the days go by, I forget! I'll try a little harder (as I must try a little harder to relax anyway..).
So getting to Cairns (pronounced Cans) from Melbourne...Literally booked my flight and hostel 3 days before...Not like me at all, but I've realized it's so normal to just fly by the seat of my points. Before arriving here, I was notified it was "wet season", something I failed to research obvi... So I was basically panicking thinking I would never make it here. But when I landed, it was bright and Sunny. Perfect! But as I stepped off the plane, I immediately began to sweat bullets (The Sweating of Sarah). It is so hot and muggy here. Gross! But I can't complain, as most of you are freezing your asses off. Sorry! I arrived at the hostel and it was way better than expected. I can't believe how many people are just traveling alone, hanging out, etc.
Made me feel so much better and normal! It's clean. The people here are so friendy. The staff are so helpful - not only am I getting accomodations for like $30/nights, but it's like I have my own personal concierge service. They immediately helped me book my Scuba trip for the next day. I got to my room (thank goodness it was w/ a private bathroom, as I thought I had a shared), and I had 2 roommates. Ann from Germany (she is traveling for about a year) and Sayaka from Japan (she is on a few weeks vaca in between jobs). Sayaka and I immediately hit it off and were ironically on the same dive trip the next day. We also made friends with Vesa (from Finland) on the boat. The 3 of us went to dinner that night - to Outback Jacks of all places (almost identical to an Outback Steakhouse - haha) and Sayaka and I spent some time shopping and getting lunch today before she was off to Brisbane. I might meet up with Vessa this week on the islands and Sayaka at the end of the week in Brisbane. 2 weeks in and I already have friends literally all over the world.
Scuba diving was unreal! For those of you who knew me when I was in grade/high school - I was always obsessed with the ocean/fish/dolphins. Even being a swimmer for 10 years, for some reason I never had the huge desire to learn to scuba (just felt that all that equipment was too much work), but OMG, I don't know what the hell I was waiting for. And the fact my first trip was at the Great Barrier Reef is crazy (which by the way from the plane, the reef was literally glowing - like neon!). It is such another world down there. B/c I'm not certified, I had to go "assisted", which really doesn't mean much besides the instructor is swimming close by the whole time. The first dive was tough. I sort of panicked... But once you are down there I kind of like to think of it as "Fight or Flight". Sounds nuts, but when you don't have a choice, you breath through that darn thing and make it work! My second time down was so much easier. I got to take a underwater camera with me as well and just snapped away. I saw a sea turtle, sting ray, parrot fish, clams that opened/closed when I put my hand over them, these purple things that looked like those purple tissue paper like flowers that when I stuck my finger to them, they popped inside their home. I pet a sea cucumber (picture of one below), which is basically velvety/slimey, and those big orange fish (pic below) had huge teeth and swimming right up to us. The pics don't do it justice AT ALL, as I say so many different fish and the color of the corral was unbelievable, I could go on and on for days.. So needless to say, I will be getting certified at some point (when I am in one place for more than 3 days) and can't wait for my next dive.
I have so many more udpates, but now I'm off to relax before my 11 hour overnight bus to Airlie Beach, in which I am hoping to get some sleep (I swear I sleep better on moving vehicles). Hoping it doesn't get canceled, as it's been pouring here alllllllll day (perfect for me, b/c I just ran errands and sat on the computer all day). Until then....
Sunday, February 14, 2010
The St. Valentines Day of Sarah
Woke up this morning by a text from my Mom telling me Happy Valentines Day. I have to remind you that it was Saturday, 2/13, for her when she sent it (but Sunday, 2/14 for me). It was so sweet and thoughful and I couldn't ask for a better Valentine this year. :) Love you, Mom!
