Well, as I'm back in the states and no longer "Down Under," it's time to retire this chapter of blog. I'll keep it up and maybe update with random posts about how much I miss Australia and the amazing people that I met there. Basically all posts after this will be slightly whiny, so I'll keep them to a minimum.
I'm going to start a new blog that I'll hopefully keep up now that I'm back to my "normal life" if you can call it that. It's been great having you guys follow my adventures and I wish they weren't over. Hopefully more will come in the future!
-Jess
PS - I did get my grades back and managed the equivalent of 1 A and 3 Bs...good job me. No clue how I got a D (aka an A) in Vert Fauna...must have been the amazingly giggly study session with Julie the night before the exam!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
LOST Sets
Here's a bunch of pictures from my Lost tour:)
Locke's Dad's House...Where Eko dies...Where Sayid is working when Ben finds him
Front of the plane...Where Eko kills other drug dealers and where Sayid is working...The Tempest!
Where Ana Lucia kills Goodwin...Wondering where Jughead went...the Hummer
Me in Kualoa Ranch...Where the 1954 Military camp was...getting ready to tee off with Hurley
T-Rex!?! Where they hid in Jurassic Park...Me at the Ranch
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Arizona and Honolulu Tour
I can’t believe that we are halfway through 2009! How did that happen? This year is just flying by.
Today I went on a tour to Pearl Harbor and downtown Honolulu. The main part of our trip was to the USS Arizona Memorial. It was really somber experience seeing the ship still sitting on the bottom with colorful fish and crabs making their home on the rusty tomb. Today was gorgeous, and I kept trying to imagine the events of December 7, 1941 – Japanese planes, smoke filling the air – and I couldn’t even begin to picture it. It was just intense.
Other than that, I bought a book called Our Mothers’ War about women’s lives during the war. I started reading it and it’s pretty good so far. We toured random parts of the city…China Town and the Royal Palace. Good times.
-Jess
Waikiki Beach...beautiful!
Today I went on a tour to Pearl Harbor and downtown Honolulu. The main part of our trip was to the USS Arizona Memorial. It was really somber experience seeing the ship still sitting on the bottom with colorful fish and crabs making their home on the rusty tomb. Today was gorgeous, and I kept trying to imagine the events of December 7, 1941 – Japanese planes, smoke filling the air – and I couldn’t even begin to picture it. It was just intense.
Other than that, I bought a book called Our Mothers’ War about women’s lives during the war. I started reading it and it’s pretty good so far. We toured random parts of the city…China Town and the Royal Palace. Good times.
-Jess
The Punchbowl and Arizona Memorial
Arizona Memorial
Waikiki Beach...beautiful!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Hawaii
Hey guys! How’s it going? Not much happening here. I’m on day 4 of Waikiki in Hawaii and it’s pretty amazing. Definitely going to have to visit again later in life (hint hint). Anyway, I’m staying at Waikiki Beachside Hostel which, unlike most hostels, has a noon checkout, therefore a 3pm check-in. I got into the airport around 7am local time, and figured check-in would be at noon. I slept as much as I could in the airport then grabbed a bus over to the hostel. I got here, and the staff was really nice and stowed my luggage, so I just hung out on the beach for awhile. It was gorgeous. Nothing like watching surfers out in the distance while catching some rays:)
On the drive from the airport, I was aware of the little differences in the US and Australia. First of all, I withdrew some of our boring money. All one color. Really? Where’s the fun in that? And we drove by a football (of the gridiron persuasion) stadium, which made my stomach flutter with happiness. Then I went to Subway the first day to grab some food. I was really confused when I didn’t see my bright yellow Baked Lays, so I settled for Ranch Doritos (how do we live with all these choices of chips here? In Australia there were about three choices!). Then, today I went back and took a closer look at the chips on the top row. I was met with “New Look, Same Great Taste!” I go away for a semester and they change the packaging on my favorite potato chips?!? How mean! Then, to add to the annoying little changes, I no longer have any idea what I am going to pay for something. The US of A really needs to take a page out of Australia’s book and include taxes and everything in the advertised price. It makes life so much easier!
