Road Trip!

The road trip is over and I am oddly relieved. I would kill for a queen sized bed, a clean shower, and a hearty American breakfast right about now. Thankfully I can make all three of those things happen in about two hours when I get off of this plane. The trip itself was amazing but traveling from hostel to hostel with little to no money gets old after a while.  The following is a brief post about the first half of the road trip and all the good and bad that came with it.

I had this thought countless times during my trip

Day 1:

I woke up on day one with Sasha at the foot of my bed, waiting for me to get up. We had to go pick up the car at noon and meet the other girls in Hervey Bay because of some complications with Ashley’s flight back from Thailand.  On the way to Hervey Bay we stopped in Noosa and had an amazingly delicious pizza but no pizza will ever compare with eating a slice of Slices Pizza. We walked along the beach, hung out with some lizards, and got some coffee to assist me on the drive. I was so out of it that I asked the coffee barista if I could have mushrooms with my coffee instead of marshmallows. His facial expression was priceless. By the time we reached the hostel in Hervey Bay it was practically dark and I was really tired.  We met a few Germans and decided to go together to grab a few things from Coles, the local supermarket, for dinner and breakfast. Afterwards I tried to stay up and converse with our new friends but I could barely form sentences. I eventually just gave up and went to bed.

Day 2:

Since we had to wait for Ash and Theresa’s bus to get in to the bus station Sasha and I spent he day catching some rays and eating coconuts at the beach.

Sasha :)

We hung out with the Germans for pretty much the entire day as well. I learned how to say butterfly in German, which is super random and pretty cool, but I have no idea how to spell it. It sounds something like this: Schmit-a-ling. We picked up the girls from the bus terminal at 8 pm and made the 5 hour drive to Rockhampton…barely. I was soooooo tired when we got there because I drove the entire way so I just went to bed again (I thought I’d be doing a whole lot more drinking on this road trip!).

Day 3/4:

Rockhampton is pretty but just a farm town. There are cows everywhere, it has a very small population, and there is pretty much nothing to do. We decided to get out early so we could have more time at Airlie Beach and in Mackay but not before I got in a good cuddle with the local Labrador J. On the way to Airlie Beach we made a stop in Mackay for lunch because I heard it was supposed to be really nice. WRONG. Basically everything was closed except one restaurant called Outback Jacks. Cliché, I know. I ate a parts of a disgusting piece of pizza and gave in to a batch of fries instead. I gave up on eating healthy for this vacation. It is honestly just too hard/time consuming to make healthy meals three times a day. Especially while traveling and staying in hostels.

Driving and more driving

On the way from Makay to Airlie Beach I started to feel a little off but I still tried to hang with everyone including our new hostel buddies. Then I suddenly felt a lot off and before I knew it I was hugging the toilet. Stupid Outback Jacks gave me food poisoning!!! So there I was in the one place that I really wanted to go explore on the road trip, wasting my first night and only full day there puking. The poor guys that we had to share the room with had to listen to me puke all night long. Thankfully they were super nice, and from Tennessee and Seattle, so we bonded in between toilet sessions.  Oh, also someone stole Ashley’s Iphone so she was pretty pissed off for the entire next day. Sasha and Ashley also broke their waterproof cameras in 3 inches of water today too. The whole trip has been bad for our electronics.

Day 5:

Instead of getting on the road early we decided to stay a while in Airlie Beach because I didn’t get to see anything the previous day due to becoming good pals with Timmy the Toilet.  We booked a ridiculously overpriced half day cruise to the beautiful Whitehaven beach. We then got on the rickety old tin boat, which I’m pretty sure was not meant for carrying actual people, around 8am and got to the island about an hour later.

Whitehaven was beautiful!!!! The sand felt and looked like flour and even made a strange noise when you ran on it or dragged your feet when you walked. Almost like a squeaky noise. The water was so warm and there was a small reef we could easily swim to and snorkel.  Ashley was still mad about her phone and camera so she spent the day pouting on the beach instead of enjoying the sunny weather and sweet hike that the rest of us went on.   Sasha and I decided to go for a swim and a hike for a change of scenery and Theresa decided to tag along as well. We discovered this amazing lookout point and gosh was it gorgeous.  Oh and along the way we met this guy…………  At about one we went for one last swim in the ocean then piled back on to the boat and went back to Airlie beach.

