I come from the land down under

Wow.

I know I've been gone from this journal for a while but I have a good excuse. I was having the most amazing time of my life down under, where I was travelling for five weeks. I did about two and a half weeks in Oz, two in NZ and one or so in Fiji. It was all so, so, so amazing.

I fell in love with Sydney the moment I stepped off the plane, jet lag and all. I stayed right near Hyde Park, the second biggest public park in the world, where I fell in love with the trees. I also unexpectedly got to attend the Mardi Gras parade, a HUGE deal. It's a long parade celebrating gay pride and Mardi Gras. I giant glittery man hugged me. And Boy George was there, along with several Aussie celebrities that I didn't know. Also during my time in Sydney I took a day trip to the Blue Mountains (outside the city) and saw the Sydney museum and went up the Sky Tower.

After two days in Sydney, I started my tour and the fun began. It was a crazy eventful two weeks, early mornings and late nights. We saw and did so much that, looking back, I can't believe it. I spent lots of time in the sun, I jumped out of an airplane at 14,000 feet, I touched a koala, I got given a free drink at our dinner show because the fatty gay emcee LOVED me, I made friends from all over the world and I enjoyed the amazing, amazing country that is Australia. I miss it and I want to go back. I could see myself living there in the future.

Click here to see pics from Oz.

New Zealand was also amazing and beautiful, but in a completely different way. Where as Oz had beautiful beaces and tropical scenes, New Zealand had these breathtaking expanses of mountains and glacial lakes. It looked exactly like Middle Earth and I was waiting for some sort of hobbit or elf to come out and play. The south island was just absolutely amazing, as our tour manager said, it was like "a moving postcard."

In the south island I hiked a glacier, saw some beautiful mountains and chatted with these crazy artsy people who devoted thier lives to making a replica of some tapestry from 1066 using hand painted saw teeth. Um.... yeah. They were outstanding.

The north island was also really nice but not quite as scenic. Wellington was great and my LotR tour guide, Nathan, was HOOOOT and he played an elf in the movie. We are in love. :) I saw lots of LotR stuff and was super nerdy and loved it.

New Zealand was also just a spectacular time, and I also met some amazing folks that I can't wait to go and visit. If you'd like to see pics, click here.

Fiji was, after my first day, a tropical paradise. I had some rough times my first day, trying to find an ATM in sweltering heat and rain and low blood sugar. After I got over that, it was smooth sailing. I just layed on the beach or by the pool for about 4 days, then did one day tour where I got to see a "traditional" village (I guess TVs and cell phones are traditional) and play with a CUTE Fijian baby, swim in a waterfall, and play in a natural mud pool. See pics here.

This trip was one of the best things I've ever done for myself and I'm SO GLAD I decided to go. It changed me, as all travel does, and made me a better person. I can't wait for my next adventure to begin!!

Much love.