Brooke vs. the World

There’s Something Special About Fraser Island

Brooke — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:31:12 +0000

It’s been a few weeks since I talked about the epic road trip I was about to take, and I have since then traveled, returned and recovered from the excitement. Furthermore, I’ve had time to actually reflect on all the amazing experiences I had up and down the Australian east coast, and one incredible place I visited that stands out was Fraser Island.

Not wanting to try and self-drive and plan to visit a unique place such as Fraser on our own, Heather and I went with a tour from Cool Dingo. Well, honestly, it was a famil offer that I took because they are a company that is well advertised to backpackers, so I wanted to be able to give a first-hand review to those asking for advice. All-in-all, it was a pretty good tour: we were fed ’til we burst, had nice accommodation and were taken to all the island hot spots. I couldn’t complain.

Yes, we saw dingos, sharks, whales, turtles, dolphins and crazy bugs. Yes, we basked in the sun on Lake McKenzie, swam in Champagne Pools and climbed ginormous sand dunes. Yes, we saw a lot… but what was my favorite part of the tour?

Let’s just say that it wouldn’t have been quite the same had we all not had the pleasure of having Dave, The Philosophical Dingo, as our tour guide.

Dave is a complete character — the rare type of person that can actually live on Fraser as a local and work as a Fraser tour guide for 20 years. You can’t buy that kind of knowledge and experience, and you definitely can’t get to that level of kooky without being special. He could ramble on about anything and everything Fraser, from how the sand dunes were created to how it got its name. If you wanted to know the types of toxic plants and animals on the island, and how exactly their toxins react in your body, he is the man. In fact, he even reads pharmacology books in his spare time!

I think at first we were all a little shocked by his unique sense of humor, but by the end we all had mad respect for the guy. He does it all because that is who he is, and not because he is putting on a show. A guy from our group lost his wedding ring at Lake McKenzie. What did Dave do? He went out there at night in the pitch black to sift through sand until it was too cold to move to see if he could help. What a champ!

When we were at one stop-off, he asked if my camera had super-fast photo taking abilities. Why? Only so that I could photograph him jumping from one post to the next. After the shoot, he saw the photos on my camera, laughed, and then never mentioned them again.

He doesn’t use the Internet — ever. Dave actually told me that if we wanted to get in touch with him, we would have to contact the company to send him a message. Hilarious! Still, Dave made sure to give us loads of information for us to put on our sites and spread the word of The Philosophical Dingo. So, without further adieu, here is the glorious art of the one true Fraser Island guide; for his poetry and philosophy, stay tuned for the next post!

Dingos & Cigarettes: Two things that can kill your children

Deelicious!

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When an Itinerary is Necessary

Brooke — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:06:07 +0000

I hate planning itineraries, and I hate being confined to a limited amount of time. Open-ended is the way I roll.

In the “How I Travel” series of articles for BootsnAll, the first five platform writers were interviewed, and this is a direct quote that I gave. I really feel a bit stressed when it comes to planning a day-to-day itinerary that may or may not depend on completing one task in time to take on another. At this point, it has a way of becoming a chore and not the free-flowing trip that I normally enjoy. Why is it then – if I feel so passionately about this fact – that I have been spending the past couple of weeks trying to put together a road trip itinerary?!

Because sometimes it is necessary. Sometimes, time cannot be extended and plans cannot flow – or else you risk missing out on too much. I normally loathe an itinerary, but this journey I’m about to take calls for it. This plan is EPIC.

Ok, well maybe not epic as in I’m taking a year to travel about Australia while living off the land and sleeping in the bush. No, definitely not epic like that. However, it is epic in the sense that we will be covering a heck of a lot of ground in only 16 days!

I’m so insanely excited for this trip as I actually have a travel partner in crime — the lovely Heather from There’s No Place Like Oz. We are going to be driving from Cairns to Sydney while seeing sights such as the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest and Fraser Island. I’ve never been diving before, but we’ll both have an introductory go right on the reef.

In hopes of saving money, we are going to attempt to camp along the way. I’m definitely not a camper, but I’m hoping I’ll be too worn out after long days of touring and exploring that I just won’t care. As long as there are no giant spiders attacking me, I’m sure I’ll be fine…. but this is Australia, right?

If you’d like to follow along (and I hope that you do), you can join the WhyGo Australia Facebook page. We have an event that will be tracking our progress, hopefully with daily photos and updates along the way. It would be cool to get some feedback and support from lovely people like you, especially after I’ve had my first encounter of the insect kind!

