So even though it's Independence Day back home, no one in Australia really cares. Surprise surprise. Today, everyone is thinking about the final State of Origin game, but more on that later.
This work week was fairly uneventful. Today (Wednesday) is essentially my Friday because I'm not going in to work tomorrow so that I can go to New Zealand!! So I'm a pretty happy camper. Missing out on a shoot over at Moreton tomorrow but I think I can sacrifice that to go to NZ. This weekend should be huge - keep your eyes posted!
Monday, July 9, 2012
7/1: BrisVegas
Okay getting sick and being sick is the reason for me not being current with this blog...kind of. Also, I kind of forget about it. But mostly, it's because I'm sick.
Friday: Finally, we slept in. Until like 10, but still. That's way later than we normally sleep in. So we got up, lazed around Minto for a while, and decided to figure out our plans for the weekend, mostly dealing with trying to go dolphin kayaking in Byron Bay (spoiler alert: we finally figured it out and went on Sunday). So after finally getting dressed and moving around 12, we decided to go grab lunch and walk around until 5, which we had booked to go rock climbing on the Kangaroo Point Cliffs, right off the Brisbane River. Of course, by 5, the sun had set. They had lights on the rocks but still. Rock climbing is difficult by itself without also being in the dark. Now, I've never been rock climbing before. Not even on like a climbing wall. And now, I know that for the most part, I don't really want to do it again. Our "instructor's" name was Proud and he looked like Crocodile Dundee. He had the hair, the hat, and I'm pretty sure he had a knife. He kept showing me "handholds" which were really just cracks in the rock. I was like, "Are you serious? A crack in the rock which I can barely fit a finger into is not a handhold, it's a hazard!!" So I didn't make it up too high, but high enough that I feel proud of myself. After that, we were all pretty tired and beat up but after a refreshing dinner of pizza and fries, we decided to man up and go out. We eventually found ourselves at this really nice bar that overlooked the river and had awesome music, including a Grease medley and Thriller. So we're definitely going back there again.
Saturday: So we decided to sleep in again. What a surprise!! We then decided to get up, grab lunch, and go see a movie. Rock of Ages to be exact. It was pretty good actually. Tom Cruise was perfect in that role and the cast was pretty flawless. Plus it reminded me of some great songs. Then it was time to get ready for the Carrie Underwood concert. We got back, showered, got dressed, and grabbed dinner at an Asian restaurant on South Bank before me, Kristi, and Taylor went to the concert. It was actually really good. The opening act was this Irish guy who had a great voice and funny dance moves and Carrie was really good because she's actually a singer. After the concert, we were all pretty tired and we knew we had to get up early tomorrow so we just went back and went to sleep.
Sunday: The big day. Got up at 5:30 to catch the bus at 6 to get the Greyhound at 7. Yeah you read that right. We didn't realise Byron Bay was so far away - 4 hours by Greyhound. Whatever. After a nice nap on the bus, we got into Byron and it was beautiful. Total beach town but not as crazy and touristy as Cairns. We got lunch and ate it on the beach - amazing. After laying on the beach for a while, we lazily walked over to where we would go kayaking with the dolphins. After debating the merits of wetsuit vs. no wetsuit (went without - cold water doesn't bother me so much) and Kristi almost freaking out when the guides started joking about shark repellent, we grabbed our kayaks and headed for the ocean. Now, in these kayaks, you're in pairs and naturally, I drew the short straw when deciding pairs and ended up going with one of the guides. Which was fine actually. Didn't have to do much and he was super nice. Until some lady, who had flipped her kayak trying to get out past the breaking point, freaked out and decided she didn't want to be there anymore. So the guide I was with had to take her in and I got stuck paired with her daughter. Who couldn't really speak English and was a horrible kayaker. So essentially, I kayaked by myself. She would try to help, really, but she just kept messing up my steering. Even with all her "help" though, I managed to keep us heading in the right direction and I didn't flip us coming in, one of the only kayaks to stay upright. And the dolphins we saw were well worth the trouble. They were jumping and swimming right by the kayaks, it was really cool. After we got done with that, we caught our 4 hr Greyhound back to Brisbane and quickly went to sleep.
All in all, good weekend.
Friday: Finally, we slept in. Until like 10, but still. That's way later than we normally sleep in. So we got up, lazed around Minto for a while, and decided to figure out our plans for the weekend, mostly dealing with trying to go dolphin kayaking in Byron Bay (spoiler alert: we finally figured it out and went on Sunday). So after finally getting dressed and moving around 12, we decided to go grab lunch and walk around until 5, which we had booked to go rock climbing on the Kangaroo Point Cliffs, right off the Brisbane River. Of course, by 5, the sun had set. They had lights on the rocks but still. Rock climbing is difficult by itself without also being in the dark. Now, I've never been rock climbing before. Not even on like a climbing wall. And now, I know that for the most part, I don't really want to do it again. Our "instructor's" name was Proud and he looked like Crocodile Dundee. He had the hair, the hat, and I'm pretty sure he had a knife. He kept showing me "handholds" which were really just cracks in the rock. I was like, "Are you serious? A crack in the rock which I can barely fit a finger into is not a handhold, it's a hazard!!" So I didn't make it up too high, but high enough that I feel proud of myself. After that, we were all pretty tired and beat up but after a refreshing dinner of pizza and fries, we decided to man up and go out. We eventually found ourselves at this really nice bar that overlooked the river and had awesome music, including a Grease medley and Thriller. So we're definitely going back there again.