I had an amazing time at Ruth's family vineyard on Saturday. Her families house is actually right in the middle of the winery. Her family was so welcoming and the family dinner was unreal - with food and drinks overflowing. The food consisted of biscuits (crackers) and dip and smoked salmon and mayo on bread to start, followed by lamb shanks, fresh zuchinni and squash from her Mom's garden, and potatoes for dinner. After dinner we had the most amazing cheese and bread, followed my birthday cake for Ruth's Dad and brother, and last but not least, chocolates. The drinks were never ending as well. Her family has a wine cellar consisting of about 2000-3000 bottles of alcohol. We started out with two bottle of Champagne, followed by 3 different bottles of red wine from the family vineyard (one of the bottles from 1980 - Ruth's birth year), a bottle of port with dessert, and finally a bottle of Cognac from 1976. I couldn't believe the flow of drinks. This is the part of traveling that I love the most -being submersed in the culture, listening to the family tell stories of how they acquired the 250 acres of land almost 30 years ago, the winemaking process, and stories of everyday life in Australia. I couldn't have been more happy and have felt more comfortable - enjoying a nice home cooked family dinner halfway around the world. Her family is some of the nicest people I have ever met. To top it off, I even got to see my first Kangaroos hopping around right in her backyard!
Valentines Day I spent the day at the St. Kilda Festival, which included live bands, tents for shopping, and food vendors from every country imaginable. I must admit hanging out at a festival by myself wasn't the most exciting, especially given it was Valentine's Day; but I did enjoy relaxing by the beach and getting my first sunburn of the trip! The sun actually drained me and I came home and took a 3 hour nap - I'll take the sleep when I can get it, but I think I keep screwing up my sleep schedule.
A few things I realized today:
1) Festivals are not fun alone and I probably should have just visited St. Kilda on a normal day to really experience the town. It was far too overwhelming with the festival going on.
2) Dry Festivals are not that exciting either (you could only drink in designated areas, which were basically the restaurants and bars).
3) There are a lot of Jersey Shore type people here. I heard they were looking for a warmer climate to film in, maybe they will consider Australia...?
4) My backpack is not going to cut for festivals and trips to the beach - it's too darn hot on my back.
5) I really miss my trendy clothes. Solid color pants and shirts everyday are BORING!!!
Ruth came home and we both looked at each other and said we were in dire need of a healthy meal of vegatables. It couldn't have been more perfect that the huge zuchinni I brought her from my wine tour was sitting right in front of us. We ended up making zuchinni soup, which was quite delicious. We sat and chatted while drinking tea, and Ruth gave me some pointers for my trip to the Great Barrier Reef area. I'm a little bummed that it's their rainy season, but hoping things hold out for me to get out to scuba dive. I booked a flight for Wednesday - 2 more days left in Melbourne for me! I'm actually looking forward to moving on to my next destination. I'm ready for some activity and action!
Want to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day from across the globe and a very Happy Birthday to my best friend, George, back home!! Mwa!
I had an amazing time at Ruth's family vineyard on Saturday. Her families house is actually right in the middle of the winery. Her family was so welcoming and the family dinner was unreal - with food and drinks overflowing. The food consisted of biscuits (crackers) and dip and smoked salmon and mayo on bread to start, followed by lamb shanks, fresh zuchinni and squash from her Mom's garden, and potatoes for dinner. After dinner we had the most amazing cheese and bread, followed my birthday cake for Ruth's Dad and brother, and last but not least, chocolates. The drinks were never ending as well. Her family has a wine cellar consisting of about 2000-3000 bottles of alcohol. We started out with two bottle of Champagne, followed by 3 different bottles of red wine from the family vineyard (one of the bottles from 1980 - Ruth's birth year), a bottle of port with dessert, and finally a bottle of Cognac from 1976. I couldn't believe the flow of drinks. This is the part of traveling that I love the most -being submersed in the culture, listening to the family tell stories of how they acquired the 250 acres of land almost 30 years ago, the winemaking process, and stories of everyday life in Australia. I couldn't have been more happy and have felt more comfortable - enjoying a nice home cooked family dinner halfway around the world. Her family is some of the nicest people I have ever met. To top it off, I even got to see my first Kangaroos hopping around right in her backyard!
