Space Camp!

Before heading to the US in 2001 i never knew this opportunity existed. Then one day a guy on campus just mentioned it in casual conversation. Needless to say i was hooked... the idea of wearing a space suit and being in 1/6th gravity! Then came the episode on 'Friends' where they had to sell cookies to send a girl to space camp... it didn't end up happening for her, but i was damn sure it was going to come to true for me :). In 2004 this dream came true, yes i got to go to Space camp in Hunstville, Alabama for a week.... SOO much fun!!

What to do on NYE? Road trip!

For as long as i could remember every NYE was spent going down to the beach at Glenelg with friends and watching the fireworks. It became the same old thing every year. I am lucky enough to have friends with the same mindset and love for travel that i do, and together we decided that every NYE should be in a new location. Last year we went to Ayers rock in central Australia and so our road trip began..
I think everyone should do at least one road trip in their lifetime. It puts you in situations that you otherwise may never find yourself in. Apart from ending up in small towns and places doing activities you never imagined (panning for opal in some guys shady office!), you find that the car trip becomes a huge part of the fun.

It is only after you get passed your general everyday chit chat that you really get into the true spirit of a road trip. It is the conversations and games that you come up with on the road in the middle of nowhere that you remember. Sure we played the classics 20 questions and eye spy. But i was lucky enough to also be introduced to some new ones including 'guess the movie' and 'how many degrees of separation?'. This second one became my fav! How it works is you think of someone famous and then need to try and connect yourself to them in 7 degrees of separation or less (you can count anyone that you have been in the same room with, preferably spoken to or had contact with). Turns out i am only 3 degrees away from Brad Pitt :)!! (I met Owen Wilson - he did 'Marley and Me' with Jennifer Aniston - she was married to Brad). And so the game goes on for hours of fun.

We now also have a great quote for future reference 'Meet me in Marla'... a tiny town you need to check out if you come to South Australia.. probably not really :). A road trip provides you with a completely different experience, one you can't get from plane hopping or being on a cruise.

If you only go to one place..and believe in magic..

I think if you can only go overseas once and you want a magical experience, i highly recommend going to Rovenimi, Lapland. You might know it as the place to meet Santa and where you can also cross the artic circle.

When i was 22 i went to Kenya for Christmas (another story) and Rovenimi for NYE. I truely loved this place. I don't know if it was the backdrop of every changing colours... being there in winter meant that we only had 4 hours of true daylight and the rest was lighted by amazing sunsets!! Then added to this was the snow covered trees and ground, so thick and fresh that your tracks made you feel as though you were the first to trek the area. I really enjoyed the snow mobile day through the woods and over the lakes (a little scared the ice would crack due to the weight.. but we survived!), being in control of my own husky dog sled ride, and getting my reindeer drivers licence (i still have it in my wallet to this day :)! Then there is Santa at the artic circle... the REAL santa and his elves. At the post office the elves receive letters from all over the world... you write to santa - this is where it ends up! Then they have the world's largest snowmen and outdoor park for ice slides and stairs - so much fun! Then there is Santa... and say what you like but he KNEW i was in Africa for Christmas (now i know that my friends behind me probably told the lady who passed the message on via a headphone set...but they swear they didn't... and the little kid inside of me wants to believe them! ;)
Oh, and how can i forget the Northern Lights... they just add to the magic of this place!!!
Would you suggest any other places??

Meeting Kate ~ Hudson!!

A picture might tell a 1,000 words... unfortunately it doesn't always show your face!!

I met Kate Hudson at the 'You, Me and Dupree' premiere in LA (I think it was 2004??). She was unbelievably NICE! She was the only one who came straight over to the fans after getting out of her Limo. Owen Wilson also came over, but only after talking to the press. Meeting Kate, for the brief encounter that it was, made me love her even more. She is amazzzing!

I first became a fan of Kate Hudson after watching 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days'. Yes, i know most people loved her in Almost Famous, but for me it was this movie that made me want to have her as a best friend!! She was so funny and came across as could make a fool of herself.

This achieved my goal of meeting someone famous :)

My Goal after the US

After returning from the USA my goal was simple... to see the world! So there became my next mission to set out and see all of the seven continents. For our 21sts, my best friend from high school and i went back packing around Europe.

This was a fun trip!! We met up with my friends from Germany, visited rellies in the UK, did a bus tour around western Europe and went up to Scotland.

Yeah we did it cheap... but that just creates more memories! Being left stranded in Belgium gave us the chance to catch the Eurotrain. Staying in a skanky hostel that stunk of urine gave us a topic to bond with new friends. Eating mouldly garlic bread gave us a free meal (yes even i still squirm at this one :)

Best places i thought were Switzerland for beautiful landscape and Paris for its magic at night time...

Where it all started!

My first major goal was to go overseas and experience the college lifestyle in a different country.

So this led to my adventure in Buffalo, NY. Why did i choose this place you may ask... when i had the whole world to pick from? Well i wanted to visit NYC (they didn't offer NYU or Columbia.. suprising i know haha) and i loved Canada. So there i had it a place close enough to visit Canada on the weekends, and only a 5hr bus trip to the city. It also came with the added benefit of giving me an American college experience... Just like in the movies :) And here my love of travel and America began!

At Buff state I got to experience living in dorms, having the best room mates ever ~ Kim, Julie and Christine you know how awesome you are), having homecoming, seeing frat initiations in front of me, being underage for drinking again, pumpkin calving and trick or treating for halloween, sharing our suite with a shopping trolley as it was easier to keep than take back, parties in the hall - learning beer pong, many t.v and take out nights and late night pizza runs.

We had soo much fun on this trip. Some of my favourite memories include being snowed in and having to wait for our entry way to be cleared, going cross country skiing, seeing MJ play basketball, seeing Niagara Falls and spending weekends away in a log cabin.