(I started writing this before I knew I would be departing Australia "with a quickness," so this is a belated post.)
Even though I bagged it a few weeks ago when I said I don't have the burning desire to live here any longer, Australia is still one of my favourite places to visit and worthy of a love list. So as I say bye bye to Oz (for now) here is my Love List - Australia Edition:
*The cutest native animals live here - koalas, kangaroos, wombats and more. Really, are any animals cuter? I don't think so.
*Melbourne's $2 sushi rolls everywhere in the city - the perfect anytime snack.
*Tim Tams, Mint Slices, Double Coat Tim Tams and more Tim Tams.
*Thousands of miles of beautiful coastline with white fine powdery sand and beautiful blue/green water.
*The sky. I can't really explain it, but the sky is just BIGGER here, especially in the country.
*The best kitchy/catchy sayings of any English-speaking people I have ever met.
*My friends. They are what makes it a wonderful place, and it is they I will miss the most until something calls me back here
Bye Bye Australia, see you when I see you!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Trip...Interrupted
Thank goodness for travel insurance, that's all I have to say.
I still have to tell you about my trip up to Queensland and the crazy meditation experience, but first, temporarily, I am trip ... interrupted. Dad had a heart attack a few weeks ago, and then he was supposed to be fine. And then he had problems so they put in a pacemaker, but then he was supposed to be fine. And then fluid filled in his lungs and he had congestive heart failure. Dad was telling Mum not to tell me so I wouldn't worry (um ... REALLY?!?!?) So long story short, I don't want to get the "he's not fine" phone call, so I booked a flight, was on a plane the next day, and 30 hours later, I am back in Florida. He's doing alright but he's a stubborn guy, so I will be the get well Nazi and make him do all the things the doctors say to do but that he doesn't want to listen to. Wish me luck!
My plan is to be here for the next four weeks or so to make sure he is going to be alright. And if so, I will still continue on with my travel plan, which is to head to New Zealand with Windsor in the end of November.
Thankfully, my friend travel insurance (if ever there was reinforcement that travel insurance is NECESSARY, this is it!) told me to just buy a one-way back and submit that along with hospital records for reimbursement. They won't help me get back to NZ to finish my trip, but they will reimburse the cost of my last-minute one-way trip home (which thankfully, was not too crazily expensive, we heart STA in Australia).
Hopefully, more good news to follow soon.
(And thank you already for everyone who has sent well-wishes via facebook!)
PS I forgot to mention, Australian Immigration wanted to "have a chat" with me before I left the country. Lovely. They asked if I was coming back and just wanted to remind me that an electronic visa is not meant to be used for back-to-back three-month stays, because it looks suspicious that I might be working illegally. Well I wasn't! Wah! When I asked if I could apply for a new e-visa to come back for two weddings late next year she said, sure I can apply. Didn't say it would be granted, but I could at least apply ... hm ...
I still have to tell you about my trip up to Queensland and the crazy meditation experience, but first, temporarily, I am trip ... interrupted. Dad had a heart attack a few weeks ago, and then he was supposed to be fine. And then he had problems so they put in a pacemaker, but then he was supposed to be fine. And then fluid filled in his lungs and he had congestive heart failure. Dad was telling Mum not to tell me so I wouldn't worry (um ... REALLY?!?!?) So long story short, I don't want to get the "he's not fine" phone call, so I booked a flight, was on a plane the next day, and 30 hours later, I am back in Florida. He's doing alright but he's a stubborn guy, so I will be the get well Nazi and make him do all the things the doctors say to do but that he doesn't want to listen to. Wish me luck!
My plan is to be here for the next four weeks or so to make sure he is going to be alright. And if so, I will still continue on with my travel plan, which is to head to New Zealand with Windsor in the end of November.
Thankfully, my friend travel insurance (if ever there was reinforcement that travel insurance is NECESSARY, this is it!) told me to just buy a one-way back and submit that along with hospital records for reimbursement. They won't help me get back to NZ to finish my trip, but they will reimburse the cost of my last-minute one-way trip home (which thankfully, was not too crazily expensive, we heart STA in Australia).
Hopefully, more good news to follow soon.
(And thank you already for everyone who has sent well-wishes via facebook!)
PS I forgot to mention, Australian Immigration wanted to "have a chat" with me before I left the country. Lovely. They asked if I was coming back and just wanted to remind me that an electronic visa is not meant to be used for back-to-back three-month stays, because it looks suspicious that I might be working illegally. Well I wasn't! Wah! When I asked if I could apply for a new e-visa to come back for two weddings late next year she said, sure I can apply. Didn't say it would be granted, but I could at least apply ... hm ...
Monday, October 13, 2008
Mandy's Love List - October Edition
(idea stolen from ali. i would love it if anyone would leave your own in the comments section!)
*slowly waking up from a deep sleepy nap, especially with sun streaming in the room (and then going back to sleep for another 10 minutes!)
*the feel of soft springy grass or cool, dry sand under my bare feet
*a perfect, sunny, jeans and t-shirt weather day
*the smell of jasmine flowers in spring time
*waking up the day after a good workout with sore muscles. it hurts, but you know you've done work!
*being in a foreign country, losing myself in a sea of voices in a language i can't understand
*sitting on a bus in (insert country name here) just watching the world go by
*making stupid, silly faces at my mom, laughing, turning away, then turning back with even sillier faces to see who cracks up first
*slowly waking up from a deep sleepy nap, especially with sun streaming in the room (and then going back to sleep for another 10 minutes!)
*the feel of soft springy grass or cool, dry sand under my bare feet
*a perfect, sunny, jeans and t-shirt weather day
*the smell of jasmine flowers in spring time
*waking up the day after a good workout with sore muscles. it hurts, but you know you've done work!
*being in a foreign country, losing myself in a sea of voices in a language i can't understand
*sitting on a bus in (insert country name here) just watching the world go by
*making stupid, silly faces at my mom, laughing, turning away, then turning back with even sillier faces to see who cracks up first
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