Saturday: So we decided to sleep in again. What a surprise!! We then decided to get up, grab lunch, and go see a movie. Rock of Ages to be exact. It was pretty good actually. Tom Cruise was perfect in that role and the cast was pretty flawless. Plus it reminded me of some great songs. Then it was time to get ready for the Carrie Underwood concert. We got back, showered, got dressed, and grabbed dinner at an Asian restaurant on South Bank before me, Kristi, and Taylor went to the concert. It was actually really good. The opening act was this Irish guy who had a great voice and funny dance moves and Carrie was really good because she's actually a singer. After the concert, we were all pretty tired and we knew we had to get up early tomorrow so we just went back and went to sleep.
Sunday: The big day. Got up at 5:30 to catch the bus at 6 to get the Greyhound at 7. Yeah you read that right. We didn't realise Byron Bay was so far away - 4 hours by Greyhound. Whatever. After a nice nap on the bus, we got into Byron and it was beautiful. Total beach town but not as crazy and touristy as Cairns. We got lunch and ate it on the beach - amazing. After laying on the beach for a while, we lazily walked over to where we would go kayaking with the dolphins. After debating the merits of wetsuit vs. no wetsuit (went without - cold water doesn't bother me so much) and Kristi almost freaking out when the guides started joking about shark repellent, we grabbed our kayaks and headed for the ocean. Now, in these kayaks, you're in pairs and naturally, I drew the short straw when deciding pairs and ended up going with one of the guides. Which was fine actually. Didn't have to do much and he was super nice. Until some lady, who had flipped her kayak trying to get out past the breaking point, freaked out and decided she didn't want to be there anymore. So the guide I was with had to take her in and I got stuck paired with her daughter. Who couldn't really speak English and was a horrible kayaker. So essentially, I kayaked by myself. She would try to help, really, but she just kept messing up my steering. Even with all her "help" though, I managed to keep us heading in the right direction and I didn't flip us coming in, one of the only kayaks to stay upright. And the dolphins we saw were well worth the trouble. They were jumping and swimming right by the kayaks, it was really cool. After we got done with that, we caught our 4 hr Greyhound back to Brisbane and quickly went to sleep.
All in all, good weekend.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
6/28: Queen of the Timeline
This week, I passed the the 4th Wednesday I've been in Oz. Usually, a month is defined as 4 weeks. That means, that even though the dates aren't exactly right, I've been in Oz for a month. Where has the time gone? I feel like I just got here yesterday. Like yesterday, I was dragging myself off the flight at Sydney and struggling with my super-heavy luggage. And even though I've been here for so long and have a fair bit of time left, I feel like I have no time left at all! NZ soon, then Kristi leaves, and then we leave. It's crazy.
This work week was fairly average. I did get put in charge of the timeline for a new client though - that's pretty exciting. Well, the work itself is not that exciting - it's more the fact that I'm in charge that's cool. And Andre, the creative director, has said that at some point in July, he'll sit down and have a chat with me about the creative side of the agency and give me some advice in choosing between the two. So that'll be nice. I've got a routine at work now - that's the most important part for me. I don't mind being spontaneous some of the time, evidenced by my insane weekends, but I need a routine, even if it's just for half the week.
This work week was fairly average. I did get put in charge of the timeline for a new client though - that's pretty exciting. Well, the work itself is not that exciting - it's more the fact that I'm in charge that's cool. And Andre, the creative director, has said that at some point in July, he'll sit down and have a chat with me about the creative side of the agency and give me some advice in choosing between the two. So that'll be nice. I've got a routine at work now - that's the most important part for me. I don't mind being spontaneous some of the time, evidenced by my insane weekends, but I need a routine, even if it's just for half the week.
Monday, July 2, 2012
6/24: Steve Irwin says What??
One of these days I am going to get this thing completely caught up. Unfortunately, it will probably be right as I am about to leave. Oh well. Again, let's take this day by day.
Friday: After going out particularly hard Thursday night, we decided we needed a beach day and headed down to the Gold Coast, specifically Surfer's Paradise. Essentially, it is the tourist destination for the Gold Coast, so nothing too spectacular. But it was nice just to laze around on the beach for a little bit. We also got asked to be in a photograph for a news article on how the male-female ratio is way off on the Gold Coast. We did it. It was super awkward (how is pointing at a guy that you don't know not awkward??) and now our picture is up online somewhere for everyone to see. Still pretty fun. Stayed in Friday night and had some nice girl time.
Saturday: Saturday morning, we decided to climb Mt. Coot-tha. Okay, climb is probably not the right word. What I actually mean is hike about 3000m to the top of the mountain, where you can see almost all of BrisVegas (my new favourite abbreviation for Brisbane). The hike would have been fine, except that I woke up that morning with a horrid cold that I'm still battling more than 10 days later. But we made it to the top, got an incredible view, and made it home without anything horrid happening. Then, we had been invited over for dinner by Kristi's boss. We met her at a shopping mall and she drove us over to her house. She made us roast beef, potatoes, peas and carrots. It was awesome. Nothing really beats a true home-cooked meal. Plus, her, her husband, and their three-year-old were super nice. Also, she made us chocolate pavlova for dessert. Mmmmmm. Mouth waters just thinking about it. After we got home from dinner, the rest of the girls went out dancing, while I (with a fever of probably 101) decided to stay in and have a resting night.
