Skyscraper National Park

~Too busy
Too crazy
Too hot
Too cold
Too late
I'm sold
Again
On NYC~

Thursday

As always, the greyhound was a pleasure. Raquel and I spent 5 wonderful hours in a bus which smelt suspiciously like urine. However, looking around wondering who is sitting in the pee seat is always entertaining. Unlike my last greyhound experience, they have become much more technologically advanced and now have free wifi!...this would have been much more enjoyable if staring at my computer screen didn't keep making me feel bus sick. But whats a greyhound ride without the smell of urine and holding back vomit? ... I think we grew a little closer from the experience ;) 

After a lovely dinner at a restaurante español (note: my Facebook informs you of my new found spanglish roots), we made our first venture to Times Square. This was Raquels first time... so naturally we went straight to Hershey's world and ate our body weight in chocolate, and for the second time that day, i found myself holding back vomit.

Friday
Friday was a Soho shopping day. While the purchasing part of the shopping day was non-existent, it was a wonderful walk. When we reached the end of the stores, we made a little detour and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. Such amazing views... I felt like Miranda on Sex and the City looking for my Steve ;) .. yeah, i went there.

(This is where the Sex and the City magic happened!)

(I think they lost their keys and just kept buying new locks)

After making our way through China Town to get to Little Italy, we had a very romantic dinner for two. Little Italy is very cute and filled with people who look suspiciously like mafia members.

Saturday
It you ever want to see the two extremes of life, go to Central Park. Such a beautiful park completely surrounded by sky scrapers. I'm in love :)

Sunday

Due to monumental blisters and aches in places we weren’t aware aches could exist, Sunday was our day of rest. We had a nice sleep in and then ventured out at around lunchtime. 

There’s always something going on in this city! Today we found ourselves wondered though a small South American/Spanish/Latino/Spanglish/Mexican Festival.

While on our day of rest we vowed not to walk large distances because we didn’t want to be cripples before the exchange group arrived, of course, it turned into another walking day. We began our adventure in Times Square and made our way through West Village. We were told to keep an eye out for famous people in this area... they lied, there was no one!... There's always Hollywood though!!! 

Monday

Today, Victor and Bart arrive from Boston :) ...Of course, check-out from our hostel was at 11am and check-in to our apartment isn't until 3pm... I am currently sat in a Cocoa Bar surrounded by our luggage eating a muffin and stealing internet waiting for check-in time... I wonder how long we can stay here until we get kicked out :s 

Until next time xx

I'm shipping up to Boston

~First Stop, Boston~

A 12 hour train later and we are in Boston. The ride over went surprisingly fast with some amazing views along the way to provide entertainment. Unfortunately, the first 5 hours of our ride was accompanied by a poor mother with her 6 screaming children. Thankfully there was a dining carriage we were able to escape to. 

-Day 1

Our first day was filled with walking and site seeing. Boston is the most amazing city. Simply beautiful. The most amazing green parks surrounded by old-style apartment buildings which look as if they were plucked right out of a movie. While the weather is still a little cold and gloomy, the rain has held off and the fog and mist has provided the most spectacular backdrop. 

 

~Where Everybody Knows Your Name~

Today we also visited the original 'Cheers' pub. This is the home to a famous TV series that i have never heard of... Raquel was excited so I'm sure it might mean something awesome to someone. I will have to educate myself about it when i get home. 

-Day 2

Today, Zoe came down from her family friends house to say goodbye as she is jet setting home tomorrow. 

~My Little Runaway~

Another day, another goodbye :( I literally spent everyday with this girl for the last 4 months. I feel privileged to have met Zoe and couldn't have had a better roomy. During this trip, she became not only a friend, but a sister. I will definitely be taking this one home to meet you all :)

~bridesmaids~

Raquel and I took a trip to the Loews cinema and saw Bridesmaids. haha I thought it was hilarious :) btw, don't order a large drink in America. It was at least a litre! Why on earth you would make a drink that big in a cinema is beyond me! It will only end with mid-movie toilet trips!

-Day 3

~Enter to Grow in Wisdom~

There is only one word for a place like Harvard University. Wow. Such a beautiful campus filled with so much history... I know this because we strategically stood next to a tour group while taking photos :s You can't go into any of the buildings because they are for students only, and with the amount of tourists there, you can imagine why. 

