London Mixed with Santa Monica with a Side of Chicago Summers

After a two-leg 18+ hour journey from Chicago to Brisbane, I finally made it! To be completely honest, the 14 hour segment from LAX to Brisbane was not nearly as terrible as I anticipated. The only unnerving part of it was the fact that I was traveling entirely over the Pacific Ocean the entire time. Even when I had traveled to London, we flew close to the Canadian coast, then Greenland, then Iceland, then Ireland. Whenever I checked the map portion of the touchscreen during the plane ride, all I could see was the slow-moving airplane making it's way across a large, never ending blue mass.

Something I learned on the flight: Aussies are very well-traveled, even kids. Due to the extended time they have off from their jobs throughout the year in addition to the fact that they have to travel far to get anywhere, travel tends to be a large part of their lives.

So Eileen picked me up from the Brisbane Airport just before 8am this morning, then we headed to her apartment in Northgate, which is around a 20 minute train ride outside the CBD (central business district). I unpacked some of my stuff, took a shower, then we headed to a nearby shopping center so that I could get an Aussie phone number and bank account as well as stock up on some groceries. It was so exciting to become an (un)official Aussie!

One of the biggest realizations I had today was based upon something Eileen said. She said, "Americans are too busy worrying about what they look like; Aussies just care about the character of the person." I love this! Why can't it be that simple? For the rest of the day, I made a mental note to look at Australians' physical appearance and came to find that a majority of the people I met or saw were not fitness-obsessed. They had everyday human "flaws." And I have to say- the character of these people definitely outshone their looks. Each that I interacted with was helpful, genuine, and friendly. Another thing I noticed was that Aussies looked a lot less stressed than Americans. Nothing was that important that they let it affect their overall easygoing demeanor.

Later today, I ventured out to the South Bank by myself to check out its man-made beach called Streets Beach. As I walked around the Brisbane River that splits the city, I saw the Wheel of Brisbane along the beautifully lined Arbour in the Parklands. The Wheel of Brisbane reminds me of the London Eye. It was a gorgeous spring day (southern hemisphere), a memory I wish I could capture in my mind forever. These photos don't do justice to the beauty of this part of the city.

Biggest success of the day? Not letting jet lag get the best of me! I made it past 8pm without even a tiny nap. Point, Christina!

Aussie Brands vs. U.S. Brands #1: Rice whaaaat?

One of my favorite things about living and traveling to other countries is going grocery shopping to see the differences in products, specifically names and packaging. My friend Eileen kept asking, "Do you like Rice Bubbles?" I questioned, "Like rice puffs?" As we continued to go back and forth to try to understand what the other meant, she finally brought me over to cereal isle and pointed at the following: 

She meant Rice Krispies :)

Bubbling Over

As I sit here at LAX waiting to board my flight to Australia, I'm literally bubbling over with happiness. Yes, I'm happy to be going to a country I've always dreamed to visit. However, that's not the reason I'm in this euphoric state.

The reason I'm glowing with happiness is due to a flood of emails, texts, cards, etc. from friends and family all over the U.S. I feel so supported and loved...and when I'm surrounded by this kind of support, I will never feel alone, even halfway around the world!

I'm so lucky to have the friends and family that I do. Each person adds wonderful things to my life. Until you step outside your comfort zone and do something off the beaten path, you never test boundaries with the people in your life. From my decision to go abroad, I've realized how amazing my core group of friends and family really is. They accept and support me for who I am. Without them, I wouldn't have the strength to go out on an adventure of this caliber.

Okay, okay. I'll try to subdue the emotional posts. I'll make the next one about Vegemite or kangaroos or something else very cliche!

How to Incorporate the "Intangible Goods" Reasoning

As I rode down tree-lined Damen filled with various shades of reds, greens, and yellows with two good friends riding ahead of me, I couldn't help but feel happy. It was one of those moments I wish I could photograph mentally to be there whenever I need it. These types of occurrences are the ones that feed my internal happiness.

As I think about my trip (that starts tomorrow!), I want to capture these same types of moments over there that I can bring back home and have to get me through anything. It's always been more fulfilling for me to talk about all the wonderful experiences I've had versus what kind of car I'm driving or what kind of penthouse loft I'm living in downtown. Neither mentality is right nor wrong, but personally I get more out of life with richness of experiences not richness of personal funds!

So here's my thought: I want to try to live in Australia as "cheaply" as possible. I dislike using the word cheap because of its negative connotations, but what I mean is I'm not going to buy my happiness there, I'm going to experience it.

For instance, instead of shopping for things I don't need (or have room for), I'm going to meet locals who can teach me all the fun, free things to do in each city. Bike rides, swimming and surfing, bushwalking, hiking, free concerts and movies, etc. If Australian cities are anything like Chicago, I know there will be an over abundance of activities!

That being said, it doesn't mean that I won't buy myself or friends and family things or NEVER go out to a fancy meal. Instead, I am going to teach myself to think twice before purchasing things and see if there is something else free that will feed my happiness more.

Either way, I think this will be a great exercise in budgeting and finding what I value most! Open to suggestions :)

Old Stompin' Grounds

There's nothing that brings back better Chicago brisk Autumn weather memories than an afternoon at the Grind in Lincoln Square. Since the first time I visited four years ago around this time, I fell instantly in love. The employees are pleasant and welcoming and there is a shelf of random books people have left for others to enjoy.