Sunday: Felt a lot better in the morning. We decided to go ahead and get up and go the Australian Zoo, home of Steve Irwin. Unfortunately for us, it decided to rain. So we went to the zoo. In the rain. While I was sick. Still had a good time though. After finally getting there around 11, we walked around a little and grabbed lunch (first hot dog in Oz - surprisingly not too bad) and went to go watch the main show of the day, which included the Irwin family. It was really neat to see them all live. And they fed this huge crocodile - definitely something I'm not sure I could have done. After that, we walked around a bit more and eventually ended up being able to feed the elephants!! It was so cool, their trunks are so muscly and cool. I love elephants. I officially want an elephant, a platypus, and a basset hound puppy for pets. Sounds good right?
Friday: After going out particularly hard Thursday night, we decided we needed a beach day and headed down to the Gold Coast, specifically Surfer's Paradise. Essentially, it is the tourist destination for the Gold Coast, so nothing too spectacular. But it was nice just to laze around on the beach for a little bit. We also got asked to be in a photograph for a news article on how the male-female ratio is way off on the Gold Coast. We did it. It was super awkward (how is pointing at a guy that you don't know not awkward??) and now our picture is up online somewhere for everyone to see. Still pretty fun. Stayed in Friday night and had some nice girl time.
Saturday: Saturday morning, we decided to climb Mt. Coot-tha. Okay, climb is probably not the right word. What I actually mean is hike about 3000m to the top of the mountain, where you can see almost all of BrisVegas (my new favourite abbreviation for Brisbane). The hike would have been fine, except that I woke up that morning with a horrid cold that I'm still battling more than 10 days later. But we made it to the top, got an incredible view, and made it home without anything horrid happening. Then, we had been invited over for dinner by Kristi's boss. We met her at a shopping mall and she drove us over to her house. She made us roast beef, potatoes, peas and carrots. It was awesome. Nothing really beats a true home-cooked meal. Plus, her, her husband, and their three-year-old were super nice. Also, she made us chocolate pavlova for dessert. Mmmmmm. Mouth waters just thinking about it. After we got home from dinner, the rest of the girls went out dancing, while I (with a fever of probably 101) decided to stay in and have a resting night.
Sunday: Felt a lot better in the morning. We decided to go ahead and get up and go the Australian Zoo, home of Steve Irwin. Unfortunately for us, it decided to rain. So we went to the zoo. In the rain. While I was sick. Still had a good time though. After finally getting there around 11, we walked around a little and grabbed lunch (first hot dog in Oz - surprisingly not too bad) and went to go watch the main show of the day, which included the Irwin family. It was really neat to see them all live. And they fed this huge crocodile - definitely something I'm not sure I could have done. After that, we walked around a bit more and eventually ended up being able to feed the elephants!! It was so cool, their trunks are so muscly and cool. I love elephants. I officially want an elephant, a platypus, and a basset hound puppy for pets. Sounds good right?
Monday, June 25, 2012
6/21: 3 weeks in Oz
As I'm writing this, it's been almost 4 weeks that I've been in Oz (I like that abbreviation because it almost feels like I'm in another universe with different rules than back home and that's kind of how it is).
This work week was average until Thursday. I did get put in charge of the timeline for MIFA, a new client of ours, which is some serious responsibility. And I'm getting better at being able to do what people want me to do without asking a million questions. It's a nice feeling.
Thursday we went over to Moreton Island to do a shoot. It was awesome!! No pictures (because I was working) but we'll definitely be going back over to the island so don't worry pictures will come. The island was beautiful and so remote! I was in the shoots for 3 different things (one of which involved running up a sand dune - needless to say, I'm betting I get cropped out of that one). I've actually seen the final things for one of the shoots and I'm in it - gonna be famous, watch out y'all!! Saw whales off the coast of Moreton!! They're all over here right now, migrating and pregnant!! So cool. Maybe I'll see baby whales when I go back.
This work week was average until Thursday. I did get put in charge of the timeline for MIFA, a new client of ours, which is some serious responsibility. And I'm getting better at being able to do what people want me to do without asking a million questions. It's a nice feeling.
Thursday we went over to Moreton Island to do a shoot. It was awesome!! No pictures (because I was working) but we'll definitely be going back over to the island so don't worry pictures will come. The island was beautiful and so remote! I was in the shoots for 3 different things (one of which involved running up a sand dune - needless to say, I'm betting I get cropped out of that one). I've actually seen the final things for one of the shoots and I'm in it - gonna be famous, watch out y'all!! Saw whales off the coast of Moreton!! They're all over here right now, migrating and pregnant!! So cool. Maybe I'll see baby whales when I go back.
Monday, June 18, 2012
6/17: Weekend in Sydney
Okay so weekend in Sydney. Let's take it day by day.
Thursday: packed in basically 30 minutes (probably my fastest so far) and managed not to forget anything. Score one. Got to the airport no problems, one tiny glitch at security when I forgot I brought shaving cream along (no aerosols without lids allowed) but as soon as they saw I had a lid, it was fine. So nice not to have to deal with TSA. Made it to Park Lodge (where the other interns are staying) without too much of a hassle. Got in probably around 11 or 11:30 so I basically caught up with people for 30 minutes then crashed. On someone's floor by the way. And since I like to sleep on my side, I now have bruises on my side because the floor was so hard. But whatevs, it was worth it in the end.