Valentines Day I spent the day at the St. Kilda Festival, which included live bands, tents for shopping, and food vendors from every country imaginable. I must admit hanging out at a festival by myself wasn't the most exciting, especially given it was Valentine's Day; but I did enjoy relaxing by the beach and getting my first sunburn of the trip! The sun actually drained me and I came home and took a 3 hour nap - I'll take the sleep when I can get it, but I think I keep screwing up my sleep schedule.
A few things I realized today:
1) Festivals are not fun alone and I probably should have just visited St. Kilda on a normal day to really experience the town. It was far too overwhelming with the festival going on.
2) Dry Festivals are not that exciting either (you could only drink in designated areas, which were basically the restaurants and bars).
3) There are a lot of Jersey Shore type people here. I heard they were looking for a warmer climate to film in, maybe they will consider Australia...?
4) My backpack is not going to cut for festivals and trips to the beach - it's too darn hot on my back.
5) I really miss my trendy clothes. Solid color pants and shirts everyday are BORING!!!
Ruth came home and we both looked at each other and said we were in dire need of a healthy meal of vegatables. It couldn't have been more perfect that the huge zuchinni I brought her from my wine tour was sitting right in front of us. We ended up making zuchinni soup, which was quite delicious. We sat and chatted while drinking tea, and Ruth gave me some pointers for my trip to the Great Barrier Reef area. I'm a little bummed that it's their rainy season, but hoping things hold out for me to get out to scuba dive. I booked a flight for Wednesday - 2 more days left in Melbourne for me! I'm actually looking forward to moving on to my next destination. I'm ready for some activity and action!
Want to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day from across the globe and a very Happy Birthday to my best friend, George, back home!! Mwa!
Friday, February 12, 2010
The Sipping of Sarah
Yesterday was my first official wine tour through the Mornington Peninsula. There was a group of 9 of us - a couple from New Zealand, a couple from Ireland, and a Mom and her three daughters from Sydney on a Hen Party (Bachelorette party). We visited T'Gallant, Tuck's Ridge, Pier 10 (where we stopped for lunch), and Boxs' Stallion. I liked reading the "quotes of the day" at each vineyard, which were written up on the chalkboards and I learned a ton of new things about the wine making process such as tannins, oak vs. stainless steel barrels, acidity levels, etc. I even tried Pate de Foie Gras (duck liver), which was actually quite tasty. Side Note - I'm sure many of you remember hearing stories that pate was actually banned in Chicago for a few years due to the crude methods used to force feed ducks and geese for this delicacy, but the ban was lifted in April 2008. Anywho, the tour was great fun! I quickly made friends with the girls from Sydney. When we arrived at Pier 10 for lunch, there was a barrel of gigantic organic grown zuchinis to take for free - the biggest things I've ever seen! Tegan, Jessica, and I each quickly adopted one and somehow we ended up craddling them and pretending they were babies (what 20 samplings of wine will do to you when on an empty stomach). When Jessica let her 'baby' roll off the seat in the van, we called her an unfit mother. We were being so silly. The last winery we ended at was Box Stallion, which used to be a horse stable about 10 years ago - the stables were set up that you can sit inside for tastings/lunch. I found it quite cool that many of the names of the horses were still above the stalls and several were from the US. We all passed out on the ride home. The girls asked me to come meet them out for drinks, which I graciously accepted. After going home for a quick nappy, I met the girls out. We ended up at a bar in the Fitzroy area where there was a 14 person band, including trombones, trumpets, accordians, bongos, etc. playing Balkans Music (music of Southeastern Europe). The Balkans is an area which runs from the centre of Bulgaria into eastern Serbia. The music was quite delightful and you all know how much I love to dance. This music was perfect for just bopping around, and feeling the music. It was so great to meet the girls and I have plans to meet up with them when I am in Sydney in a few weeks. Already making mates (friends) around the globe...
