No dancing at the metro station.

One thing I always loved when visiting D.C. was the adrenaline rush I got from riding the metro train.  Basically like a subway, but you're not always underground.  There was something I loved about it in all it's unglamorous glory.  Not only did I enjoy taking the metro, I was excellent at navigating my way from all the different stations and the different lines.  When I was in D.C. this past April with fellow classmates for a communications convention, I was the tour guide.

After introducing them all to the craziness of the metro and paying our respects at Arlington National Cemetery, we were heading back to the city to check out some of the Smithsonian museums.  While waiting in the station, I walked up closer to the track by the floor lights.  Now I've never been diagnosed with ADD, but I often believe I have it.  I was distracted and highly amused with those flashy floor lights, that I felt the need to tap my right foot, then my left foot on top of it in a dancer fashion then strut my way back to my classmates.

Little did I know a security worker of some sort from the Pentagon happen to catch a good look at my 4 second routine.  I saw the man as I walked back, but he didn't appear to be a security worker, plus he was carrying a few grocery looking bags which I thought he was losing grip of.  Oh no he didn't--but oh yes he did.  Marching towards me such urgency and a clear mission in mind: "Now there is no dancing or playing around, especially that close to the tracks.  You understand that I could arrest you for this.  I have more serious criminals to worry about, do you think I really want to waste my time and yours on something silly as this."  Horrifically embarrassed, myself and my classmates were stunned in disbelief that this man made such a big deal.  Sir, I understand your concern for the safety of the public as well as the safety of our government figures, but do I look like I'm 12? or that I'm suicidal?  No sir, I think not.  It was highly uncalled for.

After about 5 minutes, all we could do was laugh and talk about that incident until our train had pulled into the station.  Lesson learned kids, don't get ADD and try to dance in the metro station.  Security folk are lurking and will swoop in for the attack.

The 60's Live On

As I was boarding my flight from Auckland, New Zealand to Brisbane, Australia I day dreamed about that great experiences that were awaiting me.  Seeing the red dirt of the outback, taking post-card photos of the Sydney Opera House, and most importantly listening to those charming Australian accents.  Now I knew there would be things I would come across that I would not expect, but this one was really off the charts.  The village of Nimbin is tucked away off numerous side roads in the mountains of New South Wales, about an hour drive from the university I was at in the Gold Coast, Queensland.

About 7 of us hopped into a van, and after two hours of being totally lost, found this magical village known as Nimbin.  As we pulled up to the village, I had to blink twice.  It was unlike anything I had ever seen, something you would see in a movie or hallucinate when you are high (which is probably how it was developed).  Nimbin was a true hippie village, creating everything from all natural hemp, and hosting rallies each day at 4:20 p.m.  The rallies were hosted by locals who either sang or spoke in the support of legalizing marijuana.  The locals who hung out there and work their were as friendly as they come, I'm sure for reasons than other being a welcoming Australian.  You could roll your own fatty in some of the cafes, enjoy a hemp cookie or some hookah.  Either way it was a place to escape the bustling cities on the coast and really just chill.  A couple of us tried the cookies while we were there--absolutely delicious!  Resulting in absolute happiness later.

Nimbin also had their own special museum dedicated to that special green plant.  The museum had replicas of old VW buses as well as protest signs for legalization of marijuana.  One room is dedicated to wars Australians have been brought into as allies, promoting nothing but peace.  It was just astounding to me to see such a museum exist in such a town.  If not for my pictures I took I would have thought I was dreaming it all up or just on some crazy high.

This is something I can truly never forget, even if I tried.  So as I close with this wild adventure I experienced, I leave you all with some pictures.  Nimbin made me love Australia even more.

Flying Solo

The first time I flew on a plane on my own was an experience all on it's own.  Of course I have been on other flights here and there with my parents or some friends, but never alone.  This was the summer of firsts for me, I was doing my first big trip and all on my own--I was heading to Australia.  The trip itself was a leap of faith; about 6 weeks in a country with no one I knew, as you could imagine my parents were thrilled! (yes that was very sarcastic--my parents were beyond worried.)  Flying across the country and the international dateline was more of a manic adventure than I would have ever imagined.

On June 4th, 2009 I showed up to the Pittsburgh International Airport with my monstrous suitcase and a backpack carry-on.  It was a fiasco as soon as I showed up!  I flew all red-eye flights, my first flight wasn't until 6:30 p.m., but the airport was crazy, as usual.  Internationally I would be flying Air New Zealand, but domestically I had no clue!  In a small panic, I was frightened I would miss my flight, my online booking did not clearly show I would be flying American Airlines.  After a moment of panic, a polite attendant helped me out.  After checking in and hanging by the gate, I was finally boarding the longest flight I had ever been on: 5 hours to the LAX.  Yes, my flight to LA was the longest flight I had ever taken, until I had to swap planes and head across the Pacific.  While on my flight to LA, a mother was trying very hardly to set her 15 year old son up with.  Wisely, I turned my iPod on and pretended to sleep.  Upon landing our captain had informed us we were running a little behind, checking the time on my phone I realized I only had 45 minutes to find my way out of one terminal, search for the next one, and hopefully find my gate.

