Melbourne…

New York…

Chicago…

North Carolina <3…

Florida, Georgia, Hawaii…

Bali…

and Thailand: Thank you to every person who has contributed to my travels, who has helped me grow along the way and made me a better person, who shared with me love, laughter and a whole ‘lotta life… you, and your homes, have all been very gracious and wonderful hosts. I will never forget the things you taught me, and the myriad of ways that you changed me.

I’ll see you guys again, when you go on more of your own adventures… and meet me in Sydney!

Santih. x

Arriving in Bangkok was a very welcome experience; though a number of Thai people complained about the heat, it felt about twenty times cooler to a person who’d been living inside a kiln for the last week (i.e. Bali, with a fever). I walked outside to arrivals, and right in front of me was a chauffeur to not only escort me to my awaiting private BMW limousine, but also carry my bags, offer me an orange scented cold towel for my face and a bottle of chilled water (did I mention that it was included in the room price?). It was kind of comical how different my arrival in Thailand was compared to Indonesia. Meanwhile, I was driven to my hotel – Lebua at State Tower – and was upgraded to the 58^th floor (I mean, that’s basically almost penthouse, right?). My room had a loungeroom, a kitchen, and a huge marble bathroom complete with separate tub and shower. Free new release movies on my widescreen TV. Free minibar drinks. And I had a 180 degree view of Bangkok city and the river.

Are you jealous yet?

So, let’s be honest, I can totally rough it when I travel – this blog is testimony to my experiences with used condoms in my room, toilets covered in spew and an infestation of many kinds of bugs I never knew existed – but I am most definitely open to a luxurious hotel. Most. Definitely. And OH MY GOD, the breakfast?! It was buffet style, and also complimentary, and it offered seven tables of delicious food. Think six different kinds of freshly squeezed juice… five different kinds of bread that you can choose to have toasted in a wood fired oven… brie, BBQ pork buns, curry or Chinese croissant (whatever tickles your fancy, right?). Don’t worry, I loaded up on just about everything. More than once. I don’t think I could ever verbalize just how awesome this hotel was. Totes recommend if you’re willing to empty the change purse (agoda.com will save you hundreds).

Anyway, I decided not to venture too far out into Bangkok and instead use the time to chill out. After not having eaten properly for two days, and craving some kind of Western food, I did the most culturally adverse thing I could think of: I sought out a McDonald’s. There was a 24-hr one right around the corner, and I won’t lie… I totally had it for dinner two nights in a row (WHAT OF IT? Don’t judge me). I also wandered around the immediate streets around my hotel and had a marvellous time window shopping… motor bike riding (I hopped on the back of one to go check out a few stores. I didn’t buy anything, but it was totally worth it for the ride!) and getting a manicure (I watched some crazy Thai movie without any English subtitles while getting my nails done, all I remember is some crazy Thai man running around wildly in a kind of hilarious panic with his wrist chained to the cut off arm of his dead lover. Ahahahahah… aaaah. Quality!).

Anyway, the next night I was settling in for some hardcore movie watching with my burger and coke in tow, and looked down at my legs as I was changing into my PJs and noticed a ridiculously peculiar rash all over my ankles and up to my knees. It didn’t itch or hurt or anything, but needless to say I was kind of (and by kind of, I mean REALLYREALLYREALLY) freaked out because I’d had the fever only a few days before and rash + fever in Thailand usually = bad. I ended up calling a doctor to come to my room because the rash was like, pretty severely THERE and I’d never seen anything like it and had, in the mean time, googled “leg rash” and diagnosed myself with Dengue fever. So the doctor came, and he was really friendly and fluent (you have no idea how much I was dreading having to talk in broken English and point to things rather than speak properly while in a reasonably incoherent panic mode) and took a blood test and my blood pressure and all these other things. And after a little while he called me to let me know that my test was negative, the rash was probably from an external irritation and the fever was a passing virus. I felt pretty relieved, despite feeling like I had gangrene or something because my legs looked diseased (it has disappeared now, case you were wondering… man, I can’t believe I’m talking about my RASH so in depth on the internet. Lulz). Basically, the moral of the story is: THREE CHEERS FOR TRAVEL INSURANCE! The next day, feeling a little better about life and still sufficiently pampered, I was driven to the airport for my next stop: Chiang Rai.

Chiang Rai is a northern province of Thailand, is much less polluted than Bangkok and features a somewhat questionable airport (i.e. is this really an airport?). I caught a taxi to the Mirror Foundation’s guesthouse and basically hung out for a couple of nights. The first night I tagged along with one of the managers of the guesthouse to this HUGE night market which I never saw again… it went on and on and on for so long that I actually ended up turning around at one point in fear of not knowing how to find my way back to the beginning to get a tuk tuk back (which are the best, btw. I so wish these were all over the streets of Sydney). It was possibly the best thing ever; I was so overwhelmed by, like, STUFF that I was in a gleeful daze the whole time. The following night I met a few other volunteers and we mingled with some Irish and American backpackers, which was a refreshing break re: conversation (I struck up conversation with anyone whenever I could, but these exchanges were always kind of lacking because most of the time I’d be trying to rephrase myself to be understood, y’know?). On Monday, we were picked up by one of the volunteer co-ordinators in my first songthaew experience (which was one of very many; it’s basically a ute/truck, but the back has a roof and there are seats along the sides for people to pile up in. If you’ve ever ridden in one, you’ll understand the hilarity of having 17 PEOPLE in one car and feeling everysinglebump on the road with steel bars sticking into your bum and luggage falling on your head). The first day at Mirror was spent getting to know all of the other volunteers… there were twelve of us for orientation in total, and about six others who’d already been there for a couple of weeks.

So, The Mirror Foundation… my verdict? I would definitely recommend volunteering there (I went through IVHQ). I will be honest, the food is a little less than desired – after five days of often flavourless or too spicy food, we were all ridiculously excited to eat pizza in town (I’m talking salivating at the mouth kind of excited; Devon and I ordered a LARGE “meat deluxe” with a crust made out of pigs in a blanket filled with cheese. For real. We also ordered entrees and I drank like, 40 glasses of iced tea. I wanted to die afterwards. DIE OF AWESOME!). But despite that, I don’t think it would be enough to deter me from wanting to go again. And anyway, you can visit the supermarket to pick up fruit and snacks, etc, so it’s pretty easy getting by. Also – the flavours of Pocky available in Thailand make me giddy with happiness… like “milk” Pocky (vanilla, I guess. But milky! MILKY!) or chocolate covered in banana Pocky or LYCHEE Pocky. I’m such a sucker for supermarkets. Meanwhile, the girls dormitory is really fun and communal and there ARE toilets that aren’t dug out of the earth and the showers – though cold – aren’t from a bucket. The general atmosphere of the place is really writhing with energy and spirit. And despite having only spent a fortnight with the other volunteers, I feel like it’s been more like months than days… I miss them already!

Now, the actual reason why I was in Thailand was to teach, and I was given some really great and diverse opportunities to do that even though it was a short introduction to the world of ESL. While volunteering for mirror, I taught at a school for children with disabilities on my first day – possibly some of the sweetest and good-natured children on the planet. We coloured in masks and ran around wearing them, took photos and had our photos taken, and basically kept them all entertained with animal related games… a la duck, duck goose.

I also taught at a local primary school, called Huay Fai… that day was kiiinda frustrating because there was some pretty bad miscommunication which left us really unprepared, but on the bright side… we totally got through it! The lessons were actually really successful now that I reflect on them; at one point, while playing a drama game with the Grade 5 class, I threw in a whole new action that related to the words we were teaching and they understood every little trick I tried to throew their way… it was one of those happy teacher moments, if you know what I mean (basically I was all YAY, YOU GET IT! etc, etc and feeling super proud of them). They would laugh at our attempt to speak in Thai (like when we’d tell them to be quiet, which I think is spelt “niehp” but we mispronounced at first and they started doing the road runner… ahaha) and try to correct us, but they’d always listen in the end. At the end of class, they all race up to you for an autograph, and a hug or a kiss on the cheek, so you left the school feeling like an absolute rock star.

I had an impromptu one-on-one lesson with one of the Thai interns, which was kind of stressful (like, I literally had to improvise a lesson on the spot) but it taught me a lot, which I was grateful for. And I also hung out with some of the village kids in the afternoons and for Saturday English lessons; we basically played games with them and kept them all amused with dancing (oh, highlight of the week: teaching a group of Thai children how to dance to Lady Gaga. WINNER!).

