It’s time to fly.
(New pictures in the New Zealand Album.)
nz
Reply
Category Archives: south pacific islands
nz to dr
“Bonjour! Je m’appelle Solbeam. Je suisAmericaine. Je ne parle pas francais…mais je peux apprendre! S-il vous plait, puis-je prendre votre photo? Voulex-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?”
“Hello! My name is Solbeam. I’m American. I don’t speak French…but I can learn! Please, may I take your picture? Can I sleep with you, tonight?”
Yea! I’ve just learned my very first five sentences in French! Well…the last one I learned from the song. Not so appropriate maybe…. BUT it does count as 20% of my French vocabulary, so I thought I’d include it. 
The “take your picture” part actually IS appropriate. Because in just 10 days, I’ll be starting my new job as an event photographer at a Club Med in the Dominican Republic….
*!!!*
I’ll be working the entire winter season at the club on for sure — what comes next remains to be seen. But, ummmmm…just LOOK at how close Haiti and Puerto Rico are to the DR! All that opportunity to get my Caribbean groove on? Irresistible!!!
*takes a few deep breaths*
Helicopter rides, glacier hikes, snow angels, rainbows, penguins, pancake rocks, cheery trees, mirror lakes and a sheep rampage — now all in the New Zealand Photo Album.
All undeniable proof that New Zealand is the most jaw-dropping beautiful country I’ve ever traveled through.
breathtaking
****
And the New Zealand Photo Album is open….
*is this place for REAL?!*
Breathtaking. From every angle.
*****
(New pictures also in the Australia Album.)
I must apologize for the lack of any substantial blog material over the last weeks. I’ve found every inch of my energy completely consumed by my role and duties as a team leader for my LEAPnow semester students. What little time is left is usually spent in awe of the beauty around me and in contemplation of the self revelations wherein. The personal stories and insights are delayed…but *I promise* — they will see the light of blog one day.
In addition to that, I’ve actually resolved, and am in the midst of organizing, my next six or seven months of adventure-abroad. I won’t be home for Christmas, I won’t be home for my birthday and I won’t be home for my college roommate reunion. But the things I’m missing are incomparable to what what I’ll have the opportunity *and fantastic fortune* to experience overseas…
I see that sol.com is suffering from a “map-overdose” so I’ll resist just putting up her picture. How ’bout a few hints? She’s in the Caribbean. She’s an island. She rocks to the rhythm of salsa. And I’ll be learning a little French.
I’ll also be on the clock and *finally* spending some time investing in a couch and some pillows of savings-account-cushionings to support my nasty travel habit for the rest of 2003-2004. Because if you haven’t noticed….I’m determined to make travel my way of life.
Okay. Enough hints. As soon as I buy my ticket, I’ll reveal the identity of the country behind door number 1. Our first date will take place on December 7th. And believe me…the butterflies in my stomach are all a ‘flutter!
croc spotting
The sign in front of the creek…
Can you spot the croc?
*Lovin’ that zoom lens.*
70 new pictures in the Australia Album.
Truckin’…
…on up our way North…
to Cairns and sol’s first descent upon the Great Barrier Reef. *!!!*
(On a sidenote, does anyone out there “know someone who knows someone” who’s got a work-for-board job in New Zealand that needs to be filled? On that same note…Mom and Dad, I don’t think I’ll be home for Christmas. 
)
Whew! Just barely survived the outback….
And I’ve returned with more pictures of emus, kangaroos, witchety grubs, camels, Aboriginal dancers and red rock than you could possibly bear….
   
  
   
   
  