I grabbed my backpack, and ran out of the terminal.  Being in the sleepy state I was, I paid no attention to what terminal I had left and only knew I had to be in terminal 1.  Standing on the street outside of LAX, another kind attendant saw my distressed look and asked if she could help.  After feeling slightly stupid, she kindly showed that I had just left terminal 2, and terminal 1 was only a few feet away.  I bought some food right outside my gate to save for the plane, called my parents, and within minutes I was boarding my 12 hour flight to Auckland, NZ.  As I found my seat, I found myself lucky to be sandwiched between two Aussies!  I only remember Simon from Perth, OZ because he was rather nice looking and very friendly.  Him and I had struck up a conversation for some time, until I felt the Eastern time zone catch up to my body.  Sleeping for endless hours, skipping dinner, and forgetting about my food in my backpack--I woke up feeling slightly light headed.  I rushed to the bathroom to splash water on my face, but it was too late.  As soon as I locked the bathroom door I had a momentary blackout, scary as all hell when you're flying above the Pacific Ocean.  I woke up in a panic, thinking my feet were dragging on the runway--oh yeah very trippy black out.  I splashed water on my face, sat back down and ate a granola bar, then slept until breakfast.  I scarfed down the flight meal that was distributed, and felt so much better.

Upon landing in Auckland, I found it was a new day, and also found that I totally skipped June 5, 2009.  That's correct--I never lived on June 5th, 2009--how's that for a fun fact?  Auckland's airport was very small, so I managed to work my way through it very quickly.  After an hour of waiting, I was finally boarding my flight to Australia!  This flight was only 3 hours, so very short compared to what I had gone through.  I was so excited I could not even think of sleeping.  Once I landed in Australia was where the fun began.  I walked around the Brisbane airport jet lagged and confused for a good 20 minutes until I found the exchange station so I could get some Australian cash.  Another 20 minutes later, I found the train that would take me to Robina which was about 45 minutes away.  After arriving in Robina I flagged down a taxi to take be to Bond University, where I would be staying for 2 weeks of my visit.  I was amazed by everything I saw, Australia was so beautiful, sunny, and clean.  Once I was dropped off, I attempted to tip the driver--who kindly reminded me they don't take tips in Australia.

Once at the university, I was confused as to where I had to be, but found my way shortly.  I snuggled into my dorm room, and passed out.  Only 4:00 p.m. in Australia on June 6th, but 2:00 a.m. in my hometown on June 5th.  20 hours of traveling had never been more eventful.

Toppin' it off in the "Top End" -Manic Monday

Australia--the land down under--and the land of many wonders.  The land of kangaroos, wallabies, and the thorny devil.  The land of beaches, bars...and army crawling through city landscape?!  This is where one of my crazy and manic stories come from, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia--this region also commonly referred to as the "Top End."  It is referred to the "Top End," mostly because this area is not ideal for living in.  Dry and tropic, no great vegetation, and some beastly critters around.  Read some more about this crazy place in a chapter from Australia for Dummies, which I so intelligently researched via google!

photo: wikipedia.org

The highlighted area is the Northern Territory, what is highlighted in red is considered the Top End.  Darwin is all the way at the very top! 

As for my manic story, it comes along in the latter half of the trip, about 10 days left in this beautiful country.  Being the crazy college students we are, of course we made sure to hit up every party scene in every place we went.  Darwin, even though rather small, had a very typical tourist area full of shops, restaurants, and bars.  Our final night it Darwin, 6 of us girls decided to hit up the bar scene one last time.  Not only would we find fine looking Australia men, but this was a big area for the Australian military--a man with and accent AND in uniform?!  Oh yes, we loved the sound of that.  Not everyone in the group felt the urge to stay up until 3 a.m., like myself and my friend Blair (that's another manic story itself).  Our group withered away person by person--and yes it is okay for a girl to walk home or take a taxi by herself, Australia is really safe (I'm sure some areas would be questionable, but we were in safer areas).  The next morning our friend Lauren had quite the story for us while we were heading to the airport preparing to go back to Brisbane.

On her walk home, an area halfway between the bars and our hostile had been barricaded by police due to a water leak flooding the streets.  Some girls told Lauren to follow them--up a block, over a fence, and crawl through some bushes--the "only" detour around the water leak.  In her intoxicated state, she believed the girls, even though she was slightly skeptic.  The 3 of them made it all the way to the bush crawl, army style, when they heard the police--"Oh shit!  We're out," chimed the two navigators, Lauren was stuck by herself.  She popped up from the bush behind the Holiday Inn, tangled in branches and soiled in dirt, while the cop had a puzzled look on his face.  "Excuse me Miss, what are you doing? Can I help you?"  Lauren replies with sobs, "I...just...want...to go...back.... to my...hotel!"  The cop spoke in a comforting tone while giving her directions back to the hostile, Lauren face began to get red and well-up with tears.  The cop realized she was completely lost, and offered her a ride in the cop car back to the hostile.  Lauren was the only one on this trip to be escorted in a police car, thankfully for no law breaking reasons.

We were dying of laughter, attempting not to pee our pants.  Lauren is a very sweet girl with a sense of style, and enjoyed getting dolled up for a night out.  It was very comical that out of everyone in our group, Lauren would have been the one to crawl through a bush at a Holiday Inn, then getting taken home by a cop--an Australian cop none the less!  I guess Lauren met the dream man after all, and Australian man in uniform.

July 2009

Before we headed out for our final night in Darwin

Bethany, myself, Susanna, Kim, Lauren, & Blair