A Harsh Reality

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Departing MCO

                                                   Departing MCO

Our flight from Orlando to Atlanta was uneventful. Avonie had a few minor experiences, such as finding melted chocolate smothered on her seatbelt, and a kid who decided it would be fun to kick the back of her seat. I had to laugh. We then jumped onto our connecting flight and were off to Chicago! As I checked the weather online at 10,000 feet (that will always amaze me!), I was thrilled that the city would be expecting snow showers. I was not disappointed! As we arrived at O’Hare International Airport, the ground was white with snow. After grabbing our luggage, I begged Avonie if we could find clean snow somewhere to play in. She rolled her eyes, smiled, and indulged me. I spotted a ledge of snow out the window on the next floor up and rushed out to make my first snowball. My boots crunched in the sparkling white substance, and I gleefully reached down and scraped a handful of snow together. As Avonie held up the camera though, my smile seemed forced. All of a sudden, my hands hurt. Really, really bad. As she counted “1, 2, 3!” in an agonizingly slow manner, it took all of my will power to hold onto the snowball. Finally, it was over. My hands hurt for a good ten minutes, but I received my souvenir picture, and had all my misconceptions of snow vanquished. Have I ever mentioned that I adore living in Florida?

My first real snowball!

                        My first real snowball!

[Attempting to] Pack: Ireland Edition!

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The suitcase is as disorganized as it looks!

Packing has never been one of my strong points, and this trip is no exception. I am, however, quite proud of myself for only taking 1 checked bag for my week in Ireland! My new camera bag will serve as a carry-on.

As this is my 5th international trip since beginning college, I wanted to review some important packing tools that I’ve learned (some of them, the hard way!):

1. Don’t bring shampoo. Yes, I know you color your hair. And the hotel shampoo is going to ruin it. Still, I personally prefer going to the salon after a trip for a touch-up instead of spending hours in the hotel bathroom getting sticky shampoo off of every other toiletry item I brought with  me!

2. Pack your own pharmacy. Okay, not really. Motion sickness pills (if you are afflicted, as I am), pain killer, and allergy meds are a must. I’m also a huge believer in Airborne. Pack these little lifesavers and I promise, you won’t regret it. Also, be aware that any prescription medications must be declared when taken through Customs.

3. Passport Buddy System. If you are traveling with a friend, make a copies of your passports and exchange them. This will allow you to each have a backup copy in case you or your travel partner’s passport is lost or stolen. It will aid the US Embassy greatly in getting you a new passport.

4. Know the rules. A bar of soap is considered a liquid. Who knew? Also, pepper spray is illegal (even to check!) on most flights. Look up on your airline’s baggage restrictions to see what you can and cannot take on your flight.

The Itinerary That Wasn’t

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I am very much a “planner” – I prefer my life organized, my lists checked off, my plans lined up. But for whatever reason, this has not been the case during my preparation for the upcoming trip. Perhaps John’s casual attitude towards planning rubbed off on me after the adventure in Australia. Or maybe my mind has been too preoccupied with daily life to focus on the trip. Whatever it may be, this newfound lack of concern has transformed this vacation into a new experience for me. Avonie and I have created a list of activities and sights to see and do, but other than that, we have no set itinerary. It will be an adventure to see what ends up happening!

Unrealized Dreams

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“[In my soul] there are motives I cannot discover, dreams I cannot realize. My God, search me.” Psalm 139

There is a stirring in my spirit. Deep within my heart, I am discovering a voice that cannot be silenced. It is passionate. It is persistent. It longs to live, breathe, and proclaim Truth. It is expressed with emotion, but it is so much more than just emotion. It brings me to tears…yet it fills me with joy. There is Someone at work in my life. He has a plan. And this knowledge alone brings me to my knees in awe and fear.