Well, I’d love to stay and chat longer about it, but my flight leaves tomorrow in the early morning. I must finish packing!

Photo credit.

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Apologies to Christchurch

Brooke — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:28:37 +0000

Look, Christchurch, about all that anti-New Zealand talk I gave earlier: it’s not you, it’s me. I said those things before I ever got a chance to know you… the real you. Because with so many cafes and bars, and cafe/bars, one could say that you are actually kind of cool. Who was I to judge?

But it was a week, and while I at first wanted only to escape you, I thought for moments that I enjoyed you. Sure, you may have an awkward number of erotic, adult stores – more than one would think suiting for such a small town – but the artwork, and used book stores, and funky fabrics and furniture stores – you could almost be like a mild version of Newtown.

Oh, the times we had together. Remember the time… well… uhhh… you know. Remember the time I walked to the movies in the rain and then proceeded to see Knight and Day by myself? (Don’t judge; it was the only movie on at the time I was there.) Oh, and that other time I got Chinese food because the place looked awesomely packed just to realize it was the worst thing I’ve ever tasted in my life? At least there was Winnie Bagoes to make up for that (except for the fact that people can stalk me there while sitting in another city – you know who you are).

I think in another life, we could have been friends… maybe more like Internet friends. Cheers.

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Hey, New Zealand, I’m Just Not That Into You

Brooke — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 11:02:59 +0000

It’s like the tourism Gods were punishing me. Last Wednesday at pub trivia, I let my true feelings about my upcoming trip to New Zealand come out. See, New Zealand and I have a relationship that is based on convenience rather than passion; it’s never really been on my list of places to see, and believe me, there are very few countries that aren’t on that list. For some reason, my intrigue has just never been there.

Yet, this is my second trip to the land of the kiwi, and already it feels like a repeat of the first. Perhaps, I just don’t learn from my mistakes; perhaps the information I received last year wasn’t correct. Whatever it was, I was left shaking my head at the check-in counter as I frantically texted Pat to tell him that, yet again, I was having trouble getting to New Zealand.

If you weren’t a follower before, you can read about last year’s antics here. Basically, it was my fault as I for some reason thought I could enter New Zealand without any flight leaving the country. The goal was to buy my flight back as soon as I got my work and holiday visa as I wasn’t sure if they would require me to get another chest x-ray. But, Jetstar caught me and made me buy a ticket exiting New Zealand before I could get my boarding pass. This is when I went down to the service desk and bought a return ticket to Australia. Problem solved, sort of, since I actually had to change that flight since it took longer to process my visa than most other people.

This year, I was prepared! I simply bought a return ticket to Australia as I did before. However, there was a problem. My visa for Australia was expiring before the return date of my ticket, which means I didn’t have a ticket exiting New Zealand to a country I had permission to enter. Long story short, I had to purchase a ticket from New Zealand to America.

The problem here was two-fold. One, I should have double-checked the visa requirements like a good traveler. Two, the information I received the previous year was either incorrect (my visa expired before my return ticket then as well), or they had upgraded the requirement since then. Me dumb.

To make things worse, I hate cold weather, and I really hate snow. I’ve never been skiing; I have no desire to ski (especially with my bad knee). What else is going on in New Zealand?! I was really hoping to redeem NZ in my mind after my previous trip, but with a start like that, it is going to take a lot of impressing to fix. First impressions are the hardest to shake.

This, my friends, is a clear example of a travel fail.

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International Relationships: Does someone always lose?

Brooke — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:28:54 +0000

In a recent discussion with friends that have foreign partners, it came up that someone always has to lose in an international relationship.

I guess this post is a little near and dear to my heart seeing how I’m in an international relationship, and I sure do know quite a few foreign girls that are currently residing in Australia because of their Aussie guys. What is it with Aussie guys by the way, snatching up girls in other countries and luring them to the land down under?

Anyway, being in an international relationship can be a bit stressful, especially when you’re first getting started with testing the waters and trying to figure out if what you want is the same. It’s a big headache, and even now as I sit here thinking about how I’m on the path to getting an Aussie partner visa, I’m still not 100% convinced that it is the best thing for our relationship.

