This Blog Has Moved!

While I'm still in Australia, my blog has decided to move.

You can now follow me at www.firstdayofthebest.wordpress.com.

I know, creative, right? See you over there and be patient as I work out the kinks with the new system!

I'm A Fan

If you know me, you know I love sports. My loyalties lie somewhat in this order:


1. The Florida Gators
2. The Florida Gators
3. The Florida Gators
4. The Orlando Magic
5. The Texas Longhorns
6. Any athlete or team representing the USA
7. Have I mentioned the Florida Gators?
8. Whoever is playing FSU
9. Anything but professional baseball
10. Correction: anything but hockey


And one of the hardest things about being away from America has been missing games and all things ESPN. But, I'll spare you any tears because I live in a beautiful country and am learning to embrace the sports of Australia.

The game I've taken most interest in is Australian Rules Football. You may recall that I attended a match last July in Melbourne at the MCG between the Carlton Blues and the Collingwood Magpies. Collingwood went on to win the Grand Final (the equivalent of our Super Bowl), and I've since learned that being a Collingwood fan is somewhat like being a Tennessee Volunteer fan. You are hated by everyone outside your own fan base, you are stereotyped as white trash and you probably don't have all of your teeth. 

Lucky for me, my arrival coincided with the inaugural season of the newest AFL team, the Gold Coast Suns. I've decided to back them as my team, and so far I have attended the first ever 'Q Clash' at the Gabba in Brisbane (between the Brisbane Lions and the Suns), and the first home game at the Suns' new stadium here on the Coast. Though most Suns matches end with an undesirable outcome, that doesn't seem to have damaged their spirit or stopped them from playing the finest team song in the league. So I say, RISE UP, SUNS!


Footy fans at the Q Clash

We decided that the Suns' mascot looked a bit like Ridge from the Bold and the Beautiful

Some sort of ceremony to celebrate the Suns' victory

One of the perks of being on the winning side: having your picture taken by the losers

Suns' first home game at Metricon Stadium

Do yourself a favor and listen to this at least once

Team America Takes Australia

To make a long story short, Jenna came for a visit to the Gold Coast in May. It goes without saying that we had fun. Here's the story, in pictures, of how we made an impression on this country.

Where we were: Brisbane airport

What we did: Picked up our dear Jenna

Who we impressed: Everyone who saw me standing at the gate with this sign

Where we were: Brisbane, QLD

What we did: Ate mussels, stopped by Cloudland, watched Liam sleep at Kaliber, stayed at the Mantra, walked through the mud at the Greek festival, had a Sunday session at the Fox

Who we impressed: Other clubgoers with our unique interpretive dance moves, bouncers who briefly questioned whether we were over 18

Where we were: Noosa, Sunshine Coast, QLD

What we did: Soaked up the sun, had our backsides included in a photo from a helicopter of a random group of people spelling out LOVE on the beach, spent two hours in the local ER waiting room before giving up and deciding that my side hurt because I had laughed too much, stopped at the Big Pineapple

Who we impressed: Probably the people in the helicopter

Where we were: Top of Q1, the tallest building on the Gold Coast

What we did: Enjoyed far reaching views and a cocktail during sunset, laughed at a lady taking self portraits while two of her friends sat nearby and ignored her

Who we impressed: The guy selling tickets, who believed that we were actually students :)

Where we were: Unit 27, Carrington Court, Main Beach, QLD

What we did: Hosted a Mexican themed night for our friends and treated them to authentic Mexican fare and somewhat authentic margaritas. Smashed a pinata. Danced until 4 a.m.

Who we impressed: Most likely our neighbors in the building by blaring Rick Astley, Whitney Houston and Hall and Oates until the wee hours of the morning

Where we were: Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast, QLD

What we did: Watched the Gold Coast Suns play their first game in their new stadium, Burned our mouths on meat pies (apparently a very American move)

Who we impressed: Only ourselves, and only because we were actually able to get out of the house after a big performance the night before

Where we were: Broadbeach Bowls Club, Gold Coast, QLD

What we did: Beat Team Commonwealth in a head to head game of bowls, rode in the back of a friend's  work van like we had been kidnapped, enjoyed a Sunday session at the surf club

Who we impressed: The 'teacher' who took time to show us the rules of the game

Where we were: Mt. Warning, New South Wales

What we did: Prepared very poorly for what turned out to be a 4.5 hour hike up a mountain

Who we impressed: Ourselves. I'm still impressed that we're not stuck out there somewhere...

