January's Resolutions.

It's almost February, and I have had a whole month to get together my "New Year's" resolutions. This is what I came up with;

Be more daring; I always chicken out of things because the nerd in me hates breaking rules. I always worry too much about every possible consequence of my actions, and so I end up talking myself out of some pretty fun situations. I'm young, I can only afford to make stupid mistakes for a few more years before I'm truly expected to have grown up. So I plan on taking full advantage of that this year. Well, maybe just a little.

Say "yes" more often. This one goes hand in hand with being more daring. But it's a bit milder. Things like going out for dinner with a group of new friends, going out to a new place, or joining a club or something that I am not 100% sold on. It also means that I say yes to hanging out with my family more, going to the skatepark with Louie or going swimming with Mum. Hopefully this is going to get me more involved in, well, life!

Learn to appreciate good wine; The days of drinking goon and juice are (hopefully) far in the past, and I would really like to be more knowledgeable about wines, and be able to taste the difference between certain types. To actually know what I'm drinking. The hard part is actually liking the taste, but I guess that all comes with getting used to the flavour. This will be a work in progress, I think.

Eat less sugar; It's seriously getting out of control. No explanation needed.

Become a kiteboarding expert; Just kidding, I am determined to have a go after I was too sick to do it in Thailand. I had a look at the uni clubs, and they have one for kiteboarding which looks fun. Hopefully they don't expect me to actually know what I'm doing- but it means that I will meet some people who do!

Do at least one fitness event; This will give me a goal I can work towards, and means I am less likely to slack off if I am dedicated to run in an event. Whether it's a 5k, 10k or a marathon (HIGHLY unlikely) just having at least one under my belt will make me feel better and give me something to build on next year :)

Call people rather than texting or facebooking them; This goes without saying, I am overcoming my phobia of talking on the phone, and it's so much better to actually have an old fashioned conversation rather than just wall posts. It means more to both parties anyway.

So I will have to keep you updated throughout the year as I (hopefully) check them off the list. And as for last year's resolutions, how far did I get? I found a list of just 3 resolutions that I had written down around this time a year ago, and it was funny to see how little the act of writing it down actually made me want to achieve them, despite what everyone says. Here they are, resolutions in review;

Get fit; Up until I injured myself in June, I can say that I was almost the most athletic I have ever bee. Running everyday and actually enjoying it. But with all the traveling I have done in the last year, excercise kind of fell by the wayside unless you count all the walking and bike riding we did just to get from A to B.

Get thinner; Over the course of year 12 I beefed up a little bit, as a result of too much food, no excercise and lots of sweets to get me through the essays. I made a conscious effort to be more healthy, and despite putting on weight in America, I have actually done quite well. Right now, I am around 8 kilos lighter than I was this time last year, and a couple more and I'll be stoked. Just have to keep an eye on all those sneaky snacks!

Get fun; I am always in awe of people who seem to just bring fun with them wherever they go. They always look like they're having a great time, always smiling, and have interesting stories. Well, after spending almost 6 months traveling I am never short of stories to tell, and I have made a conscious effort to make the most of everything I do. I try to see the good in every situation, and am finding it easier to laugh about things that go wrong. I don't know how much fun I bring to the table, but I'm enjoying myself more and more.

New year's resolutions are a bit controversial, because everyone feels obliged to make them but never as determined to see them through. That's why making then at the end of January is best, because you don't get caught up in the excitement of the new year and all start flailing resolutions wildly into the breeze. Let's hope my strategy works!

Quote of the week.

"I used to pretend to get cramps, because I thought that it was what happened when you got mature..." -Louie.

New Crush!

I must admit, I have a weakness for doe eyed girls with chocolate hair and quizzical expressions, and my new fave- Diane Birch, is no exception. I know she's been around for a while, but I couldn't help but post a few photos. Isn't she just magical?

And she shares my love of hats! It was meant to be.

Wow.

Man Lives on cliff and talks down suicide jumpers for last 50 years

Meet the Australian Who’s Saved 160 People from Suicide

Don Ritchie lives across the street from the most famous suicide spot in Australia: A cliff known as “The Gap.” Most people would move, but Ritchie’s stayed for almost 50 years—saving an estimated 160 people from suicide.

So what’s his big secret? Ritchie wakes up every morning and looks out the window for “anyone standing alone too close to the precipice.” If he sees someone who looks like they might be contemplating a jump, he walks over and… strikes up a conversation.
He just gives them a warm smile, asks if they’d like to talk and invites them back to his house for tea. Sometimes, they join him.

“I’m offering them an alternative, really,” Ritchie says. “I always act in a friendly manner. I smile.”

Ritchie’s house might be the worst real estate ever. One person a week commits suicide at the “the Gap,” the cliff he lives across from. It’s protected only by a small, one-meter fence, despite its legendary reputation as a suicide spot dating back to the 1800s.

But the former life insurance salesman says he doesn’t feel “burdened” by the fact that people are always contemplating jumping to their deaths outside his house. In fact, he and his wife Moya see it as a blessing: “I think, ‘Isn’t it wonderful that we live here and we can help people?’”

Ritchie, who basically sounds like the nicest guy in the entire world, is 84, and has spent much of the last year battling cancer. But, as you might expect for a dude who’s managed to live across from a fucked-up, tragic place, and not become a casualty himself, he’s optimistic: “I imagine somebody else will come along and do what I’ve been doing.” I hope so.

Oh Chuck.