Now, don’t go thinking the worst here. It has nothing to do with me questioning the relationship itself; it has more to do with whether or not being in Australia is right… or fair. Of course, I’m not about to pull out now. I do, overall, enjoy Australia, and I have done a lot so far to get set up the way I am – but… it has been a challenge to say the least. When you join in an international partnership, one has to move in with the other, and in this case, it was me sticking around in Australia. I have come with nothing into a world that is solely my boyfriend’s — his friends, his family, his culture, his home – and I have had to adjust to this.

When it was Christmas Day, I stayed with his family. We ate their typical Christmas dinner, which was based around seafood (and I hate seafood) and turkey cooked in way I didn’t expect (and turkey is my favorite holiday food). When it was Mother’s Day, we went to have dinner with his mom. All of the holidays still feel foreign to me, and I never feel more out of place than when I’m sitting there around a group of his family and friends just wishing I were back somewhere in America.

The thoughts may be fleeting (stress is on fleeting), but when they come, I get really worked up. I start cursing the fact that the visa woes are on my end of the relationship. I start asking about when we’ll get to travel around my country, hang out with my old friends and explore my stomping grounds. Even though I know that the timing and money and many other factors come into play, I can’t help but think that I have been the one to sacrifice in order to make it work.

It’s funny that I feel this way, especially since I know that for a fact it would be an even bigger pain in the arse to get him over to America and working (not that I even want to go back for good in the first place). Sometimes, I even throw out the idea of us just moving to another city in Australia so that both of us are on more equal ground. That seems pretty fair to me, but is it rational? Probably not.

For me, it’s frustrating to think that one person will have to always feel this way in an international relationship, but at the same time, I can’t think of it being any better if the situation were more in my favor. Does anyone reading this have experience or words of wisdom to share?

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Is travel all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows?

Brooke — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 07:34:09 +0000

Travel, and more specifically long-term travel, is often idolized and imagined as this blissful freedom where problems never occur, and happiness roams as free as the air you breathe. If you’re like me, just thinking about hitting the open road right now is giving you a warm feeling inside – one almost so consuming that you can’t possibly think of any better type of freedom and adventure than that. Heck, you might even think that this is your doorway to eternal sunshine.

However, many of us are eager to forget about all those tough, chewy bits that can make even the keenest of travelers question why they are doing what they do. We don’t think about how frustrating getting ripped off because of language difficulty is, or how awful getting terribly ill in India might be. What about those times when you don’t even speak a word of English to another person for days… or weeks?!

Only the Lonely

I was reading through Heather’s confessions after one month of solo travel around Australia (and 11 more months to go), and it was an easy “been there, done that, felt that” kind of read. Having done the solo route myself, more times than I would honestly like to, I understood exactly the type of loneliness she was talking about – eating alone, traveling alone, sleeping alone. It’s weird how it happens, actually, because I would generally call myself the type of person that prefers more “me” time than social time while at home. Somehow, being in a new country can take a feeling to the extreme, and simply feeling alone can actually resemble feeling like an outcast in an entire town, city or country.

I associate this feeling with my long, cold 20-hour bus ride into Ukraine for the first time.

Part of my outcast feeling was from the inability to communicate with anyone, but that sort of loneliness can happen anywhere. You can simply be a solo traveler staying at a hostel full of traveling pairs that have their own plans and own schedules, and not a care to incorporate someone new. I love solo travel when other people or groups are receptive to hanging out and meeting up, but I am often quick to forget about my time in Barcelona where connecting with anyone was like mixing oil and water. I was so incredibly excited to finally leave for Menorca.

Health & Well-Being

I remember reading through Jodi’s stories last year of her months of battling illness on the road, and it’s always eye-opening to hear of such struggles when we sometimes only associate getting sick while traveling with a bit of Delhi belly. Travel has a way of beating your body with a stick, even when we might not be aware of it. Just being exposed to new foods, a new environment or different standards of cleanliness all have their effects on the body, and the immune system in general. I’ve had my fair share of foreign doctor visits on a list of countries that is growing: Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Australia and Spain.

How could I forget that visit in Spain? “You are a very beautiful girl… but your tonsils are awful.”

It doesn’t have to be all about the late nights and excess alcohol either. Just changing time zones can throw your body out of whack. That’s right, your circadian rhythm controls more than your sleep schedule; it affects the secretion of hormones that can control appetite, your period and the way you feel in general. Combine that with the fact that you’ve made a possibly huge life change by traveling to crazy places or moving to a new country, and you’ve got yourself a situation that can lead to feeling more than a bit “off”.