He has given me a dream. A dream that fills me with wonder. A dream that I hardly know anything about. The Lord opened my eyes to the epidemic of the sex trafficking industry during my senior year of high school. Over the years, this awareness had developed into a passion for ending this horrible practice. In the last six months, God has finally given me a call to action. Through various sources of inspiration, He has provided me with the resources to create a line of jewelry! The focus of my jewelry is maps; I create pieces that are personalized according to the country the buyer chooses. However, my necklaces, bracelets, bookmarks, and magnets can also be personalized with initials, words, symbols, pictures, anything that can fit in a 18x25mm oval frame. I also offer various colors of rope, chain, and ribbon, as well as multiple pendants to choose from.

All necklaces, bracelets, and bookmarks are $10, and magnets are $5, with all profits (approx. 80% of the total cost) being primarily donated to organizations that fight sex trafficking and assist young women who have been rescued. I am also desiring to work with mission teams to raise funds for their trips, and buyers can request to specifically sponsor an individual/team through Traveling The Pages. Pictures of the product line will be posted soon. Please contact me at TravelingThePages@gmail.com for more information!

First Impressions…

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On the morning of the 27th, we packed up and met our transfer outside the hotel. There was another couple riding to the airport with us, Nick and Sarah from Minneapolis. After exchanging brief conversation, we discovered (to my absolute delight) that they had bought the same Groupon and would be traveling with us for the rest of the trip! I can’t even describe the relief at having a woman to talk to, since I hadn’t had that luxury since I left Orlando;  flight attendants and hotel staff don’t exactly fill the void. They naturally thought that John and I are a couple, an assumption we are starting to get used to (although it still hasn’t become any less disturbing!).

The flight to Melbourne was uneventful. I filled the 4 hours with writing postcards and watching footy on the miniscule screen in front of me. We landed in Melbourne at about 4:00pm and the second I stepped off the plane, I was freezing! The temperature had changed from low 80’s to high 50’s! The city also experiences strong winds and unpredictable rain, which combined creates a chilly day. The locals often describe Melbourne as having the potential to experience all 4 seasons in one day!

My first judgment of Melbourne is similar to my final opinion of the city: it is a city of art. Full Sail students would be in heaven there. The combination of the stunning architecture (a rather incredible blend of century old buildings and state-of-the-art bridges and skyscrapers), intricate displays of street art, high-end fashion, and the variety of cuisine and music forms a city dedicated to all the young and young at heart who have a passion for art. The attitude of the city as a whole is not as laid back as Cairns, with less backpackers and more local youth. It took me awhile to warm up to Melbourne, regarding both the weather and the city itself.

Farewell Cairns!

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Our final day in Cairns was uneventful. We lost our chance to do bungy jumping and a tour in the rainforest due to our procrastination. Oh well, you live and you learn! Instead, I worked on putting my memories into words for you all to read, and repacked my bags. I might be the most unorganized traveler there ever was – by day one, my clothes were stuffed into my suitcase with no rhyme or reason, my medicine was mixed up with hair scrunchies, and I had already lost my room key. Yet so far, I have managed not to lose anything (to my knowledge) and my clothes have miraculously stayed wrinkle free! We went to a popular pub called PJ O’Briens, which was overflowing with backpackers. I ordered a Guiness meat pie, which came with salad, “chips” (French fries), beer, and a salad. It was the cheapest meal I had eaten yet in the country, since I had picked up a voucher earlier in the day. It came out to a total of $7 and was absolutely delicious. Since I’ve arrived in Australia however, I have not had a huge appetite, despite the good food. I’m hoping that this inability to finish my plate goes away soon, as I am finding everything here to be a party for my taste buds. After we finished at PJ’s, we headed back to Whackabee’s for karaoke night. John met up again with a sweet Aussie named Rachel, and they took turns embarrassing themselves on stage while I watched in amusement (Okay, they weren’t actually that bad…). The bartender welcomed us back, as we had been there only a few days earlier. While watching the show, I met an American named John, who is on a one-week leave from the Navy. It is always fun talking to a sober American, and he had many great stories to tell from all of his travels. Soon after, we headed off to Gilligan’s. Unfortunately, the selection of suitable individuals to make conversation with was slim, and those that I was willing to dance with even slimmer. I did meet two Aussie Rules players, but they were not sober enough to give out their autographs and I quickly left. Other than talking politics with a nice young man, and avoiding the scum of the evening, Gilligan’s was rather uneventful. It was a disappointment, especially after the fun time we’d had the previous night. We headed back to the hotel for our last evening, and had no trouble falling asleep. And speaking of sleep…apparently the night before I had a very active dream, as John tells me. Early in the morning, I leaped out of bed and started reaching towards the ceiling. John told me he thought I was dreaming and I got mad at him and told him to shut up. I said that there were these things that I had to get and they were right there! I vaguely remember the dream, and I find it very amusing that he got to witness my insanity first hand! I pity my poor husband someday…I have a feeling that my sleepwalking is not nearing an end any time soon.

