too much fun!

In many ways I'm having too much fun here in Sydney. Let's count:

1. While I may be making money, I also spend it on food, drinks, clothes, rent, holidays, etc.

2. Those drinks I mentioned usually happen post-work and go into the wee hours of the morning.

3. During the day (pre-work) I hang around the house and play online (watching Glee... haha) OR run exciting errands like going to a bookstore and buying a book to help me and my flatmate Dave learn French which may sound non-exciting to some but genuinely makes me so wiggly-happy that I might pee my pants.

4. Let's be honest, I haven't paid for a drink in over a week now and this has never happened in my LIFE. Guys around here are very generous... but that makes me nervous that they expect something? heh, I hope not, for they will be disappointed.

5. Food here is GOOD. I've taken a few pages from my European flatmates' books and showed them some things, but none of that compares to the excellent Thai food that is everywhere. I'm so obsessed that I made Clark and Sam go get this curry with me for lunch yesterday that I had been craving for days. Supposedly there is a good Mexican food restaurant near here, but they only serve for dinner and we know where I usually am at that time...

6. After eating this delicious food, I usually follow it up with some sort of chocolate. Tim Tam's are a fantastic choice... the dark chocolate ones are my favorite.

7. The weather here has started to get warmer and even though it has been raining this week, I can feel that summer is on its way and I can not wait! Days off from now on = beach. Done.

8. My mom will come to visit in less than 3 weeks (yay!!) and Ab and Dg will be here in 2 months! Anyone else want to join the party? ;)

9. I've gotten some good emails/time with friends lately and it feels good. I just need to have those connections I guess... even if they come in the form of semi-sexual jokes made with a co-worker all night long, every time we work together. It's good fun.

10. I've been expanding my plans to include more traveling... I'll keep you posted on what I decide to do. Traveling is like a drug... I just keep craving more!

Love you all!

dunno mate...

This week has been a pretty solid good week so far, but tonight I was getting a bit lonely. In actuality I'm far from alone or lonely really, but there is some sort of funk going on in my head tonight. Lots of people from work have left that I really liked and that's bumming me out, plus it doesn't help that the new people are quite slow. Allie left for holiday yesterday so even she isn't at work with me right now. But then when I think about it, I've had a really good week! I went for a walk from Bondi to Coogee with Clark and Sam the other day and that was great. It has been absolutely gorgeous outside lately (with the exception of cloudy today) and that always puts me in a good mood. I got to update everything on facebook and here and that made me feel accomplished (that's sad, really). I've also enjoyed a lot of time hanging out with the flatmates at various times this week and I really appreciate the time I get with them since most of our schedules don't match up well. Even at work tonight things were pretty good. I got the best compliment I've received in a while from some guys (30's or so) that were sitting outside. I opened a bottle of sparkling wine for a couple and literally ended up showering in it. It sprayed all in my face and got in my eyes and everything and all I could do was laugh. It got on the woman as well, but we both couldn't believe it happened, so we just laughed! It dried fairly quickly and they were cool about it so it was nbd. I must just be letting weird things get to me... I think I've been trying to make plans for what to do next and I need to just chill and live in the moment right now. I'm going to go to a yoga class tomorrow (hopefully... if I can find the place!) and I think doing something physical like that will help. I think I'll also go to a bookstore... that always makes me feel good (and like I want to buy everything). I miss you guys and need to hear what's going on in your lives! Send me an email or letter or something. :) All my love! <3

pictures are worth more than i can say...

So, I just spent a couple of hours loading pictures to my computer and then facebook (dude, you have to check them out!) and I'm sick of sitting here on my computer so this will be shortish. Sorry about that.

Now, where to begin?! Tasmania was fabulous! It was a bit chilly (um, especially at night) but beyond gorgeous. I met Manon in Hobart Wednesday night after spending the day traveling and exploring Melbourne. Luckily she got to town before I did and booked us a place to stay for the night! We both hadn't eaten so we grabbed a pizza and had leftovers for breakfast the next morning because Manon had never had cold pizza for breakfast... crazy, I know. She liked it. :) The next morning we rented a car that we named Chunky. She's adorable, but a manual and to be driven on the LEFT side of the road... obviously it was interesting. I was supposed to do most of the driving for insurance purposes because Manon isn't 21 yet, but I'm so glad we split the driving in half anyway.

We headed up the east coast of Tassie and stopped for the night in St. Helen's after seeing the Bay of Fires (those really red rocks by the white sand beaches). Our hostel was tiny, but luckily we weren't the only ones there. A few Germans joined us and we all made dinner and watched Juno together. It's amazing to me how American movies are everywhere! We left the next day and headed to Freycinet National Park and walked around (for five hours). We saw the most beautiful views and kangaroos! The walk to Wineglass Bay lookout, then to Wineglass Bay, across the isthmus, down Hazards Beach, and back up to the car park took a very long time, but we enjoyed each other's company and the beautiful nature. :) Once we finished there we stayed the night at a very clean YHA that had a nice cozy wood-burning fireplace thing. It was very nice because there aren't any central heating systems in Tasmania that we saw. I really don't get how people can live with their homes being so cold all the time! I suppose they just get used to it... I was for sure not built for cold climates.

