Thought I would let you all in on the golf courses that I have played since I have been in Perth.
To start off; Wembley Golf Course, the most played public golf course in the world! I didn't believe it either and I am still not sure if it is true, but I do know it is one of the most impressive public facilities I have ever seen. There are two full size 18 hole courses, a state of the art driving range (automatic ball dispensers, no baskets!), and a huge practice putting/chipping area. On the weekends they tee off people of the front and the back until people start making the turn. It is a very impressive operation. This is the course that Dad and I play our Saturday morning Fargoff league. We rotate back nines each week, and its CHEAP, like $30 for 18 on the weekends.
The Vines; The Vines is a great resort golf course also with two full size courses. I have only played the Ellenbrook course. There is a twenty-nine dollar deal on Tuesdays. Being unemployed, I have taken advantage:)
The Cut; The Cut is an amazing links style course down near Mandurah, about an hour south of Perth. Probably, the best course that I have played around Perth. They have a deal with a cart and a full lunch for $69. Generally, you walk every golf course here, carts are unusual.
The Links at Kennedy Bay; A great course about 50 minutes south. A true links style golf course. Every time I go there I am blown away at how nice of a golf course it is and the fact that I have never seen more that 10 people there. I guess it was a golf course designed and opened during the boom in Perth, but has not seen the expected traffic. Their club house is still a trailer:)
Mount Lawley; A private golf course, just up the road that I had the opportunity to play as a part of a charity golf event. I was invited as a ringer by some of the guys in our Saturday golf league. We didn't win, but we had a great time. The course had the nicest greens and fairways I have seen in awhile. I would love to get another chance to play out there!
Joondalup; The Joondalup golf course is another great resort style golf course. They have three nine hole courses which the rotate each week. This is a fancy, high end resort course in the are, much nicer than the vines. You do pay for it though, its more like playing golf in America $100. I have only played it once when I was here last year, not dying to play it again.
Maylands Golf Course; Built on what used to be an old airport. Its a dog track, but great fun. Only costs $20 dollars to play 18 holes walking. It sits right on the Swan river and has great views of the city on almost every hole. I would definitely play that golf course again.
The Margaret River Golf Course; One of the few golf courses down in the Margaret River, I have only played it once. It is a old style golf course, the holes go back and fourth next to each other until its over.
Araluen Golf Course is a course that Dad and I went up to one weekend to play. It is in the hills to the east of Perth. A great golf course, but one that does not use much water. They advertise it, I don't know why. The course was a terrific test and a hard walk. Very long and very hilly. I cannot wait to go back in the spring after the winter rains.
I believe that is all of the courses I have played I will add more if I think of them..
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Monday, May 27, 2013
Spending Time in Australia
What have I been doing with my time being unemployed and in a foreign country? Well, I have been spending a lot of quality time with my parents. I know that may seem like a shock, but to be honest it has been great! I am sure many would have thought I would be out on the town bar hopping around finding my way into Perth's social seen, but I apparently am not that guy. Don't get me wrong I love going to bars having a few, maybe a few too many, but going to a bar alone is an entirely different story. I am no good at going to a bar and picking up a conversation with the guy or girl sitting next to me with out feeling like a huge creep. Back home going out was easy, going to a bar with a few friends in DC or Arlington would inevitable lead to a late night running into old friends or meeting new ones. Friends feed off each other making the whole going out experience much more enjoyable.
I would say the majority of my time here has been spent with mum exploring whether its been by kayak, bike, boat, or foot. We have made a point to get out for an activity at least once a day. Staying inside, restricted to finding a job is no way to live:) Particularly when the weather is as beautiful as it is here. Like in southern California I think the winter time or anytime other than summer is the best time because you get clouds! Clouds give a whole different light and feel to the surrounding desert. Also, they bring moisture which lets the plants turn back to green, the colors are just amazing. I cannot wait until spring here it must be just amazing. One think that I did notice on my cross country drive was that the Northern Arizona and Northern New Mexico are home to some of the bluest skies I have ever seen! (There should be some photos in one of the earlier posts) Perth has a similar sky. We call it Perth Blue because its like no other blue I have ever seen.
This is not to mean that I have not gone out at all since I have been here. I have gone out a few times with friends even! *Side note; When I was living in Sydney in years 9 and 10, I had a friend that had recently moved out here with her boyfriend and they live just up the road from me in Mt. Hawthorne. When I went to my first AFL game it was with her boyfriend and one of his mates. I guess you could say they are my closest friends in Perth. They are all from Scotland and it is a blast hanging out with them. We have done barbecues breakfasts, and even gone out for the occasional pints.
Fun fact: In Australia bars are places where you can order a cocktail, pubs are places where you can, but don't.
I would say the majority of my time here has been spent with mum exploring whether its been by kayak, bike, boat, or foot. We have made a point to get out for an activity at least once a day. Staying inside, restricted to finding a job is no way to live:) Particularly when the weather is as beautiful as it is here. Like in southern California I think the winter time or anytime other than summer is the best time because you get clouds! Clouds give a whole different light and feel to the surrounding desert. Also, they bring moisture which lets the plants turn back to green, the colors are just amazing. I cannot wait until spring here it must be just amazing. One think that I did notice on my cross country drive was that the Northern Arizona and Northern New Mexico are home to some of the bluest skies I have ever seen! (There should be some photos in one of the earlier posts) Perth has a similar sky. We call it Perth Blue because its like no other blue I have ever seen. 
For those of you that had seen me towards the end of my cross country adventure may have noticed that I put on a little over twenty pounds... There is a time of year in the states that I call "eating season" it is the period of time between Thanksgiving and my birthday (January 10th) where there are no diets and no rules. Overall I consider my self a pretty healthy guy, I push it some days, but feel bad afterwards for what I just did to my body (no one should ever eat a whole pizza to themselves, 40 chicken wings in one sitting or burgers/chipotle as part of a balanced diet). So naturally I take a little break before I go do it all over again. It is not constant consumption during this period though it is close. The big feeds come on and over the holidays, with so much good food to be had my self control goes out the window. I get so excited you could say a practice for the big eating holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas). Hence the 20 plus pounds I put on. Writing that down actually makes me feel a bit ill.
Point being that I am making an effort to get back into decent if not good shape. Recently, I have developed a fascination about running. I am sure that some of you have read or heard about the new fad in running, "barefoot" running. You have probably seen those vibram five finger running shoes that look ridiculous People swear by them so I read more and more into. Basically, it lead me to running more on the balls of your feet or forefoot running. Very different than the running that I have done in the past. I have never been a long distance runner, five miles was a good run for me. I was also a huge heel toe guy because that's what I thought the proper running form was. What I thought the shoes I was wearing were designed to handle and in fact they were. Later I learned that running is not about how your shoes were made it was about how your feet were made! Barefoot running was bringing it all back down to the basics. Even now, if you were to go to a grass field kick off your sneakers and run across the field, your head would never touch the ground. Why? Because it HURTS. Humans were all designed with a huge Achilles tendon that runs the back of our legs to our knee. It acts as a spring, why are we trying not to use it. Shoes were invented to protect our feet from sharp objects, running shoes were made for profits. Running shoes make your feet week, barefoot running makes your feet strong. I don't mean to get preachy, but I thought there might be something to it so I got online and learned what I could.
This is also occurring at a point in my life where I am believing more and more that less it more! I was sold, there are endless forums out there about barefoot running, forefoot running, pure, natural, real hippy stuff. I did read one what I took to be crucial advice and that was to ease into it. Do not just kick off the shoes and start running on your bare feet. You will hurt your self. When you think about it you have been running a certain way for however many years, it will take some time to change the way you run. I took the advice, I was in the market for new running shoes anyway my old Nike's were on their last legs. I read a bit about toe/heal heights of shoes. Decided I would start with something in the middle. Much less heal than my Nike's had. For those of you that know me I research every major purchase to death before pulling the trigger. I ended up with last years model of Brooks Pure Cadence. It was part of Brooks new Pure Project, they have a whole line out with different heal toe heights meant for all different types of runners. I am also a sucker for marketing.
I wont take you through all the pain of the first few weeks of running on my forefoot, but forewarning, take it easy to start, like no more than two miles to start easy. I have never been so tight. I am sure it had something to do with the fact that I was 20/30 pounds overweight.