Top of lookout point at Whitehaven

This was my one and only day in Airlie beach where I wasn’t puking so I was trying my best to enjoy my time there and not let others bring me down. I watched Theresa get shot down like a million times every time she tried to cheer Ashley up so I decided it was best just to keep my mouth shut about the whole thing. 

Around 4 pm we left for Townsville. The hostel in Townsville was pretty sweet and the staff was really nice. It felt more like we were in some ones home than in a cheap motel which was nice, but a little unsettling. It was strange using anything there because it felt like it belonged to someone and I should ask for permission to use it, which of course was not necessary. We did nothing here but sleep because we had to get up really early to ensure we got the car back to the company on time.

Day 6:

On the drive to Cairns we nearly hit a pair of adorable dogs who were walking in the middle of the highway. Everyone was just driving around them and only one man was kind enough to stop but couldn’t get the dogs to come to him. J We went down the closest road and stopped at a house who happened to house a veterinarian. She took the dogs and said she would see if they had a microchips. After a sad goodbye we were on the road again.

Even though I would be late returning the car, I decided to stop the car in the middle of the road, open my door, and call them. They came running to me and jumped right in to my lap. Seeing as how it was raining and we were in the middle of now where yet again, the dogs (and now me) were covered in mud. I didn’t mind one bit! I love love love dogs and I miss mine so these guys were welcome under any conditions

1pm:

We finally arrived in Cairns (an hour late)! The girl at the car rental desk was really nice and gave us the extra hour for free which was awesome. Then we stumbled our way around Cairns trying to find our hostel. Once we managed to reach it I was finally relieved. Since Cairns was the last stop on the trip we would have to drive any more. Also, my dive course started the next day so I was super excited to get that ball rolling.

To be continued......

Great Barrier Reef!

Class of Things Just Got Real.

It is insane to think about how I will be graduating from college in just 2 1/2 short months. School has been the only consistent thing in my entire life. I have so much left to figure out before I am thrown in the the real world. Where do I want to live? Where can I stay in the mean time? How am I going to pay the bills if I get an unpaid internship? Do I really want to have a nine-to-five desk job? There are so many questions that I am constantly asking myself with far too little answers.

Since apparently my own stress and pressure is not bad enough, I have to hear it from everyone I know. They are all asking me what I want to do when I finish school, each throwing their grand ideas at me. Sadly, I am not one of those people who found something I loved right off of the bat. In fact, I find it hard to pay attention to anything long enough to make the decision to do that one thing for the rest of my life. Why should I have to choose one thing? What if I'd like to be a writer, but work as a waitress until I publish? Maybe I could work as a profiler for the CIA, which would be absolutely fascinating, but would I have to give up my family? Anything where I am helping people seems to satisfy me, but where do I begin to look for a job that actually supports others while making sure I can support myself as well? Then I think, well is this good enough?? I must do better than this because I'm sure this is not what my family had in mind.

"Please stop asking me who I am and what I am going to do with my degree/life. Don't you think I am worried enough about finding that answer??"

Not only am I having a hard time with all of these questions floating around in my head but I am struggling with pull of my youth, and the demand to become a functioning, independent, adult. I still want to learn how to dance, and to be a better singer. I want to climbs mountains (literally) and become really fit and good at boxing. I want to dance in the rain barefoot without being looked at like I am crazy. I want to watch disney movies whenever I please and hang out with my best friend at the park while we laugh and drink from our not so conspicuous flask. Then there is this strange guilt that pours over me at times. I am 22, nearly 23. Not such a kid anymore. I should know exactly what I am doing with my life. I should move to a new city, live in my own house, pay my bills, know who my local physician is, and drink coffee in the morning before my crappy desk job. I should fall in love, or at least serious like and settle down with a man who I will one day have kids with. I should plan for retirement and save money for my kids college funds. I should become a lover of classical music and sip on red wine at dinner.

My issue is that person is not me. I prefer beer to wine, I love rock music, I don't have a normal doctor, I do not want to work at a desk, and I am no where near being able to pay for a roommateless house in a city. 

I might want to be that person one day ( well maybe not exactly) but for now, I choose a slightly less traditional path and although I am not entirely sure what that path is, I know what is is not. And that my friends, is a start. So here I am 2 1/2 months away from graduating, not knowing that answers to any of these questions, once again struggling with the pressure I put on myself to figure it out. Tomorrow is another day I will spend trying to answer these questions and more but for now, I am going to crack open a coconut, lay on a beach and catch some rays.

