Hey all, happy xmas eve!
It doesn't feel like xmas over here at all; its very strange celebrating the holiday season in the summertime. I'm not as shocked as i was when i first got here and saw all the xmas trees and light displays up but at the same time i don't feel like its xmas for me-->which is all good cuz i'm not expecting any prezzies :P Although i am taking advantage of this holiday season to indulge in all the goodies, and man are there tons of goodies to be had! there's these gigantic cadbury bars 2 for $6!! gigantic! and tim tams. and mango ice cream. and lamb. and wine. yummy yummy wine!
Because it is my one month backpacker anniversay, I think it's time I tell you about the harsh realities of backpacking--can't leave you thinking everything is hunky doree over here! ...it is 99.9% of the time!
Since I arrived at Wake Up! Sydney hostel I have been hearing horror stories about people who had their food stolen--and I hate to tell you but I have fallen victim to food theft :( SOME BASTARD STOLE MY MILO CEREAL! there are alot of mean things i can say about this person but whatever, if they're that pathetic where they have to waste all their money on crap booze and not buy any food then fine, they'll die in a couple of years from organ failure, no need for me to say anything derogatory, just stating the facts is all.
i was pretty pissed that they stole my precious milo cereal--i was starved at lunch time, thankfully my friend lindsay offered me her cheerios so i didn't go hungry :) needless to say i took all my packaged food like tuna, granola bars etc to my room and left my mouldy bread for a drunk dickhead to munch on.
Eating and taking care of yourself takes a backseat when backpacking. I try to prioritize all my tasks and take care of my health but after a while, you just don't wanna put up with the crowds in the kitchen and cook a proper dinner. I've eaten 2 too many instant noodles and now have had a tummy ache for a couple of days--I think I need to plan out how to cook or eat or something; however, along with having thieves in the hostel, there is also a weird schedule to use the kitchen, my fave time to cook = the time the kitchen closes! I didn't have such a hard time eating and making food in new zealand, but then again the vibe in new zealand hostels are incredibly different compared to that of sydney. It's also difficult to workout when your backpacking. I try to plan out my day the night before, but cuz sydney's weather hasn't been optimal (i.e.: sunshine all day long) it's better to wake up and see what you wanna do...and going for a run is never high on that list of priorities. needless to say i've put on a couple of pounds SHHHH!!! that will change because I'm hate feeling sluggish and flabby--instead of an alcohol-induced hangover, i have a junk food-induced hangover YUCKKKK!
Another crap reality about backpacking life is packing. Packing is a pain in the butt--especially when you have a tight schedule and need to move from town to town every day. There's only so much space in that bag and it takes alot of muscle work to roll, maneuver and fit everything in there. And alot of memory lol. I have a pretty good system for packing my bag to make sure I don't fall backwards when I'm walking around from bus stop to hostel then hostel to bus stop and I think I'm very prepared packing wise compared to other girls I've seen--but having said that, I went shopping this week and I have heaps of new clothes and don't know where it'll go...I may have to buy another bag :S
Money is always gonna be an issue for backpackers, but I'm lucky I saved a hell of a lot more than some other backpackers and I'm glad I'm not worrying everyday about money and whether or not I'll be able to buy that lunch or cake, etc. A few of my roomies are always worrying about their finances and a part of me feels sorry for them but at the same time, you can't help but wonder about the person--they chose to go on the trip so you'd think they'd have all the financial stuff taken care of and not expect other people to take care of them.
One more thing to be careful of is other backpackers mooching off of you. A certain roomie of mine is not shy at all to ask for favours and money. She drives me nuts cuz I feel like her damn mother. She's 18 and she's pretty immature for her age and especially immature for a backpacker. She gets all her moolah from her parentals and spends it on goon, cheap box wine, and has none left for phone calls, laundry or food. And she'll always hang out with me with the hope that I'll buy her something-->needless to say, i didn't put up with that and ditched her for the weekend.
And lastly, realizing that you may not be able to sleep properly while staying in a hostel. So far, I've been relatively fine, everyone that goes partying every night doesn't really disturb my sleep that much BUT two nights ago I got super pissed at this girl. I don't know what the hell she was thinking but she woke me up from a deep sleep--and believe me i don't look like the type that wants to be woken up, i had my sexy earplugs on and everything! she woke me up, not just talking to me but actually fucking shook me and woke me up. i thought there was a damn fire or something and i said what happened and she said she lost her cellphone and i had to help her find it. at 1 am. i'm like wtf? do i look like your mom? why do i have to help you? she's all i went to the washroom and now it's not here. i asked if she was accusing me of taking it. then i asked if she looked at her bed, she said yes then i said go fucking look in the washroom and no shit it was in the washroom. such a dumbass flake that one. and then she txts me at 2am to tell me she forgot her key and that i should keep the room door open for her. yeeeaaaaahhhhh i'm gonna risk having all my stuff stolen and being raped by some drunk retard just for you. NOT! so that just about sums up most of the harsh realities of backpacking...
I'm learning alot about people on this trip; no doubt this is a great learning experience and if any of this happened to me back home, then I would've reacted very differently. It's unbelievable that I've attended to all this with a level head and haven't stressed at all. A wise woman once told me you can't control what other people do, you can only control your reaction to it. Luv ya hun *hug* I tried to live by that before, now I totally get it!
I don't want you all to be utterly depressed by today's post--it is my one month anniversary, so there's lots to celebrate and be happy about too which is why I will end today's post by revisiting some of my fave moments from the past month:
-flying by myself for the very first time and conquering the LA airport I've heard so much crap about, it wasn't that bad really
-spending time with my lovely barki maya (aunt) who taught me alot about life, she's the ultimate live love laugh example <3
-meeting family i've never met before--i'm still amazed at the great people who have welcomed me into their homes in new zealand and australia, they've added a different shade of adventure into my trip
-SKYJUMP!!!!!! jumping from the highest building in NZ and perhaps the southern hemisphere...192m baby!
-Milo cereal :P
-staying in a hostel by myself for the first time AND getting a free upgrade to a room w/a t.v. cuz i didn't know the difference between flea and mosquito bites (neither did the old crone hostel owner HAH!)
-finding bargains on wifi and food
-realizing the difference between being homesick and being afraid of failure-->in the beginning i thought i was homesick and really wanted the comfort of being at home and i couldn't figure out why i wanted that then i realized i wanted to be home cuz i'd be "safe" there and not have to put myself out there and figure stuff out for my own, pretty discouraging at first when you run into bumps in the first part of your trip BUT i got over it and i'm alllllll good now :) it's all good.
-following my heart and not letting apprehensions fog my decision making (skyjump, seeing north island properly instead of seeing both islands uberly rushed just to say i saw both)
-meeting the locals and such at sidebar and having an awesome night...altho the cheapo wine hangover is not welcomed and will never happen again.
AND last but not least
-my SKYDIVEEEEEEE! best decision i've made so far :D
happy holidays folks and i hope you all take lots of pictures so i can see em when i get back! & save me a candy cane :)
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