Today I'm enjoying a cafe au lait while I read "The Slow Food Guide to Chicago" (2004 version, mind you) that I pulled from the shelf. I can't help but flip through and see how Chicago has changed since then and how much it will change in years to come.

Before driving to Lincoln Square, I stopped in Evanston to pick up Australian and New Zealand dollars for my trip. I found myself looking around more as I walked through the town, breathing in the crisp air and admiring all the color changes in the leaves that have emerged in the past couple weeks. Days like this make me appreciate my Chicago area upbringing. I set out today to take a mental picture of home that I can bring abroad, and I ended up with a couple actual photos, too.

These past couple days, I've been at ease with my decision to explore abroad again. More and more I realize this ease is because I know it's not permanent. I can see myself living in Chicago again, but still keeping travel a large part of my life. I need a healthy balance of exploration and stability. This adventure ahead of me will balance out the monotonous stability I had the past two years so I can come back with a new, open-minded view on what to do next that incorporates the two simultaneously.

3 days to go!

And So It Begins...Networking

One of the jobs I hope to have while in Australia is working in a winery, preferably a mom and pop one where I can learn a ton. I want to learn the wine process from planting to bottle. In order to make this happen, I cold-emailed about 100 wineries on the eastern part of the continent explaining what I was looking for. There were a handful of "no's" and a majority just didn't reply, but there were also a handful that did reply...and were very open to the idea!

Since August, I've been emailing back and forth with a guy from a small winery outside of Brisbane. Upon checking out their website, I knew the winery was exactly what I was looking for. Finally, last night, this guy and I Skyped to discuss when I could go out to the winery and in what ways I could help them. I offered anything from picking grapes to crushing grapes to selling the wine to marketing and events.

After we talked shop for awhile, I asked him about what I should be doing around Australia and told him that another one of my bucket list items is to learn how to surf...and be taught by an Aussie. The guy then proceeded to tell me that his good friend teaches just south of Brisbane (and used to in Portugal, too)--DONE! We arranged it so that I can get some one-on-one surfing lessons from a fit Aussie. Well on my way to checking off another bucket list item..

Another interesting thing that stuck from our conversation: to look into traveling to New Calcedonia. This guy told me he was on his way there and it's a French territory that still uses Francs! It's halfway between the northeast corner of Australia and Fiji.

Some things I've learned over the years:
1. Don't be afraid to ask or to put it out there in the universe: someone will hear it and want to help you.
2. The best way to find out where to travel next is to talk to the people around you. Word of Mouth is one of the most powerful tools and aids in decision making.

A Weekend of Emotions

It was until 4pm on the last day of work that the emotions set in. Until then, I had been running at full speed (on empty, mind you) and hadn't had a chance to face my decision to travel abroad for 5 months. For the past year, I've kept my mind and body busy with my 9-to-5, babysitting, contracting with a startup, and traveling. In the past year alone, I've traveled to LA twice, Petaluma, Jamaica, Boston, New Orleans, London, Madrid...and that was just for fun. For work, I was in Houston, Maine, San Francisco, Detroit, Indiana, and D.C.

Last fall, after a trying and life-changing breakup, I decided to start pursuing the Year of Christina. I promised myself that in the year ahead, I would achieve (or at least start making steps toward) the following goals:

-Travel when and where I wanted
-Do yoga regularly for mental clarity
-Find a creative outlet
-Get in shape
-Learn how to cook
-Filter out the toxic friends and people in my life
-Find a job that fulfills me
-Date men that are "marriage material"

I have made strides in each of the goals above, but the biggest one I'm on the road to accomplishing is traveling to a "bucket list" destination in pursuit of a job that fulfills me. For me, the "perfect" job is one that allows me to have stability in an office setting but allows me to travel extensively in various parts of the world. This position is challenging and constantly changing. It also allows me to utilize my skills and education in a way no previous job has. At the end of the day, it won't feel like a job because I will be fulfilled. I don't care how many hours a week I put into this job, as long as it's something I believe in. I want to show people the world. I want to teach them about the history so we can make for a better future. I want to help change people's lives and help them become their best selves.

There are critics who say that this job does not exist, but I know better. The people who don't believe this type of job is a reality are the ones that won't take chances in order to find it. But you know what? I'm about to take that chance. I'm feeling the fear and doing it anyway. I'm going outside my comfort zone and traveling for 5 months in a country I've never been. And I'm doing it without a plan. I'm going to go off the beaten path and find the greatest things in Australia and experiencing them firsthand so I can send other people there in the future to take them outside their comfort zones, too.

The reason I became so emotional on Friday is because I know I'm finally on the right track. When you pursue your passions, you can't fail. I was stuck for so long in a job that didn't fulfill me that it was hard to see the silver lining. All I needed to do was change the momentum for the better. I made a leap of faith, bought a plane ticket, and am about to embark on a journey of a lifetime. This trip signifies more than an extended vacation; it represents me reaching deep into my soul to let the real Christina show and shine. I'm going to work various jobs and volunteer for multiple organizations and companies to build upon the different facets of my passions. I can't wait to share these experiences with all of you!