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| Ran the HBF 12km Run for a Reason through the city with 30 thousand other Perth inhabitants. Unbelievable experience 58:20 was my time. |
I was looking into marathon training plans, mapping different running routes, and looking for books to read about running. It was sad, but honestly I needed something to occupy my time and between golf, running and hanging out with Mum and Dad, I was good. Why I choose the two least social activities one could imagine after moving to a new country, I do not know. I even looked into getting a device to help me train. A little against the grain of my less is more attitude, but ended up being one of my better investments ever. I got a Garmin Forerunner 10, the entry level Garmin GPS watch. A great buy for a beginner. Right now I do not need all the bells and whistles, I need to know how far and how fast, that's it. This watch does just that, and I must give a shout out to the online team at Garmin you all have put together an excellent website! Simple and easy to use, only suggestion would be to get away from the scrolling, just put the information on another tab. I have only been using it for the better part of a month now and have only just got enough data to do some analysis, but I am sure it will add to the obsession.
The book that I got recommended was Born to Run. I have about two more chapters, don't ruin it. So far it has been an amazing read. It is a book about the greatest ultra marathoners of all time, the Tahamura. A Indian tribe that lives in the Copper Canyons of the Sierra Madres. The book takes you on a mans journey to study the long lost tribe diving into a lot of the science behind running and ultra marathons. Really is an amazing adventure story. I would recommend it to anyone.
Recap; I spend my time in Perth golfing, running, and exploring with my family and friends. I have lost 20 pounds, 10 miles is now my long run and I am training to run a marathon. Oh and I learned how to putt. Employment is going to be tough.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Technically My First Job in Australia was a Full Time Manny (Man Nanny)
So after my family and I returned from our Margaret River adventure over Easter. I started on the job hunt. I created profiles, I uploaded resumes, and even met with various placement firms. I was going through the motions as far as what I assumed people found work. I quickly learned the job hiring process goes in waves. First, you get a phone call from say a recruiter after applying to a job posting online, then you get a face to face with the said recruiter, then they contact you a week later with an interview time with the company. This process seems to work fairly well, I am not a huge fan of added layers in a simple process, but understand the need for a companies to have someone else screen their applicant. Must save a great deal of time actually because the majority of adds out there on SEEK, the most heavily used job search sit in Australia, are in fact posted by placement firms on behalf of their clients.
So my first wave of applications and follow up calls was in the books. Now my job hunt relaxed a little as I wait for the placement firms to get back to me. I spent this time studying the companies which I had application in for. I wanted to have a good idea about the company prior to the interview. Most important though I needed to be available.
My parents good friends here in Perth had made a spur of the moment decision to head up north on an extravagant 10 day vacation in the Kimberly. Where temperature it HOT, the water is BLUE, the tide it 30 FEET and the crocodiles are to say the least PRESENT! They were doing the trip right on a large yacht with three other couples, a personal chef, two dingy boats and a helicopter. The fished, hiked, and toured all day every day. Seeing places very few people have ever seen or will ever see.
Anyway, per the title of this post, they have a 10 year old son and needed a babysitter while they were up north. My first job in Australia was technically a Manny. I gladly accepted the job. I stayed at the house every night and if anything were to come up on the career job front I had my mother that was, but a phone call away. She was happy to help anytime I needed her, much appreciated.
Babysitting for a ten year old was a great learning experience for me. I must admit, I have no idea how full time working moms manage raising a child and their careers at the same time. I could maybe see part time, but full time absolutely not. Between all of the cooking, shopping, chauffeuring to activities and school work I do not know where anyone would fit in a full time job and stay sane. I give it up to all of the full time working moms out there I know there are a ton.
The week went by almost with out a hitch, the little guy did get sick one night, but took a child aspirin and slept it off by morning. It was great taking him to all of his after school and weekend activities, the little guy has quite the schedule between tennis, basketball practice and games, and footy (Australian Football) practice and games. There were not many days off. Footy is a great game, I must say I would have loved to play it growing up, a LOT of running kicking tackling etc. great high energy/intensity, fast paced, high scoring game.
I did have the opportunity to go out with some friends to a footy game at the Subiaco Oval just up the street from their house one night. I saw the Dockers loose in a nail-biter to Essendon at the last minute. AFL game was off my check list of Australian things to do. I would gladly go to another one though, had a great time. Also, important to note here. My parents have decided that Foxtel, the Australian cable service is no good so they they decide to save their money and not buy cable. This is all well and fine, but they also do not have a DVR. If you are an American sports enthusiast living on the other side of the world you miss just about every game due to the fact that they are generally played in the middle of the night or very early in the morning! So frustrating! The house where I was staying had both Foxtel and a DVR, I filled it up with every minute of Masters coverage I could find, a few baseball games, basketball games as soon as the little guy went to school I was parked with the lap top in front of the telly:) What a golf tournament by the way. A great day in Australian sports history! Well done Adam Scott.
This is not to say that all I did was sit and watch TV while I was there. I got out of the house quite a bit actually. I was also looking after a 3 year old lab which I took on many walks to the park. I sneaked out to the golf course a few times while the little guy was at school, I completed a 3D puzzle of the world, I assisted in making a volcano and exploding a two liter with a mento. Etc. This was basically week three of being in the country. I was still in I guess somewhat of culture shock so, I was easing myself into the Aussie life.
At the end of it, he was well fed (salmon was a popular choice on the menu believe it or not a 10 year old that likes salmon), healthy, sad to see me go, but very excited to have his parents back. I would consider it a job well done;) I must admit, I did feel a little guilty taking money for babysitting, considering I had such a good time as well. They were more than generous and I was very appreciative. After all I could use the spending money, everything is more expensive in Perth and I needed to get out and do things. The first thing I spent money on was taking my parents out to a fancy dinner in downtown Perth to show my appreciation for all that they have done and are doing for me.
So my first wave of applications and follow up calls was in the books. Now my job hunt relaxed a little as I wait for the placement firms to get back to me. I spent this time studying the companies which I had application in for. I wanted to have a good idea about the company prior to the interview. Most important though I needed to be available.
My parents good friends here in Perth had made a spur of the moment decision to head up north on an extravagant 10 day vacation in the Kimberly. Where temperature it HOT, the water is BLUE, the tide it 30 FEET and the crocodiles are to say the least PRESENT! They were doing the trip right on a large yacht with three other couples, a personal chef, two dingy boats and a helicopter. The fished, hiked, and toured all day every day. Seeing places very few people have ever seen or will ever see.
Anyway, per the title of this post, they have a 10 year old son and needed a babysitter while they were up north. My first job in Australia was technically a Manny. I gladly accepted the job. I stayed at the house every night and if anything were to come up on the career job front I had my mother that was, but a phone call away. She was happy to help anytime I needed her, much appreciated.
Babysitting for a ten year old was a great learning experience for me. I must admit, I have no idea how full time working moms manage raising a child and their careers at the same time. I could maybe see part time, but full time absolutely not. Between all of the cooking, shopping, chauffeuring to activities and school work I do not know where anyone would fit in a full time job and stay sane. I give it up to all of the full time working moms out there I know there are a ton.
The week went by almost with out a hitch, the little guy did get sick one night, but took a child aspirin and slept it off by morning. It was great taking him to all of his after school and weekend activities, the little guy has quite the schedule between tennis, basketball practice and games, and footy (Australian Football) practice and games. There were not many days off. Footy is a great game, I must say I would have loved to play it growing up, a LOT of running kicking tackling etc. great high energy/intensity, fast paced, high scoring game.
I did have the opportunity to go out with some friends to a footy game at the Subiaco Oval just up the street from their house one night. I saw the Dockers loose in a nail-biter to Essendon at the last minute. AFL game was off my check list of Australian things to do. I would gladly go to another one though, had a great time. Also, important to note here. My parents have decided that Foxtel, the Australian cable service is no good so they they decide to save their money and not buy cable. This is all well and fine, but they also do not have a DVR. If you are an American sports enthusiast living on the other side of the world you miss just about every game due to the fact that they are generally played in the middle of the night or very early in the morning! So frustrating! The house where I was staying had both Foxtel and a DVR, I filled it up with every minute of Masters coverage I could find, a few baseball games, basketball games as soon as the little guy went to school I was parked with the lap top in front of the telly:) What a golf tournament by the way. A great day in Australian sports history! Well done Adam Scott.