I am quickly learning the culture and the Australian language. Obviously English is the first language, but the Australians use different words for different things and annunciate words differently. I'm already to the point where I am stressing my syllables in different places, as it is definitely rubbing off on me. I could sit and listen to Ruth talk all day. It's completely mesmorizing to me.
It's a bit chilly and rainy here today, requiring me to wear a jumper (sweater). This weather can't make up it's mind...One day it's hot and humid, the next day rainy and humid.... Tonight I am off to Ruth's families vineyard. Her mum invited me for dinner. I'm excited to meet her family and do a little more "sipping". Cheers!
I am quickly learning the culture and the Australian language. Obviously English is the first language, but the Australians use different words for different things and annunciate words differently. I'm already to the point where I am stressing my syllables in different places, as it is definitely rubbing off on me. I could sit and listen to Ruth talk all day. It's completely mesmorizing to me.
It's a bit chilly and rainy here today, requiring me to wear a jumper (sweater). This weather can't make up it's mind...One day it's hot and humid, the next day rainy and humid.... Tonight I am off to Ruth's families vineyard. Her mum invited me for dinner. I'm excited to meet her family and do a little more "sipping". Cheers!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
The Settling in of Sarah
Aggh! I made it safe and sound. Leaving on Monday was not easy. I sat in the security line and balled my eyes out. My family dropped me off at the airport and all I was thinking was "The Second Thoughts of Sarah". Am I crazy? What the hell was I thinking when I decided to take this journey. I was extremely nervous and wasn't sure if I had made the best decision. By the time I landed in LA, checked into my flight on V Australia and heard the amazing Australian accents, everything changed. I quickly began embracing my new surroundings. I got so excited and giddy and couldn't wait to get to Melbourne (or Mel-bun, as the Aussies say). I wanted an accent already and hadn't even gotten to Australia. Seeing a bunch of attractive Aussie men didn't hurt the situation either.... :) I could tell immediately who was Australian b/c they all were wearing flip flops. The best was seeing 3 older "Harley" looking dudes. They looked like badasses, mean, tough, in their all black dress attire, beards, tattooed arms. Two things about them just didn't seem to belong. 1) Their accents - an Australian accent just does not come off as "tough". 2) They were all wearing rubber flip flops (or thongs, as the Aussie's call them). I just had to chuckle to myself...
The flight over was great. I watched two movies, chatted with a couple interesting girls next to me and slept a solid 7 hours straight. After about 30 hours of traveling, I was finally in Australia. It was 90 degress and sunny when I stepped out of the airport and the sun was beaming. I could not believe I was here. Ruth picked me up from the airport. She has an amazing aparment (or flat) smack dead in the middle of the city. It couldn't be more perfect. I already feel at home here. She is so kind and generous. We got a quick bite to eat, she gave me some great pointers on the city and I was on my way (tired as hell, but her #1 suggestion was not to go to sleep until nightime). I quickly got a new phone and just began to explore Melbourne -figuring out the lay of the land. Everyone is so nice here. It's a much more diverse and bustling city than I imagined. I feel extremely safe. I am quickly learning Aussie terms and have had to adjust to walking on the left side of the road... In the evening we headed to the Victoria Night market where there are tons of vendors selling all sorts of trinkets and food booths with every type of food you can imagine. And for a Wedneseay night, it was hopping. Ruth introduced me to a few of her friends, Dave, Laura and Sid. Again, they are some of the nicest people I have ever met. Everyone just wants to take care of me. It's such a comforting feeling.
Ruth is such a fantastic and interesting person. She has traveled a ton and her family actually owns a vineyard outside of Melbourne called Hanging Rock, so she is extremely knowledgable on wine. I've learned a ton already. She has a connection who offers wine tours, so tomorrow I will be getting picked up around half past 9 to head out to the Morningtown Peninsula where I will explore the vineyards, hopefully make some new friends, buy a few bottles of wine, and probably get a little tipsy...