The next day we drove around, picked some strawberries at a fruit farm, and saw more breathtaking views. We made it all the way down to the Tasman Peninsula and saw all of the major things to see there including Port Arthur. It was random because we also ran into the Germans there! We never thought we'd see them again, but the world is proving to be an increasingly small place. We stayed that night at a tiny hostel that only had 4 beds and the water supply was only rainwater that had collected. It was a trip. The couple that owned the place told us about this quiz night that they were having, so we went. We were like 30 minutes late (oops) but we joined teams and had fun. Manon's team actually won! The prize- chocolate! After it was over we mingled and the quiz master invited us to stay at his house with him and his wife when we went to Hobart. It was a very nice offer so we said of course we'll stay! The next day we toured Port Arthur and then drove more (continuing south down the island) to our next destination. Once we found the hostel, the sign said "no vacancies" and we momentarily freaked out. Then we remembered Lum's offer (the quiz master) and since we weren't that far from Hobart, we headed that way! ***** Note: this entire time neither one of us had mobile service because Tasmania only has Telstra, NOT Vodafone. We did, however, get service while we were in Hobart so we drove that direction with only the hope that once we got service and called, we could stay at their house. Our risk paid off and they graciously hosted us for two nights! They cooked us dinner and we had pleasant conversation all evening. Maureen even gave us hot water bottles for our bed which was AMAZING! The next day (after they made us breakfast! so nice!) we went to Bruny Island and drove around and took in some more views. This island has mostly gravely dirt roads so our little Chunky didn't fare so well and it was a bit more stressful than we had expected. The ferry ride was really fun though. We got back to their house and went with Maureen to her choir practice which was so fun. Then they cooked us dinner again (steaks! wow!!) and we went to quiz night with them at a bar. Our team won!! It was really fun, but I wish I knew more of the answers. The prize this time was money! Lum gave us our share ($10 each) and it paid for lunch the next day. We returned our Chunky the next morning and walked around the city with our hosts all day. We had fish and chips down by the water and it was quite good. They drove us to the airport that evening and were SO nice. I can't get over how great it was to be at their house. It was as cozy as being at a friend's parent's house or something even though they were strangers.

Our flight was 2 hours late out of Hobart (blah) but we finally made it to Melbourne where we stayed up all night and met some friends at the casino before catching our early flight back to Sydney. Once we got home we slept for a while and then I had work! I was kinda tired, but it was great to be back. Now my life is back into a semi-schedule. The only new thing is that I worked behind the bar Friday and Saturday night! It was great! but now I don't have any bar shifts this week so that's interesting... whatev. I still like my job. We said goodbye to a few people who are traveling on and they will be missed. :( It makes me really sad actually because I really liked them. I guess I'll have to get used to saying "see you later" to all my new friends. It's not goodbye. :)

i. love. my. job.

Get this, Friday I worked a double, Saturday I worked a double, Sunday I worked a double, and today I worked the lunch shift. This evening was my first chance to sit around and be lazy and can I tell you I enjoyed it! My legs are tired and I swear my wrist could hold up an elephant by now after carrying all those trays! But seriously, I love my job! I have so much fun at work (most of the time) that I honestly don't mind the double shifts. The people are great, like I mentioned before, and I'm getting to the point where I'm pretty good at what I do. I haven't spilled a drink in over a week now! haha, hilarious that that is an achievement. Today I was even a cocktail waitress in the bar area and possibly might start training behind the bar soon? We'll see about that, but if I do that'd be so fun. My work mate/ flat mate/ IEP mate/ good mate Allie starts behind the bar this week and I am so excited for her. But she worked at a bar back home and actually knows what she is doing, while I know absolutely nothing about making drinks. It would be totally awesome to work WITH her behind the bar, but right now that is only a dream. :) Who knows, it may happen... and we'd get SOOO many tips! haha

So, tomorrow I have to get organized (you've got to get organized, you've got to get organized... if you know what that is from you're awesome) for my trip! Wednesday morning I am flying to Melbourne then on to Hobart, Tasmania! Manon left this morning with her boss and I am meeting her there for a week of fun roomie-bonding traveling! I am so excited, but I've been gone so much lately that I have no idea what the plans are. I'm totally winging this trip and it's super exciting for me. I will miss work, especially since so many of the cool people are leaving soon :(, but no worries! I just hope it doesn't rain all week and that I can fit a week's worth of needed stuff into my backpack... this will be interesting.

Love and miss you all! Hope things are great back in the states. :)