Thursday, May 26, 2011

TRAVEL BUG BITTEN & CURED? ..surely not.

All my life I've loved travelling.
Whether it's been a 3 month camping trip with the parentals 1/2 way round Australia, a tropical island or 3, UK,
Europe, America, Japan..
I've loved every inch of it.
And for the past 5 years (that i can remember..) i have been overseas each year.
All up it's a grand total of 7 times overseas.
To say it feels rewarding knowing i have done that at a young age makes me happy.
What is it that we love about travelling 24 hours on a plane to a city/state/country that we have never been to, where we don't know anyone & we absolutely cannot wait to get there?
Perhaps it's because we are so sick of our mundane, routine lives at 'home' that we need to mix things up & get some

change & escape.
Escape to a place where no one knows us, it's fresh, new, exciting, scary, mysterious & there are endless discoveries to be had.
Short term or long term.
And in turn, you always learn more about the world & yourself.
Bottom line- it's a win/win situation.
You get to learn how other people live, taste different flavours, experience different seasons,
become engulfed by amazing scenery.
Learn phrases in another language so you can chat to locals.
Feel like the odd one out for once when you are the only Caucasian person on a train in Japan. And on top of that, the only person with blue eyes for as far as you can see.
This year however, is different.
For some reason, at the outset of 2011 i said to myself 'Stay in Australia for 12 months & just save some money.'
You know what? So far, it's worked out pretty well for me.
....i have to admit though, i was *THIS* close to booking a trip to Europe to meet up with friends for later this year.
But something wasn't sitting right.
My heart wasn't in it.
First time ever. I have no idea why.
Am i finally rid of the ill fated travel bug that loves to bite?
Was it because of other things going on in my life
that needed closure?
Is it because i truly am happy to save some cash &
stay in my country?
Or maybe I've simply grown up & am reassessing life. Yes, I've been to Europe 3 times. Loved it every time. Do i really need to go again? Is that just insanely greedy & self centred?
Having rambled on about all of this.. I wouldn't be surprised if in a couple of months I'm on here bragging about just booking a flight overseas.. but until then, watch this, its amazing:
Then sometimes you'll come across a person who has never been overseas, who has never been on a plane & who has never left the state they live in.
Honey.
You need to go get yourself a life & a plane ticket out of there.
Even if it's just interstate.
Pronto.
(as they say in Italy)
..but you wouldn't know because you've never been.
xox

Monday, May 23, 2011

IM PROUD OF MY BLACK EYE

Yes, that's right.
Black eye.
It happened on the weekend & i am showing it off to everyone i come across. 
Almost like a badge of honour.
It's the first time I've ever had one.
It makes me feel tough! 
...and somewhat invincible.
You want to know how i did it?
Sure you do.
At a friends house, dancing like an idiot in the kitchen with a mate, jumping up & down, another friend taking photos of us, I'm whipping my hair back & forth *SMASH! We headbutt each other.
HILARIOUS.
My friend who was taking photos didn't get the actual headbutt in action but she got the after affect.
I'm laughing, holding my head & the friend who headbutted me is doing the same.
It's really quite funny!
I am definitely not one of those 'princessy' type girls who would normally squeal & draw attention to myself like a damsel in distress & go on & on about how much it hurt.. which honestly, it didn't hurt at the time & it doesn't hurt now.
No sir.
I am not a princess.
(Thank goodness!)
I am the girl who will laugh at my idiotic self & then continue dancing & having an awesome time!
I haven't even tried to cover it up with makeup.
I actually want it to be seen!
Is there something morbidly wrong with me?!
What girl wants to show off her black eye?
..speaking of showing it off, here's a photo of it:
It's not that bad ehh.
Were you expecting a black ring all around my eye?
Sorry to disappoint.
xox

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

CONFIDENCE, CHARISMA, CHARM= LETHAL MIX.

You know how there are those extremely irritating people who just seem to OOOOZE the above mentioned?
Yeah. I know a few of them as well.
You'll be at a party or out for drinks with a whole crew & then 'they' decide to show up in all their glory. 
All they have to do is walk in & instantly they command the attention of the entire room.
All this before they've even taken off their coat.
It's not necessarily what they wear or anything visual.
It seems to be an aura that follows them around.
They have an 'air' about themselves, it's self
confidence, but not cockiness. 
There is a difference between someone confident
& someone cocky.
(FYI it is easy to distinguish between the two)
You can't help but be intriguied by them.
They're always smiling, always friendly, always chatting & laughing, know everyone & everyone is always happy to see them.
And on top of all of that not 1 bad word can be spoken of them.
You can't buy confidence, charisma or charm, so where
does it come from?
Can it be learned? I think to an extent it can be.
Putting into practice is a completely different story.
It's something that needs to come from within.
Or as these guys say...
So you should probably just 'Fake it 'til you make it.'
Or instead of getting with the negatives in life & worrying obsessively about what other people may think about you, be happy with your self.
Don't be intimidated by it.
Know yourself.
If you are happy with you, then you will be one of those enviable people who oooze confidence, charisma & charm.
And you didnt even have to break a sweat!
xox

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

WHY DOES FACEBOOK TURN EVERYONE INTO A STALKER?