Other tourists were touching his foot... we aren't sure why but we thought we should do the same. 

~Every Step Tells a Story~

We also took a self guided tour around the Boston Freedom Trail. I learnt on this tour that Benjamin Franklin was a Bostonian, the first public school was in Boston, and that i am a freaking awesome tour guide. We didn't complete the tour as it went through Quincy Markets and we got a little side-tracked with more awesome things. Who needs history when you have a two story, 5 store wide Urban Outfitters!!!  ^_^ 

<3 This is a song for Victor :)

Booosssttooonnnn

...good memories 

 

~~

This morning we are off to NYC where we will be meeting up with my other beloved exchange students and a few Americans :) can't wait!

Adios Amigos xx

Home and Away

~Lets Go, Buffalo!~

Coming to America was by far the most terrifying thing i have ever done. Leaving everything behind that i depend on so machine Adelaide. Friends, family, home... Everything that was familiar to me. There is no doubt that my entire Aus family are irreplaceable, but i never thought i would find a second family here in America. I fell in love with so many people in my college experience and each and every one of them helped me grow as a person. For the first time in my life i feel independent and confident that i am capable of tackling anything life throws at me. Coming on exchange was by far the best decision i have ever made... But with every hello, comes a goodbye. While coming here seemed so hard in the beginning, leaving was so much harder. I only hope that one day our paths will cross again. 

Bye  bye Buffalonians xxxx 

yeah, don't judge me on this last one... it holds a lot of memories, OK?!!

Sincerely, me x

Cheek to Cheek

Im like a proud mother :)

Well done Zoe!

xxx

The Sound of Madness

From sunshine and shorts to cyclone warnings and high winds. Personally, it doesn't fuss me. I miss the summer in winter and the winter in the summer, so four seasons in one day isn't so bad for a girl who cant make up her mind. BUT, when you're angry at the rain, you can jump in puddles, in the snow, you can kick snow hills, in the sun, you can magnify the crap out of ants.... but the wind, thats the weather getting back at the world. other than madly karate chopping at thin air and being knocked around back, theres nothing you can do. unfortunately, in these high wind times, a discovery about buff state has been made... BSC is officially a GIANT NOSE WHISTLE!!! if i have to wake up in the morning one more time to the howling of an angry wind, someone is going to get hurt. so here is a message to the college... SHUT UP!!!

...thats all :)

<3 xxx

Learning to Fall

I've learnt a lot while attempting to fend for myself on the other side of the world... a few i would like to share with you all so that you don't have to go through the same experiences to learn the end result.

... but first, I would just like to pause for a few moments to remember the many who have been lost on this trip. Faithful and close friends that will never be forgotten and so obviously never truly replaced. The comrades that joined me on my journey of discovery, that held my hand when i felt down, and the ones that celebrated so many good times with me. I would like to apologise for being responsible for their destruction. It was not their time. They still had so much more to live for....
To my poor clothes, I am so so sorry for shrinking you all beyond repair :( the first time you went into the dryer and came out a little smaller, I honestly thought that was all you would shrink. How wrong i was. I have learnt my lesson and am now almost completely clothesless.... sad face :(

Second lesson - I am learning some things the hard way, but am slowly getting there. For instance, i decided that some cooking would do me good. While its still a little colder here, i thought to myself 'why not make some soup!' so i got a recipe, went out to buy the ingredients, and this is the end result!

... Success!! Who said i was useless in the kitchen!!

Lesson three - I have made so many close friends here... people who i would consider family... if they weren't making families of their own... yep, pregnant college kids :s its a little bit sad, but we learn from their mistakes... so boys, don't be a fool, wrap your tool! and ladies, don't be a dill, take your pill! ... or just don't have sex, because you WILL get pregnant and you WILL die! 