Where we were: Cha cha's in Broadbeach for Jenna's last night in Australia

What we did: Enjoy good food and good company. And wore the medals that we got out of the pinata

Who we impressed: Definitely the waitress who asked us if we were going to a party after dinner based on our silly behavior

The Gold Coast misses Jenna already!

A Night For America

They say you will always remember certain moments in time, and where you were when you hear news that makes history. In 1986, when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded, I was home from school and in the car with my mom, able to look into the sky and see the smoke and debris. On that horrific 11th day in September 2001, I was in my apartment in Gainesville getting ready for morning class, and watching events unfold on the Today Show. I actually saw the second plane hit the World Trade Center live. In March 2003, when we invaded Iraq, I was in a computer lab taking the GRE in hopes of going to grad school. Now I can add one more; where I was when I heard the news that Osama bin Laden was killed yesterday.

Here in Australia, it was a brilliant day, and some friends and I had driven down to Burleigh Heads to watch a mass of surfers go after some incredible waves. As we approached the car to drive home, I saw two people lying in the grass, holding a small radio that was broadcasting news about the USA. The scene struck me as odd, but I didn't stick around to hear what was being said. It was not until I got into the car and looked at my phone that I found out the news about the firefight that killed the world's most wanted terrorist. I quickly told everyone in the car, and we switched the radio to the news for details. Yet I couldn't help thinking as we drove that I was the only one in the car that was truly shocked, relieved, even downright jubilant about this news. Don't get me wrong, my Aussie friends were happy, but I just don't think they can begin to understand how greatly 9/11 affected all Americans. I can say beyond the shadow of a doubt that it changed my life forever. Furthermore, I never thought this day would come.

It gave me chills to watch the news from halfway across the globe and see Americans celebrating in the streets. I've read that perhaps we should have kept quiet out of fear of retaliation, but after all that has happened, didn't we deserve this moment? Especially those in New York City at Ground Zero and those in our nation's capitol? I didn't see one image of destruction or anti-al Qaeda sentiment, only happy faces, patriotic cheers, American flags being waved. This is the American spirit at it's best. We deserve this.

So thank you to our troops who continue to endanger their own lives to protect our freedom, especially my friends Scott and Zach. Because of you, perhaps little people like this will never have to remember a tragic moment in time.

"Let us remember that we can do these things not because of wealth or power, but because of who we are: One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." - President Barack Obama in his address to the nation

Rev-olution

Arguments about the origins of human life are as old as time. Was it creation or was it evolution? I've never really taken a firm stance on this one, but for my purposes right now, I'm a big fan of evolution.

And for me, evolution in my life currently looks something like this:

January 2011

March 2011

May 2011

Watch out Australia, I'm on the move! And the bonus for anyone coming for a visit is that you no longer have to ride on my back or in my basket...

Where Have I Been Hiding?

Wondering where I've been lately? This wouldn't be much a of a travel blog if I didn't at least periodically update you on my adventures, would it now? To sum it up, I've been...

Here:

Tagging along with my friend, Julie, to South Stradbroke Island, where we spent the afternoon lazing around in hammocks.

And here:

Byron Bluesfest. Highlight of the day was seeing Michael Franti, but also enjoyed Kim Churchill and Xavier Rudd. Regrettably left before seeing ZZ Top due to cell phone failure...

Festival feet - GROSS!

And spending a whole lot of time here:

Burleigh Heads, about a 20 minute drive or hour bike ride from my place. Amazing spot to watch the surfers and enjoy the gorgeous 'winter' weather. Also good for a bit of nostalgia, as it's the first place Jaime and I stayed on the Gold Coast last year.

Other than that, I've been enjoying everyday life, trying hard not to take for granted how lucky I am to live here.