This is not to say that all I did was sit and watch TV while I was there. I got out of the house quite a bit actually. I was also looking after a 3 year old lab which I took on many walks to the park. I sneaked out to the golf course a few times while the little guy was at school, I completed a 3D puzzle of the world, I assisted in making a volcano and exploding a two liter with a mento. Etc. This was basically week three of being in the country. I was still in I guess somewhat of culture shock so, I was easing myself into the Aussie life.
At the end of it, he was well fed (salmon was a popular choice on the menu believe it or not a 10 year old that likes salmon), healthy, sad to see me go, but very excited to have his parents back. I would consider it a job well done;) I must admit, I did feel a little guilty taking money for babysitting, considering I had such a good time as well. They were more than generous and I was very appreciative. After all I could use the spending money, everything is more expensive in Perth and I needed to get out and do things. The first thing I spent money on was taking my parents out to a fancy dinner in downtown Perth to show my appreciation for all that they have done and are doing for me.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Accepted a Job Offer!!
Tuesday the 21st of May, I Malcolm Craig accepted a job offer at Bankwest in Perth, Western Australia!
This day just turned out to be one of my top ten days ever. Got a job, went on an island adventure with mum, and went out for a fabulous celebration dinner after we got back.
The long hunt is finally over!! The end is now in sight, I am only waiting for my background checks to clear and I will be employed!
Very much looking forward to joining the team at Bankwest. Bankwest is the largest bank in WA and owned by Commonwealth bank, the largest bank in Australia. I will be joining their Enterprise Services business unit, working as a Business Analyst. Currently, this is all I know, but should learn more shortly. Both Bankwest and myself would like to get me up to speed as quickly as possible.
It was not too long ago that I was getting a little discouraged with the job market in Perth. I was working hard trying to get my foot in the door at many different companies, trying to get that interview and wasn't hearing anything after my Bankwest interview. I know these things take time, but after two weeks you begin to think that no news is probably bad news...this however was not the case.
I received a phone call while waiting in the queue to board a ship to Rottnest, an island just off the coast of Perth. Thinking that the call was to let me down formally, I simply asked if I could call the hiring manager back after I got off the ship. Plus I needed time to prepare follow up questions about why I was not hired, what skills was I missing, was the fact that I am on a 457 a deterrent? etc.. I needed the answers to those questions to re-energize myself for my continued job hunt. I was a little nervous for the call when mum and I got off the ship, but the way I looked at it was that I was on a beautiful island, it was 74 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, I could handle a little bad news. It was not going to ruin my day.
After finding a proper writing utensil I wrote down some questions, found a quiet place on the island and made the call. To my surprise, I had it all WRONG!!! It was not a call to let me down formally, it was a call to offer me a job, formally!!! I even got the salary I was looking for! I was in shock, but I tried to keep my cool on the phone with the hiring manager. Asking the appropriate questions, next steps and so on. He forwarded me a link to a background check company, which had forms I needed to fill out. I also needed to provide 100 points of certified (notarized) identifying documentation. No problem, I did all that when we set up our visas earlier this year. I was ecstatic !! In shock, disbelief, I could not believe I had been so negative about this very much positive phone call. I do consider myself a fairly positive person. I politely hung up with the hiring manager gave a few fist pumps to myself and ran over to tell mum the good news. She had been sitting around the corner thinking of ways to cheer me up, after my formal let down. I think she was more excited than I was when I told her the news. Her son taking a huge risk/gamble moving thousands of miles away from all of his friends and most of his family, landed a job!
Funny note here I missed a call back from the hiring manager, minutes later saying that he was able to increase my base plus super (superannuation, social security in Australia). They had me at the first numbers, but hey I will take it!
This day just turned out to be one of my top ten days ever. Got a job, went on an island adventure with mum, and went out for a fabulous celebration dinner after we got back.
Our day at Rottnest can be captured in photos. Rottnest is a beautiful island with great wave breaks, pristine beaches and unique wild life. The bike trek around the island, down all the paths was a little over 30 km. Mum and I were tired to say the least after our tour, but there was no whining, only celebrating.
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| These are called Quakas (like a rat/kangaroo mix) |
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The Margaret River Holiday
If you ever come to Perth, you MUST make an effort to spend a few days down at the Margaret River. It is the most beautiful, laid back place in the world, well at least that I have ever been to. It is considered the wine region of Western Australia and produces some of the best wines in the entire country! All of the tastings are free and all of the wines are terrific. It is roughly three hours south of Perth, and well worth the trip. If I ever get any visitors, the Margaret River region will definitely be on the agenda.
The drive down was my first "legal" experience behind the wheel of a car with the steering wheel on the opposite side. It is an odd feeling, driving on the other side of the road, but good practice to adjust doing easy highway type driving. This was advice from my father, he said that you can get tired trying to orient yourself driving in the city. Which I understand, simple things like keeping the car in the middle of the lane, things you hardly think about after you have been driving for awhile, you have to be conscious of again. You have to focus and spend energy on things that have become second nature to you. Just so you know the pedals are still the same gas on the right brake on the left. One thing that is opposite is you wipers/turn signals. I cannot tell you how many times I go to flip on the right or left turn signal and the wipers go. The easiest way to spot a tourist driving in Australia; Putting on the wipers on a hot sunny day.
I successfully got us to the house where we were staying for the week! No tickets, no dents or scrapes, success. We had a large house and were staying with three other couples. I was bunking with a ten year old. When we arrived you would not believe how many kangaroos we had lounging in the back year. There must have been 100! Quite a site to see on day three of being in the country.
One of the best things about the being in the Margaret River was the sunsets and the stars that would come out shortly after. Rarely do I get to see stars as clear as I did in the Margaret River. In the Southern Hemisphere the main constellations you can see are Orion's Belt and the Southern Cross. Those two I can pick up no problem, can't say I know many others.
We had great meals and activities planned every day, with lots of wine tasting in between. One thing to note here the drunk driving laws here are a little more strict, .05 is over the limit. I guess that means you can only have one glass of wine not two, wherever you stopped. Our group was well aware and planned our tastings accordingly.
Some of the highlights of the trip were the croquet games out back on the paddock. We made an extreme croquet course, it seemed to take about an hour to finish a game. Granted there were a lot of cocktails consumed and strategising between hits.
We made an effort to get out of the house and into nature every day. One adventure we hikes part of the Cape to Cape Track from Contos to Redgate beach. The Cape to Cape track is 135 kilometers long and connects the lighthouses of Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin. One of the most beautiful hikes I have ever done. You like along a bluff up from the ocean fro most of the hike with breathtaking views around every corner. We even spotted a school of dolphins swimming along with us. Apparently, there are caves that you can go into along the way, but we did not venture into any. Once we made it to Red Gate beach we all got int he water. Red Gate beach is one of those beaches that you think only exists in the movies or photos or exotic places. White sand, perfect waves, clear blue water, its a hard life down at Red Gate beach.
We also ventured to the mouth of the Margaret River. Another popular surf spot. Reminds me a little bit of the wedge in Newport Beach. It's a high pitch wave that breaks right on the sand, it over a very short intense ride (not something I could do). The actual "Margaret River" does not actually make it to the sea in the summer months I believe it does in the winter after the rains. We went for another hike along the sandunes and peered up the coast towards Cape Naturaliste. The below photos are from that hike
We were there over the weekend as well so naturally we had to partake in the farmers market in town. We got lots of samples and got to add local produce to all of our meals. The culture down in the Margaret River is much the same as in Santa Cruz its all about living of the land, minimizing your foot print and all that. Laid back and socially conscious.
I know we got corn , chocolate and cheese, fruits and vegetables. There may have been more, but I am not in procurement.
The last day we were there Dad and I were up early on on the golf course. We played the Margaret River golf course, a decent track, not stand out, but a good way to start the day. Always great spending time with dad on the golf course, quality father son bonding. After that it was lunch, a wine tasting, and the trek home. Now to become a real person! Bank account, Tax File Number, JOB!
The drive down was my first "legal" experience behind the wheel of a car with the steering wheel on the opposite side. It is an odd feeling, driving on the other side of the road, but good practice to adjust doing easy highway type driving. This was advice from my father, he said that you can get tired trying to orient yourself driving in the city. Which I understand, simple things like keeping the car in the middle of the lane, things you hardly think about after you have been driving for awhile, you have to be conscious of again. You have to focus and spend energy on things that have become second nature to you. Just so you know the pedals are still the same gas on the right brake on the left. One thing that is opposite is you wipers/turn signals. I cannot tell you how many times I go to flip on the right or left turn signal and the wipers go. The easiest way to spot a tourist driving in Australia; Putting on the wipers on a hot sunny day.