At Mirror, we’d hang out a lot in the dorms… mostly on Rebecca’s bed, eating Pocky or nutella. One night we had a bonfire and Sara played guitar and sung and we listened and lol’d to the crazy yogi guy that wanders around talking about and grabbing his “first chakra” and ho, ho, ho’ing instead of laughing like a normal human being. Some days were also spent playing with the numerous friendkly kitties or trying to avoid this particular dog who had some kind of horrible skin disease that made it look like a zombie… we affectionately called him “Puss Eyed Satan”. On the weekend, we all ventured into town and saw the White Temple, this AMAZING temple that is a pristine, glittery white and with crazy paintings inside of science fiction characters flying around the walls behind a Buddhist statue’s head. We also visited the Black House, which is kind of like a museum, and also kind of a waste of time re: wow factor. I mean, it was cool. But, like…  …….the White Temple was clearly cooler.

We did have a few drinks one night, and then the following a small group of us decided to stay in and have a girly night because that afternoon, after having a Thai foot massage (I had a Ladyboy give me mine. Hilarious experience? Yes!) we bought face masks and pore strips and all that good stuff. We watched ridiculous T-pop music videos and then got freaked out by some creepy Thai zombie woman and then scared to death by everyone else running into our room through the window and front door, interrupting our loud rendition of Katy Perry’s “Firework”… it was a good weekend. 

The following week was spent on a homestay; for 3 days, we stayed at New Life, a recovery centre for past drug addicts. Sounds like it’d be kinda dodgy, but the grounds were beautiful, clean and totally peaceful and the residents there (a mix of Thai and international) were very kind and welcoming. The food was also yummy, especially the night where we had a pumpkin soup that, when rice was added, tasted like some kind of amazing dessert. Anyway, we were there to build a pig pen which I greatly underestimated the degree of difficulty in actually getting this thing off the ground… basically it involved a whole pile of digging and peeling the bark off of gross, stinky wood. Like, we were BUILDING-building this thing, I had this great little picture in my mind of painting little piggies on the tin roof and getting all tangled in the wire fencing but, uh, no. So it was kinda challenging for me, mostly because I signed up for the indoor program for the very reason that I don’t really get along with outdoor projects. We just don’t get each other. Not even in a “let’s go dutch” kind of sense. BUT, I tried, and everyone found my adverse reaction to being outside more funny than anything else, so I basically sat down most of the time hammering away at the wood and singing nineties songs with Rebecca.

I DID get to teach for two of the days, though… and that was really, really awesome. Sara and I taught the Thai residents English for an hour each day and the lessons went brilliantly, they were so eager to learn. They’d call me P’ Stephanie (P’ meaning “elder” or as a sign of respect) or “teacher, teacher!” and bring us food and water and sit attentively and then giggle when they tricked us into saying “I love you” in Thai because they thought we were suay (oh yeah, totally just threw in a Thai word there…!).  I could have happily taught them every day. The other activities we did involved an arts class, where we learnt how to make simple bracelets like how the Hilltribes do, and one afternoon was a drama class… which… was… so bad. I don’t think I could possibly rant about it anymore, but basically he had no idea how to teach (after spending 5 years at uni supposedly learning how) and treated us like we were 10 year olds stuck in a Nazi regime (he was German, beeteedubbs). His attitude sucked hardcore and it basically taught me how NOT to teach… not that I’d try to teach the word “oppression” to Thai residents by using more long words and little added expression after playing silly little warm up games for 2 hours with peple who don’t yet understand words like “how” and “why” (are you clear about how I felt about this douche bag? Just in case he wasn’t, I pretty much told him to his face, too. My bad?). On a brighter note, I woke up for sunrise each day – once, for a Buddhist holiday where we went to a temple and listened to the chanting and ate vegetarian dishes all day – and the other just because I wanted to, the sunrises over the mountains are so, so, so pretty in Thailand.

After New Life, we got to go ride some elephants - which, I admit, I felt really terrible about. But, I mean… when in Thailand? - and then we got to feed a 7 month old elephant bub. This (not-so-)lil guy was seriously CRAZY with energy. I’m talking bouncing off the walls, literally. When I tried to get him to stay still long enough for a photo by holding out the banana, I was basically bitch slapped for making him wait too long for his food. Funniest goddamn thing ever.

Afterwards we got to wash off the mud and play in a waterfall (which only took half my life to climb to. BUT I DID IT! …with the help of about ten people saving my butt from slipping into the creek, of course) and then we went to the Lahu village overnight and experienced more of the Hilltribe culture. The kids were really fun to play with, and the animals milling around provided endless enjoyment for yours truly. Well, except the roosters. Oh, god… the roosters. None of us slept that night! Though, speaking of animals… Paul randomly found this 4 week old black puppy wandering around the streets squealing by his lonesome so we tried to save the poor little thing from impending doom. He looked like a little grizzly bear, it was the CUTEST thing ever… he fell right to sleep in my hand and then we made this little bed for him outside and he’d wrap his paws around my wrist and give me kisses. He wasn’t there in the morning though, so we consoled ourselves by deciding that his mummy found him, managed to take the blanket and set up a new home in a lavish garden full of other happy, ALIVE, puppies. Not ones that we may have eaten for breakfast (they said it was pork. But…uh…) And, since everyone at Mirror is aware of it, I feel the whole of internet-land should be too: I’m basically a hero, because I not only braved the squat toilets three times to pee… but I totally did a number twosie AS WELL. Believe it. I’m a KING (you would understand the weight of this if you’ve ever experienced Asian toilets with their hoses, no toilet paper, and kneeling over a basin in the floor. THE FLOOR!).

When we got back to Mirror, it was to pack all over again… the rest of the volunteers were going away for the weekend but I had to gather up my life from the past 7 months and embark on the journey home. It was really sad for me to say goodbye to everyone, because it meant saying goodbye to the whole adventure, everything I’d done, seen and experienced the past few months, getting farther and farther away from me as my plane took off. But, just as there’s nothing quite like chasing the sun across the horizon and watching it rise over the clouds… there’s nothing like coming home to Australia.

Let’s get one thing straight: the airport in Denpasar is not a friendly airport. The Balinese are very friendly people, but the airport? No ma’am. Stepping off the plane high strung from sleep deprivation, food confusion (Korean food without English translation… except for the red velvet cheesecake flavoured ice cream that was mistranslated as “red carpet” …HA!), double homesickness (Sydney AND Boone) and anxiety (midnight arrival in a non-Western country for the very first time) was not entirely the best way to arrive in Indonesia. And the “DRUGS = DEATH” signs littered around the place kind of ruin what little ambience the airport might have scraped by on.

Somehow, by some kind of miracle, my checked luggage actually made it to Bali, and after picking up all my stuff I was targeted by airport “porters” to help me carry my stuff through security – that kind of sucked. They were so firm and official looking that I assumed it was a service provided by the airport, and though I declined at first, after finally allowing them to walk with my luggage some 10 metres they then turned around and asked me for money. Lesson learned: stand your ground! Then, after walking outside to the arrivals area, I find… no transfer. No one. Nothing. A whole pile of other transfers for other people, but nothing for me. I sit down, and wait. And wait. And half an hour goes by and I realize I don’t know where a pay phone is nor do I have small enough change for a call anyway. I get asked countless times for a taxi and whether or not I’m waiting for a boyfriend, and then, finally… a taxi driver offers me his phone. I called the retreat and due to complete miscommunication, they thought I was arriving the NEXT night – except, of course, I actually couldn’t understand what he was trying to tell me at the time because phone conversations between foreigners are unbelievably pointless.

So, after hanging up and feeling almost completely defeated and with no idea what to do, I ask the taxi driver if he would drive me the two hours to the retreat (price really wasn’t an issue). So, with my bags in toe, I follow this guy to his cab… freaking out because their taxis don’t have meters. Thinking that this “taxi” driver was basically abducting me, I started to resign myself to kidnapping before finally locating his taxi license. Then, while he spoke to me in broken English about his two young daughters, I noticed his Popeye seatbelt covers. I stopped holding my breath but didn’t completely relax until he pulled into the long, narrow driveway for Bagus Jati. Crisis averted. Crazy, right? No one can ever tell my mother.

But, the retreat? Breathtaking in a whole new way (devoid of life threatening feelings!). I had my own villa, with a wonderfully huge bed and soft, fluffy towels. A little golf cart will come pick you up from your room, at your beck and call, to drop you at other places because your villa overlooks the forest. Every morning there were yoga sessions and every afternoon they held meditation… it really gave me this surreal calm in contrast to the fear I experienced 12 hours beforehand. At the retreat, I had a traditional Balinese massage (one hour of AMAZING) with a flower/salt soak and a spiced banana leaf wrap… then a pedicure. Spoiling myself here was a completely necessary task, obviously.