Friday: Got up pretty early because three of us were doing the bridge climb at 11. Managed to get to the place pretty quickly and got some breakfast there before we went on our climb of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was awesome! So not scary at all. One tough spot when you had to climb 4 ladders in row but other than that, no problems. The view was incredible - the weather co-operated with us and was nice and sunny out. Have some pics up of me at the top - they're not the best pictures ever, but they prove I made it. After the climb, we grabbed lunch by the wharf and met up with an intern from Tasmania who came up for the weekend as well. Then, we walked all the way to Darling Harbour to see the Sydney Aquarium. The aquarium was pretty cool - saw another platypus. I love them now. I want one. It wasn't anything super exotic but it was still nice to see. Then, since Darling Harbour is right next to Chinatown, we went and had dinner there. It was pretty good, but I think all of us are sick of Asian food, at least for a bit. Then, we decided to go out. Went to a neighborhood called King's Cross. Bit dodgy, but fun. Didn't stay out for too long, but had a good time nonetheless.
Saturday: Got up and even though it was raining, we decided to head out to Bondi Beach. We grabbed lunch at a mall near one of the bus stations we stopped at (had some really good pizza) and then decided to carry on. Once we got there, we just accepted that we were wet and were excited about it! Put my feet in the water, etc. Found some pieces of sea glass that hopefully I can also get back home. Went on a bit of a walk around Bondi, saw some incredible views and all kinds of stuff. Met another intern for dinner at a Mexican restaurant - so good. I miss Mexican food man. Had frozen sangria - also really good. Decided to go out again Saturday night. Started out on Oxford Street, went into some fun gay bars, and ended up in Darling Harbour at a bar called Cargo Bar. Fun, but didn't stay for too long because we had another big day and we were super tired from walking in the rain all around Bondi.
Sunday: Got up early again (anyone else impressed yet?) and went on a tour of the opera house. So cool to see it up close and personal. Then, we took a ferry over to Manly Beach and met up with one of our intern leaders, Ross, who lives there. Ross took us to a great fish and chips place for lunch, then we hiked all around Manly. Saw some truly stunning views of the beach and cliffs, got some great photos, and saw the place where Nicole Kidman got married and the Great Gatsby was filmed. Still really full from lunch, we grabbed a drink with Ross at a bar overlooking the beach and got a chocolate-banana pizza from a place on the wharf back to Sydney. It was incredible. It had chocolate sauce, bananas, marshmallows, and chocolate rice krispies. So good. Then, we headed back to Sydney and back to the airport to come home to Brizzie. Flight was awesome - basically no one on the plane and got food and everything. I love Qantas, so much. Jetstar (the airline we flew down on), eh. You get what you pay for.
Overall, Sydney was alright. Saw some really great stuff but a lot of it is just like a big city, like New York. Didn't seem super original. So happy to be back home in Brizzie and that this is my home. I love Brisbane so much now. Maybe I just won't leave (just kidding Mom).
Thursday: packed in basically 30 minutes (probably my fastest so far) and managed not to forget anything. Score one. Got to the airport no problems, one tiny glitch at security when I forgot I brought shaving cream along (no aerosols without lids allowed) but as soon as they saw I had a lid, it was fine. So nice not to have to deal with TSA. Made it to Park Lodge (where the other interns are staying) without too much of a hassle. Got in probably around 11 or 11:30 so I basically caught up with people for 30 minutes then crashed. On someone's floor by the way. And since I like to sleep on my side, I now have bruises on my side because the floor was so hard. But whatevs, it was worth it in the end.
Friday: Got up pretty early because three of us were doing the bridge climb at 11. Managed to get to the place pretty quickly and got some breakfast there before we went on our climb of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was awesome! So not scary at all. One tough spot when you had to climb 4 ladders in row but other than that, no problems. The view was incredible - the weather co-operated with us and was nice and sunny out. Have some pics up of me at the top - they're not the best pictures ever, but they prove I made it. After the climb, we grabbed lunch by the wharf and met up with an intern from Tasmania who came up for the weekend as well. Then, we walked all the way to Darling Harbour to see the Sydney Aquarium. The aquarium was pretty cool - saw another platypus. I love them now. I want one. It wasn't anything super exotic but it was still nice to see. Then, since Darling Harbour is right next to Chinatown, we went and had dinner there. It was pretty good, but I think all of us are sick of Asian food, at least for a bit. Then, we decided to go out. Went to a neighborhood called King's Cross. Bit dodgy, but fun. Didn't stay out for too long, but had a good time nonetheless.
Saturday: Got up and even though it was raining, we decided to head out to Bondi Beach. We grabbed lunch at a mall near one of the bus stations we stopped at (had some really good pizza) and then decided to carry on. Once we got there, we just accepted that we were wet and were excited about it! Put my feet in the water, etc. Found some pieces of sea glass that hopefully I can also get back home. Went on a bit of a walk around Bondi, saw some incredible views and all kinds of stuff. Met another intern for dinner at a Mexican restaurant - so good. I miss Mexican food man. Had frozen sangria - also really good. Decided to go out again Saturday night. Started out on Oxford Street, went into some fun gay bars, and ended up in Darling Harbour at a bar called Cargo Bar. Fun, but didn't stay for too long because we had another big day and we were super tired from walking in the rain all around Bondi.
Sunday: Got up early again (anyone else impressed yet?) and went on a tour of the opera house. So cool to see it up close and personal. Then, we took a ferry over to Manly Beach and met up with one of our intern leaders, Ross, who lives there. Ross took us to a great fish and chips place for lunch, then we hiked all around Manly. Saw some truly stunning views of the beach and cliffs, got some great photos, and saw the place where Nicole Kidman got married and the Great Gatsby was filmed. Still really full from lunch, we grabbed a drink with Ross at a bar overlooking the beach and got a chocolate-banana pizza from a place on the wharf back to Sydney. It was incredible. It had chocolate sauce, bananas, marshmallows, and chocolate rice krispies. So good. Then, we headed back to Sydney and back to the airport to come home to Brizzie. Flight was awesome - basically no one on the plane and got food and everything. I love Qantas, so much. Jetstar (the airline we flew down on), eh. You get what you pay for.
