Warp Speed Ahead!

So it's nearly March & a patient asked me today how the blog was going, "What blog?".........and then there was a lightbulb. "Oh that blog...", THIS BLOG.


Needless to say, I have been EXTREMELY busy with getting ready to leave & somethings have been placed on the back burner.......UNTIL now. Even with a 3hr. lunch break from work, I still find myself nearly living there, which I don't mind. (35 days left at the office, swear I'm not counting or anything!) Truth be told, I am really going to miss working at my current job. The people I work for are pretty relaxed and let me basically do whatever I want in terms of vacation time, & I laugh all day at work! It's a fun job, & I've learned a ton that I hope to still carry with me to a new country.....I've changed in the 2+ years I've worked there....no more gluten, sugar, soy, corn, anything from a box, etc....

At the moment, literally as I'm typing this, I'm trying RAW yogurt for the 1st time with fruts and nuts..I am REALLY going to miss the different CO-OPS. Thankfully, I am going to a country that has tons of choices that fit with my way of eating.

The thing I will miss the most, especially carrying around 50lbs. of backpack crammed with my new life, & 25+ hours on planes, will certainly be getting adjusted as often as I want. FOR FREE! I can hear myself now, "you want me to PAY how much for this!!!!".

Believe me, I understand the value. I gotcha, loud & clear, but um HELLO, nice to meet you, I'm cheap, & traveling. At the end of the day, it's the most important time to get adjusted, I need to remain healthy so I don't actually use that trip insurance, right......


45 dias mas!!!!!

Fiji will be paid for this week, & then that's it....expense wise..... 

Next weekend I am heading back home to Arizona to sell my Silverado & I'm not really sure how I feel about letting that sexy white truck go..... That has been my baby for 4 years! I got it a few weeks before I left for Europe & now here I am getting ready to sell it before Australia. POOF, truck be gone. I'm praying it sells fast......after driving the truck down to be sold I will be without a vehicle, but I'll have a rental...but still MY vehicle will be gone :(

Ah well, I will take a beach view and sandals over a truck & mountains anyday.

18 weeks.

(Warning its that T.O.M)


I spent another Friday night "IN" because I seem to do nothing but spend, spend, spend, when I'm "OUT". Homemade pizza, and 2 movies later (Our Idiot Brother & Bridesmaids) & I was ready for bed. After browsing through the latest Anthropologie & Fossil catalogs the most random thoughts started entering my mind. Maybe it's because I was half asleep, or maybe it was the Ray LaMontagne music playing in the background, but for the first time I was thinking about leaving. Really leaving. I thought about all of the less glamorous things about this trip & the skin/bones of why I want to leave, again........

I think that travel, for me, is similar to crack for a drug addict. If I don't get my "fix" I turn into a mean person. Not "mean" in a sense that I treat others badly, but I more or less become negative in aspects of my life. I tend to disconnect from friends, family, work, and the race towards life's goals becomes a snail's pace. Is the travel bug something that can necessarily be cured? What method can lessen that desire to

 BE WHERE YOU ARE NOT?

Cold turkey, wean yourself off?

I'm not ready to quit. I think that this is just the start to another binge.


This is starting to sound a tad depressing, annoying, blurred?

Lets try this again, after changing my itunes playlist.....


127 more days until I'm out of Colorado and out of the United States. I started the process for my work visa for Australia today. It should be finished within 2 weeks. $325 later & I'm golden to work for a year!!! It will cover me from top to bottom, inside and out. Hopefully everything in between!


Drained. Tired of the snow. Looking forward to the day money no longer flys like a bat outta hell from my pockets.

Now boarding.....Frozen Tundra!

It's November 17th, 2011 & that may not mean much to you, but it means a heck of a lot to me.

I am turning a quarter of a century old tomorrow.

November 18th 1986 I entered this world, I'm sure I was screaming as loud as I did today once it finally hit me in less than 24 hours I will be

25

I will be boarding a plane to Minneapolis in the morning and I can't help but think...