Meanwhile, to kill time I learnt about and tried “Jamu”… a medicine made from turmeric and egg yolk and other interestingly paired ingredients that the Balinese drink for power, and I also experienced a purification ceremony. I had a personal guide take me to a waterfall, where people go to “cleanse” themselves of figurative dirt… health problems, negative energy, etc. We made an offering to the gods (with these elaborate flower plates) and prayed, which had really intricate details… you hold the incense a specific way, you use only certain coloured petals, you pray with your hands at your forehead because any lower is incorrect. You pray with a whole bunch of people and then go down into the waterfall, which is knee deep, and then put your head beneath the fall both forwards and backwards until you are clean… and you don’t touch the surface of the water near the falls because it is dirty water. Then you move along and take 11 sips of water (exactly 11) and splash the water on your face. It’s very step-by-step, and the Balinese take it very seriously. It was so amazing you be a part of. Afterwards, I had all of these high school kids taking photos with me because I was the only foreign person there who had just been blessed by the water. You pray again, eating 7 grains of rice and then placing the rest on your forehead and throat and there’s all this beautiful chanting and praying to the different gods. It’s a definite journey from the winding stairs to the waterfall – one that I really hadn’t anticipated – but it’s so satisfying in the end. When the Balinese pray, they end their prayers with “Om, santih, santih, santih” which is a blessing of peace. And after a few days, you finally figure out what it is that Bali smells like: an almost overpowering smell of incense - from all of the daily offerings!

I only stayed at the retreat for two days, and then I went to an Ashram in Candidasa called Gedong Gandhi Ashram and it’s literally right beside the ocean. The community there was so sweet and friendly. The food was really delicious and we prayed before every meal; they hold “puja” four times beginning at 5am (trust me, I didn’t even attempt to make this one… I went to the evening prayers). It’s very simple living, and I thank god for the mosquito net shielding me from giant buzzing moths, a hundred mozzies and singing geckos among other creepy crawlies on any given night. The Ashram also had a kindergarten attached that I was allowed to observe and then sing “Twinkle, twinkle little star” with the children… they were the cutest kids, they all greet you with their right hand (left hands are for wiping, if you catch my drift) and say good morning (Salamat Pagi). It was a privilege being allowed into their classroom – their English lessons are brief and the remaining class time is spoken in Indonesian, but I still understood what was happening most of the time.

I did a little shopping, but… one day I tried to get to Ubud and after the hour and a half drive I started to feel sick about five minutes after getting into the town. So I basically spent the whole 2 hours I had there sitting down in a restaurant with an ever-increasing temperature to go back to the Ashram and sleep the fever off. Unfortunately, my mother called during this time without my knowledge and freaked out for a whole day thinking that I was dying from malaria, trying to figure out a contingency plan to send my brother to come rescue me. I basically had to force myself to sleep for the whole of the following day to fight off whatever was terrorizing my body, which was really disappointing. When I finally got to the airport to catch my flight to Bangkok, I felt sick from over-sleeping, not eating (I’d decided I couldn’t eat anymore Indonesian food and was craving a burger. Like, literally dreaming about fast food) and humidity (worst humidity I have ever experienced; I would shower and then instantly be sticky)… and though I experienced some pretty wonderful things and met some lovely people… I was pretty happy to know that in 4 hours, I’d have my own personal chauffeur driving me to a 5-star hotel with someone to carry my bags for me!

I miss the mountains

All the while the wild wind blows

Stinging you with snow…

My final few weeks in Boone were so bitter sweet: I tried to make the most of the dwindling days, and because of that, I had a wonderful time… but I was desperately trying not to think about how I’d be leaving my small little town for good. Saying goodbye to the classes I’d come to thrive in was difficult, both because I know I won’t get that kind of creative freedom again back home, and because each of my classes had become more like groups of friends, teachers included.

Poetry writing <3

Acting (and Derek’s hound, Tallulah) <3

 Oral interpretation <3

Saying goodbye to the theatre kids was particularly hard, too. So many happy memories exist just in the hallway of Chapel Wilson; you couldn’t walk 5 metres without running into someone you knew. We threw a party in my honour before college broke off for the Christmas break, too, and I had such a great night… I felt so lucky, knowing I’d been given the opportunity to really establish a life in Boone, one that I actually did not want to leave just yet. I am going to miss, so much, walking into the next room to watch Netflix and cuddle with my room mate, the shaking of THE magic eight ball with my roflcat, braving the wind chill for a chilli bread bowl just down the street during snow days, small talk with the awesome CW cleaning lady, midnight Cook Out shake runs (banana pudding, yes ma’am!), flirting with the grocery boy with my basket full of our staples (spinach, bananas and soy milk), and playing in the kitty room with like-minded kitty-loving friends. <3. Boone, you have been so good to me.

The biggest roflsaurus rex I ever met. <3



Paaaaarttty!



Did I mention this happened? Ohhhh yeeeeeah. 

Driving down the mountain was a sad day.
 

Cue a white Christmas. We went to Greensboro on the 23rd to stay with Mackie, Anna’s g-ma. It apparently hadn’t snowed on Christmas day since something like 1947, and do you want to know what happened when we all began opening presents Christmas morning? It damn well snowed. Like, 7 inches. The only problem with that was, unequipped with the demands of the weather, our flight from Greensboro was cancelled and screwed up all of our connections. Anna spent like a day on the phone, and eventually it was decided that we’d drive to Charlotte the next day, stay at an airport hotel, and then catch a whole new flight the following. It was kinda shitty, but. Well. I mean. IT SNOWED. I was living a Bing Crosby carol and my childhood American Christmas movies all at once. Blissful!

But, you wanna know how weird it is to go from – 5 degrees (Celsius) to 25 degrees + humidity? Oh, not weird at all. REALLY FREAKIN’ WEIRD. Talk about massive climate change. But it was so nice stepping off the plane at Honolulu with the smell of flowers attacking the senses in the most merriest of ways; Hawaii has the most beautiful, fragrant smell. It was comforting, and familiar, despite only ever being there once before. We stayed in a different place than last year, in a Lae Nani condo, with its own pool and a cute little beach front… Anna and I got to bunk with Wilma and Gordo (score! Greatest aunt and uncle ever!). Our stay was a little less eventful than the first time together… less skinny-dipping, arcading and Secret Life of the American Teenager episodes and more sun-bathing, poker and, in my case… 24 (which I discovered on Netflix WAY TOO LATE).

Just ridin’ a turtle. We like turtles.

 

Anna won the almost-nightly rounds of poker, I came in second (true story: I didn’t even really play poker until this trip!) and created a game with Gordo called “Tattoo”… ahaha. I also went on a hike. I’ll repeat, I went on a hike. I brought up the rear, of course, but I made it in one piece and despite being sans camera, took in some memorable views of Kauai. I also got up before 7am and drove for an hour and a half for another, more difficult hike (I swear I’m not telling lies) but we were all met with closed beaches and slippery grounds… so it turned into a breakfast adventure instead. I got about two shades darker than my usual alabaster… triangle boobs included. And we still made a bonfire and let off some awesome fireworks for 2011. It was a simple and easy greeting for the new year (though Anna and I did see a baby hammerhead shark washed up on the shore that made us wonder where mumma shark was lurking… uh oh!). On New Year’s Day, we went to a Hawaiian celebration where they chanted, sung, and played conch shells and served plates and plates of delicious, colourful vegan food. Hippies a’plenty… many attractive-bearded-men-wearing-tye-dye fantasies followed.

Saying goodbye to Anna wasn’t so simple and easy, though. The last time we’d spent so long together had been a year ago, when she first came to Australia. I’d been away from home for half a year now, and was going to be boarding a plane to places very unknown to me, and saying another “see you soon” to my sunshine put me even more out of sync with the world than I was already feeling… knowing that it won’t be until the end of June that I’ll get to see her again (but at least then it’s for a whole year!). She hid these beautifully thoughtful gifts in my backpack, one of which was a hardcover book she’d had printed and sleeved, of all the poetry and plays I had written during my exchange semester… like I was a real published author. I think I put a lot of people on edge with my sobbing! But, nevertheless, I had to pack it all away (like my 2 tonne of luggage… fml!) and board the first of three flights for my new destination: Indonesia.