As for today... I woke up around 9:30 (slept like a baby last night for the first time in months) and felt like a million bucks. I went for a run through the beautiful Botanic Gardens and stopped for an iced coffee on my way back to the flat. I quickly learned that an iced coffee actually contains ice cream...It was an extremely yummy, refreshing treat, but it pretty much just canceled out the 40 min run I just went on. Oh well! Living and learning... I plan to just mosey about the city today. Melbourne is known for the food and shopping so I plan to visit Collins and Chapel streets. Probabaly not the best idea for me, as we all know how much I love to shop... But maybe I'll just find some great souvenirs. Haha. Yeah right! We shall see...
The flight over was great. I watched two movies, chatted with a couple interesting girls next to me and slept a solid 7 hours straight. After about 30 hours of traveling, I was finally in Australia. It was 90 degress and sunny when I stepped out of the airport and the sun was beaming. I could not believe I was here. Ruth picked me up from the airport. She has an amazing aparment (or flat) smack dead in the middle of the city. It couldn't be more perfect. I already feel at home here. She is so kind and generous. We got a quick bite to eat, she gave me some great pointers on the city and I was on my way (tired as hell, but her #1 suggestion was not to go to sleep until nightime). I quickly got a new phone and just began to explore Melbourne -figuring out the lay of the land. Everyone is so nice here. It's a much more diverse and bustling city than I imagined. I feel extremely safe. I am quickly learning Aussie terms and have had to adjust to walking on the left side of the road... In the evening we headed to the Victoria Night market where there are tons of vendors selling all sorts of trinkets and food booths with every type of food you can imagine. And for a Wedneseay night, it was hopping. Ruth introduced me to a few of her friends, Dave, Laura and Sid. Again, they are some of the nicest people I have ever met. Everyone just wants to take care of me. It's such a comforting feeling.
Ruth is such a fantastic and interesting person. She has traveled a ton and her family actually owns a vineyard outside of Melbourne called Hanging Rock, so she is extremely knowledgable on wine. I've learned a ton already. She has a connection who offers wine tours, so tomorrow I will be getting picked up around half past 9 to head out to the Morningtown Peninsula where I will explore the vineyards, hopefully make some new friends, buy a few bottles of wine, and probably get a little tipsy...
As for today... I woke up around 9:30 (slept like a baby last night for the first time in months) and felt like a million bucks. I went for a run through the beautiful Botanic Gardens and stopped for an iced coffee on my way back to the flat. I quickly learned that an iced coffee actually contains ice cream...It was an extremely yummy, refreshing treat, but it pretty much just canceled out the 40 min run I just went on. Oh well! Living and learning... I plan to just mosey about the city today. Melbourne is known for the food and shopping so I plan to visit Collins and Chapel streets. Probabaly not the best idea for me, as we all know how much I love to shop... But maybe I'll just find some great souvenirs. Haha. Yeah right! We shall see...
The Sayonara of Sarah
This was supposed to go out Monday night before I left, but was having a few technical difficulties with my phone....
This is it! The day is finally here. I'm nervous, sad, relieved, and excited, all at the same time. A lot of people have asked me what I'm looking forward to most. I honestly can't say. It changes every day. I have so many exciting things and adventures to look forward to. I'm so excited to meet new friends along the way and see more things than I ever imagined. Everyone has been so extremely helpful, supportive, understanding, and patient with me. I can't think you all enough! Especially my family. I have basically been a huge neurotic ball of stress this past week trying to wrap everything up before I leave. They have been extremely patient and supportive. Mom, Dad, Kristopher, Ashley, I love you more than you will ever know and thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. You have made this transition so much easier for me. I couldn't have gotten it all done with you!! Will love you and miss you!