This is what 25 feels like, this is what 25 looks like (I did notice a wrinkle across my forehead this week!), this is what 25 soooooooooooooooounds like.

I can't wait to spend time with my father, stepmom, & of course my brothers!!! I am so excited to spend time by the fire, in the frozen tundra, and just RELAXING this bag of old lady bones! (Don't worry I am not the type of person who has a mental break down and springs for Botox at 25, I've learned to take great care of my body through my current job and I feel much younger than 25!)

This will be the last time I will be in Minnesota until, well until further notice........but more on that later.

I came home today to a stack of mail that had an obvious theme, see if you can guess what it is.....

Oh Chiropractic programs, I love/hate you. In case you didn't know, I was initially scheduled to leave in October 2010 for Atlanta, Georgia to become Dr. Laura Miller (swanky right!) and then something happened.......I just got the feeling that it was not the right time for me to go, for some reason I stayed back. I stayed in Colorado, at a job that on MOST days I love, but something just didn't feel RIGHT. Something was off. This past spring I took a trip to Atlanta to check out where I was going to be spending the next 4-5 years and 100k on tuition alone. I left the weekend event at LIFE University feeling pumped and ready to return to Colorado long enough to pack my bags and throw them in my truck. Again, something changed.

After my trip to ATL my travel was on overload. I flew from GA to CO on Sunday, CO to AZ Monday, AZ to Hawaii on Tuesday and in a weeks time I met some of the most amazing ladies a gal could ask for. I went to Hawaii by myself to think and just clear my head, but I did much more than that. I met 3 women who in my heart will always be life long Hawaii-sistas!

Freda the German girl I met during my first 5 minutes at the hostel. She was on a RTW (round the world) trip at the time and as well travelled as she is, she is just as sweet. She had just come from Fiji & all we did was walk around Oahu together for HOURS!!! Do you remember the creepers in the 1st room we were in? The drunk Mexican who brought random bums to our room, the old man who was from New York that had the worst mouth of curse words ever, how about the creeper with the guitar that was pretty much in love with you!? Good times, nothing says welcome to America like a pickup line. She's back in Germany now and we have stayed in regular contact via facebook. Freda, if you're reading this, I just want you to know that I am so thankful for all of the tips you've given me, & confidence when I didn't think I had "it" in me. If you're ever in the same side of the world as me, what's mine is yours my friend. I can't wait to come visit you in Germany!

Sarah, oh lord where do I begin. The east coast, swagged out travel journalist. Fresh from New Zealand and 18 months of travel....this lady is an absolute BLAST. When I needed a drinking partner, this girl was GAME ON! She was in a "special" situation when she came to Hawaii & she has soared since our time on the island. I've done 90 M.P.H through pineapple fields (weird, did you know they grew on the ground?!) on the way to the North Shore of Oahu to catch a sunset, and even went bar hopping with a few interesting locals and then some. Thanks for showing Freda and I what an all girls hostel room is all about!!!! Nothing but laughs, vodka, and fun! I am glad we talk so often and don't ever forget those famous words, "Sarah, do what you want, & you'll never have to wonder".  India is waiting for you my friend, what are you waiting for?

Robin, California Mama Robin. On a trip for some "ME" time. Thanks for the great talks on the beach with our Starbucks and pineapple. Remember the crazy old woman in our room that thought her ex-husband was trying to poision the air on her plane ride into Hawaii. What a nutty old bird she was, I swear if I ever hear "Dancing Queen", no matter where I am, I laugh and think of her listening to it. Alone. Really alone. I'll always remember you and I at LuLu's Surf Club when the most beautiful (I completely mean that word!) man walked up to us in that suit. Good lord, I think our jaws are still on the floor somewhere in that bar! I hope you're living the way you've always wanted. Life is too short to be unhappy. Thanks for reminding me that time is not always on my side and that if I want something, I'd better get going on getting it! Many thanks & love Robin.

A week with these awesome gals in Hawaii was followed by a few days back in Arizona. Ah yes the night I kissed two cops. It was a fun trip home. Always good to be back in the valley, but I wanted to get back to Colorado.......something was, you guessed it, OFF.

