One Pill Makes You Larger

Maybe it's because I'm from a state in the Midwest of America where beer is worshiped and hard drugs are looked down on, but I never had any desire to meddle with hard drugs.  Beer is huge back home, so I did have my fair share of alcohol, but that was my main fix for drugs.  

Pot was definitely popular in my college town, though I don't consider it to be a hardcore drug.  Personally, I think it's less harmful than alcohol, but to each his own.  Occasionally, I would run into a couple of my friends snorting coke, but even that was relatively rare.  

In Australia, however, everyone seems to do a handful of different drugs every weekend.  I'm surrounded by marijuana all the time, but that doesn't bother me.  If you want to chill out and smoke a joint, go for it.  Beyond pot, though, people take just about anything they can get their hands on.  

Every time there's a beach party, I see my friends with glossy, blood-shot eyes at 6 o'clock the following evening.  Many of my friends take MDMA at the beach parties so they can dance all night and stay up until sunrise.  Mind you, these are the same people who refuse to take pain relievers when they have a headache because the chemicals in Ibuprofen. Just a bit ironic.  Aside from MDMA, people often take mushrooms, acid, Xanax, and snort cocaine(to name a few), which is all so foreign to me. 

Now, I'm not trying to preach in any way, it's just to point out a difference in culture, yet again.  Even the friends who I knew snorted coke back home did it very privately.  Pot was smoked openly, but anything else was a well-kept secret.

Sometimes I almost wonder if it's that people are more afraid of being judged back home, whereas here, everyone does what they want because they are who they are.  Either you like it or you talk to someone else.  I find it interesting, although I don't always know how to react to it.  I constantly get asked if I take certain drugs or if I would.  You begin to feel like you're in an anti-drug commercial, with an angel on your shoulder telling you not to take drugs, and a devil on the other shoulder telling you to take them and enjoy yourself.  

I would be lying if I said the opportunity wasn't tempting sometimes, but one thing I pride myself in is standing my ground for what I believe in;  I think I would try just about anything natural and unprocessed--aside from alcohol.  Otherwise, I don't want to touch it.  

Oddly, I like knowing people who do harder drugs because I get to hear stories, both good and bad, without actually experiencing the drugs themselves.  It's simply a large variety of risks to my health that I'm not willing to take.  This, however, is coming from someone who smokes cigarettes.

Let's Go Surfing, Surfing By-ron Bay

Live music Saturday night

This weekend in Byron, I was actually able to volunteer at the Byron Bay Surf Festival. It ended up being a relatively busy weekend for me because I was meant to volunteer in the morning and at night, as well as work a short shift in the middle of the day at the Lazy Italian.  

And I say I was meant to work in both the morning and at night because I couldn't find the information tent in the morning for the life of me.  I asked several different people, and no one knew where the tent was. 

I got to wonder around all of the different shops being set up in large tepees, which was a really cool idea.  Vendors were selling everything from wet suits to surfboards to just food to keep the fanatics well-fed.  Nonetheless, I couldn't find the information tent anywhere so, overtired, and a bit cranky, I walked back to the Arts Factory.  I  got to relax for a few hours until my shift at least.  

A combie everyone colored
on with chalk

Once finished with my 3.5hr work shift, I wondered back to the festival, and actually found the tent this time.  I was given a t-shirt and told to help pack up the tent.  After that was done, we were meant to just be crowd control for the live music.  It was definitely not a bad gig, especially since there was already security there.  We basically just had to try to pick up trash and keep an eye on people, while listening and watching the show.

By the time the main act, Donavon Frankenreiter, came on, the whole area was packed.  Aside from picking up a little bit of rubbish, we basically just got to chill out until about 10pm.  It was an early night for me, like usual, but it was a really fun day in general.

What Started as One Eventually Became Four

I have an internship with both Mojosurf and Loka(a new hop on hop off tour along the east coast of Australia) until March 1st 2015.  Because I am only an intern, I receive free accommodation from Mojosurf, and a small weekly allowance from Loka. As I said nearly a month ago, I needed to find another job since I came here with such a small amount of money. Now I have two more.

I applied at the Lazy Italian about two weeks ago, and just heard back from them this week.  After talking on the phone to the owner yesterday, I arranged for a trial last night.  I got to have my first shift.

The Lazy Italian is a small shop down one of the alley ways in Byron.  There are several similar shops that all compete for the business of each person that wanders through, looking for somewhere to eat.  Obviously, we serve Italian food, but even better: it's all homemade.  Everything.  Even the chicken and beef are raised locally.  