First stop. LA. Kidding! But I do have a flight to LAX with a 5 hour layover, and then my flight to Brisbane, Aus. is 18 hours (with a connection to Melbourne). Eeks! I know. But I'm actually looking forward to it. I finally get a chance to relax, watch movies, read, and SLEEP!!! I stayed up all night to try to start to get my body ahead of schedule for the time change and so I can sleep on the plane. I'm flying V Australia (which is an airline of Virgin Blue). I have flown Virgin Blue to London, and it was fantastic (goody bags, great food, own personal TV with remote control to change channels and play video games). I'm hoping V Australia is just the same. I'm scheduled to arrive in Melbourne on Wednesday at 11:30am. Australia is 17 hours ahead, so it will be 6:30pm Tuesday night in Chicago (I think I just did that math right...). I was put in touch with a friend of a friend, who has been so gracious over email. She has invited me to stay with her and show me around. I'm so excited to meet Ruth and see what her city is all about... So until then. So long. Farewell. Bonjour. Adios. Ciao. Hasta La Vista... I hope in 5 months I have learned a few more ways to say goodbye along the way, and even more ways to say hello! XOXO
This is it! The day is finally here. I'm nervous, sad, relieved, and excited, all at the same time. A lot of people have asked me what I'm looking forward to most. I honestly can't say. It changes every day. I have so many exciting things and adventures to look forward to. I'm so excited to meet new friends along the way and see more things than I ever imagined. Everyone has been so extremely helpful, supportive, understanding, and patient with me. I can't think you all enough! Especially my family. I have basically been a huge neurotic ball of stress this past week trying to wrap everything up before I leave. They have been extremely patient and supportive. Mom, Dad, Kristopher, Ashley, I love you more than you will ever know and thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. You have made this transition so much easier for me. I couldn't have gotten it all done with you!! Will love you and miss you!
First stop. LA. Kidding! But I do have a flight to LAX with a 5 hour layover, and then my flight to Brisbane, Aus. is 18 hours (with a connection to Melbourne). Eeks! I know. But I'm actually looking forward to it. I finally get a chance to relax, watch movies, read, and SLEEP!!! I stayed up all night to try to start to get my body ahead of schedule for the time change and so I can sleep on the plane. I'm flying V Australia (which is an airline of Virgin Blue). I have flown Virgin Blue to London, and it was fantastic (goody bags, great food, own personal TV with remote control to change channels and play video games). I'm hoping V Australia is just the same. I'm scheduled to arrive in Melbourne on Wednesday at 11:30am. Australia is 17 hours ahead, so it will be 6:30pm Tuesday night in Chicago (I think I just did that math right...). I was put in touch with a friend of a friend, who has been so gracious over email. She has invited me to stay with her and show me around. I'm so excited to meet Ruth and see what her city is all about... So until then. So long. Farewell. Bonjour. Adios. Ciao. Hasta La Vista... I hope in 5 months I have learned a few more ways to say goodbye along the way, and even more ways to say hello! XOXO
Monday, February 8, 2010
The Spill of Sarah
This is my unveiling. What a lot of you have been asking for. My blog. About me, my travels, and my adventures to come over the next 5 months.
It started in the Summer of 2008. I had just decided to leave my marriage of almost 4 years and my relationship of almost 15 years. I will spare you all the painful details, because this is supposed to be about my new beginnings, but let's just say it was the hardest time of my life and the hardest decision I have ever made. What would it be like to be single in Chicago? I didn't have many single friends, I had never been "alone". I had never dated. Where would I begin??
The inspiration for SOS?