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America Contest.

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.





How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. They are not second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.



Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school...

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.




Easier?
I love this!
The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are NOT the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones who care.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

Aha! Finally, after weeks of agony, the unsightly clump of straw on my head that had previously been masquerading (with limited success) as hair has been fixed. For some unknown reason, I had thought it a good idea to dye my hair a ridiculous shade of blonde (let's not kid ourselves-it was yellow) the week before embarking on a 2 1/2 month journey to a place where there was no way in hell I was going to be able to maintain it. I spent most of my time trying desperately to ignore the re growth that was possibly one of the most horrendous displays of bogan-ness I have ever exhibited.

Before....

After!

I did ask for dark blonde, but kind of ended up with brown. I freaked out when I realised how dark it was, but now I actually really like it. I'm just glad to be looking more like myself and less like one of those horrible troll dolls. 

New love.

Currently jumping, dancing and skipping my way around the house to this fantastic wonderful genius of a song. Can't wipe the smile off my face. Thanks C!

Snapshots

 So on the flight from Luang Prabang to Chiang Mai I thought I'd better check out the safety instructions on the card. Apparently this is what you do if you start heading towards water. Lifejackets are so overrated anyway...

Now this was really cool. There are two rivers near Luang Prabang. The Nam Ou, which is green and the Mekong, which is brown. I took this out the window where you can see the point where the two rivers meet and flow as one. How magic is that!

Christmas morning! We are opening the present that the boys bought us. It was a set of four big wishing lanterns that you light and they fly up into the sky like a hot air balloon. Definitely one of the coolest presents I got. We had so much fun, and I even got to play Santa and leave out presents for everyone :) 

My Zorro tan. How horrendous is that?!?! Ugh. This is what happens when you combine too much sun with too many malaria pills and only one pair of shoes. Stylin'

Well its kind of just sells itself really. Please somebody try this at home and send me a photo. I would just die.

New years day.On the way back to our place, I fell asleep so many times and belted my head against the window of the car. (It was bumpy ok) The pain of smacking my face on the glass was not enough to stop me from falling asleep again and again. By the time we tumbled out of the car, the thai guys in the front were laughing SO hard. I found those glasses on the beach, and managed to get that hat from someone who was obviously stupid enough to have it painted by one of those people charging about 50 bucks for a hat paint. My expression is suggesting that I am still hurting from the car trip. 

 Our little bungalows and cute little beach :) The best ever.

Ok so this one is a bit gross, actually really gross. It was in the market in Saigon. So those frogs were all alive and hopping around (trying to) but the worst part was that tray on the right. You can't even really tell but they are frogs. They had been skinned and had their heads chopped off. It was farked. EVEN worse, they were still hopping. You can see on the ground one of them that has hopped out of its tray. Ugh. And they stank!

 One morning I woke up and heard all this noise outside in the street. I looked out the little window and there was a marching band going past. it was closely followed by this enormous truck with flowers on the side, and a huge crowd of people following behind. They were all dressed in white, so I think it might have been a funeral or a memorial, but I can't be sure. It was so crazy to watch them try and squeeze the truck down the tiny little street, but they managed it somehow! I'm glad I managed to get a few snaps before they disappeared down the road.

Dinner on the beach. This is where we ate almost every night on Phu Quoc. It was so beautiful!

Phlwerrr.

 So we spent 6 hours like that. Comfy!

 There were little pigs in the back of his motorbike. It was weird how normal this seemed. Sometimes there was just one giant pig in there that took up the whole basket. The poor dears :(

I don't know if that even counts as a vehicle. 

As we were driving along there were all these kids bathing and swimming in the water by the road. When we went past they all ran out towards us, waving and yelling. These two were the closest, and they were so pretty!

Angkor Wat. It was meant to be sunrise so I'm not sure why it was so blue...

HOME!

Oh my goodness. Im sitting in my own bed for the first time since october 20. Just had what was only the 4th hot shower in as many weeks. It was heaven. I'm all spritzed with perfume and feel like the queen. I nearly died when I saw my little Mum at the airport today, she was waiting there all little and cute by herself. I just wanted to hug her forever. Oh there is so much joy in being home. Not necessarily being physically home in my house, but being surrounded by familiar things, being surrounded by my family. Louie is yet to come home from Dad's though so my attitude is quite likely to have done a 180 by next week. Not to miss a beat, mother darling has invited Rex and Col over for dinner tomorrow night. So as of right now I am putting together a really REALLY long slideshow of all my photos so that we can keep them entertained for as long as possible. I might even have to supplement the collection with some landscape shots from google images. It feels so weird to be typing away on my laptop again, considering the amount of random places I have updated from in the last 2 1/2 months. I do realise that the entries kind of cut off with still a month of the trip to go, but tomorrow I will fill in the blanks a bit and FINALLY show you some pictures of the adventure. Gosh I feel like I don't even know my own blog anymore, and I don't know if I even like having all our travel things on here. I might have to ship them over to another site while I wriggle around and get this page back to what it was before. So I will be back to normal (normal?) in a few days. Oh oh! Also, I have some super exciting news about this new thing that I am involved in but which I am not allowed to tell you about until it's launched. I don't know what to expect from it because I don't have that much info yet (they must have anticipated my inability to keep a secret.) ....but as soon as it's all out you will be the first to know! Yipee! Ok I will go and get some sleep so I can save up my energy for tomorrow night. I'll leave you with this picture of where I was this time last week. Night!