I'll be the first to admit I've overstayed here in Colorado. I came to the Rockies when a study abroad to China went down the toilet due to the H1N1 JOKE!

(Come on people, the flu kills more people annually than you'd think, with that being said, PASS ON THE FLU SHOT!!!! DO SOME RESEARCH)

I came for another large reason, but we don't need to go there. I've been both happy and sad here in Colorado, the most extreme of both emotions have been experienced here in this amazing place. Recently, I've realized that it's time to get moving, but to where?

Arizona, I love you. But like a stubborn ex, I'm not ready to come crawling back.

Atlanta, I am thinking of loving you, but you're one expensive relationship. Chiropractic college is the overall goal, but there are just a few more crazies I need to get out before Sallie Mae and the Department of Education has me by the hair, chained, to a boat load (I'm talking TITANIC) of student debt....

We will just have to see what happens.....a lot can change in a year........

Back to this whole 25 thing.....I bought myself a birthday gift today. I know it's early, but I just could not wait, & one of my goals from years back was to do this before I was 25.

I bought a one-way ticket to Australia!!!!

(Thank you to Lucy Wright at Sta Travel, for always being an amazing friend & helping with our reservations)

That's right. The date is set and the ball is rolling. More like the meter is running! Operation stash cash is in full effect & I couldn't be happier! I finally did it.

A good friend from my Brown & Brown Chevrolet days will be joining me on this adventure,

Introducing Mindy Beseth.......

I wont give you the details on Mindy just yet, let's see how she does on her first trip outside of the USA!!! We got a rookie in the crowd!

Mindy, if you're reading this, plan on the time of your life lady!!! You have no idea the benefits travel brings to you and your life. Cheers friend, see you in April!

So the plan,

Mindy and I are leaving Phoenix and will be Los Angeles bound the first week in April, we fly from LAX to SYD, but first we have a small layover....

IN FIJI for a few nights! No big deal right, ha!

I can't wait to be siting on the beach, with an amazing beverage, thinking about where the next year will take me. Maybe some Kava is in order....

Then it's off to Sydney!

Mindy & I will be booking our first few nights in Australia in Sydney to see the usual attractions and from there, well the sky is the limit. Here are some ideas.......

Since this whole Australia idea began last Christmas while I was in Minnesota, it's only right I head back to tell everyone that I'm actually going. Initially, I sold my brothers on taking a trip for New Years down under, with 70 tons of fireworks going off, who wouldn't have an amazing time right? Well, sadly, no one actually put a plan in motion & although I will not be there for New Years 2012, I will atleast have the option in 2013!

Some outback love at Uluru/Ayers Rock

I'm scared to death of sharks (see previous posts), but I've always dreamt of seeing the Great Barrier Reef, and what better time than now?

Although I drive a Chevrolet Silverado (not for long, I plan on selling it before this grand adventure!), I'm still a Jeep girl at heart, & plan on getting my 4x4 fix while I'm down under!!!

After this who knows what's next & for the first time ever, I'm not going to lose sleep trying to figure that out. I am just going with my one way ticket and work visa in hand. I may split my time between Australia & New Zealand, I just might take some time and spend it in southeast Asia, you just never know....until you get there!

Moving forward one day and now one dollar at a time.

If anything, turning 25 has made me realize that I'm in fact not getting any younger & that time is never on your side, it's never going to slow down, but it has sure managed to speed up.

So what's your next move? For me its several plane rides, but more important, its a transition into doing the things I really love....

L.

-Time flies and so will I-

Oh time,

Sometimes, in the blink of an eye it can pass.....& other times, it just 
d....r....a...g...s....

I have a feeling that there will be a lot of both happening in the next 173 days. Which brings us to 3.31.12. So lets think of whats going on that day......