So this morning i was greeted with a text from a friend of mine,
who although they are not a  'follower' of my blog,
they are still a follower.
It was brought to my attention that i hadn't posted about anything in nearly 2 weeks.
So therefore, tonight, you get 2 brand new blog post's to fill your brain with for 5 minutes & then you can get back to your life.
When i replied to the text i called my friend a 'stalker' which got me thinking...
How has one website, the one & only FACEBOOK,
turned us into stalkers?
Seriously.
What is it about being able to see who is friends with whom, who was at what party & more importantly- what were they wearing! *yikes* that keeps us coming back for more & just stalking more?
We get pulled into a vortex.
An addiction vortex.
We get addicted to finding out & knowing what
our friends get up to.
But, they'd tell us anyway.. yeah? So why stalk them on facebook?
Is it so you can know exactly what is happening when it is happening which in turn makes you feel like you are in the all important 'loop?'
Is it because our own lives are boring?
...but, come on now seriously, your life is clearly not boring if you are reading my blog :)
(thanks by the way, love your support & comments!)
Or is it that we are interested to see how similar or how different we are to our peers?
To feel accepted by them? So we can reject them?
Whatever reason it is that you facebook-stalk, whether its that guy you pashed, that person you met at a party or that cutie that your best friend is pining over that you need to suss out, there is something fun about it. 
I have to admit though, it is extremly annoying when you do meet someone new & they say to you 'ohh, you're *INSERT NAME HERE* I've seen you all over facebook!'
Darling.
Why? Why say that?
Nobody gains anything by you saying that. So just let it slide.
Now what was that cuties name again...
Happy stalking :)
xox

DO I DARE GO BACK? SYDNEY TAKE 2.

Do i dare? HA!
I scoff at the challenge. Is it a challenge if it's too easy though?!
Who wouldn't be up for a long weekend in Sydney especially after having so much fun last time- wine, dine & climb.
(see previous post re: Sydney)
With the long weekend fast approaching, dirt cheap flights delivered straight to my inbox & with nothing to lose & everything to gain...
I sent a couple of text message's &
I booked myself return flights.
Yes its 1 month away.
But i don't really care.
Wintertime in Melbourne is usually a bit on the quiet side & everyone seems to go into hibernation.
A weekend escape is just what the doctor ordered.
As it turns out, there's going to be a whole crew heading
to our northern neighbour.
Our mission?
Ruin Sydney :)
In all the right ways, ofcourse!

Why do i write a blog about this when clearly you don't care?
It's because i don't care about what you think :)
xox

Thursday, May 5, 2011

DEGRAVES. that is all.

Having a rather cruisy work life *ahem, i work 4 days a week,
I took myself on a little excursion into the Big Smoke.
aka. Melbourne.
Did it the old fashioned way & caught a train in.
I often find myself wandering the streets & laneways- which there are an abundance of in this fine city.
And every single time, i don't even know how or why, i always seem to end up in one particular street.
Degraves Street.
I always feel a little bit awkward when i venture here.
It's the kind of street that is narrow, has cafes either side, restaurants, boutique little shops & just a lot of nooks & crannies.
Why do i feel awkward when it sounds so amazing you ask..
Well, i guess it's because people come here to be seen.
People come here to sip espresso's & lattes.
People come here to eat little cupcakes.
Word on the street is its the place to be.
I totally don't get it. It's just little old Melbourne afterall.
Oh & the fact that the centre of the street is full of tables & chairs with the abovementioned sitting around them in their finest op shop cardigan that they paid $5 for & as you stride passed them it feels like you are on parade with hundreds of eyes following you.
Yeah, awkward.
Don't get me wrong.
It's a very hip little place to visit & visit you must if you've never been to Melbourne.
I personally, just don't like being watched.
Instantly my brain goes into overdrive...
*do i have food on my face?
*did i sit on something?
*is there something on my shirt?
I want to melt into the background and watch YOU.
And that right there darlings, is the unadulterated truth.
I wish to be the observer, not the observed.
Maybe you'll spot me hiding in a corner, sipping a steaming coffee while watching you.
Nothing sinister.. i promise :)
That is all. I'll see you next time, Degraves.
xox

Sunday, May 1, 2011

'DO YOU WANT ME TO TAKE YOU TO HOSPITAL?'

...was the question i asked a friend of mine recently.
No, it's not something you ask every day.
But nonetheless, it got me thinking.
So here i am, yet again, sharing my rambling thoughts with you, my dear reader.
What is it about other people needing help or being in distress (ie: damsel in distress needing a car tyre changed on the side of the road) that we cant help but take notice of, take them under our wing & try to make it all better again & fix them?
What makes us turn all good Samaritan?
Human nature?
The way we were brought up? 
Scrap that. You're smart.
You can work that one out for yourself.
...just like you worked out that reading
this blog was a good choice :)
So here's the story:
It started as a lovely night filled with dress up partying, dancing to Snoop Dogg's 'Drop It Like Its Hot', some crazy photos, good catch up chats with friends & then a quick goodbye.
We were on our way home.
Just the 2 of us with a 1 hour drive.
(Before i go on, can i just say we saw the most amazing shooting star of all time- it was big, it was bright, it was long & it was directly in front of us. GORGEOUS!)
Back to it.
About 5 minutes down the road, my friend started complaining of having the most horrendous pain in his jaw.
Not nice. Not nice at all.
He is very talkative normally but not on this ride home.
You get a sense when things aren't quite right.
Clutching his jaw & me with a comforting hand resting
on his back, i said
'Do you want me to take you to hospital?'
'Yes please.'
The fact that it was about 2am didn't phase me whatsoever.
You go into automatic mode.
My friend was in need & i was there.
You would've done the same thing in my situation.
It's nothing big. A small, helpful act.
Sitting in the hospital corridor for about an hour, reading a trashy magazine, another comforting hand rubbing my friend's back while he held his face in his hands, reality sets in.
Helping out other people- whether they be friends, acquaintances or a stranger- is good.
It's true, there is definitely more happiness in giving than there is in receiving, i think its imbedded in all of us to help our fellowman. And so we should.
High Five to helping out our friends.
FYI- he was much appreciated & is all good now :)
xox