The roadtrip, and my reflections

[Sort of a two-part.]

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This is my final post for my blog, more than a month late. I guess I owe it to myself and to my loyal readers (It’s not just my sister that reads this thing, right? …right..?)

To be honest, I haven’t even read over my journal yet since I’ve been back as I’m afraid it might make me more depressed than I already am. (I made a conscious effort to write in a journal periodically throughout my time abroad)

This is a map of all the places I went to during my nine months abroad, with the line signifying the route we took on our epic road trip in the final two months I was there. And there's still so much more I want to see!

After spending Christmas in Toronto and New Years in New York (such an amazing city I'd need another blog to write about our week there), it was time to pick up our van and hit the road, headed for the west coast. This is our baby, who we affectionately referred to as “Int” (which means “you” in Maltese, an in-joke that is not worth explaining), brand spanking new before we ran her down to the ground and had no choice but to trade her in for a new one in Colorado. (Hard times, guys. The mechanic actually said to us, “…(pause)… yeah, you definitely cannot keep driving this thing.)

we’re sorry we killed you. RIP Int

If I were to write about every place we went to, this post would be intensely long. Rather, I’ll list the places we went to, then throw out a few highlights of the roadtrip. Then later focus on my reflection of my entire trip as a whole.

New York, NY; Jersey City, NJ; Atlantic City, NJ; Philadelphia, PA; Washington, DC; Charlotte, NC; Nashville, TN; Memphis, TN; Birmingham, AL; New Orleans, LA; Houston, TX; Austin, TX; San Antonio, TX; Carlsbad, NM; Roswell, NM; Albuquerque, NM; Farmington, NM; Durango, CO; Denver, CO; Grand Junction, CO; Salt Lake City, UT; Zion NP, UT; Grand Canyon, AZ; Las Vegas, NV; Phoenix, AZ; Scottsdale, AZ; Los Angeles, CA; Santa Monica, CA; San Diego, CA; Santa Barbara, CA; Cambria, CA; Santa Cruz, CA; San Francisco, CA.

Phew.

Words cannot describe the immensely funny, joyful and life-changing experience we had out on the road. Staying in shitty $30-a-night motels, nearly contracting hypothermia many a time, and living off ramen noodles and tuna (two things I still refuse to eat). I won’t attempt to give it any justice in a short blog like this. Maybe I’ll write a book about it one day. Maybe. (Probably not). The one main thing I got out of it all and will share with people forever: you NEED to roadtrip the States. You cannot truly experience America if you’re not doing it from a car.

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I love the South. I mean, I truly, madly, deeply, love the South. There is so much culture, vibrance, and fun to be had there that it cannot even compare to dreary old Melbourne. I’m not sure how I’m gonna live my life now knowing that there is this other place so far away that I feel more connected to, where I feel I belong, where I can truly be me. Not to mention Southern boys ... polite, good mannered, chivalrous, actually have game, and ridiculously beautiful. I would honestly consider moving to somewhere in Tennessee if that were at all possible in my life.

Take honkytonks, for one. These are country music bars where no one gives a fuck about what they’re wearing or who they’re with. They are there for the music, to actually talk to people, and of course to hook up with like-minded people. Where the hell am I going to find a country bar in Melbourne? My good people, WHERE can I openly wear flannel and cowboy boots and kiss a boy wearing a cowboy hat while boot-scooting to a country song sung by a guy with a deeper voice than Cher?

 

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New Orleans is everything I hoped it to be and more, bustling with street performers, amazing seafood, markets, art, and an absolutely nuts nightlife. Go to Bourbon St for the oversized drinks, constant party atmosphere and drunken antics (did I mention you can drink in the streets here?), or go to Frenchmen St for the awesome live jazz. There is just SO MUCH to do here and see and experience. And SO MUCH GOOD FOOD to eat. If you read my last post on Ottawa and Montreal, you’ll know that there’s something about that European feel of a city that gives me the intense feels. New Orleans is this. It’s just… beautiful. I should stop talking about it or I might start crying.

so much shraaamp in my po'boy

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Then this happened in Texas…

Yes, welcome to Texas indeed

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We even swung past ASU to visit my friend Julian who I met at UF! He's doing his second semester in Phoenix. I loved being back on college soil. It was so good to be reunited with him!

love old mate big J

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Las Vegas was a surprise to me. I always thought, ‘Yeah, Las Vegas, ooooverrated.’

WHAT A STUPID THING TO THINK.

LAS VEGAS IS AMAZING.

IT IS UNDERRATED.

IT IS EVERYTHING THAT YOU THINK IT IS, TIMES 9000.

I know for a certain fact that I will be back here for every and any girl-related milestone of life, ie. My 25^th, my 30^th, my bachelorette party, my divorce party, my future mid-life crisis, etc.

There’s a certain vibe about the city that just leaves you wanting more. From the outrageous casinos, to the nightlife, to the amazing shows, to the buffets, to certain no-legged men. We were originally only meant to stay for three days, but kept extending our hotel booking until it was nearly a week later.

holy fack

One of my favourite parts would definitely have to be eating a certain something bought at a certain place in Denver, then going to watch a Cirque du Soleil show. Let me just say… thank god we were seated near the exit. I had to constantly remind myself by looking over there that this isn’t actually real life and a simple way out actually existed if need be. Hahaha. I feel sorry for the people seated around us. Every two seconds… “Oh my god! Did you SEE that? Did you actually just SEE that?’ ‘Why TF did they put a guy from the audience in a box on stage and just leave him there for half an hour?’ ‘Is that guy throwing popcorn at people apart of the show?’ ‘Is that guy actually Dustin Hoffman?’ ‘So is the meaning of life a giant, colorful snail?’ (spoiler, sorry!)