Birthdays With the English Boys

Hi boys.

I'm sure one of you have discovered this post and is now sharing it with the rest of you lot. I apologize ahead of time :)

 James on left and Ty on right

For the rest of my readers, enjoy!

Round One: Ty's Birthday

Ben and I

     Two birthdays in one week is a little much for me to handle but leave it to these guys to take drinking every night in stride. Let us start with Sunday after noon, Tylers birthday. The original idea was to meet in the park and hang out, then we would all go to the store, grab some alcohol and I would go home and change before going out that night because I was still wearing my normal jean shorts and a Ramones t-shirt. I didn't end up going home before we went out that night. Big mistake. They spent the whole rest of the night antagonizing and tying to get a rise out of me by telling me I looked, well, lets just say underdressed. These relentless assholes would make small remarks about anything they could thing of just to get at me. I'm not sure why I like these pricks so much. Thankfully I have tough skin and an older brother so it didn't bother me much. Anyways, it was all fun and games as it always is with these guys.

     For Ty's birthday we were supposed to go out to the topless bar but as we arrived, it was shut. When we told Ty he looked a little bit like someone had smashed his child hood dream of becoming a firefighter   (not that that was actually his childhood dream or anything). I was also disappointed because I couldn't wait to see the guys faces when they walked in to the place. Jaws would drop, James would make inappropriate gestures and John was sure to make a few of those poor girls uncomfortable. Some one was bound to drink too much and make a pass at one of the girls (my money was on Jamie) only to get kicked out. That would leave the rest of us scrambling to finish our drinks and go to the next bar.

We slowly meandered down to a bar that we had passed almost every night in the way to the bottle

Me, John, Jamie

Jamies normal face

       
shop. There was a sign sitting out side that said Pizza and a Schooner $9.99. It was a backpackers dream deal. They were instantly sold on the place. The more beer consumed the louder we got. These boys sure do like to sing. They sing when someone says something stupid, when someone needs to prove that they are manly by "skulling" or what we call chugging, their newly refilled beers, and basically they sing when ever someone is being a cunt. Which is quite often. Sadly I don't have any footage of this nights festivities but I do have some footage of a few nights before.

 

     The singing continued as we walked to the next place which was so far away it made me thankful I wasn't wearing stupid heels but my converse that the boys kept teasing me about. We arrived, and drank more, and more. I ran out of my daily spending limit I gave myself but James was nice enough to buy me a drink (thanks buddy!). I watched as the guys tried and tried to get a girl to go home with them. Eventually I just got tired, and sobered up and decided it was time to go home.

     I didn't get out of bed until 4pm the next day.

Round Two: James Birthday

From left to right: Jovi, Ben, Jamie, and James

     On my way to the city while sitting on the train I was thinking to myself, "Seriously why do I not have any girls to hang out with in the city. A topless bar? Really? Again?" But like I said before, in all honesty though I was kind of excited to see the guys reactions. Also, since it was James birthday I didn't have much choice in the matter. This time I didn't make the mistake of wearing jean shorts and a t-shirt, I imagine I looked better wearing the tight black skirt, white shirt and accessories I had chosen. I even threw on some slightly heeled ankle boots. You fancy huh.


     We eventually arrived the the topless bar. It was open! The mood quickly went from excitement and joy, to disappointment and dismay. In the entire bar was poorly lit in red, and there was only one girl. One girl with mediocre boobs and a decent ass. She had a pretty face and seemed nice and all, but you could tell the guys were expecting more. I mean shit, I was expecting more, no offense. The peak moment in that place was when I got to watch the boys drool over the girl as she did a table dance at another mans table.

     Jamie and Jovi had the biggest smiles on their faces. They looked like children who had just been told that they won a parent-free trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida.  Ben was probably the most entertaining because he almost looked like he was ashamed to be enjoying watching her. He would look away and then glance over at her. Occasionally he would look around the table at everyone to see if anyone was watching. Sucks for him, but I was. James and Ty had the reaction that most men probably have. They couldn't take their eyes off. James made funny faces and excited noises at the end of the table, nodding with approval. Ty covered his oh-so-obvious half hard penis and tried to look like he was totally okay with the whole thing. He was going for the I'm too cool for this to effect me look. He was fooling no one. Then there was John. John does this character change that all of us had witnessed at one point or another. John went from being the weird but funny guy we know, to the incessantly charming man that could get the attention of almost any girl.