Gilligan’s!

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After our tour on the Reef, we headed back to the Novotel Oasis Hotel to get cleaned up. Throughout the day, we kept hearing about a backpackers’ paradise, a pub by the name of Gilligan’s. Spending the evening hours (and late evening hours!) there was the best choice we could make! I can’t count on both hands all of the diverse people I met or all the various accents I heard during my time there. The first individual I connected with was an Irishman named Bobby, who currently works in the mines in Perth, Australia. He was quite charming, and after a bit of persuasion, I convinced him to let me teach him some dance moves. (What most people do in pubs, both in Australia and America, does not even come close to defining “dancing”). He was a little unsure of himself at first, but I realized that Bobby has great rhythm and before I knew it, he was twirling and dipping me without a second thought! He seemed delighted that he could actually dance, and several times exclaimed, “This is brilliant!” John didn’t believe me when I told him the guy had never danced before in his life! Bobby introduced me to his Irish friend, Tony, and I enjoyed their company at various times during the evening. The second young man I met was Erick, a German musician who spoke little English. He was very sweet and told me his story about how the love of his life left him when he was drafted into the Army. Some guys might use a story like that as a ploy to get the sympathy of young women, but the tears in Erick’s eyes suggested otherwise. During the evening, I also dodged the amorous intentions of a young Aussie boy (the poor thing wanted nothing more than a kiss from the American girl, but unfortunately, he picked the wrong one and was sent away with very red cheeks) and discussed faith and science with an Australian atheist in medical school. I didn’t think the night could get any more interesting until I spotted a well-dressed, handsome man standing alone. He turned out to be an American from North Carolina, as well as a fantastic dancer. I enjoyed his company and the fact that he respected the boundaries I had set for all the men I danced with. He offered some great conversation and challenged me to not always view the world from closed perspective. We didn’t agree on everything, but it allowed me a chance to share my opinion and my faith. Going back briefly to my purpose for this trip, I am amazed at how God has opened so many doors for sharing what I believe. Not once did I ever initiate a conversation about Jesus Christ, but in every conversation, I was asked about my faith. My actions (such as staying sober and laying down boundaries for dancing) intrigued many people, sparking interesting conversations and unique opportunities to discuss how my relationship with Jesus influences my lifestyle. It was a great evening, with a lot of fun, laughter, and deep conversations.

Finding Nemo…literally.