Let me just say that summer was a whirlwind. As soon as I made a few new friends and started experiencing what my "new life" would be like, I decided it was going to be the "Summer of Sarah". All about me. Free. Living it up. Doing things I had never experienced. Going places I had never gone. Meeting tons of new people that I never could have imagined possible. And one day, when I briefly mentioned the Summer of Sarah out loud to my boss, she said something along the lines of "Yeah. It's SOS". It was perfect. It stuck. And boy what a SOS it was. Quickly the Summer of Sarah turned into the Seasons of Sarah, which turned into more of the Story of Sarah (because I wasn't quite ready for it all to end). And I'm still not done. I'm still having the time of my life, happier than I could have ever thought possible. I guess now I can say I'm embarking on the Sojourn of Sarah. Curing my wanderlust. Living my dream.
So I must give a huge shout out to Angela. One of my rocks through all of my pain, one who would make me laugh every day regardless of how I was feeling, an unbelievable mentor and friend, my inspiration for SOS, and of course, how could I forget, my wonderful boss too. ;) Thank you, A. Tay. I miss you every day already!!!
The inspiration to travel?
Who doesn't want to travel??? But for real... I have had an opportunity to start over. A "second chance", so to speak. The two years of my life prior to and during my divorce and the pain I went through changed me. It broke me down to the weakest person I though I could ever be. And boy, was it a learning experience. I realized that you never know what it's like until you've walked a day in someone else's shoes. I learned to forgive, forget, be less judgmental, not gossip. I learned my faults, my weaknesses, my 'issues'. And I came out of it all a better person than I could have ever imagined. So when I started thinking about my life and what I was going to do now that being a wife wasn't my #1 priority, I realized I wasn't happy in my career. I wasn't being challenged, wasn't motivated. I decided I wanted to care about my career, put more effort into it, be more of "career woman". But of course, the economy started taking a turn for the worse. And what did I even want to do? Did I want to stay in the same field? Did I want to move somewhere else? I still don't know the answers to those questions. So why not travel? I love to travel. The economy sucks and I probably wouldn't find a job anyway. I'm single. My family is healthy. Why not?? And to top it all off, one of my favorite couples in the world came back in May from their 6 month journey around the globe and their stories were all it took.
So my second shout out and thank you go to Stu and Marisa. Without them, this trip wouldn't be possible. They were the ones who pushed me to the side of the fence that said "Do it! You will never regret it!" And they have given me more advice and help with my planning that my thank yous could never be enough. And as Stu would say, "The world is your oyster. You can just put that little pearl in the palm of your hand..." And I will do just that! Love you guys!!!
The inspiration for "The S of Sarah"?
I'm sure you are wondering, "What exactly is The S of Sarah"? It can be anything. It can be what I'm feeling at that particular moment I am blogging. It can be something that describes where I am, what I'm up to, what I've been doing, what I'm about to do. And of course it will always have to start with the letter "S" - hence the "Spill" of Sarah... Spilling my heart out like an open book. Giving you a little piece of me. I'm not going to lie. Sometimes the S words may be lame, they may not seem to make sense, it may be difficult to come up with an S word that is fitting for the moment or experience. Try to bare with me. Try to embrace it. Try to laugh with me, not at me. :)
So I must give a big thank you to my BFF, Ann, for brainstorming with me and confirming for me what I knew all along should be the name of this blog. Using her creative brilliance to fine tweak it with me. Ann - you will always be under my Umbrella, ella, ella. Mwa!!
This is it. Everything I wanted to "Spill". A little long, probably. But if anyone knows me, I'm a talker... I just hope that I can inspire at least one person to be strong, realize that time does heal all wounds, and that it's ok to take risks, no matter what anyone else says. Be positive. Try to always look on the bright side. Live your dreams. And like Rihanna would say in one of my favorite songs of all times "Just live your life".
It started in the Summer of 2008. I had just decided to leave my marriage of almost 4 years and my relationship of almost 15 years. I will spare you all the painful details, because this is supposed to be about my new beginnings, but let's just say it was the hardest time of my life and the hardest decision I have ever made. What would it be like to be single in Chicago? I didn't have many single friends, I had never been "alone". I had never dated. Where would I begin??