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Hard to make out, but there are a lot of kangaroos out there!
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| Easter egg hunt! |
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| Doesn't get much better than that! |
One of the best things about the being in the Margaret River was the sunsets and the stars that would come out shortly after. Rarely do I get to see stars as clear as I did in the Margaret River. In the Southern Hemisphere the main constellations you can see are Orion's Belt and the Southern Cross. Those two I can pick up no problem, can't say I know many others.
Some of the highlights of the trip were the croquet games out back on the paddock. We made an extreme croquet course, it seemed to take about an hour to finish a game. Granted there were a lot of cocktails consumed and strategising between hits.
We made an effort to get out of the house and into nature every day. One adventure we hikes part of the Cape to Cape Track from Contos to Redgate beach. The Cape to Cape track is 135 kilometers long and connects the lighthouses of Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin. One of the most beautiful hikes I have ever done. You like along a bluff up from the ocean fro most of the hike with breathtaking views around every corner. We even spotted a school of dolphins swimming along with us. Apparently, there are caves that you can go into along the way, but we did not venture into any. Once we made it to Red Gate beach we all got int he water. Red Gate beach is one of those beaches that you think only exists in the movies or photos or exotic places. White sand, perfect waves, clear blue water, its a hard life down at Red Gate beach.
I know we got corn , chocolate and cheese, fruits and vegetables. There may have been more, but I am not in procurement.
The last day we were there Dad and I were up early on on the golf course. We played the Margaret River golf course, a decent track, not stand out, but a good way to start the day. Always great spending time with dad on the golf course, quality father son bonding. After that it was lunch, a wine tasting, and the trek home. Now to become a real person! Bank account, Tax File Number, JOB!
Honolulu > Sydney > Perth, The Last Leg
This was perhaps the longest most exhausting part of my trip. Not because of the flight, but because of the bags that I had to lug through the airport, through customs, to my hotel and back to the airport. The way my flight worked out which was not all bad, I got a layover in Sydney. Being money conscious due to the fact that it seemed ever time I got on a flight they charged me $100 for and extra bag or for being overweight (my bags being over weight). I stayed in a dicey hotel in a not so great neighborhood, but hey it was the right price! $100 is literally the cheapest of the cheap hotels near Sydney airport, for those of you thinking of coming down here. The flight went without a hitch, I sat next to a huge military guy which wasn't the best, but he kept to himself watched his movies on his device and spit sparingly into an empty mountain dew bottle. He must have been nervous because he almost went through an entire tin.
The reason I looked for a flight that had an overnight connection was so I could catch up with a Sydney mate while I was there. When I arrived I collected all of my bags, no easy task, successfully made it through customs (even got the ol golf shoes cleaned), and proceeded to where the hotel transport bus was supposed to be located. It was a long wait, so I decided to get a cup of coffee, my first purchase in Australia was a flat white coffee. I ended up spilling most of it trying to balance all of my bags on the way to bus stop. It was a sad sight to see.
Not having a phone or internet, it was difficult to get in contact with my mate. I finally got connected after I checked in at the hotel. He knew when my flight was due in and had actually waited at the hotel for a bit, then drove to the airport to find me. Little bit of a mix up, can barely imagine what it would be like having to coordinate things like that without a phone or email. Anyway, we ended up driving around the city and grabbing a pizza. He had uni (college) classes tomorrow so was not going to get after it. I honestly had $40 AUD so I was ok with that, might have gotten me three beers. It was great catching up, he looked to be doing very well. Had a good job, his own place, a girlfriend, and was passing the courses he was taking at uni. Talk about having a full schedule. I wouldn't know much about that. I told him my story as well, he thought it was great what I was doing. To be honest at that point, once I got to Australia I really started to think about what I wanted to do and to be honest I was not sure. I knew I wanted to be in technology, I knew I wanted to work with people, what I did not know was what type of problems I wanted to solve. We played out a few options in our head, but nothing really stuck. What I was doing was still a gamble at that point.
He dropped me off at the hotel and I think I lasted 5 minutes once I hit the bed. Just enough time to set the alarm and pass out. I had a 430am wake up, a 5am bus and a 7am flight. Travel much? And with all the luggage that I had this was no easy task. I was wiped when I finally made it to my gate, but I made it. The last leg of my journey was in sight! I had just enough money for one more flat white, it needed to keep me awake until I got on the plan. I passed the time at the gate drinking coffee and reading the Australian. Most of the articles I read were all about politics, what I thought I was getting away from... The flight finally called for us to board, no delays which was much appreciated. This flight, I sat next to a young guy may be my age or a year or two younger. A real Aussie bloke, who unfortunately did not do well on planes and had been out drinking heavy the night before. I knew it was going to be a rough one as soon as he asked the flight attendant for more barf bags. Which he used, lets just leave it at more than once.
Mommy! I was shocked when I walked off the plane and saw my mother out there right in front of the gate! In Australia, you are still allowed to walk right up to the gate. Like it used to be in the US fifteen years ago. My mother had been waiting there for over an hour, guess she was a little excited! I was thrilled as well, both to see her and to be done traveling! I had made it to my final destination, now all I had to do was collect my bags, adjust to the time change/get over the jet lag, unpack and repack for a week down at the Margaret River. Yes, I arrived and two days later was going on yet another holiday.
The party continues...
The reason I looked for a flight that had an overnight connection was so I could catch up with a Sydney mate while I was there. When I arrived I collected all of my bags, no easy task, successfully made it through customs (even got the ol golf shoes cleaned), and proceeded to where the hotel transport bus was supposed to be located. It was a long wait, so I decided to get a cup of coffee, my first purchase in Australia was a flat white coffee. I ended up spilling most of it trying to balance all of my bags on the way to bus stop. It was a sad sight to see.
Not having a phone or internet, it was difficult to get in contact with my mate. I finally got connected after I checked in at the hotel. He knew when my flight was due in and had actually waited at the hotel for a bit, then drove to the airport to find me. Little bit of a mix up, can barely imagine what it would be like having to coordinate things like that without a phone or email. Anyway, we ended up driving around the city and grabbing a pizza. He had uni (college) classes tomorrow so was not going to get after it. I honestly had $40 AUD so I was ok with that, might have gotten me three beers. It was great catching up, he looked to be doing very well. Had a good job, his own place, a girlfriend, and was passing the courses he was taking at uni. Talk about having a full schedule. I wouldn't know much about that. I told him my story as well, he thought it was great what I was doing. To be honest at that point, once I got to Australia I really started to think about what I wanted to do and to be honest I was not sure. I knew I wanted to be in technology, I knew I wanted to work with people, what I did not know was what type of problems I wanted to solve. We played out a few options in our head, but nothing really stuck. What I was doing was still a gamble at that point.
He dropped me off at the hotel and I think I lasted 5 minutes once I hit the bed. Just enough time to set the alarm and pass out. I had a 430am wake up, a 5am bus and a 7am flight. Travel much? And with all the luggage that I had this was no easy task. I was wiped when I finally made it to my gate, but I made it. The last leg of my journey was in sight! I had just enough money for one more flat white, it needed to keep me awake until I got on the plan. I passed the time at the gate drinking coffee and reading the Australian. Most of the articles I read were all about politics, what I thought I was getting away from... The flight finally called for us to board, no delays which was much appreciated. This flight, I sat next to a young guy may be my age or a year or two younger. A real Aussie bloke, who unfortunately did not do well on planes and had been out drinking heavy the night before. I knew it was going to be a rough one as soon as he asked the flight attendant for more barf bags. Which he used, lets just leave it at more than once.
Mommy! I was shocked when I walked off the plane and saw my mother out there right in front of the gate! In Australia, you are still allowed to walk right up to the gate. Like it used to be in the US fifteen years ago. My mother had been waiting there for over an hour, guess she was a little excited! I was thrilled as well, both to see her and to be done traveling! I had made it to my final destination, now all I had to do was collect my bags, adjust to the time change/get over the jet lag, unpack and repack for a week down at the Margaret River. Yes, I arrived and two days later was going on yet another holiday.
The party continues...
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
The Rest Of My Stay California
The date is now Tuesday, the 5th of March.