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We woke up bright and early for our expedition to the Outer Barrier Reef and Upolu Cay. After grabbing a yummy breakfast of syrupy French toast and a scalding mocha latte, I checked us in for our tour at the Ocean Freedom’s desk. We proceeded down to the Marlin Marina and met our crew on the Freedom. I have to say that from the moment I met this charming team, I never stopped smiling. The camaraderie the crew shared was so unique, and it is obvious that each person working there loves sharing the Reef with Cairn’s visitors. The first thing we did was grab coffee, as it was a bit chilly on deck. As we left the dock, there was a light rain and the sky was cloudy. Mist covered the tops of the mountains, hiding the lush rainforest from our view. It was an eerie but beautiful sight. I was thankful that the sun eventually showed up as we made our way to our dive location. Our first stop was part of the Outer Barrier Reef. We geared up and sat through an informative yet comical briefing on how to use a snorkel and not carelessly destroy the coral. Then it was time to make the jump, flippers (child-size) first! In doing so, I landed on top of a school of huge angel fish and was immediately immersed in the Reef. Words cannot accurately describe the wonders of the Reef, and I know I only brushed the surface of all the treasures it holds. Intricate coral formations hid brightly colored fish as I watched from just below the waves. After a few tries, I learned how to dive down a few more feet and get up close with the real-life cast of “Finding Nemo”  as well as swim side-by-side with sea turtles. Every time you went back up to clear your mask or flag down a buddy, you quickly wanted to immerse yourself again in the beauty of the Reef. We snorkeled for a few hours, trying to take it all in before it was time to board the Freedom once again for lunch. It was an all-you-can-eat affair of chicken legs, salad, sandwiches, coleslaw and more. There was not a disappointed tummy on the boat! After lunch, the crew took us to the lovely Upolou Cay, where we were split up into small groups and led on a snorkel safari. Meet my safari leader, Joey – a rather handsome guy (I was reminded just a bit of actor Owen Wilson) who did everything he could to ensure we saw the most on our tour. He took us to see giant grouper hiding under coral ledges and pointed out the clownfish hiding in the anemones. We also saw large rays snuggled in the sand and a few members of the tour even saw a few white-tipped reef sharks. Joey went above and beyond by taking my underwater camera on his own dive, and returning with incredible photos that I was unable to take on my snorkeling journey. He even brought back a few pictures of the deadly lionfish, which I was thrilled by. A few other new friends I made on the journey included a fun group of English backpackers (Emma, Natalie, and Sally) and a lovely Canadian by the name of Annie. The five of us stuck together for most of the trip and laughed more than was probably necessary. It was a fantastic tour, and I had no qualms about recommending Ocean Freedom to everyone I met in Cairns that night. Huge thanks to Carrie, Joey, and the rest of the charming crew for one of the best days of my life! You provided more customer service, delicious food, and one-on-one attention than I could have ever expected. And most of all, you provided every person on that tour with an adventure on the Reef that they will never forget.

Arrival in Cairns

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Finally back on the blog again! Thank you all for your patience as John and I have had troubles with hotel WiFi and Mac computers rejecting blog uploads. We are finally back online! We boarded our 15 hour flight on June 23rd at midnight, Los Angeles to Brisbane on Virgin Australia. It was by far the nicest airline that I have ever traveled on! Individual screens with a decent choice of movies, popular music, and games. You could even chat with individuals from whichever seat you chose! Luxurious. The in-flight service was fantastic as well, and I can highly recommend Virgin as an international traveler’s choice of airline.

As we boarded, exhaustion hit me like wave. I took an Advil PM to ensure that I would sleep soundly, and I was out before we even left the tarmac. I slept solid for about 4 hours, and then on and off for another 5 hours. John and I both slept through dinner, so unfortunately, I cannot tell you about it. As you will soon see, food is a very important part of my adventures overseas, and I have so far documented everything I have eaten! Once I woke up, I wrote a blog entry regarding our time in Los Angeles, watched “This Means War,” and enjoyed a satisfactory breakfast consisting of French toast, orange juice, coffee, yogurt, and a croissant with butter and jam. John and I also ate ridiculous amounts of white chocolate candy bars and chocolate chip granola bars, as we packed quite a bit and were not able to bring anything into Australia due to strict quarantine rules.

Landing went smoothly, and I only experienced mild discomfort in my ears. This is a huge improvement, as in the past, I have had intense pain due to pressure build up in my Eustachian tubes inside of my ears. It took a lot of work though, with medications and assistance including: constantly drinking water, which caused often trips to the bathroom; Airplane ear plugs; Afrin nasal spray; chewing gum; and Advil. It was a pretty successful combination, and I am very grateful to all the individuals who have assisted me in finding a treatment for this horrid problem.

Our layover in Brisbane was not the best, as both John and I were extremely jet lagged. The problem with traveling with a sibling is that you have no problem showing them your worst behavior and attitude, and jet lag enhances that problem times 1,000. Thankfully, all issues have been resolved since. On our 2 ½ hour flight to Cairn from Brisbane, I read “The Vow” on my Kindle. This is a non-fiction book that the recent movie was based off of. The book was exceptional, and it was incredible to see how this young couple’s faith enabled them to start over when the female main character lost her memory. We received lots of Coca Cola and pretzels on our short flight, which didn’t curb my monstrous appetite.

