We made it!

The world…according to Samantha

I’m bacccck – and this time with a whole new outlook on life and the world. It is funny because when I moved to New York I thought all of my perspectives were turned upside down and it wouldn’t happen to that extreme again.  Little did I know, the combination of my final semester at Maryville, planning this trip, and re-evaluating things, my views have changed completely and my thought process is exceptionally different.  I truly believe the changes in my life, whether you can notice them or not, are going to make this blog better than the last.  I know you are all thinking how much you loved the ‘Big Apple Blog’, but ‘The World…According to Sam and James’ will be – I hope – not only an overview of our experiences, but also viewpoints from around the world. Sounds the same as last summer’s, but how can you compare New York to Australia (well, maybe) and Thailand (maybe Bangkok)?  Move over city nightlife, enter cultural experiences.

I am a little bit confused on my days, for we left on December 25 and arrived in Australia on the 27^th, so I am not really sure where to begin or go about my post. I know it is going to be confusing when you read this because I am 17 hours ahead of most of you. It is currently 9:45 am on Monday in Sydney, while it is 4:45pm on Sunday in Breese.  I received a new watch for Christmas with the capability to see two time zones, I love it! I have never worn a watch, so this is an exciting time in my life. 

Packing was interesting for the trip. James and I decided it would be best to use backpacks since we will be moving around often. I never thought I would be able to pack for two months in a backpack that is entirely too small, in my opinion. My dad was so surprised when I walked out. He recalled an instance where I took three bags for one weekend…I’m not sure I believe him, nor do I remember this instance. I would like to note that I packed lighter than James. He claims his clothes are bigger and need more room, but it is funny how he is quick to forget that the REI backpack we bought came in both men and women styles and then men’s is bigger by cubic volume. Don’t fret, I reminded him. J

December 25, 2008 (USA)

Our travels began with a flight from STL to LA around 7pm on Christmas Day. It was so hard to say goodbye to my family. I absolutely love how I have had the opportunity to experience so many different aspects of life, but it is hard to leave my parents and sisters. I wish they could come with me. It breaks my heart to see all of them sad. I fear they think I am trying to get away from them, but the truth is I just cannot stay in once place. I heard on a movie, I believe Into the Wild, where the main character said something along the lines of, once you find out what’s out there, you cannot sit still. I am embracing this thought.  The flight from LA to Australia was 14 hours. The flight was not bad at all, especially if you sleep for 10 hours. So, if you ever decide to go to Australia, do not be scared by the flight. It is manageable.

December 27, 2008 (Australia)

We arrived in Sydney on the 27^th at 9:30 am and had a full day. We were pretty much up for 24 hours. Once we arrived to our hotel, in Bondi Beach, about 45 mins by bus from the city, we had lunch (James will fill you in later) and walked along the beach. Nothing to exciting for the first day, but it was nice to settle in.  James and I promised ourselves we would not take a nap, for we have heard it throws you off even more. Not surprisingly, we made it til 9pm. Wohoo – party animals!

December 28, 2008 (AUS)

We ventured into downtown Sydney today and explored The Rocks area. The Rocks is an area by the bay that overlooks Sydney Harbor, the bridge, and Sydney Opera House. The weather is very comfortable here, nothing like STL or Breese. Sorry guys!

We ventured around the area for a while, had lunch at The Rocks Cafe, and went to a market. The Rocks was an interesting combination of locals and tourists. Sydney is a welcoming city, it is fun to meet other people. Despite James, I enjoy asking random locals or tourist about their favorite things to do. He was very knowledgeable about the surrounding areas.

Tonight we climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge. The highest point was 440 feet and the view was amazing! The company offers tours throughout the day, but we decided to do the night climb at 9pm. I love  city lights, so it was perfect. We have pictures…they will be posted later.

Here is James!

The world…according to James

Hello everyone! As some of you know I’m not much of a writer, so don’t expect my portions of the blog to be anywhere near as insightful or lengthy as Sam’s. But nevertheless I will try to write something most of the time, although it might just be some small tips or things I think you guys should know. I would like to first point out that yes, my clothes and my bag are slightly larger than Sam’s, so it makes sense that my bag is a couple of pounds heavier. What she forgot to point out was that we brought a third bag to hold some of our Australia clothes that we won’t be taking to Thailand, and that she has A LOT more in that bag than I do, but I just let her think that she packed smaller than I did….

Anyway, I guess I will explain to all of you my experience with Foster’s beer, and give you a little tip if you are ever in Australia. Tim Droege told us that as soon as we got here we should have a Foster’s for him. We landed about 9:30 am local time, but by the time we got to our hotel and everything it was close to lunch time. We found a place right outside the hotel and looked over their beer menu. Foster’s wasn’t listed anywhere, but when we asked they had it, so that’s what we had with our lunch. The meal went well and we spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out around the beach. That evening we went to a bar/restaurant for dinner. You had to order your meal at one stand, bring the number to your table, and then go up to the bar for your drinks. I decided to ask the bartender for a suggestion, since I wanted to see what the locals liked to drink. She asked me what type of beer I usually drank, so I told her the usual American beers like Bud and Bud Light, and that I had a Foster’s for lunch that was pretty good. She immediately got this look of disgust on her face and this is what she said to me, “Oh no, take it back! I can’t serve you unless you take it back! NO ONE LIKES FOSTER’S!!!” So I took it back. She recommended Toohey’s Extra Dry, which was pretty good. Needless to say that was the last time I will be ordering Foster’s on this trip. I’ll wait until I’m back in America to have another one. I’ve been trying different beers at every meal since then to find one I really like, I’ll get back to you all on what I find. But my advice to anyone going to Australia would be to order something besides Foster’s, unless you want to upset the bartender, or at the very least it will label you as a tourist pretty quick. I guess that’s the reason it wasn’t on the menu at lunch, and this bar didn’t even serve it. That’s all I have for now. I’m sure Sam will have much more to tell you about everything else we do, but I’ll try to keep posting as well.

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Well, the McDonald’s free wifi is about to run out, so I must get going. I am sorry the post is kind of random..we have been having issues with the website. They will be better with time. I look forward to your e-mails or comments.  Have a great day!

Cheers!

Sam and James