So there are some life lessons for you to dwell on. 

toot for now, kids  xx

waste days in foreign places

Another day another dollar ~ Regrettably sticking with Philadelphia as my American sporting team of choice has lost me yet another dollar to mr. Birtles at the Buffalo Sabres Vs Philadelphia Flyers ice hokey game.  Phillies just keep breaking my little heart (the first time being the Superbowl when I was forced to part with my first dollar). The game, however, was amazing. It was pushed into over time to see the Sabres win their way into the playoffs. Although I had to let go of a whole dollar, it was great to see the home team win and the atmosphere buzz... Americans take these things a little too seriously... they don't even introduce the opposition into the rink... I would have hated to see their already unstable moods worsen with a loss.

While there wasn't a massive turkey leg to make the American sporting experience just a little more awesome, there was a miniature blimp!! This was of course the non-sporting highlight to my sporting experience.

Having been in Buffalo for 3 months now (we just had our anniversary), I have somehow managed to avoid seeing the actual CDB/city/downtown area. This makes sending Buffalo postcards rather awkward... Yes, I'm sending postcards of stuff I've never seen... its on the to do list... HOWEVER, we did drive passed it on the way to the Sabres match :) ...baby steps. 

Spring is in the air ~ I was going to write about how Spring was finally here and how warm it has been over the last few weeks, but in true Buffalo style, the weather has had a bit of a mood swing and the next 3 days will be filled with snow.... but here are some photos of the warmer days when the campus came to life ... I'm sure the sun will be back soon.

For my horror movie lovin' gals ~ Welcome to the view from my door… the abandoned psychiatric ward across the road. Yes, you did in fact read correctly… the abandoned, completely deserted, empty, spooky as shit psychiatric ward.

When we first arrived, we were told that Leatherface, (for the uneducated people, the guy from chainsaw massacre) was here for a short time. Being America, I suppose this is completely possible, but my googling skills are yet to provide any evidence of this… I am however choosing to believe it anyway, because lets admit, that would be freaking awesome.

It has apparently been closed since the early 1970’s (no I didn’t just google that… geez) and is almost impossible to get into as it is not only boarded up, but has alarms throughout it… im still tempted to give it a go though!

 ...and yes, i went out on multiple days in different weather so you could appreciate its true awesomeness.

Anywho, thats all from me for now.

Later Skater

Summer Hair = Forever Young

Daytona Beach, Florida... Meet the crew... 3 english, 1 dutch, 1 aussie, 2 americans, a tiki bar and a whole lot of Spring Breaking.... what could possibly go wrong? 

 

The first night resulted in an unfortunate amount of puke and a complete day of sleeping off a terrible hangover. There is really only one picture that can sum up this night... Thankfully, I wasn't the only one who went too hard. 

If there's anything one should learn about an eleven day bender... its that Denies is the perfect meal before, during and after any drinking session.  

But like anything, moderation is the key - and when you can feel what should be a young and strong 21 year olds heart beginning to fill with mounds of blubber as the Denies fat finds its way into your arteries... its time to be responsible and look into finding another source of food.

Which of course ended with a trolley in the eighth floor apartment of a beach front hotel... However, you can always redeem yourself from trolley stealing by inconspicuously returning it... or pushing it out of the elevator onto the seventh floor (no one will ever know). 

While on my Daytona adventures, I have been completely and utterly inspired to change my career path. Thanks to the lovely ladies of 'girls gone wild', i will in fact be dropping out of uni and becoming a pole dancer :).... Thanks Mum and Dad for the upper class private all girls college education... but there comes a time in a girls life when a dream just cant be pushed aside. I now strongly believe that climbing up a 15 foot pole with 10 inch heels and being able to gracefully lift my legs above my head is in fact a life skill which must be mastered by yours truly! 

In the meantime, I guess good times with good friends will just have to do :)

Road trip to Tampa

Baseball game: Tampa vs Toronto

Consuming an entire turkey leg

Our responsible designated boat driver about to do a beer bong

Good work boys! Drag us to our bbqing destination! 

Hotel Tiki Bar

Victor singing 'American Idiot' in a karaoke bar 

 pre/post shots

Getting amped up for Volleyball  

 Ocean Deck beach party

The most amazing time was had with a great bunch of people. There were times I will never forget, times a wish i could remember, and times that i wish everyone else would forget. 

For your information, tasks 1,2,4,7 and 21 were completed by yours truly ;) ...you'll never know!!!

miss you xxx