The Urban Music Festival-(Austin,TX)

The Tough Mudder-(Dallas, TX)

Ironman 70.3-(Oceanside, CA)

Traditions Triathalon-(Biloxi, M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I)

Well if you haven't guessed already, I will not be partaking in any of those adventures. March 31, 2012 holds other plans for me
(and maybe my friend Mindy...more on that later)

Yep that's right.

Come March 31st, 2012 I will be boarding a plane in Los Angeles to Sydney.  

I found a smokin' deal for a one way ticket from LAX to SYD for $600.00....what a steal! This month I will be purchasing my 25th birthday present to myself and truth be told, I have never looked forward to 25 more than I do now.

So there is your update. Once I've purchased my ticket there is no turning back.....onward & upward as my father would say.

I went into my basement this week to search for my backpack and the poor thing just looked so sad and retired, like an old toy that a child forgets about....I decided to pull her out and clean her up a bit. It has been quite a while since I used it....Europe 2008? I remember the day my mother and step father went to REI in Tempe, AZ and I must have tried on 15 packs but none of them felt "right", but then one felt  perfect.

If you have not been backpack shopping before, you should go next time you're in REI or anyother retailer that sells those little (or in my case LARGE) gems. It is always an interesting section to be in. There are people everywhere discussing their trips and where they're going....the excitement is so thick in the air you can almost weigh your pack down with it!!! The prep time for a large trip is always spiked with several emotions, but the most difficult is anticipation &...

-FEAR-

What am I doing? What if I hate it? What if I don't find a job? What if I get kidnapped? (thats usually implanted by a parent) What if I get lost?

You fear the unknown, hell, we ALL fear the unknown. Don't get me wrong, packing up, selling everything & saying goodbye to everything/everyone you know is definitely scary, but so is looking back in 10 years and thinking "what if I would have gone?"

When these fears pop up I turn the questions inside out and let it simmer,

What am I doing?

 Something that I've always wanted to do, I'm going after a dream of mine.

What if I don't find a job?

 What if I find a job that I absolutely love and it's my lifes work!

 What if I get kidnapped?

Ha, well sometimes the worst times make the best memories looking back.

Just joshin', but seriously the time that Lucy and I were stuck in a train strike in Nice, France and there was little to no hope of us getting to Italy as scheduled, the cluster that followed is one of the best memories I have of my travel. Sitting in an angry mob of people trying to get seats on chartered buses leaving the country was not the best experience at the time. Looking back and thinking oh the relief and humor we found knowing we were sitting in the last two open seats out of the country until WHO KNOWS WHEN....well it still puts a smile on our faces.

What if I get lost?

What if you find YOURSELF!!! What if I find something that I never would have seen! What if a delayed train, or a wrong turn....actually turns out to be the alteration that makes the entire trip! Just ask any traveler, chances are they have an amazing story, fabulous insight into a mistake that turned into an amazing story of its own!

The worst question, in my opinion, will always be...

What if I would have gone? 

I know that I will look back in 10 years, with more experiences than I can count, great friends that I couldn't imagine my life without, pictures that'll never fade with time or age and think....what if I woundn't have gone? It gives me a comforted feeling knowing that I won't ever think "I shouldn't have gone", who knows.....maybe I will think

"I wish I would have never came back!"

I am going with no plans, no expectations, and for the first time in a long time (possibly ever) I'm just GOING. I am opening myself to whatever happens. Trust me, sometimes I sit at my desk, at a job that I love, and think....
you're throwing it all away.
 It's times like that, I turn the tables and remember that I have never been a person to play it safe & I don't intend to change that just because I have a job in a bad economy, or I am (fortunate) American, and we just don't do things like that. It's times like that when I think,

 I couldn't be more happy to do it!

The last year has proved to me that life is indeed shorter than we think, and the world is a whole lot smaller than we may believe. It's out there! Ready for you to experience! So what are you waiting for? To have more money? Money is not what life is about, nor travel. If you wait for anything in life based on your bank account, you will never have enough. The people who live for money will never have enough of it. To have someone to go with? Sometimes doing things on your own, is the best way to experience life & the time with yourself.....is priceless. Know what you're capable of and surpass it! That's the only way you grow. So push the limits and the boundaries because that's the only way you evolve. Don't waste a single second doubting yourself...