Moving on from my ranting: I got the semi-private room, because I was supposed to share with another girl from Australearn, but circumstances prevented that from happening:( I stuck with the room, and the only bad thing about it is that you have to go through another two person room to get to it. Wouldn’t be so bad if I was sharing with girls, but I’ve been lucky and not had sketchy boys. The first night I was here there were two German guys, and I only saw them once. The past two nights have been these two (pretty attractive) Aussie surfers from Melbourne. Lucked out on that one, even luckier that they weren’t here when I was sick yesterday :P
Speaking of that, I was really worried I might have gotten swine flu for a bit. I had been feeling bad ever since missing lunch at the airport, but I just thought that was why. Then yesterday I couldn’t get out of bed. I did run down to the ABC Store (convenience stores located on just about every block here in Waikiki) and grabbed a thermometer. I had a slight fever and decided that if I was still feeling like crap today I would go to the doctor. Luckily it passed and I was fine this morning. I even made it to the beach by about 8am! I did mistakenly think it was 10:30am though, so that might have been the reason I didn’t go straight back to sleep…lol.
Today was basically relaxing. I booked a tour of Honolulu and Pearl Harbor for tomorrow, which should be really nice. After that, I watched the sunset over the beach and mountains, then I went out to dinner at Cheeseburger In Paradise. I had my first legal USA drink, which was a Mai Tai…pretty tasty (hurray rum!). I sat at the bar and watched poker, because otherwise I would have waited forever for a table for one. Sad day. Then walking back to the hostel I was a little sad that I didn’t have a friend or boy with me. Especially when I saw a guy buying a lei from a street vendor lady to give to his girlfriend. Ah…definitely a place for romance and couples…one day, one day;)
I’ll quit my whining and head to bed. It hasn’t been too bad being a single traveler as I make it seem. I can’t wait for my tour tomorrow, and then possible one for Saturday. You know what that one is? A LOST tour!!! Can I be any more of a LOST nerd? Maybe if I send in a video of me in front of one of the sets to Jay and Jack…definitely have to remember to do that:)
Love you and see you soon!
-Jess
PS – Due to the high cost of our live aboard, I decided to skip out on the dive trip with the boys (according to Aaron that’s why I got sick:P), which is a total bummer. On the plus side, I talked to mama today and she says that we’ll be going to the beach a week after I get home! I don’t know how Myrtle Beach will look after all of my Pacific island adventures, but it’ll be nice to hang out with the girls of the family for a week!
On the drive from the airport, I was aware of the little differences in the US and Australia. First of all, I withdrew some of our boring money. All one color. Really? Where’s the fun in that? And we drove by a football (of the gridiron persuasion) stadium, which made my stomach flutter with happiness. Then I went to Subway the first day to grab some food. I was really confused when I didn’t see my bright yellow Baked Lays, so I settled for Ranch Doritos (how do we live with all these choices of chips here? In Australia there were about three choices!). Then, today I went back and took a closer look at the chips on the top row. I was met with “New Look, Same Great Taste!” I go away for a semester and they change the packaging on my favorite potato chips?!? How mean! Then, to add to the annoying little changes, I no longer have any idea what I am going to pay for something. The US of A really needs to take a page out of Australia’s book and include taxes and everything in the advertised price. It makes life so much easier!