Overall, Sydney was alright. Saw some really great stuff but a lot of it is just like a big city, like New York. Didn't seem super original. So happy to be back home in Brizzie and that this is my home. I love Brisbane so much now. Maybe I just won't leave (just kidding Mom).
6/14: Still Catching Up
Man, it seems like every time I get this thing close to being updated, I forget for a few days and I get behind again. Okay, here goes.
Sunday we went out to a winery pretty close to Brisbane. We took the bus as far as it would go, then walked about 2 miles to get there, but it was worth it. We saw wild kangaroos hopping through the vineyard, had an awesome lunch, had a great tour where I learned a ton about wine and wine making, and tasted some really nice wine. If I can manage to sneak it home, I'm bringing some back. Sunday night we went out drinking again (Monday was a holiday, chill out) and had a great time in West End, a new part of town for us. Monday we met up with Kim, another intern who lives in the burbs really far away. She was alright but a couple years older than us so it was a little awkward. But she seems nice. We mostly just spent Monday walking around Brisbane and had pizza for dinner. Work was then pretty average the rest of the week except that Tuesday afternoon, I got to go with Adam to do a shoot for Moreton Island Adventures at their warehouse in the Port of Brisbane. Even though the warehouse wasn't the prettiest place ever, it was still cool to be behind the scenes of a shoot and help out (I got to hold the mike!). Work was then just work and pretty soon Thursday afternoon came and it was time to pack to go to Sydney for the weekend!
I promise I'm trying to catch up! I'm going as fast as my little fingers can type! Cheers, mate.
Sunday we went out to a winery pretty close to Brisbane. We took the bus as far as it would go, then walked about 2 miles to get there, but it was worth it. We saw wild kangaroos hopping through the vineyard, had an awesome lunch, had a great tour where I learned a ton about wine and wine making, and tasted some really nice wine. If I can manage to sneak it home, I'm bringing some back. Sunday night we went out drinking again (Monday was a holiday, chill out) and had a great time in West End, a new part of town for us. Monday we met up with Kim, another intern who lives in the burbs really far away. She was alright but a couple years older than us so it was a little awkward. But she seems nice. We mostly just spent Monday walking around Brisbane and had pizza for dinner. Work was then pretty average the rest of the week except that Tuesday afternoon, I got to go with Adam to do a shoot for Moreton Island Adventures at their warehouse in the Port of Brisbane. Even though the warehouse wasn't the prettiest place ever, it was still cool to be behind the scenes of a shoot and help out (I got to hold the mike!). Work was then just work and pretty soon Thursday afternoon came and it was time to pack to go to Sydney for the weekend!
I promise I'm trying to catch up! I'm going as fast as my little fingers can type! Cheers, mate.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
6/9: Weekend in Brizzie
Sorry I'm still trying to catch up. But I'm getting closer!
Thursday night we went out to the casino where we stayed for like 20 minutes because everyone else there was old and creepy except for us. Then we went out a bar called the Victory where we hung out for most of the night. Went out with the girls and a couple guys we met in the house - all super nice and fun. Met some people at the bar, danced a bit, had fun. All in all, a good night. Friday we went over to Queen's Street, where the "mall" area is and had lunch. Then we went out to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary where I got to cuddle koalas, pet and feed kangaroos, pet an emu (scary!), and see a platypus. I'm obsessed with them now by the way. I really want a platypus for my own. They're so cute!! Then Friday night we went out to another section of town called the Valley and bar hopped. Saw some really cool bars, including Cloudland, but the crowds were just off. Too old or too creepy. It was fine though, we just got to hang out in the group of us and we have a good mix of people so that was really fun. Saturday morning we decided to do a Brizzie day. We went out to all the museums including the Queensland Museum and the Gallery of Modern Art. Some of the stuff was really cool. Then we did the Wheel of Brisbane - which is basically the London Eye except smaller. It was really neat to Brizzie from a bird's eye view - the city is really truly beautiful. And Saturday night we stayed in and made cookies - we needed a break from going out the past two nights.
Hopefully I can get this thing up to date pretty soon - we're close don't worry. Cheers from down under!
Thursday night we went out to the casino where we stayed for like 20 minutes because everyone else there was old and creepy except for us. Then we went out a bar called the Victory where we hung out for most of the night. Went out with the girls and a couple guys we met in the house - all super nice and fun. Met some people at the bar, danced a bit, had fun. All in all, a good night. Friday we went over to Queen's Street, where the "mall" area is and had lunch. Then we went out to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary where I got to cuddle koalas, pet and feed kangaroos, pet an emu (scary!), and see a platypus. I'm obsessed with them now by the way. I really want a platypus for my own. They're so cute!! Then Friday night we went out to another section of town called the Valley and bar hopped. Saw some really cool bars, including Cloudland, but the crowds were just off. Too old or too creepy. It was fine though, we just got to hang out in the group of us and we have a good mix of people so that was really fun. Saturday morning we decided to do a Brizzie day. We went out to all the museums including the Queensland Museum and the Gallery of Modern Art. Some of the stuff was really cool. Then we did the Wheel of Brisbane - which is basically the London Eye except smaller. It was really neat to Brizzie from a bird's eye view - the city is really truly beautiful. And Saturday night we stayed in and made cookies - we needed a break from going out the past two nights.