So, I’m writing this from the safety of my couch, within the warmth of my Candy Cane themed pajamas, with a hundred kinds of confectionary and other homely foods at my fingertips. It is MINUS 10 degrees outside. If you combine that with a blizzard, and wind chill, it’s more like MINUS 25. Yeah, you’re reading that correctly. This Australian, the one that barely braved a 10 degree Winter day back home, is living in conditions she might compare to the Antarctic. Meanwhile, if you get past the nasal congestion that has frozen to your nostrils, the bitter wind blinding you with tiny pieces of ice and and slippery snow beneath your cold feet… it’s really quite lovely. No, really… a Winter Wonderland. The first time the snow settled, I was like a little kid who’d just seen the North Pole and realized Saint Nick was real. Like, ok… I’ve seen snow, sure. I climbed a god-forsaken mountain in the snow. But this is different… I live here. This isn’t a camping trip to Canberra. This is the town that I live in, that operates on a regular basis, and it is SNOWING on me. Not just sleeting, but big pretty snowflakes are falling from the heavens just to delight me. It’s kinda surreal. Especially when you’ve seen this town morph from melting summer heat and green leaves to cooling temperatures and golds and oranges and then now to bare and covered in a layer of white, beautiful snow. Anna and I went out to our back parking lot at 1am and ruined a perfect stretch of untouched snow by making snow angels, and snow balls, and sliding, and snow-cream… a delicacy I’d like to think that includes vanilla essence, sugar, milk aaaaand… snow. Tastes just like a vanilla shake! So, basically, with Hollywood and Bing Crosby having filled my head as a child that Christmas is even better when it is snowing, I’m really feeling the Christmas spirit this year. There are snowflake lights hanging from lamp posts and pumpkin and egg nog flavoured soy milk and radio stations dedicated to 24/7 carolling. Winter Wonderland, indeed!

So, what’s been happening since my last entry… Well, for starters, I went to nearby Asheville – a hub for the artsy – to visit Clare (we go way back!) and see Jonsi at Moogfest. Ben, Sam and I road-tripped together and had an amazing time. It was Halloween weekend, and we frolicked around town with Clare and then went to see the best live concert I have ever seen in my life. Basically, during one song, I felt my cheek and realized I’d started crying without really knowing just from how beautiful Jonsi’s voice sounded coupled with a dazzling light show and stage projections. It was a religious experience, honestly. HAIL JONSI. The next day, we dressed up for Halloween and frolicked some more. I decided to use my good friend, the Competitive Actor (from my 21st, at the bar) for inspiration and dressed up as the cocktail “Sex on an Alligator”… wearing my giant sparkly Alligator hat from Florida, a green tutu, face paint and glitter. Obvi, I was the sex, and technically the Alligator was on me, but let’s not get pedantic! It was so great to see Clare, and the city limits of her new home. Asheville had been my other choice for an NC campus and the café within a double decker bus and the store devoted to delicious chocolate would have helped make my stay that much more comfortable… but there’s nothing like my little town, Boone. <3
During this month, I went to my first (and probably last) football game ever, and actually got into it… cheering with my little foam hand and everything. I also went to an elementary school in Bethel (150 students… from Kindergarten to Year 8. Crazy, right?) and taught them about Australia. They were the most warm and receptive kids in the world… even the 7th grader that told me he shot a squirrel with his dad and then ate it for dinner that night. Hahaha. <3

In November, I did something I’d been wanting to do for years… I went to this place nearby called Speakeasy, spoke to my man Greg, and got inked. I’d been thinking again about getting a tattoo for a while, and knew I wanted the Japanese proverb “Fall down seven, stand up eight” because I’d felt an affinity with that saying since I was a teenager. After much consultation, I ended up redesigning it (I was going to get it on my foot, but Greg advised against it) and coupled the saying with a koi fish…

“Strength in time of adversity – Koi fish also symbolizes persistence and the willingness to go on even though you are being swept away. It also symbolizes surpassing expectations. The Koi fish swimming upriver can show that a person has overcome various obstacles and not only does he or she keep standing, but he or she has come out victorious.”

…and had it tattooed on the underside of my forearm. To be honest, it didn’t really hurt as much as I’d prepared myself for. Sure, it was uncomfortable, and I’d rather a massage any day… but the first thing I said was, “Huh… that’s… not that bad at all” and winced only a few times. I think I’d compare it to the feeling of an electric toothbrush on your skin. Really fast vibrations, and a little warm. I was in the chair for half an hour at most, and afterwards felt an insane rush of happiness for having gotten it. It’s my own personal talisman, and I’m always going to remember where I got it and why. Perfect. ☺ About a fortnight later, I got my nose pierced. It hurt ten times more than my tattoo. And though it hurts like a bitch when I accidently pull it out after rubbing my face with my towel, I love it too!

Next on the agenda… the premiere of the 7th film in the Harry Potter franchise. I went to the midnight showing with Anna, Maddy, Ben, Sam, and our friends Kyle, Jodie, Tara and Gayle. We totally dressed up for the occasion, and were mildly disgusted at the lack of similar commitment. I went as Professor Trelawney, and Anna dressed up as Luna Lovegood… basically the two strangest characters in the whole series, so, woo! I thought the 7th movie is the best thus far, and my favourite scene is when Harry and Hermione have an awkward dance in their tent. It was heart warming and cute and all that good stuff. Thumbs up, David Yates. Anna and I also used our costumes to dress up and sit in on one of Kyle’s lectures at uni. We sufficiently weirded out his students.

November also featured my first, and last, NouN show at Legends… a function centre that features a stage and a dance floor. NouN, the improv troupe at ASU, put on a ticketed show and we basically had a ball while doing it… I love those guys so much. I got to do the final game, which is for out-going members only, called “Oxy Dep”… three players, two of which can only be on stage at a time, and every time you’re on the wings you have to dunk your head into an esky of ICE COLD WATER and then justify your reason for entering the scene dripping wet and freezing (see photo). It’s hilarious, and agonizing, but completely hilarious. Being in NouN has been an absolute privilege and an honour for me, and I will be forever grateful for the opportunity I was given here to be back on a stage again, improvising.

And, finally… but not at all the least of my adventures, THE Courtney Pink came to visit us in Boone! It was such a fun week… particularly when we had “Courtney Pink” Day and dressed up… we looked like some strange all-girl punk band, and I was totally down with that. On Thursday, we had Thanksgiving, and ate a bucketload of food at Anna’s parents house. Pumpkin pie and pecan pie included! Mackie’s world-famous cranberry salad was a definite highlight. Then, with our bellies full, we ventured home and stayed up… for a very, very long time. At midnight, we left for the outlet mall… for BLACK FRIDAY sales, of course! From there, we drove through to the G’boro to go to a bunch of malls for further shopping goodness. We said a sad goodbye to our favourite PinkBits at the airport and managed to avoid an accident on the way home due to massive sleep deprivation by counting the Christmas trees tied to the roofs of cars. It was a competition at one point, and Anna won because I was DISADVANTAGED, I wasn’t wearing my glasses. I think we counted 242 altogether. Anyway, I slept a total of 2 hours in 38. We shopped for 12 of those. It was pretty badass! And, what am I thankful for? Wonderfully supportive friends (stateside & down under), kind Southerners, buy-one-get-one-free ice cream specials + Netflicks + sleepovers, and long distance phone calls. <3

A Vlog post about Fall Break: Orlando, Florida… and Harry Potter World!

Ok. Wow. Where do I begin? This is where blogging becomes difficult, because you get so caught up in, like… life (remember that thing?) that you forget to catch everyone else up so that they’re right there with you… even though you’re on the other side of the world. I have so much to tell you, guys… so, grab a Dr. Pepper, visit the little Boys/Girls room and kick back your feet…

Firstly, classes here have been great. No, seriously. I take Creative Writing: Poetry, Playwriting, The Actor and Oral Interpretation. I don’t have any exams, and have kinda forgotten how to do APA referencing because I haven’t had to and will not write any academic essays. And, yeah, I’m also totally getting credit for these subjects back home! Let’s be honest here, though… I’ve been having difficulty trying to get used to the homework load – yeah, that’s right, homework – and consequently find myself doing them the night before in a half-arsed attempt the make the grade… though, speaking of, I’m actually going really well here… I’m achieving the equivalent of High Distinctions in all of my classes, so knock on wood that doesn’t change after Fall break!

A quick breakdown: the Poetry class is good – surprisingly, I haven’t been hitting my head against the wall in writer’s block, which has been a pleasant change from the norm. This is the first poem that I wrote for the class, a sestina, potentially one of the most complicated poetic forms ever intvented (ergo: fml!):

The Nightly Routine

I find myself awake at three in the morning,

find my jaw aching, from grinding teeth,

from reciting lines in my sleep, a rhythm

of Hello’s. How are you’s. I am well.

I can hear faint replies riding in on the wind,

but none that tell my eyes to close.

Covers tight, door shut, but eyes not closed,

and it’s nearly four o’clock in the morning.

My breathing is irregular, like chimes, in the wind.

It’s cold. The air is mean. Chattering teeth,

I wonder how a doctor might diagnose my unwell,

check my heart, see how it beats out of rhythm.