The drive back down the coast was uneventful. I started to space out about the journey that I had in front of me all of the unknowns that I was about to face. No job, no visa, I hadn't paid my taxes in the US yet, I did not even have plane tickets yet! I had a lot of little things to get done. When I got back I set up my desktop computer that I had brought from VA...I don't know why. I figured I could at least get the taxes done. one nice thing about not making a lot of money is taking the standard deduction paying the difference and being done with it. Should not have taken more than 30 minutes, HA. Of course, I forgot that CGI had changed payroll providers and that we were all issued two W2 forms to be included in our 2012 returns. I only had one.. thankfully CGI being the great company that it is, handled the problem about as fast as I would expect. A few emails/days later I had scanned copies of my W2's submitted my taxes and thanks to H&R Block I was at a low risk of being audited (not sure if they ever audit people taking a standard deduction).
Taxes done. Later Tuesday I had a dinner with an old neighbor from Virginia. He was in town with one of his exchange students on their way to Hawaii. He loves southern California, but sold his house here a few years back and is looking for a way to make it back. He took my sister and I out for a fabulous meal at Duke's in Huntington Beach, just up the road from my grandparents place in Newport. Dinner was terrific, a great place to eat and entertain, a little on the pricey side, but worth it. We gave them a nice send off and my sister headed back up to LA and I back to Newport.
The next day I got to catch up with my old college roommate again. We got invited to play golf with his girlfriends dads retired fireman's golf league. We played The Golf Club of California, and it only cost $50! Amazing price for the course, I would have expected three times that and I am sure it probably is. The old guys get deals by calling ahead stating their case and getting a group rate. Everyone is happy helping out retired firemen. Sean and I got to play together, first time in a long time, we are by no means in the playing shape that we were once in, but solid nonetheless. Think we both finished around 80. I lost a few balls into the desert, worlds largest hazard, but hit a lot of great shots as well. Sean has one of the most perfect golf swings you will ever see, it's amazing to me that he ever hits a bad shot. He has good tempo, well balanced, symmetrical golf swing. I on the other hand rarely hold my footing after I make contact (probably because I swing too hard). We both however, manage to get the ball in the hole with less strokes than most. After the round Sean's girlfriends dad treated us to lunch, which I very much appreciated, golf for some reason really takes it out of you. Talking with the retired old men after the round was very entertaining as well. Apparently, they spend their days rehearsing their jokes because I have never laughed so hard. The jokes were a little inappropriate to say the least, so I wont repeat them here. I also found out that one of the retired firefighters daughters was getting married to the drummer of The Script, a popular Irish pop/soul band. California is such a crazy place, everyone knows famous people.
So at this point, I have a few assets that I need to get rid of. I have a car, a computer, and a bike to dish off on my family. Thankfully my sister happily took all of my stereo/TV/kitchen supplies (which I may or may not take back:). The car, I decided after much debate to give it to my little cousin. He is in high school driving moms old minivan. The Jetta, may not be a huge step up in the world, but it is a step. Not quite knowing how to drive a manual car, driving lessons needed to start pronto. The biggest thing in driving a manual car is getting in and out of first gear and finding the engagement point of the clutch. We practiced a lot on the side streets around my grandparents house in Newport, I even took him on a few hills. He got the hang of it, but was still struggling on our last lesson. Eventually, with a manual car you need to just go out and do it for yourself. You figure it out best when it is just you and the car, no teacher there to heckle or tell you what your doing wrong. I was confident that he would pick it up.
I will fast forward a bit here, turns out that was a terrible idea. Done with good intention, but a terrible idea nonetheless, lesson learned for sure. Needing to settle on the largest asset I own, I signed the title over to my Aunt for $1. I also, made an agreement with my uncle that if and when they decided to sell the car that they cut me a check for half. My thinking was that it gives them the incentive to seek top dollar. Apparently, the car would not pass the California state inspection, the smog test I believe, though it was good for the year with VA tags. Story as I hear it, they sold the car to the dealer that said it was not worth fixing... they did get the bottom range of the blue book value for the car which was good. Now I guess I am funding my cousins new car, which I have no problem with, as they are keeping the said half. I should have just sold the car myself while I was out there, would have gotten more money for the car and kept the lot. I guess the way I saw this playing out was a little different in my head. In my mind, my cousin would drive the car for the next few years and maintain it. I would check up on it every once in awhile, float the idea of buying it back, because I am a soon to be broke graduate student (hopefully). If not, they would sell it when he was ready for a new car a few years from now and I would get a check for half. A few years from now was key because I would have known that my cousin got good use out of the car, appreciated it as I did for so many years. I just didn't expect it all to happen so fast, and not even be included in the decision. I should have been asked to be included when the decision was made. Guess there were emotional ties with the car after all. It was my first and only car ever. I have a lot of good memories with the Jetta from high school through college into my professional life and my funemployment. Would have liked to keep it in the family. Anyway whats done is done, no more Jetta, the end of an era.
One of the first things that my grandfather said to me when he saw me with my drifter beard was that I looked like the Greek God Poseidon. I wanting to humor my grandfather went down to Carona Del Mar, had him take a few photos..thank you photoshop.
Shortly after that photo was taken came the debearding! I had been traveling for the better part of two months by this point (didn't shave once). It was a great beard, but in order to get a job behind a desk in an office, I felt it needed to go. I also needed to get past customs;) I may start it up again after I get a job, I love not shaving! My cousin and I took a few photos during the process...
The next day I got a hair cut as well. I was going the whole nine yards. From wild mountain man to clean shaving Cali boy. I went to an awesome barber shop in Newport called Hawleywood. A true barber shop, they take their time, they do it right. They edge you up with a flat razor they use warm shaving cream, best cut I have gotten, probably ever. You can even drink beers in the back while you wait. Great place for a cut.
After my haircut I was off, back up the coast to Hollywood to spend some time with my sister and show off the new cut, haha. My sister and I decided to be touristy and hike the Hollywood sign! A hike which I have never done before. What a blast, such great trails cutting in and around the hills there, amazing views of Los Angles, we may have gone a little to far, but we certainly enjoyed the day. We talked/caught up the whole time which was nice as well. Who knows the next time we were going to see each other.
When I finally made it back to Newport I decided on travel dates and purchased tickets. My parents the great people that they are gave me a mileage ticket for my birthday, in January! All I had to do was pick the dates. I decided to leave the day after my grandfathers birthday for Hawaii and leave from Hawaii the day after my aunts birthday. Mum said I just had to be in Perth by Easter. I cut it close, but I made it. My computer, one of my final assets I needed to get rid of, was given to my Aunt and little cousin as another machine for them. They were very appreciative. I could have kept it, but at the rate things change it would have been ancient when I got back. I planned to keep the bike in my grandparents garage. May even be shipping it to Australia.
Now I had to PACK! I made a few quick shopping trips, picking up the necessities because from what I was told everything was more expensive in Perth (very true). I was checking two bags and my golf clubs. That was it, if it didn't fit it wasn't coming. I was also acting as a mule for my mother and her friend. I had about 10 pounds of fabric and a soda stream. As well as a handful of stuff from her friend. All I could do was smile:) After some strategic decision making on what to bring and what not to bring, I successfully reduced my life to 150lbs and my back back. How big is your footprint?
Doc's birthday was amazing. Every time our family gets together is great! We had just about half of the family there for this one. It is very special being able to celebrate your grandparents birthdays with them regardless of how old they are.
The next day my grandparents drove me up to LA. I planned to have one last hoorah with my oldest friend and give St. Patrick's day a proper celebration! We danced, drank Guinness, shot Jameson into all hours of the night. Thankfully, my flight did not leave until four the next day.
It was hard to say good bye to everyone, particularly my grandparents. I was still not sure what was in store for me, so I was not too emotional about it. I was still in kind of a shell shocked state, nothing was real yet. All I knew is that I had a great adventure ahead of me.
*Insert Hawaii post here.
The drive back down the coast was uneventful. I started to space out about the journey that I had in front of me all of the unknowns that I was about to face. No job, no visa, I hadn't paid my taxes in the US yet, I did not even have plane tickets yet! I had a lot of little things to get done. When I got back I set up my desktop computer that I had brought from VA...I don't know why. I figured I could at least get the taxes done. one nice thing about not making a lot of money is taking the standard deduction paying the difference and being done with it. Should not have taken more than 30 minutes, HA. Of course, I forgot that CGI had changed payroll providers and that we were all issued two W2 forms to be included in our 2012 returns. I only had one.. thankfully CGI being the great company that it is, handled the problem about as fast as I would expect. A few emails/days later I had scanned copies of my W2's submitted my taxes and thanks to H&R Block I was at a low risk of being audited (not sure if they ever audit people taking a standard deduction).