It’s More Common Than You Think

As I was telling Heather on her blog post, these feelings and shocks are more common than you think. We often have a way of envisioning how a trip should or could be, and not many people focus on the negatives. And why would you even want to? The only problem with this is when someone does actually get so frustrated, upset or down during an extended trip, they often find themselves questioning whether or not it is OK for them to feel this way. I am reminded of Shannon’s post on Travel Fatigue that touches on her own struggles.

It is completely OK to feel this way, and it happens to the best of us. I’m lucky to have a friend (Bethany) who is always able to remind me of the crazy path my life has taken over the past few years. I love travel because it makes my life exciting, but I’m sure the sort of uncertainty it brings is only enjoyable in a bell-curve form.

There’s Something to be Said For…

Routines. If there was ever a time when people need routines and schedules more, it is probably when they travel. Without them, many fall into the abyss as I like to call it – the space of being an aimless wanderer or consistent partier on the road. Backpacking Matt mentioned in a comment how he likes to use his travel blog as a way to keep a schedule and focus on the road. Routines, in addition to friends and a place to call home, keep us grounded. How much people can live without is different for each person.

So…

Back to my theming question: is travel all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows? No, probably not. And, if it is, you are probably being pampered on a first-class cruise or otherwise – not the kind of traveling that we backpackers tend to do. It’s definitely not all smiles and jokes and laughs, especially not when you happen to get pick-pocketed on the train, or if you happen to pick up bedbugs from a hostel. And, it’s probably not so fun at times to not have someone to connect with, or be in love with, as Nomadic Matt discusses as a difficulty in one of his posts on relationships on the road.

Then, why do we do it? Would it be poor form to simply end this post by saying that travel just rocks? Personally the challenge itself is a huge factor, but there are so many other reasons to travel than this that I’m not even sure where to start. I guess there’s something inherent in all of us that wants to seek out an adventure. Hope, expectation, adrenaline.

Thoughts?

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Happy Cow Hip Bag Review: My New Fashionable Travel Bag

Brooke — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 02:56:08 +0000

A big problem for me when traveling is finding items that are both practical and cute at the same time to take along, such as a purse or bag for daily travel life on the move. That’s where the Happy Cow Leather Hip Bag has made my life easier as it is not only stylish, but also a safe, hands-free storage option that I’m never going to just “forget in a taxi ride”.

You can’t. It’s always buckled around your waist!

A glorified fanny pack? Are you serious?!

I’m totally serious! The Happy Cow Leather Hip Bag may have the same features as the fanny pack you sported around in the early 90s, but with such a sleek redesign, who cares? And, really, it is just like the bag Fiona from Burn Notice wears while assembling bombs and operating machine guns. It doesn’t get much cooler than that!

The True Test: Taking the Hip Bag to the Gold Coast

I received the chocolate brown bag a few weeks ago from Happy Cow and have taken it all around Sydney from the train to the pub, but I wanted to wait for this review until after taking it on my trip to the Gold Coast.

I generally tend to drop purses from my packing list altogether because I can get by using my pockets and the daypack that is more of a necessity in my mind. Plus, a purse will get in the way of my DSLR camera bag, which is also worn over the shoulder. However, I am often left without any sort of stylish way to hold simple purse items when going to dinner or a bar.

This is where I loved my hip bag. It offers me a unique and stylish look (see photo to the left *smile*), and it also gives me extra storage that won’t get in the way of my camera bag during sightseeing. This is a major bonus as I’m then less-inclined to try and stuff lip gloss and a hair brush into a bag where it just doesn’t belong.

How else did the bag benefit me during my trip?

While out for a drink, I was never in a position where I had to worry about my purse since it was always attached. I never forgot it in a car, taxi or at a friend’s place. I was even able to play games of pool, video games, putt-putt golf and take photos — all without ever having to juggle an extra bag!

The Amazing Storage Capabilities of a Tiny Bag

You can pack quite a bit into this little bag, and the numerous pouches and zipped compartments make it so easy to stay organized in the process. It’s great for money, personal products, a small camera, cell phone, tissues, keys and more. To get the true Fiona from Burn Notice vibe, I make sure to include my little multi-tool (except for on planes!). NOTE: Overloading the bag can make it heavy and sag. If you are wearing it as a belt with jeans, it can easily make you look like a plumber.

A Bit More About the Features and Happy Cow

>> The Leather Hip Bag contains 1 main storage pocket with zipper enclosure and 2 front pockets that are closed by the button-down flap.