I only had a 3.5 hour shift yesterday, which went by extremely fast.  I was only learning, but everything was pretty easy to grasp.  I am basically a hospitality all-a-rounder, mostly taking food orders and serving dishes to patrons.

At the end of my trial, my manager told me that I did a really good job, and asked if I would like to have two more trials this week.  I did, of course.  She also mentioned that I would be working at their other restaurant right next door, Fishmongers, once I had gotten used to how the Lazy Italian operates.  

So what started as one internship in Australia, turned into 4 jobs.  Even if I have no life, I am pretty excited to finally feel a bit more financially secure.

Kayaking With Dolphins

Mondays definitely don't always have to be bad. Like this morning.  One of the benefits to working in the tourism industry, especially with Loka, is that companies want you to experience their tours so that you can send business their way.  

With Loka, travelers get to hop-on and hop-off of their Loka buses in different towns and cities, such as Byron Bay.  If the travelers decide to stay in Byron for a few days, we will have several tours that they can book directly through Loka.  This would obviously be the most convenient way for travelers to book activities, so there is a major benefit to being one of those recommended companies.

Cape Byron Kayaks is one of our Byron featured companies.  Out of complete luck, I was at the right place at the right time (the Byron Bay Brewery for a work meeting at about 4 PM) last Thursday.  The owner of CBK knows my bosses, and sat down to have a beer with us.  She told us we all needed to come out for her kayaking tour someday soon.  My bosses agreed on Monday morning, and told me to come as well.

I was excited, yet still a bit nervous, only because I had been sea rafting at Spot X and our raft tipped over twice, trapping me underneath for a few seconds each time.  Plus, I have always had a bit of a fear of kayaks because I was always afraid of tipping my kayak over with my legs stuck inside, unable to escape.  Luckily, I knew that sea kayaks were a bit different, and do not secure your legs inside them.  You just sit on top of the kayaks, basically.

I am so glad I went this morning.  We got all geared up and headed out, paddling fiercely to get beyond the breaking waves.  Once we truly made it out into the ocean, it was incredibly peaceful.  We kept our eyes open for whales and dolphins mainly, but even when you looked straight down in the water, you could easily see the sea bottom.

We didn't get to see turtles or whales, but we did see several dolphins up in front of our kayaks, maybe 10 meters away.  It was awesome just to see the dolphins that close to us.  They were diving in and out of the water very lazily,careless of the 30 kayakers gawking at them.

We even got to ride waves into the beach.  My first attempt was awesome and we rode the wave straight into the beach, where TimTams, tea, and coffee awaited us.  We headed back out to look for more marine life, but eventually just headed back into shore, riding waves in yet again.  Our second attempt was less successful.  The waves were much bigger, and I probably wasn't steering as I should have been.  Our kayak tipped, but our helmets eliminated any risk of injury during the crash.

I really didn't have much of an interest in sea kayaking before this experience but I have to admit I thought it was really cool, and I would do it again for sure.  And definitely with Cape Byron.

Beyond just the great experience overall, on thing that really means a lot to me is when instructors remember your name, and one of mine today kept referring to me by name, even giving me a hug at the very end, asking how my experience was.  All of the instructors were truly having a good time while they were out there, which was contagious to myself and the other travelers.  If you have the opportunity to go while in Byron, I highly suggest doing this tour.

All Shapes and Sizes

I would say a typical stereotype of the States is that our portion sizes are massive.  For the most part, I believe that the stereotype is accurate.  Coffees, for example, are massive in the U.S.  Our small coffees are usually 12 oz and are generally bigger than the large size coffees here in Australia.  The small coffees here can nearly fit in your entire hand.

American coffee company

Also, McDonald's Super Size menu is a horrendous example of large portions in the U.S.  As if the large, greasy burger and gigantic portion of fries, complete with a massive coke, weren't big enough, we had to create something to destroy any hope of staying within the average American's daily caloric limit.

What accentuates our portions, I find, is the price of our meals.  In Australia, I have gotten some fairly large portions while eating out, but you pay a fair price for them.  Back home, everything is dirt cheap.  Our average price for a meal out is about $10, whereas in Australia, it's closer to $20.  Even alcohol is the same way.  I can buy a case of beer in Wisconsin for the same price of a six pack over here.

The noticeable differences are growing everyday.  I'm just beginning to wonder if I will get to a point where I consider the Australian culture normal and the American culture foreign. 