Moving on from my ranting: I got the semi-private room, because I was supposed to share with another girl from Australearn, but circumstances prevented that from happening:( I stuck with the room, and the only bad thing about it is that you have to go through another two person room to get to it. Wouldn’t be so bad if I was sharing with girls, but I’ve been lucky and not had sketchy boys. The first night I was here there were two German guys, and I only saw them once. The past two nights have been these two (pretty attractive) Aussie surfers from Melbourne. Lucked out on that one, even luckier that they weren’t here when I was sick yesterday :P
Speaking of that, I was really worried I might have gotten swine flu for a bit. I had been feeling bad ever since missing lunch at the airport, but I just thought that was why. Then yesterday I couldn’t get out of bed. I did run down to the ABC Store (convenience stores located on just about every block here in Waikiki) and grabbed a thermometer. I had a slight fever and decided that if I was still feeling like crap today I would go to the doctor. Luckily it passed and I was fine this morning. I even made it to the beach by about 8am! I did mistakenly think it was 10:30am though, so that might have been the reason I didn’t go straight back to sleep…lol.
Today was basically relaxing. I booked a tour of Honolulu and Pearl Harbor for tomorrow, which should be really nice. After that, I watched the sunset over the beach and mountains, then I went out to dinner at Cheeseburger In Paradise. I had my first legal USA drink, which was a Mai Tai…pretty tasty (hurray rum!). I sat at the bar and watched poker, because otherwise I would have waited forever for a table for one. Sad day. Then walking back to the hostel I was a little sad that I didn’t have a friend or boy with me. Especially when I saw a guy buying a lei from a street vendor lady to give to his girlfriend. Ah…definitely a place for romance and couples…one day, one day;)
I’ll quit my whining and head to bed. It hasn’t been too bad being a single traveler as I make it seem. I can’t wait for my tour tomorrow, and then possible one for Saturday. You know what that one is? A LOST tour!!! Can I be any more of a LOST nerd? Maybe if I send in a video of me in front of one of the sets to Jay and Jack…definitely have to remember to do that:)
Love you and see you soon!
-Jess
PS – Due to the high cost of our live aboard, I decided to skip out on the dive trip with the boys (according to Aaron that’s why I got sick:P), which is a total bummer. On the plus side, I talked to mama today and she says that we’ll be going to the beach a week after I get home! I don’t know how Myrtle Beach will look after all of my Pacific island adventures, but it’ll be nice to hang out with the girls of the family for a week!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Fiji!
Added to my international travels: Fiji. The place we stayed at was about a 2 hour drive from the airport, plus a drive down a really long driveway that wound around mountains and descended to the resort and beach below. Well, when we were getting there for the first time, it was dark. And Julia and I just looked at each other, saying, “This can either be really sketch or really good.” It ended up okay, but for all we knew, we could have been being kidnapped to the middle of nowhere!
We got there and met up with Emily, who I’d be sharing a room with. This place was definitely set up for couples looking to be secluded. We hardly saw anyone else, except at mealtimes. There were two Australian couples (two 19 year olds in one…the guy loved gridiron), a travel writer from Austria (expat Australian) and her younger son, and some random guy. Other than that we were on our own.
The first day we sat around the pool and just napped, getting over our travel tiredness. We sipped coconut milk from a freshly opened coconut and I had a Fiji Bitter, which is a really good beer if you ever get the chance to drink it. The slogan is The Sportsman’s Beer, which I think may be a bit biased…lol.
The beach was really nice and, on the second day, there were a couple of bamboo rafts floating in our bay, so we decided to jump on them and make fools of ourselves. It was really fun…but then I had to leave so I could get back to the airport in time for my flight. The lady at our desk told us to be there 3 hours before our flight (I couldn’t check in until 2 hours before!) and added to the 2 hours to get there, I had to leave by 4:30pm. Well, the shuttle was making a run at 2pm, so I had to take that one. I ended up watching Phantom of the Opera while guarding all of my stuff, I missed out on lunch so I felt like crap and the line to check in took forever. I was about 5th in line to check in, and I had to wait about an hour after they started checking people in. Fiji time. Not convenient. By the time I got on the plane I couldn’t really sleep and I felt pretty bad. My body doesn’t like not being fed for 12 hours while it’s awake.
