How ya goin!! I made it to Sydney last week and am flying back to the Bay in TWO DAYS! Needless to say, with 15 entries and a whole lot of writing, I failed in my goal of a "daily" "photo" blog. But I've had a lot of fun writing it and I sincerely hope that my blog has helped some of you to do some proper procrastination in my absence.
Despite my best efforts, I'm about two months behind- I still have about half the country to write about. Well, I don't really feel like studying for the NCLEX, so I'm going to keep plugging away at it- feel free to tune in when you feel like tuning out :)
To come full circle back to my first post, I am now at the end of a perfect flaw-filled trip and it is also the perfect time to go home! I know this because I am still neither (completely) broke nor broken (bruised and bleeding does not count), the sky is still the limit, and I can't wait to get back to my city by the bay :) Aaaand I perform the sniff test on the regular... it's definitely time to go home, wash EVERYTHING, and get some proper sleep.
But first!!!
10 things I have learned:
1) "Slip, Slop, Slap"... as in Slip on a shirt, Slop on some sunscreen, and Slap on a hat (what were YOU thinking??) because there really is a massive hole in the ozone above Australia. You WILL burn.
2) Goon balloons make decent pillows and Indomie Mi Goreng instant noodles cost 60 cents!
3) Always carry cash as credit cards options are often not available. Convert all card statements to paperless online ones before you leave and check them weekly to determine whether or not you got your very expensive bond back from when you rented that car in Western Australia.
4) Copies of important documents are good- emailed scans are better because you will at some point drop your bag in a river.
5) This map is actually pretty accurate... except Dannii Minogue now lives in London, I think.
6) Almost everyone smokes and pops pills, and it isn't uncommon for the guy that you THOUGHT was chatting you up to really just want you to block him from view while he snorts a line ON the bar. The only way to avoid it is to not make any friends.
7) Insect repellent without Deet is a waste of money, and Bushman is the only thing I've found that works. Draw a horizontal line through the midpoint of Australia: anywhere above that, bring your spray.
**On that note, sand flies are way worse than mozzies, and if a sand fly PEES on say, the back of your thigh and you itch it, you WILL have a swollen lump the size of a softball where your hamstring should be.**
8) Be prepared to represent your country and remember that what other countries know of America comes from the media- this usually means that they first think of politics (Bush), Hollywood (Ryan Seacrest), and reality shows ("Jersey Shore" and "Toddlers and Tiaras")... embarrassing much??
** Most people you will meet are wonderful and sophisticated and know that there is a difference between the government and the individual. However, when someone asks "Where are you from?", it is not cheating to just say "California", or even better, "San Francisco". People may not like American government but they all loooove San Francisco! And as long as you don't turn out to be a douche (or a liar), they will be much more inclined to love you too.
It is, however, cheating to say you're from Canada. **
9) Listen more, speak softly, remember names and enjoy the rando connections you make, but don't say things you don't mean, like "yeah, you should TOTALLY come visit California!". Because they will.
10) And finally, this REALLY does not happen.
Dear Australia,
I love you. Keep in touch!
Love, Molly
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