I Have a New Guest

I wasn't really sure how I would react to snakes in Australia.  Spiders I knew I wouldn't like because I don't even like the small ones at home.  During the summer months, I used to have tons and tons of spiders spinning webs outside of my apartment door.  At night, they would come out and hang in front of it, so it was always a challenge to sneak into my apartment.

Actual Python near my tent

Snakes, however, I didn't encounter very often.  To be honest, I don't even remember the last time I saw one back home.  When I was younger, my brother used to find Garter snakes all of the time in our yard, since my parents lived out in the country.  They weren't venomous snakes, though occasionally my brother would get bitten.  The 'wound' was really only like a paper cut.

Now I'm in a country with loads of snakes, both venomous and not.  I think if I saw an Eastern Brown snake, I would have a heart attack because I really don't want to die or even be sick in the hospital because of a bite from one of them.

This weekend, I actually saw a Python near my tent.  Growing up, some families kept Pythons as pets.  On rare occasions, I remember seeing massive snakes wrapped around people's necks and shoulders like a fashion accessory.  A pet like that, however, you don't really expect to see out in the wild.

It was a bit of a shock at first, but after knowing it was a Python (which are nonvenomous snakes), I wasn't really bothered by it at all.  It was coiled up like a garden hose , but I really would've liked to see it slithering through the grass or wrapping itself around a tree.  I posted the photo on Facebook and, of course, my friends and family back home were horrified.

No one at the AFL was really the least bit afraid.  A few people, including myself, came to gawk at the animal, but aside from that no one was even the least bit alarmed. I thought it was a Python right away, but another backpacker confirmed my suspicions when one of my friends asked what it was. 

I think that because there are so many things that can kill you here, a nonvenomous snake is the least of my worries.  It even eats rodents, so really, it's a pest-remover.   Now I just need to be able to see Huntsman spiders in the same light. 

Friday Fun

After about a month of mostly partying at the Arts Factory, I finally got all dressed up and went out with my friend Lois. I put on a dress, put on make-up, and even curled my hair.  A couple of friends didn't recognise me. 

We had a few drinks at the AFL and eventually headed into town.  We had heard that there was a band at The Northern, so we figured we would head there first.

Originally, we were planning on going out with the boys, Douglas and David, but we ended up splitting up early in the night.  We all went to The Northern right away and got a beer.  Everyone else seemed to be in a dancing mood, though, so we finished our beers and headed out to a different bar.  

This is where we split up.  The guys wanted to go to Cocomangas, but Lois wasn't so enthused.  I had never been there so I didn't really have an opinion, but Lois thought that it was a really tacky club.  The guys were intent on going and didn't want to go anywhere else so we let them go and headed to a club called Woody's.

I had never been to Woody's either, but I knew that they gave away surfboards and skateboards weekly and that it was also a big dance spot.  They had 2 big bouncers at the door before you stepped into the building, which was crowded with people.

You immediately encounter the bar, occupied by 4 or 5 bartenders, and then to your right is the elevated dance floor.  If you continue walking, you'll eventually get to the outdoor patio which is filled with loads of smokers.

We got a drink and started dancing in the beginning, but when I wanted cigarette, we headed outside.  I got into a conversation with an Australian guy and never really left.  I honestly couldn't even tell you what we talked about, but at the time it was a good conversation. 

Lois went back inside but I just wasn't really in the dancing mood.  Even in Australia, I prefer a more laid back bar setting.  I think that's a bit of a hint that I miss Kelly's back home.  I always used to just sit around, talk with friends, and play pool.  It was nothing extravagant, but I always liked meeting people more than I liked dancing.  I would have to be in the mood to go to a club.  It must be the Wisconsin girl in me.

Tomorrow is a Mystery

Bartending during Pub Crawl

A year ago, I would've been excited for the week because it would mean the school week would have been over.  I always bartended on Friday nights, but work was more like a party anyways.

Now all I can think about is where I am going to be in a year from now.  I'm unable to get a second year working visa, because Americans are unable to get them, but I think I do want to live in Australia.  It's just a matter of how.

Attempting to surf this past spring

It's interesting because my boyfriend and I have been talking about marriage in the future a lot lately, however, that is something that would happen down the road from now.  It's truly exciting, though, to think about the future, especially since I'm done with school and can begin life as an adult.

I already started that life, but it's going to be different when I have a salary and probably work during the week, having weekends off. I want to keep surfing, and hopefully can on the weekends or even in the mornings.

When I was younger, I always wondered what I was going to be like when i grew up.  To be honest, I still wonder the same thing.

