Orlando

I guess it's about time i filled you guys in on the latest. Firstly i need to update you on my wonderful adventures in Orlando with my super awesome buddy Amanda.
The first few days was actually spent mostly still recovering from my New York illness. That's not to say i didn't still enjoy myself. I was lucky enough to meet Heidi and Ashes (Amanda's dog and cat) and even some of Heidi's friends at the dog park.

It was here in Orlando too that I had my first taste of domestic life in the U.S of A with a trip to the local shops. Now to some, this may seem boring to the average 'traveller' but to me it opened my eyes to another level of American stereotypes. Some considerable differences I noticed; 3litre size coca cola bottles, giant marshmallows, everything is soooooo much cheaper than at home, target sells groceries as well as home goods etc and they had about 30 check out counters. I was able to buy TIm Tams which meant i could teach Amanda and her mum how to partake in their first Tim Tam slam. Now for those of you who don't actually know what that is, before you take that and run with it, let me explain. A Tim Tam slam is not some wrestling move administered by my friend Tim and I (Tam) but rather where you bit the diagonal corners of a Tim Tam and then dip it into your hot drink and suck the hot drink though the bitten end just long enough to melt the biscuit. Then you devour the biscuit and get taken away to a happy place :)

I was introduced to the card game Euchre also, which i believe i wasn't too bad at for a beginner ;) The other people on my team might beg to differ though haha. A great night shared with new friends over pizza and beer. Who could ask for more? But alas there was more.....
Amanda, myself and Tammy (Amanda's mum) were up bright and early Saturday morning for the Walt Disney World Marathon. Unfortunately Amanda was injured so was unable to participate, however we were then assigned the role of 'Official Cheerleaders' for Tammy who had flown all the way from Indiana for the event. Due to our poor planning, of which i can only put down to the 2.30am wake up, we never actually 'saw' Tammy run by us. We were prepared with banners and all, only to find ourselves running around like headless chickens in hope of spotting 1 in 27 000 people. Despite this obvious mishap it was still a great morning.

Later that night we (and by we i meant I) downed a few drinks in downtown Orlando. Nothing too crazy though as a fun filled day at Universal Studios awaited us on Sunday morning.
After great deliberation, we decided to go to Universals 'Island of Adventure' park. This was where we did lots of crazy things like ride mega rollercoasters, visit Harry Potters Wizarding World and due to my poor judgement, spent the afternoon completely drenched after insisting we go on the Popeye River Rapids. Sooooo much fun!!!! For all ride enthusiasts i STRONGLY recommend the Harry Potter ride at Hogwarts. It was the most amazing ride i have ever been on. I would describe more but its one of those things that words can not do justice.

So after an amazing week with a truly inspiring, amazing person, it was time to say good bye to another friend. The goodbyes don't seem to be getting any easier the more i do them but i have limited the blubbering to a few short moments now ;) I'm forever greatful for the hospitality and life long friendship. Thanks Amanda Bennett!!!!!

Flooding back home!

Hey everyone!

So i don't think its very appropriate that i brag about how much fun im having over here, when all my family, friends and community back home are being affected by the massive floods.
 
This blog update is to let everyone know that I'm thinking about you all and have been keeping updated on the situation back home. I honestly wish i was there to help out in any which way possible but obviously being a little over a days travel away I'm having to back my support with a donation and my thoughts of well wishes. If anyone has any ideas of how else i can help from the US please let me know as I'm very eager to do anything i can.
Thanks for the updates from everyone back home to let me know you are alright too. It's much appreciated and helps me put my mind a little at ease.
To all the people who are volunteering their time,skills, money etc....you guys ROCK. You all make me very proud!!!! It's all the little things we do to help that will make the biggest difference to peoples lives. If all else, just offer a reassuring smile.

Lots of love being sent your way Queensland!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tam
xoxoxox


For more information and updates I have found www.ninemsn.com.au to be the best source.

FRIENDS FAR AND WIDE, PLEASE HELP AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT!!!!!! FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW. THANK YOU

The Queensland Government is asking that only financial donations be made to the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal.

Donate to the Premier's flood relief appeal by calling 1800 219 028 or by visiting www.qld.gov.au/floods.

Donate by internet banking
The account details for donations are:
Account Name: Premiers Disaster Relief Appeal
BSB: 064 013
Account number: 1000 6800

SWIFT code for international donations: CTBAAU2S

Once your transaction is complete, you should record the receipt number for your transaction. If you do not receive a receipt number, contact your financial institution.
If you would like a receipt for tax purposes, please forward a request, with proof of donation to:
Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal
C/O Department of the Premier and Cabinet
PO Box 15185
City East QLD 4002  

International donations The account details international for donations are: Account Name: Premiers Disaster Relief Appeal
BSB: 064 013
Account number: 1000 6800
SWIFT code: CTBAAU2S

Donate by mail You can post a cheque donation – please do not send cash. Cheques should be made payable to: The Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal
ABN: 69 689 161 916 Cheques should be posted to: Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal
C/O Department of the Premier and Cabinet
PO Box 15185
City East QLD 4002  

Donate in person Donations can be made at: Commonwealth Bank NAB
Westpac
ANZ
BOQ
Suncorp
St.George Bank
Bank SA (Bank of South Australia)
Australian Central Credit Union
Savings & Loans Credit Union
Bank West
Australian Central Credit Union
Savings & Loans Credit Union
Coles supermarkets. To ensure your donation reaches the Queensland flood victims, visit the SCAMwatch website

Sooooo.........