Thankfully we left there before anyone did anything they regret. All in all we went back to the hostel and, you guessed it, sang.

Ty and Jamie being their usual selves

 Here are some clips of the boys singing their little hearts out, and James dancing like an idiot on a table........ I only wish it was clearer.

21 Things I’ve Learned Since Moving to Australia

1.     Humidity is my hairs worst enemy. Don’t bother straightening or curling it, in the end it will always be a frizz hot mess.

2.     If I mastered the sales skills of the Chinese man on the corner selling worthless items that you just HAVE TO have, I would be a very rich woman.

3.     To get in to a bathroom you only need one door. Not two, not three, especially not four. Just one. Walking in to the bathroom here is like a mouse trying to get the cheese at the end of a maze. I mean come on, lady trying to pee here!

4.     If you’re hungry after 8pm….good luck. Only McDonalds and Hungry Jack are open still and I certainly would rather starve than eat that.  I’m thinking this is one of the reasons why people are generally thinner here.

5.     I hate short shorts on guys. I don’t want to see your upper thigh. If I wanted to see you in briefs I would take you to the bedroom.

6.     Public transportation is awesome here! I can get anywhere I need to be within a half hour almost every time. Plus, I’m a three minute train ride to the city.

7.     Apparently I’m a fan of the foreigners, but mostly the English. So far I have made about 15 friends out here, almost all English and all hilarious.

8.     Bell peppers are capsicum and ketchup is tomato (tuh-ma-toe) sauce. Don’t question it.

9.     No one here knows how to make a Chai Latte Iced. Apparently because it is powdered chai and not liquid chai, it is illogical to combine powder and milk………..I have given many coffee shops out here a little lesson in the art of mixing before adding ice, not after. Come on people.

10. I’m not very good at making friends with girls……okay, this might not be a new thing. I have always had more guy friends that girl friends but being here just makes me think, “ Wtf, I’m a pretty decent person I think. Just because I don’t enjoy wearing heels and reading Cosmo magazine doesn’t mean I’m not cool. Hmph. ” The poor English boys have to endure my foolish attempts at having a “girly” conversation. They fails every time.

11. I miss my sister. Erica my darling, I love you. I cannot wait to be roommates!

12.  Drinking Goon makes my temper flare up. It has gotten me in to a bit of trouble here and there so I have decided to swear off of the stuff…..but it’s the cheapest alcohol over here and I’m on a budget.

13. When you are traveling make sure that you sort out your home life perfectly before you venture off to the other side of the world. Every day I find this small cloud of guilt hanging over my head. Now trying to fix things from the other side of the world is causing me more stress because I’m not there to fix it.

14.  You should have listened to your mom and brought two big bags. Mom is always right.

15. Speaking of parents, I have learned a few things about mine that I couldn’t see while I was so close to them.  I won’t say what, but taking a look at them from afar has changed my perspective a bit.

16. Construction men here are pretttyyyy hot for the most part. They aren’t like the construction guys back home who are mostly middle aged, out of shape and rude. They are like the guys you see in music videos. Tall, dark wavy hair, 5 o’clock shadow, rough and dirty and oh so fit. Not only are they attractive but they are also incredibly kind and polite. You  can tell that most of them have no idea that they are as gorgeous as they are.

17. I might have an actual issue with men and trust. I imagine this has something to do with a recent betrayal, and like all things shall pass. Still a little sting of pain catches me off guard every once in a while at the mention of certain things.  No strings from here on out please.

18. Double bag. Double bag. Double bag. I get that it is bad for the environment but when you’re walking a mile to the store and back carrying 60lbs of groceries and water on your back and arms its worth it. The minute one bag breaks your screwed. I spent one sad Sunday siting in a curb watching my nectarines and grapes roll down the massive hill I had just climbed.

19. Find a travel buddy right away. I have not done this yet but I’m on a mission to find someone. I want to go to Byron Bay and Noosa and the outback and everywhere until my money runs out!

20. Smile. I know people say this all the time but truly. A smile goes a long way anywhere in the world. Seeing that person smile honestly back instantly makes me feels like I’ve done just a little bit of good that day.

21. Don’t be afraid to approach people in order to make friends. If I didn’t randomly approach Ty or Blake or Ashley, I would be a total loner calling home crying about how this all was a horrible mistake. Grow a pair and go say hi already!

 I wrote this as I sipped on a chai latte, wearing a ring bought from the Chinese man on the corner after I awkwardly got lost in the most ridiculous toilet ever while in a restaurant that closed while I was still eating with a friend.

