Swedish Proverbs

To update, I didn't bring up that I was a cat lady, and I tried super, super hard to not say the word 'y'all.'

It was really fucking hard, but I managed it alright.

The adventures at HQ will be some of my favorites from the week in Sydney--those happenings are as follows:

There was a mission to find a bath towel for LP, that turned into a 4 1/2 excursion all around Sydney that ended up with one of the Best views at the Harbor from the Pylon Lookout on the Sydney Harbor Bridge. (Pictures at the bottom)

We were introduced to 'Goon'-- which is the backpackers version of boxed wine-- think of the brand Franzia... Disgustingly delicious and stupid cheap.

The sexy scandinavians. That's all I can really handle saying about that.

Rachel from Belfast, Ireland with a pretty excellent southern drawl , and Mags from Scotland who has a serious love for Las Vegas. Together we made 'the Goonies' or the 'Goon Squad.' Obviously original names.

Drinking games.

Oh and the very sexy Australian.


Anyways, Backpackers HQ in Kings Cross turned out to be our favorite hostel. Wake Up! Is great, but the community at Backpackers was absolutely wonderful and is exactly what I think we needed.

After our weeklong adventure in the land of Oz-- the land Down Under, I am so much looking forward to really starting our trip away from the hustle of an international city.

Australia, I WILL be back one day, but for now....

To AUCKLAND!

Sydney Aquarium

Just a few quick photos from our adventure to the Sydney Aquarium...

They had a dugong which is exactly like a manatee and I you know any thing about me you will know that manatees are my very, very favorite water dweller. And also a manatee was my very first Beanie Baby (RIP Manny).

To the pictures!

Kings Cross

Here in Sydney, we are essentially a day ahead --15 hours. IM LIVING IN THE FUTURE.

Anyways...

We checked into another hostel today called Backpackers HQ in a part of Sydney called Kings Cross. It's probably close to a mile away from the Wake Up! Sydney Hostel on Pitt Street. It's not so urban and so far, so good.

There is an 80% possibility that in our shared 10 bed room-- there are 6 people of the male persuasion.

3 of those 6 are from Sweden. They are tall, blonde and beautiful and I'm all like, I'm blonde too but I have too many pictures of cats on my phone.

There's all this sexy Scandinavian testosterone floating around and I don't even know if I can handle it. I'm on the top bunk above a Swed named Linus.

KATIE, FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE PLEASE BE COOL .
Please, keep your cat photos hidden and keep the word 'y'all' from slipping Ito casual conversation.

There's also a lovely girl named Rachel from Belfast, Ireland.

Beaches and tacos? Recipe for my favorite day

So Bondi Beach.

Gorgeous weather, gorgeous ocean and gorgeous people. And me and LP are all like sweaty and American.

There's a coastal walk that goes from Bondi (bon-die) to Coogee Beach-- I wanna say it was 4.4KM? Hell I can't remember but it was absolutely... Gorgeous. Bondi, Coogee and all the little coves and beaches have beautiful vistas and views. The locals use the walk as a training ground to be fit and active and skinny... And just gorgeous. They literally flew by us walking (yes), running, sprinting and there we were-- just sweaty an American.

I should have prefaced this costal walk and say-- it is not by any means ,flat. It's steep and there are stairs --not complaining just commenting. It's 100% worth the sweat -- because the views are spectacular.

Back in Sydney, we bonded even more with our roommates from Wake Up! Sydney. We are finally being social! We have friends! It's not just us out here in the big bad world outside Kentucky.

It's kind of amazing how much you actually do bond with some people on the road( because I'm obviously a veteran). T you're able to make friendships with them because you share this huge thing called independent travel. It's a big deal. Everyone should do it.

And as I mentioned in my last posting, all the girls ( from USA, AUS and GB) swapped in-country sayings/ phrases-- and tested out accents.

My favorite might be 'wanker.'

The Australians' favorite might have been , 'and not a fuck was given that day'.

Most of us were moving on the next day, and decided to all get dinner together. We had Mexican food. No matter the country no one can turn down a good taco.

Cheerio for now.

Catch up

We tackled Sydney again yesterday after 12+ hours of sleep, a snack or two and a new lease... Literally ... On the whole beginning of this trip because we didn't feel like death from the jet lag.

We explored the Royal Botanical Gardens (think Central Park in NYC on crack) and got lost a few times and made our way down to the Sydney Harbor--- Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge. both completely spectacular.

We've made some friends in our hostel-- 2 girls from Melbourne, 2 girls from GB and Philip from France-- all kind of doing their own independent travel.

LP and I and the rest of the girls at around last night trying to do the others accents-, not the most successful venture-- it's a work in progress.

Right now taking advantage of the free wifi at the Bondi Beach Pavilion. Over the next few hours we'll be doing a beach walk from Bondi to Coogee Beach.

Don't worry Ma, I packed my sunscreen.

This is Sydney?

So far I'm not so sure about Sydney. Maybe it's the jet lag talking-- or the hunger-- or the general anxiety that comes from being in a strange place.

Our hostel is right smack dab in the middle of everything. It's just 10-30 minutes of walking time to lots of what Sydney's known for. And because of jet lag I can't remember anything.. The Olympics in 2000 right?

Today after a Chinese brunch (which we ate at the food court in a mall somewhere-- and then got stuck in because it started pouring rain) and short rest in our hostel we decided to keep the jet lag train moving and walking down to Darling Harbor. Huge Harbor, lots of places to look out and enjoy the view-- the Australian Maritime Museum with its battle ships and submarines-- a pirate ship even.

So I'm soaking in the view and I look over and BOOM, there's a Hard Rock Cafe and a Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville (Steve Irvan, if you're reading this, as I walked by the Eagles were playing over the sound system there--- and so yeah-- go Steve). IT WAS SO AMERICAN and it made me so mad. STOP IT SYDNEY. I just left the states

Also, I was told that there was a big Asian population in Sydney. If by big that person meant 'every person I've seen in this city so far is Asian' -- then yes.

LP and I coined the term 'Austra-Asian' . I don't know if that's a real thing or wildly inappropriate to say out loud.. But it's happened and it's happening. So many Asians, so little contact with Australians.

Wait this is Sydney, right? We didn't actually land on the Asian continent right?

Looking forward to what else the next few days brings us. More exposure to Sydney tomorrow. For now me and LP are barely staying awake. It's close to 7:15pm here--- we haven't really slept in over 48 hours.

So maybe if this post doesn't make sense, just blame it on the jet lag.

Picture(s) attached are of Darling Harbor.




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Post about Jet Lag.

A little big of leg room can go a long way. After sitting on a bitchin' Air New Zealand AIRBUS(!!!!!!) for close to 13 hours... LP and I have made it through the 3rd leg of our Journey to Oz and Middle Earth!

FREE WIFI FOR 30 MINUTES.

After a few solid hours of sleep on the plane, a pee break and a $4 vanilla latte , we are siting at the gate in te Auckland Airport . So far I don't feel like complete shit, which is surprising because its 12 noon... yesterday...back home in Kentucky. We skipped Feb. 15 all together , which is what happens when you time travel... Because you know, time zones...

Anyways, Sydney next, where hopefully our backpacks will have made the journey from San Francisco. Fingers crossed. Wish us luck!

-K