Taxes done. Later Tuesday I had a dinner with an old neighbor from Virginia. He was in town with one of his exchange students on their way to Hawaii. He loves southern California, but sold his house here a few years back and is looking for a way to make it back. He took my sister and I out for a fabulous meal at Duke's in Huntington Beach, just up the road from my grandparents place in Newport. Dinner was terrific, a great place to eat and entertain, a little on the pricey side, but worth it. We gave them a nice send off and my sister headed back up to LA and I back to Newport.
The next day I got to catch up with my old college roommate again. We got invited to play golf with his girlfriends dads retired fireman's golf league. We played The Golf Club of California, and it only cost $50! Amazing price for the course, I would have expected three times that and I am sure it probably is. The old guys get deals by calling ahead stating their case and getting a group rate. Everyone is happy helping out retired firemen. Sean and I got to play together, first time in a long time, we are by no means in the playing shape that we were once in, but solid nonetheless. Think we both finished around 80. I lost a few balls into the desert, worlds largest hazard, but hit a lot of great shots as well. Sean has one of the most perfect golf swings you will ever see, it's amazing to me that he ever hits a bad shot. He has good tempo, well balanced, symmetrical golf swing. I on the other hand rarely hold my footing after I make contact (probably because I swing too hard). We both however, manage to get the ball in the hole with less strokes than most. After the round Sean's girlfriends dad treated us to lunch, which I very much appreciated, golf for some reason really takes it out of you. Talking with the retired old men after the round was very entertaining as well. Apparently, they spend their days rehearsing their jokes because I have never laughed so hard. The jokes were a little inappropriate to say the least, so I wont repeat them here. I also found out that one of the retired firefighters daughters was getting married to the drummer of The Script, a popular Irish pop/soul band. California is such a crazy place, everyone knows famous people.
One of the first things that my grandfather said to me when he saw me with my drifter beard was that I looked like the Greek God Poseidon. I wanting to humor my grandfather went down to Carona Del Mar, had him take a few photos..thank you photoshop.
Shortly after that photo was taken came the debearding! I had been traveling for the better part of two months by this point (didn't shave once). It was a great beard, but in order to get a job behind a desk in an office, I felt it needed to go. I also needed to get past customs;) I may start it up again after I get a job, I love not shaving! My cousin and I took a few photos during the process...
The next day I got a hair cut as well. I was going the whole nine yards. From wild mountain man to clean shaving Cali boy. I went to an awesome barber shop in Newport called Hawleywood. A true barber shop, they take their time, they do it right. They edge you up with a flat razor they use warm shaving cream, best cut I have gotten, probably ever. You can even drink beers in the back while you wait. Great place for a cut.
After my haircut I was off, back up the coast to Hollywood to spend some time with my sister and show off the new cut, haha. My sister and I decided to be touristy and hike the Hollywood sign! A hike which I have never done before. What a blast, such great trails cutting in and around the hills there, amazing views of Los Angles, we may have gone a little to far, but we certainly enjoyed the day. We talked/caught up the whole time which was nice as well. Who knows the next time we were going to see each other.
When I finally made it back to Newport I decided on travel dates and purchased tickets. My parents the great people that they are gave me a mileage ticket for my birthday, in January! All I had to do was pick the dates. I decided to leave the day after my grandfathers birthday for Hawaii and leave from Hawaii the day after my aunts birthday. Mum said I just had to be in Perth by Easter. I cut it close, but I made it. My computer, one of my final assets I needed to get rid of, was given to my Aunt and little cousin as another machine for them. They were very appreciative. I could have kept it, but at the rate things change it would have been ancient when I got back. I planned to keep the bike in my grandparents garage. May even be shipping it to Australia.
Now I had to PACK! I made a few quick shopping trips, picking up the necessities because from what I was told everything was more expensive in Perth (very true). I was checking two bags and my golf clubs. That was it, if it didn't fit it wasn't coming. I was also acting as a mule for my mother and her friend. I had about 10 pounds of fabric and a soda stream. As well as a handful of stuff from her friend. All I could do was smile:) After some strategic decision making on what to bring and what not to bring, I successfully reduced my life to 150lbs and my back back. How big is your footprint?
Doc's birthday was amazing. Every time our family gets together is great! We had just about half of the family there for this one. It is very special being able to celebrate your grandparents birthdays with them regardless of how old they are.
The next day my grandparents drove me up to LA. I planned to have one last hoorah with my oldest friend and give St. Patrick's day a proper celebration! We danced, drank Guinness, shot Jameson into all hours of the night. Thankfully, my flight did not leave until four the next day.
It was hard to say good bye to everyone, particularly my grandparents. I was still not sure what was in store for me, so I was not too emotional about it. I was still in kind of a shell shocked state, nothing was real yet. All I knew is that I had a great adventure ahead of me.
*Insert Hawaii post here.
The Last Road Trip in My First Car
Let me start by saying WHAT a trip!!!
What spurred this trip? This trip was planned as a possibility when I was on the phone with my cousin in Oklahoma City. Seeing that I did not have a departure date, I made this trip happen. I needed to see my older cousin before I left for Australia, we hardly ever get to spend time together. He lives in Santa Cruz which is a few hours up the coast from Orange County. He said that he had Sunday and Monday off, I confirmed and the trip was made. I left Thursday I believe, to go spend time in Santa Monica with an old friend from high school, in Virginia. She was working at the LA times and was living the southern Californian dream. She was working hard for it, but LA is where she wanted to be, she was going to make it work. We went out for one of her friends birthday parties, couldn't tell you where, but I do remember it was a beer drinkers paradise. 100's of different beers with at least 40 on tap and I hear the burgers are to die for, not that I've had one:) Here is the wild part about that night though, one of the girls that was there was on the Bachelorette. For those of you who do not know, it is a show where a guy gets to pic and choose his way through 10 girls to find his to-be wife (I think she has to say yes). Kind of a sick show, but hey, its all about ratings and that show has a following. I cannot say I remember her name, I do remember she was very nice, worked in PR and only had one arm. I asked a few questions about her and the show and how it works, she talked about a few things, but since the show was still going on she was not allowed to go into much detail. I really just wanted to make sure she was really on the Bachelorette. I have not met many people that have been on TV, and yes I looked her up afterwards, she really was on the show.
After Santa Monica I was off the North Hollywood to spend time with my oldest friend! I have know him since we were ten. Some people have lots of friends that they have grown up with, friends they have know since they can remember. I have one, we have gone in somewhat different directions in life since we were ten, but we still remain close friends. He has found his passion making electronic music. He told me once that he makes sounds, I am still lost on how electronic music works. I know there are many layers to modern day techno music and he works in a particular area, have to pay the bills somehow I guess. He does make a lot of music in his studio for fun as well. He has quite the set up for producing music in his house, its unreal; Huge speakers, foam walls, apple this, apple that.
His mom was in town for the night and was taking us both out to dinner. Our moms were also best friends back in El Dorado Hills. We went out to a nice Italian dinner, caught up on the last 15 years or so, haha kept it to the highlights. Had a great talk about life (most people still think I am crazy for picking up and moving to Australia). After dinner we split and went out on the town. We went to a bar bar, a mans bar in the neighborhood for another birthday (lot of birthday's I know). The group we went out with all went to school in Texas and apparently they played a lot of pool. A couple of them ran the table all night, made me think back to my days a VT and Big Al's (a bar in college where I ran the table).
Feeling a little drained, to say the least, from the night before I struggled to get back on the road. The good news was that I only had two hours or so of driving. I was making a stop in Santa Barbara to see an old friend from SCECEGS (the school I went to in Sydney). He has been pursuing a career in videography. He is passionate about it says the money is ok, not great at least in Santa Barbara. He gets gigs all over the Santa Barbara/LA area. Seems like quite the life. We bar hopped around Santa Barbara all night catching up and trying not to get in trouble. Thankfully we did not. One thing I would like to add here; If I go to Australia, burn through all of my savings and have to live on the streets, I want to live on the streets of Santa Barbara. Amazing town, one of the larger, cleaner towns in California I have ever been to. The bums have it made.