Hopefully I can get this thing up to date pretty soon - we're close don't worry. Cheers from down under!
Monday, June 11, 2012
6/7: First Full Work Week
Work has gotten a lot better. Adam seems super keen on having me learn about all the various departments. I've sat in on client meetings and briefings, I've done some research for Adam, learned about The App Network (another joint company) and how they make apps, I'm in charge of the social media for both companies, and I'm scheduled to go with them on a photo shoot on Moreton Island. Work seems really good. I could see spending 10 weeks here and learning a lot. Already learned a lot about the account side. Definitely hope I get the chance to work with the creatives. Adam knows I took a copy writing course and he said he might let me take a crack at some copy so that will be good. Adam is super chill and down to Earth - he's awesome. Still spend a fair amount of time goofing around but I know that they're slowly but surely incorporating me into the office. Adam also said he wants to get a group to take me around Brizzie or go out for dinner at some point - so that will be exciting! We have Monday off this coming weekend - it's the Queen's birthday so we'll see what we get up to. Should be interesting. Going out to a casino tonight so that will be fun. Should be the start of a good weekend! Cheers!
6/4: First Day of Work
First day of work. Bit boring. Spent all day "reading" up on clients. Got lunch at a cafe not too far - pretty freaking good. Have a Mac at work - yikes. Guess we'll see what Adam brings tomorrow. Hung out with Jake and Joe again. More butchers, Chris and Bryce, moved in and they're fun too. Fun house so far. The girls are good too. Doing okay. Hope work is better. Candice seems really nice though. Hopefully she stays that way. Alright I'm off. Cheers!
6/3: First Full Day in Brizzie
Today was better. Got up, got brekkie w/ the girls. Came back. Got bus passes. Met up with Jessica. Decided to go to the market. Jake came along. Market was good, had lunch. Then basically walked all over Brisbane. Honestly? It was beautiful. I like this city so far. Tomorrow's gonna nerve wracking. I like Jake and Joe. Definitely super nice and super fun guys to hang out with. This was a good day. Fell in love with Brizzie a bit. Tomorrow will be the wake-up call. Lovely. Cheers!
Monday, June 4, 2012
6/2: Backtracking etc.
So this the next thing I wrote backtracking through what I'd done including getting into Brisbane.
Fuck me. Okay, let's backtrack. Flight from LA to Sydney was awesome - slept some, watched movies, got fed. Ankles swelled like a bitch through. Freaked out a little when I couldn't talk to my parents in Sydney or Cairns. Still miss them a lot. Fucking jet lag man. Okay so. Gilligan's - flash backpackers. Pretty good actually. Cairns was great. Dinner at the Pier was good - first beer in Aussie: Victoria Bitter (VB). Rainforest day was also awesome. Held a baby wallaby and a koala!! Way too cute. I'm proud of myself for finding a group to hang with. Dinner was good too - lots of chips. Finally talked to parents - thank goodness. Really nice to hear their voices. Reef day was also good. Boat ride was awesome. Sat on these net things on the way back - I was basically going to sleep they were so comfy. Went scuba diving. It was good, it just took me a while to get used to. But was cool. Also went snorkeling. Also cool. Saw neon-colored fish. Wtf nature?! It was awesome. One of the crew - Joe - was awesome. He like just came up to me and did a magic trick that blew my mind. Then he did more magic and used me as his assistant. And he gave me a hug when we left. After reef, dinner at Union Jack which was fine. Went back pretty early and went to sleep. Then up super early for Brisbane! Finally got an adapter for my computer - now I can charge it. Got to Minto, no problems. Not in main house. But my house has a pool. But I feel like more people hang out in the main house so dk. Met Jake and Joe, 2 super nice Australians. Jake asked if we had guns. Lol, apparently it's a stereotype. Had fish and chips for lunch and pad thai for dinner, all good. Went exploring. Found a Coles eventually. Also passed lots of fun looking places but too rainy and tired to venture out tonight. Got: nutella, bread, lotion, and vodka. I'm set for like a week, lol. So many thoughts. Hanging out more with Taylor, Morgan, and Kristi. Getting better. Okay I think I'm all caught up. I'm going to do those stupid goals now.
- Personal: decide (get better idea of) where I want to fit in in ad world
- Professional: to gain and practice real-world work skills
- Academic: to learn about how ads differ from US and why and how much
- Cultural: compare own personal culture to local one; fit in with locals
- Social: skydive, bungee jump, travel; be adventurous and willing!
Okay I think that's it for now. Cheers!