Wow!
I guess a lot has happened since i last checked in and its only been just over a week. Christmas and New Year have both passed me by yet again, not without some drama along the way though.

First off, a belated "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all".

Christmas for me was a little different to most years back home in Australia. Firstly, i volunteered at a homeless drop in centre in downtown Vancouver. I was Santa's little helper for the day, helping hand out Christmas gifts to those less fortunate. It was an eye opening experience which confirmed for me just how lucky i really am. To find out more about the centre, follow this link. http://lookoutsociety.ca/LivingRoom.html
The evening was then spent with my good friend Devon's family where we chowed down on some traditional feasts (traditional in the Northern hemispheres sense- there was no seafood and salads haha like in aus hahaha). A few laughs, drinks and great atmosphere capped off a memorable Christmas day.

Boxing day was another adventure as Adriana's (Devons girlfriend) dad took us too Whistler and beyond for the day. If i was excited to see snow on Vancouver Island, i was out of control excited to see it all up at Whistler. Despite being freezing cold, it was just so beautiful. I felt as if I'd stepped into a movie scene.

A pit stop on the way to Whistler

The day before i left Canada was spent with a few drinks shared with new and old friends at, where else but an Irish Pub. Despite my stupid blubbering as i said good bye to everyone, i didn't feel as bad saying good bye this time round as it was more of just a 'see ya later'. No doubt I'll be back for some more crazy adventures sometime in the near future, OR, someone will get off their butt and come see me in beautiful Aus :)

After an initial start to the day still drunk from the good bye festivities, i made it to my flight to New York. A long day of travelling with a hangover is never fun, however knowing i wasn't delayed by the crazy blizzard that had just hit New York, made it all that little bit easier. A late night check in to my ridiculously expensive hostel near Times Square left little time to actually explore anywhere before i passed out. 

The rest was needed though as the following day was spent travelling and exploring Washington D.C where i got my geek on. I am proud to admit, "I am in LOVE with Washington D.C". Everything about it just screamed 'Tamara'. The chill out cool vibes of the university scene, the history, the temperature, the friendliness of people, the architecture......... I could go on and on. I unfortunately only had a couple of hours in the city itself after the loooonnnnngggggg bus ride but it was enough to decide that i MUST go back. I could get lost in all the different museums, art centres, theatres, odd little lanes, oh and my favourite (don't laugh) Embassy Row! I did however fear that i was going to be deported as we cruised past the White House, i burst inappropriately into fits of laughter (as i do) as the National Anthem instantly played loudly overheard on the speakers of the bus. I'm not trying to be disrespectful but it was just a massive stereotype come to life. Please don't hate me my American friends :D  Don't worry everyone back home, I said 'Hi' to Obama for you too.

The White house

I managed to get through the quickest Washington D.C tour in history. I made short stops at the Lincoln memorial, the National Monument and Capitol Hill briefly in just over a couple of hours, along with a bus tour of the city and short visit to a Smithsonian art complex. A long day ended with bite to eat in China town and a 5 hour return bus trip to New York. 

Lincoln himself- kind of ;)

National Monument- no building in D.C can be taller than this. It was also once the tallest free standing structure in the world until the Eiffel Tower was built

The Capitol Building

Lucky for me, i had already been fortunate enough to have been to New York before which took a lot of pressure off all the 'sightseeing' activities. The main things i really wanted to do were; 

• ice skate in central park
• visit the United Nations building
• go see a show on Broadway
• be IN Time Sqaure for the ball drop
• strut down Wall street and
• take a helicopter ride around Manhattan

Given that i had 2 full days to do these things, i thought although i might be pushing it, i felt confident i could get it all done. I wasted a fair bit of the first day just cruising around town with no particular purpose.  I did get to ice skate in central park. I cruised, sorry, fumbled around the ice skating rink like a little kid all with a huge satisfied grin on my face. I'm proud to say there was no wet ass either... i successfully made it around without completely wiping out. Central park was so beautiful in the winter too. A little escape in the crazy, chaotic, madness of New York.

Ice skating in Central Park with my FIVE layers of clothing on!

Central park

As fun as meandering around was, it was time to get ready for the big one... Times Square, New Years Eve... OH YEAH!

Getting ready for the ball drop

 I did manage to make it out to Broadway show later that evening. A couple people from the hostel and I went and saw 'Memphis' which won best the Tony Award for best production in 2010. After watching it i can see why. It was brilliant. I think the thing that stood out to me the most was the set changes were so seamless. Such a great night and I'm so glad i did actually get to check something off my 'to do' list on my last night in NY. An early morning flight followed to Orlando to catch up with my dear friend Amanda. 

Memphis Broadway show

This week in Orlando should make for some more interesting stories. So far on the agenda is;

• naughty bingo
• me being a spectator at a marathon
• Disneyworld and
• hopefully wrestling and alligator ;)

Days are already turning into blurs after a while though and I'm already forgetting what day of the week it is and what the date is. Things get even more complicated when i try to remember to call or sort anything out back home. Is it 14 hours ahead? 17hours? Does that take into account daylight savings here? What about daylight savings back in Australia? Is that then 15 hours difference? Hence to say my family have been receiving a few early morning wake up calls..... SORRY! 

Know that i miss you all and i hope to hear from you every now and then.

Peace out from sunny Florida (ah yes, familiar sun).

Catch ya

Tam