The pounding in my ears, though, is rhythmic,

of too many thoughts. Sunrise is close,

but the night still feels like a lifetime, and, well—

it is now five-thirty in the morning.

I have watched the seconds with clenched teeth,

clock hands dizzying me like a pinwheel in the wind.

The ones, twos, threes, all winding,

on top of one another, a dance, out of rhythm,

and I find myself counting my teeth,

in place of sheep. Hoping my mind will close

off thoughts for longer than a second, at six in the morning,

but I know this feeling all too well.

“How well do you know me, how well?”

come the bitter whispers from the wind,

And I say, oh, come back again in the morning,

try to yawn it away, in a hypnotic rhythm,

of stretches, sighs. My eyes, opening and closing,

running my tongue over the front of my teeth.

In these hours, I try my hardest to bare my teeth,

in a make believe grin, to myself. I feel well.

I take off the covers, walk to the window, try to close

out the rumbling cars. The incessant wind.

I beg my heart to start beating, in rhythm.

Beg myself to sleep. At seven, in the morning.

I drag myself out of bed in the morning. I brush my teeth,

and the rhythm reminds me, “awake” is what I do well,

and how the wind keeps me up. How my windows never close.
 

I got 100/100 for that poem, which I was totally not expecting because it was my first poetry assignment EVAAAR, so I was really ‘effing happy about that! Playwriting, I won’t lie, is a bit of a joke: we basically sit in class and talk about my professor’s hate of Catholics and the general arsehole-ry of men. On the bright side, it’s kind of like a kick in the butt for me to churn out some work – keeping in mind I’ve never written anything resembling a play before, so I really dig the excuse – and there’s no absence maximum so I tend to only go once a week… or fortnight… ha! I’ve actually written my first short play, and I’m pretty happy with it… enquire within if you’re interested in reading! My acting class is a nice way to start the day, even though I struggle to get out of bed on the mornings that are 8 degrees… and though I only have to walk 30 seconds to get to the theatre, I usually end up getting laughed at (e.g. “It’s really not that cold Steph. You’re gonna die in Winter!”) because my scarf is wrapped around my head and I’m wearing layer upon layer of clothing. Sometimes my pyjamas.  It’s also a bit repetitive – “Kids, this, right here, is the diaphragm! Yay!” – but still really, really nice to be back in an acting class regardless. And, Oral Interp. is a blast – I love my class, everyone is so fun and friendly. Basically O.I. is an acting class, but a liiiittle different… you have to “interpret” texts to read, but you have to act it while reading. Similar concepts to Cultural Studies (groan). But I’m totally acing the class. So, case in point: I am loving on the English and Theatre departments here.

And so, with that out of the way, I am brought to my next story: turning 21 in America. I don’t even think a blog post will be an adequate way to express just how much fun, frivolity and general awesomeness was had during the week of my birthday. Firstly, some quick background information which will be useful to know later: months before I left for exchange, Anna and I discussed what I might like to do when I’m in the grand ol’ US of A, and among my list of potential things to do, I suggested we try to coincide a weekend trip to NY (being about an hour’s flight away) while Maddi and Kate were at the tail-end of their American adventure. This was met with many Hmmm… I dunno ’s and I really don’t think I’m gonna have the time to travel while I’m writing my thesis this semester ’s and I’m not really sure I can do that ’s. It was never really decided, but I never got my hopes up because it seemed like wishful thinking that I’d get to create my own Sex and the City experience with three wonderful, wonderful women. As it turned out (and so, the plot thickens…) about a fortnight before Maddi and Kate’s trip would end in NY, Maddi sent Anna and I an e-mail to regrettably let us know that she and Kate would be cutting their trip short by a few days because of a debacle at work. Meanwhile, Anna and I, bummed for Team Kateleine, tried to come up with the perfect day in NY so that they’d see as much as they could in a short amount of time. Now, good – let’s move on!

The night before my birthday, Anna and I had planned to have our friends Madeline, Sam and Ben come over so that we could hit up a bar at the stroke of midnight. Sam and Ben texted me with the unfortunate news that they both couldn’t afford to have a late night, and would catch up with me another time for post-birthday celebrations. I was a little bummed, it’s true, but I was pretty content to have a good night out with Annie and Maddy. I didn’t have rehearsal that night, and Maddy offered to take me out for some coffee and cake nearby my place after she was finished at the theatre – of which I happily accepted. So, at about 8:30pm, we left my apartment and proceeded to enjoy some java. After about an hour, when the café was closing up shop, we started to head back to mine… but Maddy complained about needing money. I offered, but she declined, and so we walked to the nearest ATM – on the other side of campus. Except Maddy wouldn’t tell me where exactly this ATM was located, and took the longest possible way. By this point, without realizing I’d be doing more than 5 minutes worth of walking, my shoes were giving me blisters and so I was barefoot. Then, halfway home again, Anna calls me in a panic to ask if I can walk to Earth Fare and buy flour and sugar –- for cookies, for Peer Career or… something -or-other –- because she’d forgotten, and we were all out, and she was knee-deep in a paper that was apparently due the next day. And I was like, ANNA, I’M BAREFOOT, AND TIRED, I WANT TO COME HOME AND GET INTO MY PYJAMAS and she’s like PLZ STEFFIE and I was like, fuuuuuuuuck because I felt bad, and she’d been real cute that day, so I thought… ok, FINE, and so we walked to Earth Fare. Of course, as I was walking towards the entrance, Anna calls me to say it was ok, and that I didn’t have to worry about it anymore. As it were, I found out that Earth Fare closed at 9, and it was almost 10 by this point. I was less than impressed, to say the least. Meanwhile, Maddy tries to give me a piggy back to save my poor feet, and we fall to the ground laughing, and we walk home hand in hand, both barefoot, so that I wouldn’t feel like a sore-footed loser. I get back to the apartment, I bang on the door because I couldn’t have been bothered searching through my bag for my keys, and then Anna opens the door…

The apartment has been decorated with balloons, and streamers, and metallic signs, and Anna was wearing a party hat and blowing a kazoo and dancing around like a monkey. And I basically erupted into laughter, and then she told me to go get my “present” from her room. I open the door, and—SURPRISE! My very first surprise party… Ben, Sam (haha, you guuuuys!), Miranda, Bailey, Gayle and Jodie, complete with more hats and kazoos and a happy birthday rendition. I couldn’t stop laughing. The night was great – there was cookie cake, drinks and funny stories shared… and then at midnight, Ben, Sam, Maddy, Anna and I walked down to Char – a nearby bar – for some more drinks. My first legal shot in America was called a Redheaded Slut – yeeesss! – followed by a Birthday Cake, an attempt at a Wet Pussy (dontcha just love asking for that at a bar? ) and then a delightful fellow known only as the “competitive actor” decided he should buy me a drink. It was called Sex on an Alligator. It tasted delicious. He didn’t get my number though. Funny moment: Sam losing her Polaroid photo to the toilet briefly, before fishing it out and showing me her triumph with her pants still unzipped. Best. We came home, I ran around the living room like an airplane, we chugged beer, we made ugly faces and then I sat in front of a trashcan and passed out. It was a truly magical evening with possibly the best photo evidence slideshow to date.

Cheers!

The next day was spent feeling pretty gross in the morning and sharing recollections of the evening with Maddy. I skipped my acting class because I kinda looked like I’d been hit by a truck. When I got up I opened a large wrapped box from Anna, which revealed… another wrapped box. I opened that one and it revealed… yep, you guessed it. Inside the very last box were travel size toiletries and a card telling me to pack my bag, bring my passport, and get excited… because we were leaving that night. I’m sure you can imagine my extreme curiosity and excitement… I went to my Oral Interp. Class and my teacher – a friend of Anna’s, also one of the loveliest women in the world – passed on a little gift from Anna in class and then everyone sung me happy birthday, which was really sweet. Straight after my last class, I came home and made sure I had all my stuff and then Anna and I started driving… we ended up in Greensboro to stay overnight at her grandmother’s with Anna’s friend, Maggie – who is a doll! FYI, Mackie is the sweetest, cutest Southern Belle in the history of EVER. We woke up around 5:30am and, while getting ready, I found another card… by this point, I really had no idea where we were going. Vegas? San Francisco? Disneyworld? Seriously, where the f were we going?! Well, you’d think I’d have guessed this first, but given all previous information… I didn’t even consider New York. Bingo!

I rolled around on the floor with excitement… I LOVE New York, and this would be my third trip down there. On my list of things to do in 2010 that Anna and I share, we had “Go see a Broadway show together” and I was pretty psyched to think we were actually gonna check that sucker off our list. So, we arrive at the airport, watch the sunrise, and board our plane… our flight attendant, from Wisconsin, was a funny lady. She got the whole plane to applaud me and wish me a happy birthday. It was GREAT! During the flight, Anna surprised me again: we were going to be seeing Next To Normal that same night. Uh, hello? FUCKIN’ A!

