Flight and Arrival

So leaving home was crazy!  I had to pack everything I owned and put it into storage, but after this grueling process I don’t ever want to do it again for a very long time.  Least to say…I’ll be traveling as long as I can.  But before the big day I had to fit in what I loved most…food, surf, and my great friends and family.  I devoured every favorite food…BRAVO’s required 3 course meal, yes you read that right, it’s REQUIRED (the house salad, pork chops, and the sinfully delicious bday Gelato), Rancho’s chicken quesadilla and cheese dip, Chicho’s spicy pizza, New York Deli brunch in RVA, etc, etc, last but not least was my mom’s cooking.  As many of us know…there’s nothing like mom’s cookin.  Adobo, chicken with Filipino soy sauce & vinegar, bay leaf, pepper, and of course white rice!  Oh so good, my mouth waters just thinking about it.  I also fit in an unexpected great surf session and spent a great night with the bff’s in Richmond.   I also had one last adventure with one of the sis in Wrightsville, NC and Charleston, SC…what a blast!  Dinner with the family at good ole Bangkok Garden.  It was grand!  I’m definitely going to miss the familiarity of things back home.

But alas, the adventure began with a pit stop to Cali.  I had to visit one of the bff‘s from high school, Mrs. Kate Saunders (aka Token White Girl).  Cali was a lot cooler than back in VA…90+ degrees w/ humidity to 70’s with a cool ocean breeze.  But it was a good transition because it’s even cooler in Sydney (guess it worked out that I didn’t fly into Melbourne because I would have been freezing my buns off!).   While in CA, I got a chance to see a real roller derby event…that’s some good stuff! made me want to try it, fire dancers during half time, and as luck with timing would have it, the US Open Surfing Competition out in Huntington Beach.  I’ve got great shots from the comp, so keep your eyes peeled for when I post those.  It might take awhile because the hostel I’m currently staying at prohibits uploading photos.  We even got to see Weezer perform…for FREE!  Gotta love that, right!?  But before commencing in what would be an 18-hour flight, I had to have the infamous In & Out Burger.  A single cheeseburger, hand cut fries and a chocolate milkshake…mmmm!  Went out with a bang in the states and now off to OZ ☺

Ohhhh the flight.  I was hoping I’d be sitting by a handsome young Aussie, but instead had to sit by an old married couple.  No worries though because they didn’t have that old funky smell some old people have.  I know that sounds horrible, but ya’ll know what I’m talking about.  The old lady was sweet and her accent seemed like Australian, but I knew better, it was English.  She was raised in England but her hubby was from Australia.  Funny enough that they are retired in Perth, a city I will be visiting in mid September.  She told me about job opportunities in the mining business just North of Perth which I appreciated, but I don’t think that’s where I’ll be working anytime soon.  The flight took forever to take off, sat in my seat for over an hour before we finally took off.  Luckily my flight took off late in the evening around midnight so sleeping was no problem…I passed out almost immediately.  I wasn’t sure what time I was woken up but our first meal arrived through the evening.  I had my choice of warm food now or cold food later.  I went with my gut and chose the warm beef dish, which was delish!  2 Roast beef slices, string beans and steamed red potatoes seasoned with a little garlic and basil.  It also came with a small roll and butter and a chocolate mouse dessert.  All was delicious except the fruit salad.  Your first impression would be…mmm sweet fresh fruit, right?  Well…I took one bite and it was sour!  Apparently they placed vinaigrette dressing on top the fruit.  After I got used to the idea that it wasn’t supposed to be sweet, it wasn’t that bad.  After eating, everything was picked up and the flight seemed to be going well.   Though not too long after, in the midst of trying to get comfortable in my seat to pass back out again, the elderly lady was leaning over her husband’s seat and wasn’t feeling well.  All of a sudden half the flight crew swarmed our seats trying to get her comfortable.  I didn’t know what was going on…they brought her an oxygen tank and asked her to breathe in slowly.  At this point I was kinda freaking out, but trying to stay calm, and also concerned about how she was doing.  They had to ask me to leave my seat so they could tend to her.  Finally after 30-40 minutes they decided to get a wheel chair and move her to the front of the aircraft.   Thankfully a stewardess informed me that she would be okay…something about low blood pressure, which occurs often for elderly people especially in high altitudes.  Phew!  So I went back to my seat and through strange circumstance, had the whole row to myself.  They told me I could sprawl out on the whole row since the old couple would not be returning.  Small win for me.   Morning approached and we were served a delicious breakfast.  Egg omelet topped with cheese and seasoning, this time a sweet fruit bowl salad and strawberry yogurt, topped off with apple juice.  As we were flying closer to Auckland, New Zealand for my transfer flight, the country was dim, a light purple haze as the sun was beginning to slowly reach the horizon.  But before we landed, the sun came out to greet us and through the clouds got a sneak peek at the country’s beautiful landscape.   It was breath taking!  The gorgeous green lush terrain and the beautiful ocean surrounding its many shores were just gorgeous!  I can’t wait to visit it in October.  After a short layover in Auckland it was off to Sydney.  During the 3-4 hour flight, we got served breakfast again!  Oh was I loving it.  The food again did not disappoint.  The young cute male stewardess was difficult to understand when he explained my choices, but I didn’t mind because it was darn sexy! Hahaha.  Finally, I arrived in Sydney and after some technical difficulties, found the Blue Parrot Backpackers Hostel I will be staying at for a week.  It was highly recommended by my friend Bernard, or what the girls in the front like to call him, Bernie.  Hehe.  I’ll be settling in for now so until the next post, I am finally here safe and sound.