Fuck me. Okay, let's backtrack. Flight from LA to Sydney was awesome - slept some, watched movies, got fed. Ankles swelled like a bitch through. Freaked out a little when I couldn't talk to my parents in Sydney or Cairns. Still miss them a lot. Fucking jet lag man. Okay so. Gilligan's - flash backpackers. Pretty good actually. Cairns was great. Dinner at the Pier was good - first beer in Aussie: Victoria Bitter (VB). Rainforest day was also awesome. Held a baby wallaby and a koala!! Way too cute. I'm proud of myself for finding a group to hang with. Dinner was good too - lots of chips. Finally talked to parents - thank goodness. Really nice to hear their voices. Reef day was also good. Boat ride was awesome. Sat on these net things on the way back - I was basically going to sleep they were so comfy. Went scuba diving. It was good, it just took me a while to get used to. But was cool. Also went snorkeling. Also cool. Saw neon-colored fish. Wtf nature?! It was awesome. One of the crew - Joe - was awesome. He like just came up to me and did a magic trick that blew my mind. Then he did more magic and used me as his assistant. And he gave me a hug when we left. After reef, dinner at Union Jack which was fine. Went back pretty early and went to sleep. Then up super early for Brisbane! Finally got an adapter for my computer - now I can charge it. Got to Minto, no problems. Not in main house. But my house has a pool. But I feel like more people hang out in the main house so dk. Met Jake and Joe, 2 super nice Australians. Jake asked if we had guns. Lol, apparently it's a stereotype. Had fish and chips for lunch and pad thai for dinner, all good. Went exploring. Found a Coles eventually. Also passed lots of fun looking places but too rainy and tired to venture out tonight. Got: nutella, bread, lotion, and vodka. I'm set for like a week, lol. So many thoughts. Hanging out more with Taylor, Morgan, and Kristi. Getting better. Okay I think I'm all caught up. I'm going to do those stupid goals now.
- Personal: decide (get better idea of) where I want to fit in in ad world
- Professional: to gain and practice real-world work skills
- Academic: to learn about how ads differ from US and why and how much
- Cultural: compare own personal culture to local one; fit in with locals
- Social: skydive, bungee jump, travel; be adventurous and willing!
Okay I think that's it for now. Cheers!
5/28: Dallas to LA
So I'm still trying to catch up. So here's something I wrote on the plane ride from Dallas to LA.
Well good news, the crazy is back and it's sleep deprived. In fact, this is a desperate attempt to keep myself awake. Guy next to me is nice - what a surprise. I like this flight better than the previous one. Met Lisa - awesome job self. Approached her, kept conversation going. 10 Life points my friend. Dallas airport was alright - nothing too stressful. Got tricked into getting on the train but it was nice. Definitely an airport I could handle again. Alright, alright what to say. Now I've got Luck Be A Lady stuck in my head. Always nice to have Frank serenading you. Why is it Guys and Dolls stuck with me so? Who knows. They're supposed to be playing something from NBC so hopefully I can watch that soon. Blah. Lol it's The Office. Bye.
Well good news, the crazy is back and it's sleep deprived. In fact, this is a desperate attempt to keep myself awake. Guy next to me is nice - what a surprise. I like this flight better than the previous one. Met Lisa - awesome job self. Approached her, kept conversation going. 10 Life points my friend. Dallas airport was alright - nothing too stressful. Got tricked into getting on the train but it was nice. Definitely an airport I could handle again. Alright, alright what to say. Now I've got Luck Be A Lady stuck in my head. Always nice to have Frank serenading you. Why is it Guys and Dolls stuck with me so? Who knows. They're supposed to be playing something from NBC so hopefully I can watch that soon. Blah. Lol it's The Office. Bye.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
5/28: Charlotte to Dallas
So this is something I wrote on the plane from Charlotte to Dallas. It's going to take me a while to get caught up but I'm going to try.
I still can't believe I'm actually doing this. I must be certifiably insane. I should be checked into a facility. I'm on a plane. TO AUSTRALIA (well to Dallas but en route you know). I must be insane. I know, I know, YOLO or whatever but really. My brain is still in denial. I still can't believe that I'm going to wake up (?) and be in another HEMISPHERE. I almost started crying at the airport. I love my family, even with all their problems. I really miss them. But I know this is going to be incredible. And that's what scares me. What if it's not awesome? You know what, I need to chillax. It's never the experiences you have that determine how good something is, it's your attitude. If I have a kickass attitude, this will be good. Also, there's those creepy formal people sitting next to me, while I'm in my Sophies and leggings. I wasn't aware sitting 7 rows away from the bathroom made you royalty but whatever. I must be insane. That's what I keep saying to myself. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO MY WHOLE BRAIN IS CRYING. Lol. You know what the soundtrack is to my life right now? Marry You. Hey baby, we're looking for something dumb to do. Geez the South is flat. And hardly any trees. It looks like Goyte in his video. Oh and the chick in front of me. No that's cool, you put your seat all the way back while I'm trying to use the tray table. It's the same girl who packed the box at check-in. Sometimes the land has squiggles. I didn't know people actually did that. Oh wow a town. It's like the size of one of the fields. Not tired yet but I'm sure that's coming. I am insane. Actually, someone once defined isanity as doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. That's definitely not this. Who have I become? Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you. This is insane. Is it possible to be thrilled and terrified at the same time? Well that's me. I wonder seriously if Aussies have heard Call Me Maybe...what a great legacy to leave behind. Introducing them to Carly Rae. They would hate me. Lol. New goal: introduce at least one person to Call Me Maybe. Speaking of goals. I'd like to go skydiving. And bungee jumping. But I'm terrified. I guess that's the point. Really though who have I turned into. An adrenaline junkie? What happened to that little girl who refused to jump off the diving board and had to be thrown off? I can see the shadows the clouds are making on the ground, that's crazy. It doesn't seem real when you're up this high. Are there any monuments in Texas? Something you could see from the air. Nothing I've seen so far. Someday I'm going to write a book and it's going to be full of things like this. Memoirs/diary entries. And it's going to be called I Told You I Was Crazy. By Sarah Adams. I probably have some crazy anecdotes. Or maybe I should make it family centered and call it I Told You They Were Crazy. Or We're All Crazy: The Adams Family. Actually, strike that, reverse it (10 pts for a CATCF reference). I want to see a rainstorm from up here. Apparent it's crazy. I really hope I get to meet Sinatra in heaven. And listen to him sing. Also next million dollar idea: Apple controls that go in your mouth. Adjust volume, play/pause, next/last all by touching your tongue different #s of times. They keep doing that ding-dong noise. I actually think it's the flight attendants communicating. I wonder what like 20 ding-dongs mean. Probably either "We're going down" or "I fucking hate these passengers." Ha. I wonder how fast people can write. What would the world record for that be? There's probably some creepy person who can use like 10 pencils at once and write super fast. This sounds like the ramblings of a drunk or junkie (I almost wrote juggie). Woah big lake. No boats though. What if I died right now and my last thought was "That lake has no boats." More to come later, don't worry I'll still be crazy.