Sunday, my final destination! I arrived at my cousins house a little before noon. So great to finally be back in the Santa Cruz area. I had been there in October for my other cousins wedding! The air in southern California is disgusting, smoggy, and has grey looking filth lining the basin. I know they say its getting a lot better, but still. Santa Cruz on the other hand, the sky is blue and the air is clear. People can breath easy there. They have great redwoods, the tallest trees you will ever see, talking four, five hundred feet tall. Maybe taller, but to be honest I have no idea. All I know is that they make you feel very small and insignificant.
My cousin and I got right into making a plan for the day. First things first, food! We ate at a really good little Mexican place in town then grabbed some supplies for dinner at the store. Our afternoon activity was fishing. Not getting in a boat or casting off a pier, we were putting on waders and casting our lines right into the ocean. I am by no means an experienced fisherman, but gave it a go. I came up empty handed, but my cousin managed to get a few. We had enough for dinner! One thing I will say about Santa Cruz, the whole town seems to be environmentally conscious. I guess it goes along with the hippy/surfer mentality of a lot of the population, but I certainly noticed it more on that trip than I ever had before. I think being unemployed and drifting Santa Cruz rubbed off on me, more than usual. I loved the idea of catching your dinner, eating local produce, cooking at home etc.. Its a beautiful part of the world.
The next day we had eggs for breakfast, that were produce locally in the back yard. Yes, my cousin has chickens that produce about 2/3 eggs a day. After breakfast, we took off on a hike though the redwoods, just unreal beauty. Looking up at the redwoods is awing, they make you feel like you cannot breath, but when you do, you breath easy, its a strange feeling. After our hike we quickly changed and headed out to the golf course for a round, did I mention my cousin is a golf pro and the reason I play golf. We hacked it around both only a couple over par. Starving again, we stopped at another Mexican restaurant. Let, me explain my hunger for Mexican food, I am moving to Australia! There are no Mexicans, in turn poor Mexican food. That night we also lit a huge bonfire in a fire pit that my oldest friend and I dug back when we were maybe 15. We had the works as well marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers and of course martinis.
I had such a great time on this trip, I will never forget it as long as I live. Driving up the coast of California is something I think everyone should do. Make as many stops as you can, go for a walk, get in the ocean and hike through the redwoods. Embrace it.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Catching up with a Long Lost Friend
When I first attended college at Christopher Newport University in 2006 I was part of the CNU varsity golf team. Living on my hall was a fellow freshman golfer. We became quick friends and were roommates our sophomore year. We did everything together; We ate food, drank beer, a partied together, we drove to and from golf every day together (45 min each way), golfed together, socialized etc. He was my best friend for a long time. When I decided to further my education at Virginia Tech University in 2008 we lost touch. I heard the occasional word via Facebook or through a mutual friend, but essentially we were no longer friends or at least not like we once were. I have moved around enough in my life to know that keeping in touch with friends after you move away is one of the most difficult things to do. That being said, the best thing about great friends is you always pick up right were you left off.
I looked up my buddy's Facebook profile (honestly do not know how people kept in touch before Facebook), called over to his current place of employment to see if he was working. I was thrilled when he picked up the phone! Needing to get out of the grandparents house for a bit, I jumped in the car and headed down the coast. We caught up a little bit while he was bar tending/ feeding me beers. Then further at a Starbucks around the corner. There was a lot to catch up on. I even had the pleasure to meet his girlfriend.
As the evening drew to a close we made plans to catch up again before I made my move down under. We got a spot in his girlfriends dads retired golf league. We played the Country Club of California, just north of San Diego. Just like the old days, maybe not as consistent, but keeping it in the 70's nonetheless.
Time only gives you more to talk about with great friends.
Pics below;
I looked up my buddy's Facebook profile (honestly do not know how people kept in touch before Facebook), called over to his current place of employment to see if he was working. I was thrilled when he picked up the phone! Needing to get out of the grandparents house for a bit, I jumped in the car and headed down the coast. We caught up a little bit while he was bar tending/ feeding me beers. Then further at a Starbucks around the corner. There was a lot to catch up on. I even had the pleasure to meet his girlfriend.
As the evening drew to a close we made plans to catch up again before I made my move down under. We got a spot in his girlfriends dads retired golf league. We played the Country Club of California, just north of San Diego. Just like the old days, maybe not as consistent, but keeping it in the 70's nonetheless.
Time only gives you more to talk about with great friends.
Pics below;
Little Backwards, but I had Hawaii!! Ready to go
Maui, Hawaii March 18th - 24th
My life has now been reduced to 150lbs and a carry on:) A few changes of clothes, some shoes and my golf clubs:) Only the necessary items were making the journey to the other side of the world with me. Of course international flights only two checked bags are included, the third is $100, but all things considered it was a cheap move.
My first stop was Honolulu then I changed plans to go to Maui. It was a pain, but I do not think that it could have gone much better. The flight from Honolulu to Maui is somewhat comical. The plane goes up the flight attendants bring you a beverage. The plane goes down. All in all the flight was just about thirty minutes.
I collected my bags once again at the Maui airport baggage claim. Got all three! I was later greeted by my Aunt who was driving the big 350 Ford diesel (hard to miss). I was so excited to see her and she the same. We hugged and I threw my bags in the back and we headed towards the ranch (she even brought me road sodas, much needed and appreciated). I call it that because she is the only person I know with two horses, three dogs, three cats and a little over 4 acres.
The place was just as I remembered pulling up. I was so excited to be there. I did notice that on the inside there had been some renovations. One of the walls was gone! The bedroom had now turned into a bedroom/living/TV room. It opened up the place a great deal, very well done. It was late by this time so there wasn't much catching up before bed. I was exhausted from the flights and all, plus the time change.
The next morning it was off on an adventure, my Aunt took me for a tour of the property which is constantly reinventing itself. It was even more beautiful now than the last time that I was there. She explained that the more the cleared out the more unique plants grew in. Large palms with huge flowers, plants with amazingly fat leaves. I was pointed out all of the mango trees, banana palms and where the good coconuts were. I sampled everything except the bananas which were not quite ripe while I was there. The mango and coconuts were some of the best I had ever had.
Many of our days were filled exploring. Hiking, snorkeling, golfing and the lot. For the most part the weather worked out beautifully. It may have rained one or two days, but island rain never lasts all day. When it did rain my aunt and I were plenty ready with Netflix programs to watch. We started and almost finished a series called revenge. Great show if you have not already been hooked. They also had Game of Thrones which is apparently the hot new cult show, but I coming in in the middle I could not figure out the plot.
One of the days we spent snorkeling at La Perouse Bay, a beautiful spot to snorkel. Didn't see any sharks or turtles though I was looking! On the way in we stopped and had some of the best fish tacos, right out of a food truck. Also had a cut up pineapple in a bag lol, maybe I was just really hungry, but it was saaaweet!! On the way back we hiked through the lava fields and took in the view. Hawaii and I guess islands in general are such beautiful spots. One day I want to end up on an island.
One of the last days I was there, I went golfing at Pukalani golf course. Located up in the high country of Maui. A great course, and could not beat the price. Maui has a lot of really nice golf courses, tournament/resort style golf courses. Which are both very expensive, it was nice to play somewhat of a locals course. Even shot pretty well as I remember.
My last day there we celebrated my aunts partners birthday!!! The whole family went in and got her a brand new acoustic/electric guitar!! and an amp. It took her breath away. It was very special to be there for her birthday one I will always remember. Her old guitar was on its last legs and the thought was now she may get back into playing. I am personally expecting to hear some tracks off the new album next time I am back. My parents and I also took everyone out for dinner we went to an awesome pizza place in Haiku I believe it was called Colleen's. Great pizza, great beer, nice atmosphere, a great place to celebrate.
As my trip drew to an end I was sad to go, but I knew I had further journeys to go. I needed to head down under and get a job!
I wont go into too much detail on the travel, but a for warning for other travelers. If you are travelling with two large suitcases and a set of golf clubs everything is difficult, exhausting and expensive. The people at Hawaiian Air could not have been nicer, but you still have to mentally prepare yourself for the worst. Next time I will just bring one bag and my golf clubs. What else does a man really need.
Next stop Perth.