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Cambria, CA

Pacific Coast Highway 1 is one of the most beautiful roads I have ever driven down. The gorgeous coast is to your left the whole way up (we drove from San Diego up to San Fran).

As we passed the ‘Welcome to California!’ sign, we set our ipods to play anything California related (and subsequently realized that there are a LOT of songs about California: Hotel California, California State of Mind, nearly every Chili Peppers song, California Dreamin’, California Girls, California Love, The theme from the O.C… the list goes on)

A notably HUGE epiphany came over us as we were driving and listening to RHCP’s Road Trippin’ song one day whilst cruising. Anthony sings in the chorus, “Blue you sit so pretty/ West of the one”. After the song had ended, me in my English-teacher-analysis mode thought about it, and it was as if a lightbulb went off in my head.

 “GUYS! GUYS. BLUE = THE OCEAN. WEST OF THE ONE. AS IN, WEST OF HIGHWAY 1. WE ARE THE SONG. WE ARE LIVING THIS SONG!!!”

After many a, “Oh my fucking god you’re right! I can’t believe we didn’t get that before!!!” we listened to the song over and over again and sang it even louder and more passionately. That was probably one of the highlights I’ll always remember, actually. It was a beautiful moment.

blue, you sit so pretty west of the 1.

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Reflection . . .

Like I said, I can’t keep on writing about every place as I’d end up needing a book.

It’s safe to say that I never dreamed that this time abroad would have flown by so fast. I wish I realized at the time just how quickly it was going to fly past me.

It’s hard to come back to the same life that I so desperately wanted out of when I left. It’s hard to go back to a regular routine, it’s hard to accept that what I’m living right now is “reality”. I don’t want reality to be like this. I want my reality to be an adventure. But how does one do that, when they are constrained by societal demands of having a career, a good job, a house with the white picket fence. I can’t be a nomad. I need to make something of myself. And I've also got my family to think about. But how do I incorporate all of these things while still keeping my inner happiness of utmost importance?

I never thought that I would experience the infamous ‘reverse-culture shock’.

But I undeniably did (and still continue to). Everything reminds me of the States. I can’t justify spending $55 on a 1L bottle of rum when I could buy a 3L handle for $22 of the good stuff. I hate how shit and unthoughtful waiters are here. I can’t stand how small the portion sizes are in restaurants (and it’s not like it’s relative to how expensive it is, either). I can’t stand the radio. I miss bagels. I miss Walmart. I hate how Australian guys wear pink shorts and flip flops in all kinds of weather (wtf kind of fashion sense is this? Do you own a pair of shoes?) Clubs suck. The whole, ‘doof-doof-what?-I said hello-doof-what?-doof-I said HELLO-doof-WHAT?-fuckthis’ scene.

I went out on the town not long ago and found it hard to enjoy myself. I know this sounds dramatic, but honestly, surrounded by so many people, I just felt so alone. That’s a regular feeling of mine these days. It’s sad. I just feel like no-one really gets it. I think I need to start going to different places and meeting new crowds of people. I want to find people that have the same sense of adventure like me. I can’t blame the people in my life now for their perspectives because while I was out changing mine, they were still living their day-to-day routine, which is definitely not a fault of theirs. But it’s not what I want anymore. I need some spontaneity and excitement in my life. I don’t want work and Uni to be the be-all and end-all. I just want to live.

Zion NP

The one thing I’ve taken away is a new ‘Why Not?’ mentality. Why not go on a date with a complete stranger? Why not have mid-week drinks even if I have Uni early the next day? Why not drive to the beach cause I have a spare couple hours to myself? I want to say YES to things more, meet new people, push myself into unknown situations and just go with it. That’s the beauty of travel, if you immerse yourself in it. You really do become more comfortable with who you are, and confident of what you’re capable of.

I’m in no way a completely changed woman, but I think I’m nearly there. I guess 2015 will be a new stepping-stone for me, and I’ll have to have decided what it is that I truly want to get out of life. Continue studying? Live overseas? Work the job I’m qualified for? What’s my priority? Right now, I’m not too sure, further than the whole notion of just ‘being’. I want to 'be' in the present, in the moment, feeling emotions, seeing beautiful things, having that sense of finding happiness somewhere, anywhere.

In contrast, I'd rather not feel the cold that Alycia would have felt here at the GC.

She's actually nuts.

...Nor the feeling of fearing for my life quite like this again.

Horseriding in Monument Valley like we're in a western was fun, 
and although we look calm here, looks are very deceiving.

I don't mean to sound negative about Australia, honest. I admit I do live in a gorgeous country where the healthcare is amazing at least. I'm stuck in this rut now though, where I can only think about being anywhere else but here. I’ll leave it open-ended, mostly because not even I am sure of what direction my life will end up heading.

Until next time...

Thanks for reading. It's been a blast.