I still can't believe I'm actually doing this. I must be certifiably insane. I should be checked into a facility. I'm on a plane. TO AUSTRALIA (well to Dallas but en route you know). I must be insane. I know, I know, YOLO or whatever but really. My brain is still in denial. I still can't believe that I'm going to wake up (?) and be in another HEMISPHERE. I almost started crying at the airport. I love my family, even with all their problems. I really miss them. But I know this is going to be incredible. And that's what scares me. What if it's not awesome? You know what, I need to chillax. It's never the experiences you have that determine how good something is, it's your attitude. If I have a kickass attitude, this will be good. Also, there's those creepy formal people sitting next to me, while I'm in my Sophies and leggings. I wasn't aware sitting 7 rows away from the bathroom made you royalty but whatever. I must be insane. That's what I keep saying to myself. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO MY WHOLE BRAIN IS CRYING. Lol. You know what the soundtrack is to my life right now? Marry You. Hey baby, we're looking for something dumb to do. Geez the South is flat. And hardly any trees. It looks like Goyte in his video. Oh and the chick in front of me. No that's cool, you put your seat all the way back while I'm trying to use the tray table. It's the same girl who packed the box at check-in. Sometimes the land has squiggles. I didn't know people actually did that. Oh wow a town. It's like the size of one of the fields. Not tired yet but I'm sure that's coming. I am insane. Actually, someone once defined isanity as doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. That's definitely not this. Who have I become? Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you. This is insane. Is it possible to be thrilled and terrified at the same time? Well that's me. I wonder seriously if Aussies have heard Call Me Maybe...what a great legacy to leave behind. Introducing them to Carly Rae. They would hate me. Lol. New goal: introduce at least one person to Call Me Maybe. Speaking of goals. I'd like to go skydiving. And bungee jumping. But I'm terrified. I guess that's the point. Really though who have I turned into. An adrenaline junkie? What happened to that little girl who refused to jump off the diving board and had to be thrown off? I can see the shadows the clouds are making on the ground, that's crazy. It doesn't seem real when you're up this high. Are there any monuments in Texas? Something you could see from the air. Nothing I've seen so far. Someday I'm going to write a book and it's going to be full of things like this. Memoirs/diary entries. And it's going to be called I Told You I Was Crazy. By Sarah Adams. I probably have some crazy anecdotes. Or maybe I should make it family centered and call it I Told You They Were Crazy. Or We're All Crazy: The Adams Family. Actually, strike that, reverse it (10 pts for a CATCF reference). I want to see a rainstorm from up here. Apparent it's crazy. I really hope I get to meet Sinatra in heaven. And listen to him sing. Also next million dollar idea: Apple controls that go in your mouth. Adjust volume, play/pause, next/last all by touching your tongue different #s of times. They keep doing that ding-dong noise. I actually think it's the flight attendants communicating. I wonder what like 20 ding-dongs mean. Probably either "We're going down" or "I fucking hate these passengers." Ha. I wonder how fast people can write. What would the world record for that be? There's probably some creepy person who can use like 10 pencils at once and write super fast. This sounds like the ramblings of a drunk or junkie (I almost wrote juggie). Woah big lake. No boats though. What if I died right now and my last thought was "That lake has no boats." More to come later, don't worry I'll still be crazy.
DISCLAIMER
Alright so, this blog is going to continue. But it's headed in a new direction. This blog is going to be my experience in Australia. Now, I know only two people are going to read this but I need to make this statement.
I want this to basically be my diary of Australia. Which means that sometimes, I might post things that are weird, sad, or make it sound like I'm not having a good time. But let me get this out of the way now: if I'm truly not having a good time and I want to come home, I will tell you. So please don't ask if I'm okay because of something I say on here. It's alright to ask if I'm okay in general, and I'll probably tell you. But I don't want to keep a full diary and a full blog, so I'm going to try to combine them as much as I can.
That being said, this won't be strictly a journal of how I'm feeling. This blog will focus mainly on what I'm doing, but occasionally, I'll tell you guys how I'm feeling too.
Sorry if that's confusing. I'm still working out the kinks. So let's get started!
I want this to basically be my diary of Australia. Which means that sometimes, I might post things that are weird, sad, or make it sound like I'm not having a good time. But let me get this out of the way now: if I'm truly not having a good time and I want to come home, I will tell you. So please don't ask if I'm okay because of something I say on here. It's alright to ask if I'm okay in general, and I'll probably tell you. But I don't want to keep a full diary and a full blog, so I'm going to try to combine them as much as I can.
That being said, this won't be strictly a journal of how I'm feeling. This blog will focus mainly on what I'm doing, but occasionally, I'll tell you guys how I'm feeling too.
Sorry if that's confusing. I'm still working out the kinks. So let's get started!
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