Cheers Mates.

Also feel free to leave comments. 

Last Night I Discovered What True Love Looks Like.

 I don't normally write about topics like love, but I feel the need to share with you all so bare with me.

As I watched a young, married Scottish couple, whom I've had the pleasure of getting to know these past few weeks, I witnessed what my friend Sarah calls " Bubble Love". Until seeing it for my self I honestly didn't believe that a love like that existed. Now that may make me a bad person but I had never seen love like quite like this. All of the relationships I have witnessed in my life thus far have been good overall, but complicated, as if a small black cloud hovered above each couple, waiting for tension to charge the air and ignite a lightening storm. I'll try to explain this love in the best detail possible but honestly, I can do them no justice. The story starts here............

As I entered the pub with a few friends I glanced around taking in the sights. The Scottish girl sat at a table with balloons tied to her back. It was her birthday and there was some birthday ritual I didn't understand taking place. She giggled and laughed with another friend of hers. She wore her hair up in a tight ponytail and intense cleavage hung out of the front of her short white dress.  In that moment I wished that I had enough confidence in myself to wear a dress like that in public. Now I don't mean to sound rude or judgmental but considering her size, it was a ballsy move. I envied her confidence.  Her husband was sitting across from her holding his pint looking quite content. His head was shaved in to a ridiculous mohawk and he wore his normal Mr.T t-shirt, which was fitting seeing as how he looked like a white version of Mr.T himself.

Throughout the night they appeared in my line of sight dancing and running about in the bar. After a while I noticed that I couldn't take my eyes off of them. They were drawing me in and there was absolutely nothing that could take my attention away. The way they had no regard for anyone else's opinions was mind boggling. They danced like total imbeciles yet they the most beautiful people I had every seen. Dance was like their secret language communicating something that only the other could understand.  I so desperately wanted to be apart of it, or at least discover what that must feel like for myself. I continued to watch and wonder what it must feel like to know that someone loves you so much that even when you look like a total fool they will love you. And not only will they love you but they will be a total fool right next to you for the whole world to see.


That my friends is "Bubble love". When you feel as if only you and your partner exist in those moments. When nothing and no one can come between you, that if you fall they will pick you up....or fall down with you. When even though everyone else goes home you will have your partner. When you know that all you will ever need to be happy is that person, and having the security of knowing that they feel the exact same way. As if they were made for you and your love for one another grows daily.

I have explained it the best I possibly could, but on paper it only sounds like your average married couple having a good time. Seeing "Bubble Love" triggers more of a feeling than anything else, and you will know when you witness it yourself and when you do I hope you will not settle for anything less. 

My People

Alright mates, it's day 13 in this city that I will call home for the next 5 months and so far so good....besides being homeless....still. The good part about living in a hostel is that I've managed to meet quite a few interesting people. Some of which include a band of shameless, wild, and hilarious English guys.

We have all gotten to know each other well enough to the point where nobody cares what anyone else thinks of them so it sure makes for a bit of fun times. That is what happens when you drink Goon I guess. Goon is cheap boxed wine that every backpacker drinks because it's the only thing that fits in our budget. It is DISGUSTING! As you can see in the picture below, the boys love it. Just about every night we go out for a drink together, dance a bit and I observe them try and hit on "birds", their term for girls. I have heard some of the worst one liners of life in the last week and I have witnessed some of the most horrendous attempts to take girls home. Mind you, our so called home is a room of six beds and no privacy.  Most of the time by the end of the night we are all sitting on the street corner stuffing our drunk faces with Pieface, the best thing you could ask for when you are drunk. I have no idea why we don't have them in America but I plan on changing that.

I have also met a German girl, named Kaya, who was kind and funny but didn't speak a whole lot of English. I spent most of the day with her in our room, chatting and contemplating how we can afford our next meal. I have to say, money has been tough here. Since I cant cook in the hostel I have been spending loads of money out to eat. If I'm lucky I eat twice a day but mostly just drink a lot of water. I'm not complaining though because being around all of these backpackers all the time has made me realize that I am lucky to have two meals. I have however found the cheapest sushi place ever. It is absolutely delicious and only $2.50 a roll. The rolls are smaller that normal ones in America but with two of them in my belly I'm a happy camper.