The inspiration for SOS?
Let me just say that summer was a whirlwind. As soon as I made a few new friends and started experiencing what my "new life" would be like, I decided it was going to be the "Summer of Sarah". All about me. Free. Living it up. Doing things I had never experienced. Going places I had never gone. Meeting tons of new people that I never could have imagined possible. And one day, when I briefly mentioned the Summer of Sarah out loud to my boss, she said something along the lines of "Yeah. It's SOS". It was perfect. It stuck. And boy what a SOS it was. Quickly the Summer of Sarah turned into the Seasons of Sarah, which turned into more of the Story of Sarah (because I wasn't quite ready for it all to end). And I'm still not done. I'm still having the time of my life, happier than I could have ever thought possible. I guess now I can say I'm embarking on the Sojourn of Sarah. Curing my wanderlust. Living my dream.
So I must give a huge shout out to Angela. One of my rocks through all of my pain, one who would make me laugh every day regardless of how I was feeling, an unbelievable mentor and friend, my inspiration for SOS, and of course, how could I forget, my wonderful boss too. ;) Thank you, A. Tay. I miss you every day already!!!
The inspiration to travel?
Who doesn't want to travel??? But for real... I have had an opportunity to start over. A "second chance", so to speak. The two years of my life prior to and during my divorce and the pain I went through changed me. It broke me down to the weakest person I though I could ever be. And boy, was it a learning experience. I realized that you never know what it's like until you've walked a day in someone else's shoes. I learned to forgive, forget, be less judgmental, not gossip. I learned my faults, my weaknesses, my 'issues'. And I came out of it all a better person than I could have ever imagined. So when I started thinking about my life and what I was going to do now that being a wife wasn't my #1 priority, I realized I wasn't happy in my career. I wasn't being challenged, wasn't motivated. I decided I wanted to care about my career, put more effort into it, be more of "career woman". But of course, the economy started taking a turn for the worse. And what did I even want to do? Did I want to stay in the same field? Did I want to move somewhere else? I still don't know the answers to those questions. So why not travel? I love to travel. The economy sucks and I probably wouldn't find a job anyway. I'm single. My family is healthy. Why not?? And to top it all off, one of my favorite couples in the world came back in May from their 6 month journey around the globe and their stories were all it took.
So my second shout out and thank you go to Stu and Marisa. Without them, this trip wouldn't be possible. They were the ones who pushed me to the side of the fence that said "Do it! You will never regret it!" And they have given me more advice and help with my planning that my thank yous could never be enough. And as Stu would say, "The world is your oyster. You can just put that little pearl in the palm of your hand..." And I will do just that! Love you guys!!!
The inspiration for "The S of Sarah"?
I'm sure you are wondering, "What exactly is The S of Sarah"? It can be anything. It can be what I'm feeling at that particular moment I am blogging. It can be something that describes where I am, what I'm up to, what I've been doing, what I'm about to do. And of course it will always have to start with the letter "S" - hence the "Spill" of Sarah... Spilling my heart out like an open book. Giving you a little piece of me. I'm not going to lie. Sometimes the S words may be lame, they may not seem to make sense, it may be difficult to come up with an S word that is fitting for the moment or experience. Try to bare with me. Try to embrace it. Try to laugh with me, not at me. :)
So I must give a big thank you to my BFF, Ann, for brainstorming with me and confirming for me what I knew all along should be the name of this blog. Using her creative brilliance to fine tweak it with me. Ann - you will always be under my Umbrella, ella, ella. Mwa!!
This is it. Everything I wanted to "Spill". A little long, probably. But if anyone knows me, I'm a talker... I just hope that I can inspire at least one person to be strong, realize that time does heal all wounds, and that it's ok to take risks, no matter what anyone else says. Be positive. Try to always look on the bright side. Live your dreams. And like Rihanna would say in one of my favorite songs of all times "Just live your life".
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