290 pictures now in the Australia Album.
retreating
…and I am heading in the way of a town called Eudlow — where I’ll be mediating, reflecting, yoga-ing and, in general, “retreating” at the Chenreznig Buddist Retreat Center. Inspirations based on that experience will be posted here.
*crossed her legs*
*closes her eyes*
*takes a deep breath in counting to seven*
*exhales counting to seven*
*retreats*
SnapShot
So if you’re wonderin’ what the heck I’m DOING in Brisbane right now….during the DAY, it’s THIS:
“THIS” is the war on “lentana” — a non-native plant to Australia that grows like a weed. Primarily because it IS a weed. And it grows. A lot. Consuming all the poor little native plants by suffocating them of air and sun. That is until people like me break it down and rip it out! It’s backbreaking work, especially under the heat and ozone hole that halos Australia. To keep the pace and spirits high we busy ourselves with the creative “re-word-ation” of the 70′s top 40….”L-A-N-T-A-N-A. Better back down ’cause you’re in my way.” And in the end, it feels really excellent to give something nice back to nature.
So when we return home, we do this…..
I think we’re averaging about 2.3 ticks per person. I would go into the gruesome details, but I did that once before on this site (in regards to some ticks I picked up in the jungle in Guatemala) and I actually got emails telling me I’d taken my personal disclosures…. “a little bit to far.” So no more tick talk (kinda like “tick tock”, but not).
And AFTER work we….
Dress up like superheros and hit the locals pubs….
Make out with manequins….
Chill out on Brisbane’s enourmous fake beach….
Make movies and pose for silly shots with my new digicam…. (videos *hopefully!!!* coming)
And get felt up by Koalas.
Yep. Just your normal day down under.
(New pictures can now be found in OZ Photo Album Round 3)
a bad act
Me? Travel without a digital camera? Like a fish outta watter, I choked on the views until I got to Sydney and *re*purchased the Dimage X for a tidy $150 US more than I paid for it in the States. This is, specifically, the 9th digital camera I’ve owned in the last four years; 3 upgraded to better cams, 2 stolen from bandits, 1 returned to the company, 1 broken in a monsoon, 1 removed at gunpoint…..and a partriiidge iiiiiinn a peaaaar tree.
Sydney, Sydney, Sydney. A little love affair that I’ve promised my soul a return to. Just need a little patience to allow the universe to conspire to bring me back. And THEN I’ll give my full report.
Until then, I’ve posted some faces and places in the new Australia Album….
  
  
Sydney, Byron Bay & Brisbane: The First Photo Round of the OZ Album
On the immigration entrance cards for every country there is a spot where you are to write in your “occupation.” Having had to fill out over 25 of these cards over the last two years, and in the name of boredom, creativity AND confusion (after all, what DO I do?), I’ve grown quite comfortable with writing in “magician” into that space. Of course, most immigration officials never call me on it. But…
…upon my entrance to Thailand, the attendant lifted his head and asked…”You’re in the entertainment industry?”
I, forgeting my mark, looked at him and replied, “excuse me?”
He held up the form and pointed to my hand written word “magician” in the occupation blank.
“It says here you are a magician. Are you a magician?” He repeated.
I smiled, tucked my right thumb into my fist and my left thumb under my forefinger, put them together and showed him my thumb splitting in half.
He looked at my thumb straightfaced, and then at me, shook his head, stamped my passport and called “NEXT!” to the person in line behind me.
Me and my thumbs made a quick exit.
The occupation blank on my Australian immigration form reads, “Alchemist.”
bad act
Me? Travel without a digital camera? Like a fish outta watter, I choked on the views until I got to Sydney and *re*purchased the Dimage X for a tidy $150 US more than I paid for it in the States. This is, specifically, the 9th digital camera I’ve owned in the last four years; 3 upgraded to better cams, 2 stolen from bandits, 1 returned to the company, 1 broken in a monsoon, 1 removed at gunpoint…..and a partriiidge iiiiiinn a peaaaar tree.
Sydney, Sydney, Sydney. A little love affair that I’ve promised my soul a return to. Just need a little patience to allow the universe to conspire to bring me back. And THEN I’ll give my full report.
Until then, I’ve posted some faces and places in the new Australia Album….
Sydney, Byron Bay & Brisbane: The First Photo Round of the OZ Album
On the immigration entrance cards for every country there is a spot where you are to write in your “occupation.” Having had to fill out over 25 of these cards over the last two years, and in the name of boredom, creativity AND confusion (after all, what DO I do?), I’ve grown quite comfortable with writing in “magician” into that space. Of course, most immigration officials never call me on it. But…
…upon my entrance to Thailand, the attendant lifted his head and asked…”You’re in the entertainment industry?”
I, forgeting my mark, looked at him and replied, “excuse me?”
He held up the form and pointed to my hand written word “magician” in the occupation blank.
“It says here you are a magician. Are you a magician?” He repeated.
I smiled, tucked my right thumb into my fist and my left thumb under my forefinger, put them together and showed him my thumb splitting in half.
He looked at my thumb straightfaced, and then at me, shook his head, stamped my passport and called “NEXT!” to the person in line behind me.
Me and my thumbs made a quick exit.
The occupation blank on my Australian immigration form reads, “Alchemist.”