I’m really bummed that I didn’t get to go to the nearby village, and I really didn’t get the full Fiji experience, or even have time to dive. I can say that I’ve been there though!
-Jess
PS - I got sick when I got to Hawaii and thought it was just because of all my traveling...then I just found out that everyone got sick about the same time I did...good old Fijian stomach virus!
We got there and met up with Emily, who I’d be sharing a room with. This place was definitely set up for couples looking to be secluded. We hardly saw anyone else, except at mealtimes. There were two Australian couples (two 19 year olds in one…the guy loved gridiron), a travel writer from Austria (expat Australian) and her younger son, and some random guy. Other than that we were on our own.
The first day we sat around the pool and just napped, getting over our travel tiredness. We sipped coconut milk from a freshly opened coconut and I had a Fiji Bitter, which is a really good beer if you ever get the chance to drink it. The slogan is The Sportsman’s Beer, which I think may be a bit biased…lol.
The beach was really nice and, on the second day, there were a couple of bamboo rafts floating in our bay, so we decided to jump on them and make fools of ourselves. It was really fun…but then I had to leave so I could get back to the airport in time for my flight. The lady at our desk told us to be there 3 hours before our flight (I couldn’t check in until 2 hours before!) and added to the 2 hours to get there, I had to leave by 4:30pm. Well, the shuttle was making a run at 2pm, so I had to take that one. I ended up watching Phantom of the Opera while guarding all of my stuff, I missed out on lunch so I felt like crap and the line to check in took forever. I was about 5th in line to check in, and I had to wait about an hour after they started checking people in. Fiji time. Not convenient. By the time I got on the plane I couldn’t really sleep and I felt pretty bad. My body doesn’t like not being fed for 12 hours while it’s awake.
I’m really bummed that I didn’t get to go to the nearby village, and I really didn’t get the full Fiji experience, or even have time to dive. I can say that I’ve been there though!
-Jess
PS - I got sick when I got to Hawaii and thought it was just because of all my traveling...then I just found out that everyone got sick about the same time I did...good old Fijian stomach virus!
Fruity (non-alcoholic) drinks when we arrived...The four of us...View of the beach
Looking back at the resort from the beach...Me at the beach
We're in Fiji! And crazy shenanigans on the beach
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Live Aboard
So, exams are over and life is much less stressful! I studied non-stop from Sunday through Tuesday night…and thought I was going to pass out during my 6pm psych exam. Intense. But it’s done and now it’s time to move on to more fun things!
Julia’s mom came over to visit Australia, then take her home. The three of us ended up doing a 2 night live aboard on the Great Barrier Reef. It was really fun, and basically wake up, eat, dive, dive, eat, dive, dive, sleep. It was insane. I only did about 3 dives a day, and I was way too tired to do the morning dives. Oh well...guess I’ll have to go back again!
My favorite dive by far was the one where we saw sea turtles up close and personal. It was one that Julia and her mom had decided to sit out, so I went with this really cool Irish girl as my buddy. We just hung out with a sea turtle for a long time, and I got tons of amazing shots!
Speaking of meeting cool people, we met a bunch of people of all ages from different parts of the globe. There was a British family, two Spanish guys, some Irish girls and Australians. It’s amazing to see how so many different people can be connected by one thing, such as a love for diving:)
Not much else to say about the live aboard, because the pictures speak for themselves. I still suck at breathing though…got to work on not sucking air:P
Miss you!
-Jess
White-tip Reef Shark...Nemo...Representing Clemson
Super cool Nemo shot...Me...Cool fish picture
Trying to get a good Clemson shot without hitting coral...and hitting a dead end in the reef maze!
Our room...Dive buddies...Coral
Turtle...Me looking like I know what I'm doing...View from the boat.
Two of my favorite turtle shots...getting ready to dive.
Diving off the boat...view from the boat...filter feeding fishy
Me...Another Nemo...Flat fish.
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