>> There are 3 “secret” pockets in this bag: 1 zipped pocket in the enclosing flap, 1 zipped pocket in the back of the bag that touches the body, and 1 velcro mini-pocket in the actual belt section.

>> The bag can be worn as a belt through most standard belt loops, or it can also be worn slung over the top of the clothes higher or lower on the body.

>> It fits quite close to the body given its storage capabilities. Note: Even so, you will most likely find yourself bumping the bag on things in the early stages of wearing it. Not a deal breaker for me.

>> This bag is a unisex bag meant to be enjoyed by both male and female travelers.

>> With a hip bag, you get to be hands-free! It’s a liberating feeling to be walking down the street without any straps and bags constricting your movement.

>> Hip bags are perfect for individuals that suffer neck and back pain associated with standard shoulder bags.

>> Hip bags are great for most activities except for toilet breaks. Having to handle the bag in the process can be annoying, but still not a deal breaker for me.

>> Happy Cow is a Melbourne-based company, but they ship all over the world.

>> Happy Cow is named so because it makes its bags from the leather cut-offs and scraps that would otherwise be tossed and wasted. MAJOR PLUS.

>> The bags are handmade, but quite affordable given the ability to use recycled leather.

>> Happy Cow produces tons of hip and shoulder bags that are awesome, so it is worth your time to shop around their website if you are in need of a new and unique travel bag.

Final Thoughts on the Happy Cow Leather Hip Bag

All thoughts expressed in this review are my own. I do thoroughly enjoy my Happy Cow Leather Hip Bag. In fact, you will probably see me wearing this if you cross my path in Sydney, or on upcoming travels. If you have any specific questions about the bag, feel free to leave a comment or send an email — I’m happy to help!

Note: All photos in this review are mine as well. Please do not use without my permission.

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Fave Posts Part 3: Food Adventures

Brooke — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 11:14:54 +0000

I’ve definitely had my fair share of food adventures around the world, some better than others. Of course, I’ve never eaten fried spiders or bug pizzas or even octopus on a stick, but there have been a few good posts that have come along the way.

Gelati Superheroes December 18, 2007 – This was a post reminiscing my first trip abroad in Italy in high school. A friend of mine and I became easily obsessed with gelato, as you can tell from this post.

Overcoming Fears – AKA Taste-Testing Shoro April 21, 2008 – A common drink in Kyrgyzstan is a wheat-based drink called Shoro. It is gritty, possibly a bit fermented and tastes like old beer. Yep, old beer. You can view my reaction in this video.

What is this salo you speak of? December 28, 2008 – Salo is commonly translated as lard in English, and the Ukrainians love it. They slice it up and serve with dark bread and vodka. You can see my reaction in this post.

Aussie Food Adventures – Want S’more? August 20, 2009 – Mmm… yes, Australia has an interesting food culture that includes vegemite and musk sticks to name a couple. I can’t say I am a fan of the food culture here, but it has made my life interesting.

Silverton Cafe Sells S#!t January 24, 2010 – While exploring the outback of New South Wales, I came across a really cool cafe that happened to also sell shit.

Vegemite: The Aussie Version of Peanut Butter March 18, 2010 – This is a video of my mom and step-dad experiencing vegemite for the very first time. Hilarious quotes here, so if you haven’t watched, do it now.

This is part 3 of a series on all of my favorite posts! If you didn’t read Part 1 or Part 2, be sure to do that now! As always, subscribe to my feed for immediate updates of new posts and more!

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How Travel Blogging Has Benefited My Life

Brooke — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 07:05:41 +0000

I was feeling a bit philosophical lately after doing some of those recap posts, such as the Story of Brooke vs. the World. My mind got to thinking about why I’m even in this whole blogging business, and if it is worth continuing (not that I could really give it up). There’s a mad rush in the travel community to build up followers and get the hits and become a bigger fish in a huge sea of dreamers – and I can understand why many people strive for this: they want to make money.

As much as I love to make a buck or two off this site, it doesn’t really happen often enough to pay for the time spent fiddling around. Perhaps if I plastered ad blocks everywhere (I’ve been tempted on many occasions), I could probably make that change, but at the same time I hold back a lot (not completely mind you) because of the fact I don’t want this website to stray too far from its original purpose of sharing my personal story and experiences (and hopefully inspiring and entertaining a little in the process).