Trivia Tantrom

I wrote earlier that Wednesday is trivia night at the AFL.  Most weeks I just watch everyone compete against one another.  It's worth putting in effort because not only can you win all of the money if you have the high score, but 5 other prizes are given out randomly.

Everyone puts their first name, last name and favorite sexual position on a piece of paper and the names get thrown in a pot.  As the game progresses, Paul picks names for the different giveaways:

• Snorkeling
• Mojosurf surf lesson
• A trip to Nimbin
• Sea kayaking
• Skydiving

I swear some people only play to have a chance at winning the Skydiving voucher.  Some people have even won it twice.  I can be real competitive so I just want to actually get all of the questions right, and winning the money wouldn't hurt either.

The only problem with trivia is that the answers to some questions are certainly debatable.  For example, last night, our first question was, "Which sport uses Eskimo rolls?"  I looked at Lois, who was on my team and also works for Mojosurf, and we both mouthed the word surfing and felt confident about our answer.

After all of the questions were asked, we went back through and corrected the answers.  We weren't even worried about the answer to the first question, until Paul yelled out, "Kayaking!"  Lois and I looked at each other, completely clueless.

You are able to debate answers if you find them to be incorrect, but it's truly up to your peers.  Paul will hold a vote to determine whether or not your team gets the point that they ask for. The problem with this system is that everyone is so blood thirsty for the win that they will sabotage anyone if given a single opportunity.

Needless to say, our team didn't get the point.  And I was furious.  I was specifically taught about Eskimo rolls when i was at surf camp.  I don't doubt that they are named from kayaking, but you can still execute Eskimo rolls in surfing.  

Our team didn't end up winning and I'm definitely still a bit salty about last night.  I plan on doing trivia next week and I just know one of the days my team is actually going to win.

Too Much Beer

I honestly rarely go out to party anymore.  Occasionally, I will drink a bottle of wine with some friends back at the AFL, but that's about it.  It gets really expensive to go out and party, plus my friends are always on different schedules, so trying to figure out a time when we can all go out together is tough.

Last night was a blast though.  I actually got to party with Lois and one of my Mojo bosses.  Lois and I went to the brewery just for a beer, and my boss was there.  He was with a group of people, who invited us into their private party.

Everyone was dressed up in fancy clothes from the 80s and 90s.  They all worked for a travel company called G Adventures, and they were having a company party.  The people were so welcoming and genuine.  We even got denied drinks because the bartender didn't think we were a part of the party, and the company boss came out and told us she sorted it out, and that we should come back in and have a drink.

So we hung out and partied with G Adventures employees until midnight, which was when the Brewery closed, and then we got into a bus to town to go to Cheeky Monkeys.  We came with a massive group of people and just swarmed the bar.

People were already dancing on tables and making fools of themselves, so we had to add to the chaos.  We danced for what seemed like forever.

Eventually the MC announced last call for alcohol, turned the lights on, and started kicking everyone out.  We were meant to wait for Morgan, but he wanted to go to the beach party that everyone was continuing after Cheeky Monkeys.  And we needed to go to bed.

I'm still tired today, but last night was worth the fatigue.  It wasn't anything crazy, just one of those nights that makes you feel less like a grown up.

Sulking: No Surf

Because of the long weekend (Labour Day weekend), I got another chance to surf yesterday.  Lois had to work, and she was my board hire connection, so I just assumed I was going to have a lazy day at the beach.  However, two of my friends (Douglas and Tice) were already surfing when we got to the beach.  

Within 5 minutes of us getting to the beach, Douglas was ready to retire his board so he asked me if I wanted to try.  I don't think he expected me to want to surf as badly as I did, but he didn't end up getting his board back the rest of the day.  

I spent the next 3 hours surfing.  It took me a bit to get back into the hang of things, but eventually I was standing up and riding waves in.  I even had some private lessons from one of the men out in the water.  He must have been able to tell I was quite the beginner.

With a scratched stomach (because I didn't wear a rashie) and a sun-kissed face, I finally went in for the day.  It was lucky anyways because about 5 minutes later, a lifeguard called everyone out of the water because a shark was spotted.

Our view of the beach this morning

I decided that I really wanted to surf in the morning before work, so I made a point of going to bed early and setting two alarms for the morning.  I actually got up this morning, got dressed and ready to go, and headed into town with Lois and my board. 

When we got to the beach, however, we were wildly disappointed. The waves were small and extremely choppy.  We walked up the beach trying to figure out how we could possibly ride some of the waves. In the end, we just decided to walk back to the Arts Factory.