As a result, the moment we landed in Cairn, John and I went to Hungry Jacks, the Australian name for Burger King. It is exactly the same company, with whoppers and all! I ordered a double stack bacon lover burger, which had a slab of bacon so huge and so thick it looked like ham! It was absolutely what I needed to recover some strength for our transfer to the Novotel hotel where we would be staying. We found our bus driver and the transfer went without problem. Right outside of our hotel, he pointed out a tree which had large vulture-like creatures flying around it. However, once we looked closer, we saw that they were giant fruit bats, hanging upside down and flying around the treetop! The noise was wonderfully horrendous, with screeching so loud you couldn’t hear yourself think. I have never seen bats of such a massive size! It was our first introduction to Aussie wildlife. I’m excited to see the rest!

Sidenote… It is important to note that Cairns is pronounced “Cans.” You sound very ignorant if you say anything otherwise.

Adventures in LA

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Our first flight from Orlando to LA went smoothly. Once we landed and grabbed our luggage, my friend, Chris Peters, picked us up from LAX to give us a tour of the beautiful city he calls home. LA is exactly what I expected so I guess the movies portray it pretty accurately. The streets are narrow and everyone drives a little crazier than in Orlando. The mountains are gorgeous and I would see them in almost every direction. There is a very diverse mix of people in LA and almost all of them dress straight out of Express, Anthropologie, and whatever other “hip” store you can think of. Super short dresses and boots seem to be the craze right now, and considering they have lovely 60 degree weather, it works out pretty well. The short dresses and strong wind isn’t the safest combination though if you’re trying to stay covered up! Chris took us up into the mountains, where we arrived at the Griffith Observatory. The scenery was incredible and we had the perfect view of the infamous Hollywood sign. I tried to capture the scene with a ridiculous amount of pictures, but I doubt that they will do the moment justice. The Observatory itself was also very interesting, with dozens of astronomy exhibits. My favorite part was going up onto the roof and looking out over the entire city of LA. Words can’t describe. Next, we stopped by the Paramount Studio, where Chris works on the movie set “Animal Set.” (I still think it’s crazy that I know someone who works for a movie company!!). We weren’t able to get a tour, but I still got a picture of the Paramount water tower! Next, we went to Chris’ favorite restaurant, Tender Greens – all organic food, very LA-ish decorations, and absolutely delicious! I ordered backyard-marinated steak, lemon chicken soup flavored with thyme, and melt-in-your-mouth gold mashed potatoes. After devouring our meals, we walked downtown and enjoyed Barnes and Nobles, as well as an exceptional music store called “Amoeba.” Talk about a music-lover’s paradise! Vinyl records from every artist imaginable were sold there, and the entire two story building was filled head-to-toe with records, CD’s, posters, etc. I was tempted by a John Mayer original, but I resisted! The last stop of the day was our drive to Santa Monica Pier. We made our way through the shopping center and down the busy main street, passing street musicians and dancing monkeys. The pier itself was packed with people, but it just added to the festivity! There is a carnival situated on the pier, with a giant Ferris wheel among other rides. The sugary smell of cotton candy tickles my nose, and the air is filled with children screaming from the old rollercoaster as it goes out over the ocean. The view from the pier was beautiful; we watched the waves crash onto the sandy beach, and at the same time we were able to see the towering cliffs in the distance. We finished out our day at In ‘n Out Burgers, which was a new treat for me. Although fast food, the burgers were very high quality and absolutely amazing! They toast your buns and use a thousand-island type sauce on top. REALLY good! Chris pointed out the bottom of our cups while we were there: they had Scripture verses in tiny font written on each one! Apparently the company is a Christian organization, so that was a pretty neat discovery. After dinner, Chris drove us back to the airport to check in. L.A. was definitely an experience and I would highly recommend spending at least a day there! Huge thanks to Chris Peters for the great tour and taking time out of his day to spend with us. It was great seeing you!