After arriving in NY, making our way into the city and to our accommodation – a private apartment floor for ASU students only that operates much like a hostel but is super, super clean and awesome – Anna suggested we eat a second brekkie to fill in time before we could check-in. We found this amazing breakfast/lunch/dinner place around the corner which we basically lived at for the next 3 days. Anyway, while eating a delicious wrap, my back facing the entrance, I heard the following: “Is it somebody’s birthday todaaaay?” in a funny voice. I whipped around, and there, in all their backpacking glory, was Maddi and Kate. Anna purposely sat me facing away from the front door. The too-early-to-check-in thing was a lie. Maddi didn’t really have to go home early due to work. Basically, I burst into tears (and a rash – that happens when I get really excited or really angry…), happy tears, and was so overwhelmed with bliss that I couldn’t speak properly. It was the best birthday present I could have ever, ever asked for. As it were, it turns out we had been able to sneak Maddi and Kate into our room, pretending they were ASU students too… and I got to spend the whole weekend with them. Yeah, I know, amazing. And so, my third NY adventure begins!

DAY ONE:
We frolicked around the city while we took Maggie to the bus station… we ate cherry dips, participated in an hour-long H&M montage, walked the fashion red carpet (because we’re haute couture, baby!), savoured the afternoon with tea and pumpkin scones at Alice’s Tea Cup (visited previously during my second NY visit), ate a delicious burger, and then finished the evening with Gabe (aka NEXT TO NORMAL, check it out in Melbourne next year, it rocks!) aaand cheesecake!

DAY TWO:
In the morning, we waited for broadway tickets (student rush!), visited m&m and pop tart world (where they turn off the lights and dance to loud, loud music; basically the place where I was born to work, I proved this by having a dance-off with one of the employees. And let’s be honest, you know I totes won), frolicked through Washington Square Park and ate thai… and then in the evening we saw Promises, Promises – featuring Sean Hayes (who BASICALLY told me that I was the man, just ask Kate, she saw it! Honest!) and Kristin Chenoweth (who couldn’t stop, because she was sick, but I saw her. I SAW HER!) among other very talented people… we also met Jon Voight, aka ANGELINA JOLIE’S FREAKIN’ DAD, who happened to be in the audience that night. Then we briefly went to an 80’s themed dance party. Just ‘cos.

DAY THREE:
My favourite day, because it featured: sundaes and frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity… followed by a long and very enjoyable visit to Dylan’s, a super-epic candy shop. Then we saw Trust (another surprise thanks to Annie) which starred ZACH BRAFF, AKA SCRUBS, AKA GARDEN STATE, AKA… FUCKIN’ A! It was the very last show of the run, and then afterwards? WE MET HIM. It was awesome. We thought of you the whole time, Phil My Betts. Then, straight after this brilliance, we went and ate hundreds of dollars worth of delicious cheese and wine that we didn’t have to pay for (because Anna’s aunt and uncle are gods. KINGS. I fall at their feet…) and late night shopping in Times Square. Blissful. 

DAY FOUR:
A half day, and our last… we met up with Maggie and ate frozen yogurt, visited Strawberry Fields, and did some last minute shopping before saying a final goodbye to the awesome that is Madkat Frecklesparks. Annie and I went and ate more cupcakes from Crumbs to console ourselves, and then we hopped on our plane… after a delay, due to a thunderstorm (eek!) and came home. It was a phenomenal, phenomenal birthday. <3 And, FYI? Anna is the King of surprises, and presents, and basically the King of Life. I love you. :)

You better believe it! 

Now, my birthday came admist a busy, busy schedule that involed class, homework, class, errands, auditions/parties aaaand… nightly rehearsals. You betcha! I was cast in a play called Stop, Kiss… written by Diana Son (she writes for Law & Order), about two women in New York (handy that, eh? I did so much people-watching when I was there!) who fall in love and have to deal with the repercussions of a hate crime. The audition process here is just, insane… unlike DRAMAC which I view as being really chill and laid back, and (though, kinda unfortunately) with only a small pool of actors to cast from, it’s really quite the opposite here: you have 80+ people auditioning, all in front of each other, with prepared monologues that are timed, with chory to learn and perform and then callbacks which are rigorous and some 2, 3 hours long. Oh, and the faculty supports the theatre productions… as in, budgets? Yeah, they’re basically non-existent, because the department provides everything from costuming to set design and construction. WIN! Basically, I was shitting myself… I have never been terribly good at auditions, but was pleasantly satisfied with how my auditon went – for the first time I didn’t fuck up royally by forgetting a line and I actually felt like I’d done a good job, which, you know… I rarely come away thinking! I found the callbacks a little frustrating (pre-casting usually sucks the life out of the whole thing), and didn’t expect to get a role at all because it is just so competitive here… BUT! I was cast in Stop, Kiss with Maddy, as a Detective and Ensemble member. From the very beginning, It was full on… there weren’t many nights that I wasn’t at the theatre, and even despite having an ensemble role (there are only two leads, essentially), everyone was involved as much as possible. We had to choreograph a long and relatively complex prom dance scene, and many, many transitions with different entrances and exits and characters. It was a mess at first, and we only had a 4-week production schedule, but it came together so well and seamlessly at the end. The cast became a family very, very quickly… It was only a week in and already we were planning how we could spend even more time with each other (after spending 6+ in the Valborg a night)… I’ve never felt so immediately comfortable with a group of people before, it was such a beautiful experience. I found it difficult at first, because the Detective was so far from anything I’ve ever done… I was adamant I wasn’t going to do an accent either, but without realizing it I slowly adopted a Brooklyn accent. And after talking out the role with my scene partner and our director (who, by the way, is like Willy Wonka. He’s hilariously amazing), I slowly developed an idea of who I was playing. All the little walk on roles, funnily enough, I had little trouble with… My director must have thought I was some loose Aussie or something, because he often put me in the risqué roles… e.g. “Working woman of the night that grabs the crotch of a businessman” (thanks go to AYLI for preparing me for this) or “Make out couple that has to hook up as a long scene change” etc etc. I mean, it was fun, so whatevs… hahaha. The stage was so awesome, too… we had screens with moving projections and adjustable staircases…

…and the theatre holds 400 people. On our opening night and the second night, we sold out! I was so amazed by it all, I was humbled by it… performing every night reminded me of how much of a blessing it is to be on a stage, to have people want to pay to watch a show that you and a close group of people have worked tirelessly on. And the run was so good, it got a lot of people talking, which was even better… the subject was controversial - especially in a small town - but completely necessary and relevant (even more so right now, given the current suicide tragedies). I had so many people compliment my accent too, which meant a lot, because I was really afraid of it sounding fake… but I often had people asking who the Australian was because they couldn’t figure it out on their own! It was a greatly rewarding experience, and I had crazy withdrawal after the show, as did everyone I’m sure… and we’ve since had many hilarious karaoke and dinner nights which has been perfect. These guys really made my semester here at App so wonderfully memorable… and for that, I thank them!

Phew! I have a vlog entry to post, about my recent Fall Break, to shake things up a bit… so keep an eye open! Peace out. :) x

 My two week status as lone adventurer came to a grinding halt as Anna welcomed me into North Carolina with three giant neon signs and a peanut butter & jelly sandwich in Charlotte, NC… welcomed with glee! I am her official co-pilot until Christmas, which means I get control of the tunes while she’s in command of the wheel… all I can reall say is, fathers, lock up your sons! My apartment is located on the main street of Boone – in fact right above the stores on the street, and if you exit out the back of the building and walk for a minute to the left… you’re at one of the buildings I have two classes in (win!). It’s up the street from a frozen ‘Custard Depot’ and an old fashioned candy-barrel store which is across the road from a vintage shop full of random bric-a-brac… and below me are stores that sell handmade soap, yoga music and incense. Further up the road is an organic ‘healthy’ supermarket. Basically, I live on a street appropriate for a hippy, and that suits me just fine. :)

(The view of the mountains from the Rough Ridge trail!)