In that sense, it makes me sometimes wonder whether or not caring about stats and readers is worthwhile. I’m often torn between letting things just roll on their own and trying to instigate growth (because it’s a challenge?). It does make for a good hobby at least.

In the midst of all these thoughts, I was able to see the light. Travel blogging has impacted my life in several ways throughout the years for the better. It may not pay the bills, but it does have other benefits.

The Outlet

It hasn’t been the place where I divulge all my deepest and darkest secrets, but it does help with the venting and sharing process regardless. Really, I try to stay away from too much *emotion* in general, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t write it down. There have been a few occasions where I’ve deleted entire paragraphs before publishing, yet still felt better getting it out in words before doing so. Being able to share stories with others that can relate and comment is also a major bonus.

The Inspired Emails

The emails I get from people asking me how I did it, or how they’ve spent hours trolling the site in awe are some of the best reasons to keep going. It makes me feel good that others can benefit from my own experiences, much like I was inspired by many other bloggers back in the day. It sort of makes it feel as though I’m paying that motivation back.

The Jobs

Believe it or not, this blog has been a factor in getting a few of my previous jobs. Blogs are big business nowadays, and if you can show you know how to write for a web audience, you could be on your way to a few of your own. It’s hard to think about how something that seemed so trivial in the beginning of my travel infatuation could result in the amazing, awesome position of guide writer for WhyGo Australia (part of the BootsnAll Travel Network). It’s definitely one of those things I couldn’t have pictured four years ago when I was working the IT help desk at Caterpillar. No way.

The Introduction to Twitter

If I hadn’t been in the business of travel blogging, I probably would never have gotten into Twitter. To be honest, my first impression of the social media tool was a bit on the negative side. However, time let the benefits of Twitter show themselves, and I am hooked to say the least. Without those tweets, I wouldn’t have met some super cool people, been introduced to the Sydney Travel Tribe and made numerous other connections.

The People I’ve Connected With

Beyond Twitter, the blog itself has paved the way for connecting with some amazing people around the world. One contact in particular goes back to the early planning stages around 3.5 years ago – Bethany of Beers and Beans. It was through my blog that Bethany found me, and even though we’ve never met in person, she is someone that I still to this day share most things about my life with, and vice versa. Pretty cool, eh?

What about you guys? How has travel blogging impacted your life for the better?

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Fave Posts Part 2: The Strange or Shocking

Brooke — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 09:36:01 +0000

Sometimes, when I look at where I’ve been, I think I have a problem. You went to live in Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan? Why not spend 10 months in Greece instead? Well, then maybe my life wouldn’t have been so interesting, right? I definitely wouldn’t have these little jewels of experiences to share with the world. Behold: the strange or shocking moments from my travels around the world.

Spanish 101: Pop Quiz January 9, 2008 – I know I put this in my Fave Post Part 1 list, but it really was disgusting. How can you study when your language teacher is too busy excavating his nose to realize you’re dry-heaving?

Ukraine Myths: You won’t believe these! April 9, 2008 – I stayed at a crappy hostel in Kiev with an extremely douchey owner. I couldn’t wait to leave the place, but before I did, he enlightened me with some of the wisdom of the Ukrainians.

Things that make you go hmm… May 24, 2008 – Make sure you scroll down to the bottom of this list. Just do it; you will not be disappointed. Life in Kyrgyzstan can be a bit weird at times!

I can’t believe I did that! February 13, 2009 – Oh, this one left me flabbergasted. Yes, I made MYSELF flabbergasted! I guess this could be the post on what not to bring with you to an American Consulate in Ukraine. I. Rock.

Bribes: The True Ukrainian Experience March 5, 2009 – The title of this post pretty much says it all, yet still, I just cannot believe to what extent corruption is present in Ukrainian life. I was waiting for an important package from my mother, and leaving for Australia very soon, when I had this fun last-run with that culture. It was like Ukraine’s last attempt to try and make me suffer.

Chest X-Ray, Anyone? March 22, 2009 – The hurdles one must cross to get to Australia after living in “high risk” countries. I had to get a lovely chest x-ray, and even though that might not be shocking, the way it all went down was a bit on the weird side for me.

Help! I’m being invaded by alien bugs! November 12, 2009 – I expected to see some strange bugs and wildlife down under, but this alien bug was just the beginning of a few shocking discoveries in my apartment in Sydney.

This is part 2 of a series on all of my favorite posts! If you didn’t read Part 1 or Part 3, be sure to do that now! As always, subscribe to my feed for immediate updates of new posts and more!