I was quite angry just because we got up early, got ready, and walked to the beach with our heavy surfboards, only to find that we couldn't surf.  At the same time, I think this morning taught us a few things as novice surfers:

• Surfing isn't always better in the morning
• Walking to the beach with a board sucks, so make it count
• ALWAYS check the conditions
• Always give yourself enough time

We have yet to successfully surf in the morning, but one day we will.  Hopefully even this week.  I know for sure though that I will ensure that the conditions are worth waking up and trekking down to the beach for.

Thursday Movie Night

If you want to party in Byron Bay, there is something for you every day of the week.  If you stay at the Arts Factory, most of the time you don't even need to leave to find a party.

Otherwise, bars are open 7 days a week, many of which host themed party nights and bands.  There is no shortage o party opportunities.

Sometimes, however, you just want to avoid alcohol and the party scenes, and just relax.  That was how David, Lois and I felt last night.  Quite a few of the backpackers from the AFL headed out of town for a Wolfmother concert--I was told it was a really good show--but the three of us just wanted to relax and go to bed early.  We came up with the perfect solution.

About two weeks ago, when our friend Louise was still here, David downloaded Crazy, Stupid Love so we could all watch it on his iPad.  Partying got in the way, and we never seemed to have an open opportunity to watch the movie, until last night.

I grabbed one of my big, blue, fuzzy blankets from my tent and a bar of chocolate from the vending machine.  David grabbed his iPad, and Lois just grabbed a seat.  We all squeezed onto one of the couches right outside of the rec area, propped the iPad up, and chilled out.  It was a really great, simple night, and I woke up feeling fresh and ready for the weekend.  Happy Friday!

Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired

When I first got to Australia, I had a nasty cough.  I would imagine it was from my poor diet and drinking habits from before I left the States.  I celebrated a bit too hard during my going away party, which seemed to last for about two weeks straight.  And I wasn't eating very much.  When I was eating, it was terrible food.

So I got sick.  Luckily, I got over my sickness relatively quickly.  I was able to run, go hiking, swim, surf, whatever.  I woke up every morning quite early and went for a walk into town.  

Then everyone at work and the hostel seemed to be getting sick.  I figured that I would be fine since I had just gotten over being sick.  I wasn't that lucky.

I started getting the sniffles and was sneezing all the time.  Then the cough came.  It kept me up at night so then of course I was tired all the time.  One morning I even woke up with an irritated eye.  I was just useless all around.

I haven't stopped smoking yet either, which is something I desperately need to do, both for my health and my wallet.  Combine my smoking with staying up late and occasionally partying, and you have the recipe for a poor immune system.

I'm getting so sick and tired of being sick and tired. I want to just be healthy, ready to wake up early each morning and attack the day, as cheesy as that sounds.  What I really need to do is stop complaining and talking about what I am going to do, and just do it.

I Want Candy

I'm not the biggest sweets person in the world, but it seems that my sweet tooth has been growing since I came to OZ. Eating an actual bar of chocolate is a real rarity back home, but I'm beginning to realize that I have been hanging out with more women while I have been in Australia.  Back home, I always hang out with guys, who never seem to eat chocolate or candy.  Just pizza...and lots of it.

 Girls are chocolate fiends though.  You don't have to have the 'munchies' to eat sweets and there is no need for a special occasion to get out a bar of chocolate--all you need is the idea of chocolate and the deal is sealed.

Once again, I rarely eat dessert back home.  If I make brownies or cookies, or really any other dessert for that matter, it's a big production.  You get a couple of girls together, make a pan of brownies, and watch chick flicks all night.  Not here.  As soon as dinner is over, it seems like every girl and her mother reaches for her personal stash of chocolate, and disperses it among her friends.

Such candy includes gummy snakes or frogs, chocolate bullets (white or milk chocolate-coated red or black licorice), Cadbury or Lindt chocolate bars, malted milk balls, etc.  The other night we even make a trip into town just to get frozen yogurt--it was about 10 o'clock at night.

You would think that I would gain a million pounds, but as far as I know, I'm not gaining any at the moment.  My pants still fit the same and my face doesn't look unusually bloated.  I believe I am overindulging a bit lately, but I feel as though a moderate amount of chocolate daily is not bad for you.  Of course, we all know that some chocolates are healthier than others, but it's all about moderation.  I want to cut back on my chocolate indulgences, but not cut them out.  At this point, I'm not sure that I could even give chocolate up...and Halloween is just around the corner.