 Let’s see… the first few days I immediately attempted to decorate my room. Also I learnt quickly not to hang out in front of my window whilst undressing since my room faces the street. Anna also introduced me to the magic of SHARK WEEK which we watched with wide eyes and open mouths (no one understands the hypnotic effect of Shark Week if they have yet to become followers; I went so far as to laugh at such a ridiculous sounding event, but soon developed an intense fascination with the awesomeness of sharks. It will change your life. Seriously.). We stayed at her parents place over the weekend – 400 channel cable TV, a puppy and surrounded by forest – meant a very content Miss Merriman. Basically, we just hung out for a week… played in a park, went shopping at the local mall, ran through Walmart with merriment (heh). The usual settling in process of an exchange student minus the sudden push into the deep end, which I am forever thankful for after having spoken to some other Aussies (I’m one of six… represent!). I’m looking forward to when classes begin, I really want to get involved on campus, mostly with the theatre (I’m really missing my DRAMAC fix; speaking of: EVERYONE GO SEE COMREV X!).

 I was only in Boone a week before we high-tailed it out of there… for the annual Reichard Family Reunion in Panama City, Florida! Along the way (roughly an 11, 12 hour drive in total) we stopped in Madison, Georgia – The Peach State – to meet up with Anna’s brother Daniel and his lovely wife and two children. During this meeting I was educated on many things; I was introduced to terms like “Redneck Riviera” and “high class white trash”… Daniel briefly taught me how to defend myself with techniques inspired by wrestlers (i.e. as he put it, a finger up the ass will disarm many opponents). He told us stories about how he’d hoped he could tell his grandchildren one day about visiting the only legal “whorehouse” in America, which he travelled for 3 hours outside of Vegas to get to (bless; I love the South…). Georgia is HOT, like sweltering hot. We rode golf carts around their backyard and throughout the neighbourhood, racing each other. Like, if his son wanted to get from the back porch to the trampoline which was, oh, a 5-10 second walk, he would hop into one of the golf carts and drive to it. More from how cool it is to drive a golf cart around than laziness. Even their neighbours own golf carts. They also have three kittens that I loved over every hour. We went to a dude ranch that night, I ate about 5 different kinds of meat on one plate, while watching horses graze and gallop around… it was pretty much the best buffet meal ever. We were back on the road the next day for 8 hours – crazy traffic lumped an extra 2, 3 hours onto our trip before arriving in Panama City. Good thing I took a motion sickness tablet and sat up front!

 Panama City, Florida is exactly how I imagined it; it’s like one giant tourist-friendly vacation spot reminiscent of a National Lampoon movie set… think mini golf, elaborately designed stores full of cheesy shell necklaces and hermit crabs and Floridians that look like they’ve been slowly barbequing themselves towards skin cancer. I make it sound kind of terrible, it wasn’t, actually I felt it was perfectly suited to a family reunion, at least in my mind… it was exactly like how they portray them in the movies, particularly when a large number of our group wore their reunion t-shirts at the same time. We did a lot of eating during this three-day bender… seafood mostly, and I made it my personal mission to drink a cocktail every night despite my age restriction…

“Anna, may I try a sip of your cocktail?”
“Of course, please, try it. What do you think?”
“Mmm, yes, it is different. But I think I’ll stick to my water, thank you.”

Every 5 minutes. Yeeeaaah! Anna took me to a Dippin’ Dots icecream shop with all 30 flavours, I basically died and went to little-futuristic-balls-of-deliciousness-heaven. We also went go-karting, arcading (I played Deal or No Deal and my briefcase only had 1 ticket…fail! Also I versed Anna at DDR and WHOOPED HER ARSE. But that’s ok because she kills it at shooting hoops whereas I usually end up getting hit on the head by a rebound), a lot of sun-baking with frequent dips in the pool (yeah, believe it, I actually went half a shade darker, what an accomplishment!), wasted money on the upside-down building (yah, really) science museum (please just ooh and aah at the outside of this and then move on. We thought it was gonna be so much cooler on the inside, but $25 ticket later, alas…), and.. oh, yeah, I went on a GIANT SLING SHOT which shot me up 365 ft into the air at 100 mph. I’m trying to figure out how to decrypt the DVD footage of my face, basically shitting my pants, going “SHIIIT. SHIIIIT MOTHERFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-“ for all of your viewing enjoyment.

(My face, after getting off the ride and finding it difficult to walk straight…)

 The highlight of an already thoroughly enjoyable reunion was definitely the last night; we ate at a restaurant called Firefly. Classy place. I ate the most delicious salad of my life (it came with a warm butter pecan dressing) and bread + dips (think pineapple butter), and a boar shank braised in espresso and cherry tomatoes as my main (like, holy cow. I didn’t even need cutlery for this thing, it was coming off the bone just by looking at it). Not to mention the white chocolate crème brulee and peach/blueberry acai martinis….  ANYWAY, we’d been to the arcade earlier and had those fake bubba teeth, and Anna and I + Daniel and his family came a little after everyone else. So we thought it’d be super funny to walk into this suave restaurant all wearing these fake teeth and be all, “Gee willikers, this place sure is faaaancy ya’ll” etc etc.  This detail is important, because as we approached the front entrance, a gentleman stopped us and was like, “Please wait here” and Daniel’s all, “We’re with the Reichards” and he’s all stony-faced and I’m thinking, geez, this is some swanky place… and then we walk in and we get FRISKED. Like I’m talking metal detector and bag search, the whole kit and caboodle.  And Anna’s taken out her teeth already, but I couldn’t find an opportunity to take it out without looking suspicious or a twit (might I add, the security guys were daaaamn fine, so FML!). Also, I’m still thinking, hey… this place is like HARDCORE swank. But then I notice the earpieces, and remember how the President was visiting Panama City, and suddenly realise that I’m being searched by the FREAKIN’ SECRET SERVICE. Afterwards Anna and I run to our table in glee; we had a private room because we had like 15 people in our party and we’re special ‘n’ shit. Anyway, we tell everyone else that we got searched and they don’t believe us, because as it turns out, we were the ONLY people that got searched that night. I figure it was because we looked like a bunch of redneck republicans with guns in our underwear thanks to the fake teeth etc etc etc. But would you think our night could get better after fun frisking times and delicious food? Oh, yes my gentle reader, it does. The President had actually stolen the room we were going to be in, and after he and his wife and daughter had eaten dinner, we promptly hear applause and run – no, sprint – outside to see The President of the United States of America exiting via the kitchen… he heard all of us cheering and turned around and waved and motioned for Michelle to follow him. Basically it was the most exciting 2 minutes of my f’ing life. Like, I SAW the Baz Man (as my mother so fondly refers to him) IN REAL LIFE. He was like, 20 feet away. I think I actually ran over a person in my haste. It was amazing. Anna and I walked back to our table in a daze.  I can’t even describe her excitement… It was like Christmas and her Birthday had fallen on the same day, and she’d gotten double the presents, and all of those presents had been gifted from attractive celebrities, and one of these gifts, signed with love from Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel, was the cure for cancer. Seriously. She was euphoric. I, also, felt like I’d taken some kind of mind-altering drug and was hallucinating. I mean, at this point I was full of the most mouth-watering food I’d ever consumed, was mildly intoxicated and surrounded by some of the most generous and loving people in the world… dining only metres from one of the most powerful and influential people on Earth.

(The faces we pulled following our brief but magical encounter with the President)

 So, in retrospect, Florida ROCKED. So, after our night of delirium, we drove back to Georgia the next day, stayed overnight and then trekked back to Boone (after stopping to buy peaches and peach cider on the side of the road and a mandatory Dairy Queen blizzard break). It was a whirlwind of a 3-day holiday and I felt so thankful for being given the chance to share in an annual family reunion with some of my most favourite people and adopted extended family. Bring on class!

 My welcome to the Windy City was preceded by a plane ride over from NY that was a living hell for two hours – delayed by 45 minutes because of a screaming, obnoxious, restless child (Pilot over loudspeaker: “Ma’am, if you don’t control your child, I’m turning the plane around and taking every passenger back to the gate.” Seriously, it was like the mother was the child, and her son was devil spawn) and pretty terrible motion sickness (which was worsened in the 1.5 hour shuttle bus into the city, pressed up against the door by a large woman eating cheesy popcorn and with minimal air conditioning… aaaaah) combined made for a shitty flight, but once I was at the hostel I was pleasantly surprised by its sheer comfort, safety and overall friendliness. Seriously – if you’re staying in Chicago city, check out HI Chicago… they even provide a free (and thankfully edible) breakfast. Rock on.

 On my first night I hung out with the girls in my room, had my photo taken in front of a Got Milk? backdrop (my milk moustache failed because I’m basically as white as milk anyway…) and watched people salsa dance. I felt it was a lovely introduction! The following day I went to Lincoln Park and went to the free zoo, and briefly visited a “Taste of…” street fair nearby. It was kind of a waste of time… we learnt quickly that you have to be careful differentiating between an cultural and independent street fair and one that is sponsored by Budweiser and sells only soggy curly fries with tasteless cheese sauce. Welcome to ‘Merica. Besides that slight debacle, I had a great hang-time in the park reading my book, and then met all the people taking my improv + writing classes at a free long-form show at The Second City (it’s a training centre and theatre that’s well-renowned for their improv and graduates). I met another Aussie – we both raged at each other, in jest, at having stolen each other’s thunder for being the only Australian but secretly enjoyed our mutual understanding of everything “down under” (have I mentioned I actually really dislike that term? Hence suggestively sarcastic quotation marks. Anyone else?).

