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| *sigh* what a relief to be home. don't get me wrong...i'm a total jetsetter but after 1 week of one country, 2 days in my home country and then 2 weeks in another country, i'm happy to be in one spot for more than 4 days...although i'm already thinking of where i should go in december...hee hee...
here are some things i  about oz:
-no pennies
-uk influence
-gingerbeer (non-alcoholic)
-victoria bitter beer (alcoholic)
-those friendly aussies
-koalas
-soccer
-flying qantas
-museli
-sleeping in swags
-no gratuity expected
-so many public bathrooms which are maintained
-clean streets
things i don't much care for:
-vegemite
-driving on the other side of the road
-paying 10 to 15% more on public holidays
-no toilet seat covers
that's just a few things...but my trip was GREAT. the highlights are in my last entry. not much happened since that entry. yesterday was a lllooonnnggg day since i spent so much time on planes. i'm feeling a bit jet-lagged but am trying hard not to take naps because i know if i do, i'll sleep for several hours and then i won't be able to sleep when night time rolls around.
i have to admit that the whole hostel experience was great and cost wasn't too bad (average price per night $20 AUD). i didn't run into any problems (ie: bad locations, theft, bugs, suicide showers) and perhaps that's why i'm raving about the whole experience.  i'd continue to be on guard though and to research hostels beforehand, but atleast i now know what to compare places against. i guess it helps having an older brother whose traveled as well. 
i think the only thing about my hostelling that i didn't like was when i was in melbourne and at 0430, two of my roomies (was in a female, 4 bed shared dorm) came back from a night of drinking. omg...no respect at all.  they turned on the lights, were TALKING (not whispering) and laughing and one of the girl's mobile kept going off. it was highly irritating. luckily i was able to go back to sleep and i found out that they checked out that day.
isn't there a backpacking rule or code of conduct that if you check in late or come back to your room late (or early, for that matter) that
1. you should NOT turn on the lights...unless you come back so early that the sun is lighting up your room (that's why i brought my headlamp and some other backpackers bring flashlights)
2. if someone is with you...ssshhh, whisper!
3. if you're on your mobile, go outside and talk
i mean, geez...just common consideration, please. that's all i ask! but i can thankfully say that it was just one night of that and another night of someone's mobile going off around midnight and the backpacker actually picked up the phone and had a conversation...and again, NOT whispering! but atleast those are the only two "bad" hostel experiences i had. i think i should consider myself lucky. 
the thing i about backpacking is the opportunity to meet new people. i met people from germany, iceland, south america, india, the uk, canada, brazil, japan, aussies from sydney and perth and of course, people from the states (ca, ny and tn).
i can't wait to go on my next backpacking adventure. places i want to go, in no particular order: egypt, anywhere in south america, barcelona, anywhere in eastern asia, germany, switzerland, india and that may be it...for now. one year to go for my greece and turkey trip! 
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| greetings from melbourne, australia! or rather...g'day mates!  i'm headed home tomorrow and i have some change (aussies like their coins) so i thought i'd use as much as i could, kill some time so i can stay up and watch the aussie vs japan world cup game and update!
so the trips been great. here are the highlights:
-trying kangaroo meat (very chewy and lean with no gamey taste)
-sleeping in a swag in the outback...hoping that dingoes don't eat us alive or atleast run off with one of our shoes!
-watching the sun rise AND set over ayer's rock
-staying at palace backpackers in brisey (PRIME location) and heading to steve irwin's australia zoo and to lone pines koala sanctuary where i held patch, a hungry koala.
-watching the notoriously known lazy koalas ACTUALLY move and walk on their limbs! not to mention watching them head-butt others and eating their eucalptus leaves. and seeing joeys!!
-traveling on my own to melbourne and wandering through the city...yet by my last day, navigating around without the use of a map
i'm sure there are more highlights and great things but i can't remember them all right now.
i'm listening to the music playing in the reception area of my melbourne hostel and it's nice. it's like loungey trance music. i guess it fits the atmosphere since the name of the hostel is "urban central." yeah, i had to stay here since the first word is the same as my fav store.  but it's a nice hostel...brand new, ie: our keys to our room are just a card and you flash it in front of a panel and a green light goes on and you push the door open! viola! and the bathrooms...there's actually space for you to change in the shower and there are lots of stalls! and it's clean and the comforter...so plush!  it's uberly urban! hee hee! 
okay, got 9 minutes and counting left...see you when i'm back home! | | |
| i'm here just to mention a quick "hello! i'm back!" i worked 2 shifts and now i'm re-packing 'cause i'm going down under!
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| the past couple of days have been a bblluurr. been working and last minute errand shopping at REI for costa rica/australia stuff . been finalizing details for my aussie adventure...packing and unpacking (multiple times) and trying to keep up with my social life in meeting new people.
okay...it's time to leave the country!  off to costa rica! hasta luego!
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