Yesterday we went to this park in the middle of the city. I wasn't too excited to be walking around the city because of the incredible amount of humidity, but I was pleased to find out that the  park was beautiful. The paths we followed wound in every which way you could imagine with intricately placed flower beds between each path. The plants were tropical and full of life I haven't seen before. All around showed signs of life and beauty,odd since in was in the middle of a concrete city. Today we are going to go back to it and BBQ for a few hours :)

As for me personally, over all I'm happy. I am stressed out about not having a house and waiting to hear from the rental company but I'm trying not to let it get to me too much. I miss the comforts of home and family but I am excited to be on my own, making my own path.

Love for you all from these two crazy wankers.

Meanwhile here isAustralia.....

Except for the fact that I am still homeless, so far so good. The Hotel that I am staying in is beautiful.. Jimmy is like a personal chauffeur and tour guide, which is phenomenal, plus I get to take in the awesome sights of the Gold Coast. 

So here is a brief overview of how it's going so far.

DAY 1:

I woke up at 5:47 am, wide awake a raring to go. Luckily the shops and breakfast places were close by so I showered and was out the door by 6:30. I needed to grab some things from a store of some sort so I ventured around to find the closet grocery store. The grocery stores (or a "Wooleys") are freaking weird here. You have to go to  mall. Like a literal mall with shops such as Rip Curl and Foot Locker. So not only do you have to find parking for a Wooleys, but also for the entire mall. Some of which are quite extensive. Thank god I'm car free. At least I'm thanking God for now. When the time comes that I am lugging 40 kilos of food a kilometer down the road I may be cursing his name. 

After successfully getting breakfast food I went back to the apartment. After this excursion I was exhausted. Back to bed I went and stayed until about 11 am. I spent the rest of my day relaxing, reading, and trying to stay awake in order to defeat jet lag and acclimate to local time. It was more relaxing and beautiful than I could ask for and felt like the perfect start to a three day vacation.
                                                                                  Chauffer---------->

DAY 2:

Sleeping on another continent proved to be more difficult than I planned. Once again I was up by 6am but this time I crept on to the balcony with a cup of tea, a blanket, and a book. I stayed there for what felt like minutes but turned out to be hours. After a bit I ate breakfast and while making the eggs I realized how upsettingly white I am. It became my mission then to catch few rays for the remainder of the day. With my mother in the back of my mind I loaded up on sunscreen and reading material and Jimmy and I booked it to the beach.  Needless to say I came back lobster colored and sore. Nap time it was. Later after I woke up another Aussie friend named Matt came over for a bit and we barbecued for the rest of the night while chatting it up and kicking back a few beers.  (btw, beers over here are educational! Check out the picture of bottle caps! AWESOME) .

DAY 3:

Not too much happened this day. I looked to places online to go check out and then ate lunch at a place called Hogsbreath. Appetizing, right? But really though it was pretty good and everything was fresh and colorful. After lunch I drove to the point (pictured below) to read the final chapters of my book until it started raining. Since it rained I went back to the hotel and relaxed for the rest of the day. 

DAY 4: 

 So here we are at day 4. Today I went to two interviews for houses but didn't like either of them. Thankfully Monday I have 5 more promising appointments. The first house was kind of a shit hole but was located close to the school. I would have been totally okay with living in a shit house but the kitchen was unacceptable. There was absolutely no cooking space, and the fridge was mini. Four roommates and a mini fridge, I think not. The next house was immaculate and clean. Then room was perfect and the roommates were really sweet. The issue with this house was the Landlord and the distance from my Uni. Although he was kind and funny, he was a total control freak. He wanted 24 hour access to the house, including our rooms, and absolutely, under no condition, where shoes allowed to be worn in the house. The house had to be clean at all times and only two guests were allowed at a time. Yeah…..fuck off. 

After my failure to acquire housing, Jimmy and I were off to lunch with his Irish/English mother. I was incredibly worried that I would awkwardly be asking "Pardon?" the entire time. Luckily that was not the case. She was a lovely woman, beautiful and full of personality. She was genuinely interested in me and my plans and even offered to help out on the house search. Later she informed Jimmy that she thought the same of me and invited us to go up north to her absolutely gorgeous getaway. I agreed of course. So now here I am at the end of day 4 sipping on a few beers and enjoying the calming ocean and writing to all of you. 

I can honestly say that I miss you all but I am having a wonderful time here. 

Until next time mates!

(Post was written a few days ago but I haven't had internet so I couldn't post it. Another to come tomorrow :))