Sorry no pics:)
My life has now been reduced to 150lbs and a carry on:) A few changes of clothes, some shoes and my golf clubs:) Only the necessary items were making the journey to the other side of the world with me. Of course international flights only two checked bags are included, the third is $100, but all things considered it was a cheap move.
My first stop was Honolulu then I changed plans to go to Maui. It was a pain, but I do not think that it could have gone much better. The flight from Honolulu to Maui is somewhat comical. The plane goes up the flight attendants bring you a beverage. The plane goes down. All in all the flight was just about thirty minutes.
I collected my bags once again at the Maui airport baggage claim. Got all three! I was later greeted by my Aunt who was driving the big 350 Ford diesel (hard to miss). I was so excited to see her and she the same. We hugged and I threw my bags in the back and we headed towards the ranch (she even brought me road sodas, much needed and appreciated). I call it that because she is the only person I know with two horses, three dogs, three cats and a little over 4 acres.
The place was just as I remembered pulling up. I was so excited to be there. I did notice that on the inside there had been some renovations. One of the walls was gone! The bedroom had now turned into a bedroom/living/TV room. It opened up the place a great deal, very well done. It was late by this time so there wasn't much catching up before bed. I was exhausted from the flights and all, plus the time change.
The next morning it was off on an adventure, my Aunt took me for a tour of the property which is constantly reinventing itself. It was even more beautiful now than the last time that I was there. She explained that the more the cleared out the more unique plants grew in. Large palms with huge flowers, plants with amazingly fat leaves. I was pointed out all of the mango trees, banana palms and where the good coconuts were. I sampled everything except the bananas which were not quite ripe while I was there. The mango and coconuts were some of the best I had ever had.
Many of our days were filled exploring. Hiking, snorkeling, golfing and the lot. For the most part the weather worked out beautifully. It may have rained one or two days, but island rain never lasts all day. When it did rain my aunt and I were plenty ready with Netflix programs to watch. We started and almost finished a series called revenge. Great show if you have not already been hooked. They also had Game of Thrones which is apparently the hot new cult show, but I coming in in the middle I could not figure out the plot.
One of the days we spent snorkeling at La Perouse Bay, a beautiful spot to snorkel. Didn't see any sharks or turtles though I was looking! On the way in we stopped and had some of the best fish tacos, right out of a food truck. Also had a cut up pineapple in a bag lol, maybe I was just really hungry, but it was saaaweet!! On the way back we hiked through the lava fields and took in the view. Hawaii and I guess islands in general are such beautiful spots. One day I want to end up on an island.
One of the last days I was there, I went golfing at Pukalani golf course. Located up in the high country of Maui. A great course, and could not beat the price. Maui has a lot of really nice golf courses, tournament/resort style golf courses. Which are both very expensive, it was nice to play somewhat of a locals course. Even shot pretty well as I remember.
My last day there we celebrated my aunts partners birthday!!! The whole family went in and got her a brand new acoustic/electric guitar!! and an amp. It took her breath away. It was very special to be there for her birthday one I will always remember. Her old guitar was on its last legs and the thought was now she may get back into playing. I am personally expecting to hear some tracks off the new album next time I am back. My parents and I also took everyone out for dinner we went to an awesome pizza place in Haiku I believe it was called Colleen's. Great pizza, great beer, nice atmosphere, a great place to celebrate.
As my trip drew to an end I was sad to go, but I knew I had further journeys to go. I needed to head down under and get a job!
I wont go into too much detail on the travel, but a for warning for other travelers. If you are travelling with two large suitcases and a set of golf clubs everything is difficult, exhausting and expensive. The people at Hawaiian Air could not have been nicer, but you still have to mentally prepare yourself for the worst. Next time I will just bring one bag and my golf clubs. What else does a man really need.
Next stop Perth.
Sorry no pics:)
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Treasure Your Family
I have one of the greatest families a guy could ask for. Amazing grandparents, great parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and a sister that would all do anything they could for one another. I may just be blind, but I think we all get a long/like each other as well, no drama.
After my cross country road trip I needed some time to collect myself, organize my things, make a plan, maybe see some family and friends and continue on. My grandparents house in Newport Beach became my home (my grandparents even gave me a 10% family discount on my room:). I cherished the time I got to spend with my grandma and grandpa. Being a part of their routine for the time I was there was a pleasure. Exchanging stories, solving the problems of the world over breakfast, reading, watching the news and eating, what a dream. A life experience I will never forget. It is special being able to spend time with family, or anyone for that matter, that has been through so much. All of the change they have been through, from the cities and neighborhoods they have lived in, to modes of transportation and communication. I cannot imagine not growing up without reliable cars, television, the internet or cell phones. Growing up without what some may call distractions gives you a different perspective on life. My grandparents have a great perspective and looking back they say they have loved every minute. They constantly let each other know how much they love one another and how lucky they both are/were. Difficult to put into words what it is but, one day I hope to have what they have.
After my cross country road trip I needed some time to collect myself, organize my things, make a plan, maybe see some family and friends and continue on. My grandparents house in Newport Beach became my home (my grandparents even gave me a 10% family discount on my room:). I cherished the time I got to spend with my grandma and grandpa. Being a part of their routine for the time I was there was a pleasure. Exchanging stories, solving the problems of the world over breakfast, reading, watching the news and eating, what a dream. A life experience I will never forget. It is special being able to spend time with family, or anyone for that matter, that has been through so much. All of the change they have been through, from the cities and neighborhoods they have lived in, to modes of transportation and communication. I cannot imagine not growing up without reliable cars, television, the internet or cell phones. Growing up without what some may call distractions gives you a different perspective on life. My grandparents have a great perspective and looking back they say they have loved every minute. They constantly let each other know how much they love one another and how lucky they both are/were. Difficult to put into words what it is but, one day I hope to have what they have.
The first few days I spent around the house, visiting and catching up with family, documenting the rest of my trip. I know it was not a strenuous cross country drive by any means, but it did feel good to sleep in a real bed for more than one night. I even started running a bit trying to detox off all the cheap food and booze.
Not wanting to settle in too much I started planning my next adventure. This time I was heading up the coast. First stop was to Los Angeles to see my Aunt, Uncle, cousins, sister and friends, then to Santa Barbara to see an old SCECEGS classmate and finally Santa Cruz to spend quality time with my big cousin.
Not wanting to settle in too much I started planning my next adventure. This time I was heading up the coast. First stop was to Los Angeles to see my Aunt, Uncle, cousins, sister and friends, then to Santa Barbara to see an old SCECEGS classmate and finally Santa Cruz to spend quality time with my big cousin.
Not a Blogger Current Updates
As much as I loved the idea of blogging my quarter life crisis apparently blogging is not for me. I could make up excuses as to why I have not kept up with my posts, but I don't even want to hear it.
If you told me in college what I would be doing in three years time? And said anything about being unemployed, dependent, living with my parents, overseas, single I would have thought you were crazy.
To give everyone a live update on where I currently am; I am in Perth! Yes, I made it to my final destination little over a month ago now:) I have thoroughly enjoyed my time thus far. The reason that I am getting back to my blog and documenting my adventure is because the job hunt is not going so well. It is going, I have had a few interviews and I am starting to network some, but as of yet I have no offers. To be honest I am getting a little discouraged with everything. I know many of you would tell me that its only been a month and not to worry you will get a job, I hear it everyday from my folks. I know it hasn't been terribly long, but it sure feels like it. Apparently only a two and a half years experience is not enough for the management type jobs and too much for the entry level jobs. Live and learn, great life experience, no regrets.
I have begun to make friends and did manage to make it out to one of the 5 Mexican restaurants in the greater Perth area to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! the other day. Also, made it to my first ever footy game (Dockers vs Essendon) the other week, it was unreal!
I cannot thank my parents enough for putting up with me. As much as I want to live and work in WA it would not be possible without them. I like to think they enjoy having me around and I believe they do. For me, quality time with my parents is priceless, I treasure the fact that we are so close. I asked dad the other night if he could imagine not being close with his children. He said he would never want to imagine that. I often think about how lost I would be with out my parents, makes me appreciate them even more. Not having people to look up to/support you when you are unable to support yourself must be incredibly difficult. I have to say I do wish we saw/heard more from my little sister, being on the other side of the world and all. I think my parents do not want to bug her and I wouldn't know what to say. LA is a crazy town, we are always curious what she is up to (certainly the one living the exciting life).
Next, back to California
Perth Pics
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