 The classes themselves were awesome…  I learnt a heap of new games that I’m totally taking back to Australia for my own classes. It was just in general really cool to study improv from an American perspective, I mean the humour is different which, if you’ve ever watched an American sitcom followed by an Aussie one, can be both subtle in parts and then very obvious in others. And I’d never really studied just improv before, it’s usually been incorporated into other things when I’ve studied theatre in the past. It was also cool because we steered away from short-form (like TheatreSports, which is what I’ve been doing for a few years now) and focussed on long-form – something I’ve never really done before. It was almost a humbling experience; I kinda felt like I’d never done improv before at all, I was actually incredibly nervous for my first class and felt a little out of my depth before finally loosening up. I think acting classes are amazing because they’re like instant refreshers – you are always learning in theatre, you are always refining, and workshops are like this safe-haven for fucking up and falling flat on your face without having to compete but having your classmates pat you on the back and say, hey, well done, you got up there and tried. This class was just like that. Everyone got on super well, actually our first lesson had a heavy emphasis on ensemble, so after the first day we were really tight-knit. Kate, our teacher, was full of energy and was so nurturing. Basically improv classes were great. And comedy writing was a new experience – I’ve never before studied creative writing properly, and will be studying both poetry- AND play-writing this semester. I usually try to perfect my work and procrastinate over ideas, so I was a little worried that my usual writer’s block would prevent me from writing more than one piece… but I actually wrote 5 or 6. Our teacher, Glenn, was the most stoic person I’ve ever met, who wore denim shorts every single day and never really looked like he wanted to be there, and yet most of us took great pleasure in his daily behaviour. And he came up with pretty cool suggestions too, despite his aforementioned demeanour.  I drew a pretty life-like caricature during our last lesson which amused the crap out of myself and two other girls that I got on with like wild fire. They were pretty much two of the funniest and fun-loving people ever and I thank them via blog for being so welcoming. Seriously, all of the people in my classes had their funny little quirks – some I got on with more than others, but as a whole we worked so well together. I laughed a lot during this week, many stories of which I won’t even bother to repeat because they’d sound ridiculously UNfunny but, as always, they were pee-your-pants hilarious and still are to me!  I saw a few more shows, including a take on TheatreSports where I was an audience player for one game (and won a magnet… yeeeeeaah!)… and we all kinda hung out most nights until late. :)

 During my stay I also had dinner with Jess’s Aunt and Uncle, and felt right at home when I got in their car which smells exactly like their house – a blend of baked goods, love and animal hair (which, for me, smells pretty comforting!). We ate at a place called Oven Grinders which did a sort of Pizza-Pot Pie and it was DELICIOUS.  On my last few days I stayed with Jess’s Mum’s best friend, Liz, in her apartment just a little north of the CBD. Jess and I stayed there in ’08 when we first came to Chicago. She’s this great cat lady that plays guitar and digs art, and is basically one of the coolest people in the country. Like, her ideal retirement is to move up to the mountains and live in a hippy city for the rest of her days… with her cats. We just hung out, ate yummy food and stayed up talking with wine.In retrospect, I didn’t really get to see much more of Chicago’s suburbs than I did last time, but I DID get to explore the arts community more and I met some cool people and hung out with a few old ones… and basically had a relaxed time before greeting the beautiful mountains of North Carolina, and the Reichard family. <3

Touch down. I’d been at an airport or in the air for at least a day and a half, and by the time I reached New York I was a little delirious from a troubled sleeping pattern and the sudden shift in temperature (from 10 degrees to 32!). Despite this, the long flight over had been reasonably bearable, excluding of course the annoying couple beside me that had terribly weak bladders and were horribly slow doers of everything that crossed their path. I felt at ease on the flight; the constant, vibrating hum beneath the soles of my feet from the plane’s engine slowly lulled my body from the toes up… but, as is customary on a long international flight, when the last fews hours sprung I became increasingly restless – I just wanted to BE there already, in NEW YORK, catching the subway like a (temporary) New Yorker and hanging out at The Strand. Actually, I hadn’t the faintest idea what I wanted to do when I finally got to my destination – I’d made no real itinerary and decided, having already done the tourist thing a couple of years before, that I was just gonna wing it and see where my feet might take me. Here’s a short guide to what I did each day, with some brief descriptions… if you dig the same kind of things that I do, and you’re going to NYC sometime… you should totally hit these places up! I seriously had a ball the entire time.

Day ONE:

In a bid to escape the shit that was my poor excuse of a hostel (“Jazz on the Park” = wrong way, go back), I did a lot of walking to help familiarize myself with the city again… mandatory Times Square tourist photos taken. Had a Red Velvet cupcake from ‘Crumbs’ – giant, delicious cupcakes (like, omgFUCK delicious, I died momentarily at the display case) and wandered around Zabar’s Deli (a great array of cheese, cold meats, bread, etc… there’s a café linked to it with reasonably priced lunches made fresh on the premises). Went to the Met to see their Picasso exhibition (admission is ‘suggested’… so I only paid $1)… stumbled upon a cute teahouse called ‘Alice’s Tea Cup’ – very extensive tea menu, a definite stop if you’re a tea drinker, especially because this place appears completely unpretentious.

Day TWO:

Researched which shows on Broadway offered student rush tickets (http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/82428-Broadway-Rush-Lottery-and-Standing-Room-Only-Policies) and waited at the box offices for Mary Poppins (a matinee ticket) and Jersey Boys. Both were awesome shows – Mary Poppins would have been better as an evening show during school terms as it was full of children too young to really appreciate what was going on, but the show itself was visually spectacular and very enjoyable. Jersey Boys was toe-tapping catchy and witty – definitely recommend. Don’t be put off by notices of ‘partial view’ seats or anything – you can see everything just fine, and for the smallest fraction of the price (i.e. I saw both shows for $50 total). I went shopping all around Midtown in between shows (4-level Forever 21… heellll yeeeaah!). 

Day THREE:

Caught the subway out to the Brooklyn Museum for a comprehensive Andy Warhol exhibition (suggested ticket price; paid $1 for admission) and fell in love with basically everything in the gift store. Jumped on the subway again to Coney Island – beautifully sunny, warm day. Ate a Nathan’s Hotdog, drank an ice-cold lemonade and rode the Ferris Wheel with swinging carriages. Took a stroll on the boardwalk and took more mandatory tourist photos. Went up towards Queens and visited the P.S.1. contemporary art museum, a sister gallery to MOMA (again, paid $1 for admission). Was an interesting gallery, albeit a little complex to weave your way through and some definitely unusual exhibits (I guess it IS contemporary after all…). Met my friend Matt (who is currently studying acting and living in Brooklyn) for some sushi and then to his friend’s comedy show later on that night, at a place called Comix, for a once-monthly event called ‘5-dolla holla.’ Many laughs ensued!

Day FOUR:

Hung out at The Strand for almost 2 hours, reading acting books… caved in and bought 3. Stopped at a place called ArgoTea (they had a great menu of hot and cold tea drinks, food that used tea in it’s preparation… and free WiFi!). Wandered through Central Park briefly (it had been raining, but was still very warm, so Central Park smelt like a rainforest or something.. it was so peaceful and lovely). Checked into my 4-star hotel and relished in having someone carry my bags. Walked down to MOMA to act like a kid in a candy store in their gift shop before buying dinner (they have free admission between 4 and 8pm on Fridays, but the lineup can be HUGE). 

By the second day, it occurred to me just how much I enjoyed travelling independently. I think, on average, this is probably a pretty common realisation for most people, but it had hit me very suddenly because I had been so anxious about it before I left. I’d been finding such peace in my own company, and reveled at being able to choose my own pace, my own stops… that ‘whole-world-at-my-fingertips’ kind of thing. Despite being surrounded by new people every day and having zero familiarity, it’s as though my head has found its own little theatre to sit back in and review everything I’ve been seeing, with the ability to press stop and zoom in, way, way in. I hadn’t anticipated that at all and sighed with a great deal of a relief when I properly understood how un-scary the whole process actually is. I had such a wildly exhilarating time in NYC – I got to explore it a little more, found some hidden gems I’d probably not found had I not allowed myself to wander, sometimes aimlessly, around the city… it was a hugely rewarding experience, and I was only a few days in!…