173 more days.

Push the damn envelope,

L.

Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005

Haven't you heard.

It's October.

& I feel like I just got slapped in the face with amazing advice. I saw this video tonight as the news of Apple's Steve Job's death took the internet by storm. Ironic enough, Dane Cook posted it to facebook. For some reason it wont post correctly on here so I'll make a seperate post of it.


If you don't have the time/internet speed to watch the entire video here is the summary:

"You can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards. You have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something…gut...destiny…life…karma..whatever because believing the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you down the well worn path and that will make all the difference"

"…one day you will be the old and be cleared away….your time is limited so don’t waste it living someone else’s life don’t be trapped by dogma, living with result of others thinking… don’t let the noise of others opinions drown out your own inner voice have the courage to follow your heart and intuition they somehow already know what you truly want to become everything else is secondary"

"Stay hungry, stay foolish. "

Australia and the addition of more world travel are a GO!

Sharks & Cents

Two things scare me more than anything in life

1. Sharks

2.Being stranded & broke on the other side of the world.

So why not go to a place known for at least one of my all time greatest fears. I have been getting my google fix for Australia & then it happened.

Cue low level JAWS theme song.

 One by one I noticed pictures of "White Sharks" and their associated stories. After an hour of looking at horrible pictures, and reading news articles from Australian newspapers about people being attacked, I literally feel like I need to throw up. Why must I have such an insane fear of sharks. I couldn't get into the water in Hawaii last April without even thinking about it, CONSTANTLY.

Moments from Shark Weeks past flashed into my mind and I most likely peed in the ocean!!!!

I know that I have a greater chance of being struck by lightening, but does that mean I am walking into a lightening storm dressed in steel by getting into the ocean?

With all of this fear, why on earth have I always wanted to get into a dive cage with at least one large white shark swimming in the surrounding chummed water?

Well, and that's all the time we have for today. On to the not so scary stuff!

The second fear of mine,

I have been plugging away on search engines to try and find someone who has done what I am looking to do! Sadly, I am not having the best luck.

I know that there has to be hundreds of people who have written about picking up and just moving to a foreign country, 8000+miles away, right?

On to the dolla' dolla' bills yall',

Ok, not so much.

I have been wracking my brain on some of the following questions,

How much money should I bring with me?

What is a good amount to keep in my mothers hands in case of emergency?

Should I sell my truck to take this trip?

Should I scrap the trip and put the money towards chiropractic college?

If I didn't drink gallons of Starbucks, how many trips could I have taken by now?

Why is Starbucks so good, is there crack in it?

How easy will the job search be?

Am I looking to backpack around or actually settle down, down under?



I have so many questions as to how people "just travel around"....and since I'm not finding the answers I need, it appears that I will have to go find them for myself!


Here is the financial plan so far.

 Today is technically Tuesday September 13th, 2011 & permitting I stay working until Decemeber I could actually make this happen.

If I gave up coffee, bars & all other "misc" expenses like $150.00/mo. Verizon bills, etc... I could easily save 1,000.00 per month. (No, I do not drink $500.+ per month on average). It would take some major cut backs, but I'd be happy to do it.

That's a lie, I'm going to be one bitter, old, coffee deprived hag.

=$4,000.00

If I decided to stay at my current position in Colorado (stick out one more winter with snow) I could easily up my monthly income by working extra hours, working a tad bit harder to hit a bigger bonus...

=$1600.00

I made an awesome choice in the truck I purchased, I worked for Brown & Brown and got a great deal on my trade in & on my 2008 Silverado. I just found out that I owe less than 1/4 of what my truck is worth! That is nearly unheard of, but HOLLA anyway.

=$4000.00

Now, if I can just get past this whole "Note to self, Laura you need to save money", because now I only want to spend, spend, spend!!!

Keep moving, or in this case.....just keep swimming especially with all these sharks around EEEK!

L.