New Adventure: DC!

So its always few and far between that I update this thing, but I figured now was a good time to do so, considering its been a very crazy time lately!

Quick update:

This year has been a fun one, after Southeast asia with clarice and elena (which was AMAZING fun):

Moto riding on Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam

Junk Boat 3 day trip on Halong Bay
Elena and Clarice and I in a "tuk tuk" (asian taxis) in Phomn Phen, Cambodia

Elena being silly in the temples at Angkor Wat, Cambodia

In front of Angkor Wat, Cambodia

This is Clarice ziplining in Laos from our treehouse (5 stories high!)

These two were my old roommates in sydney that we ran into in Vang Vieng, Laos! (very small village)

Our first meal in laos...we thought it was potatoes in there, but once we got a closer look it was a CHICKEN HEAD! AH! Tree house we ziplined into that we stayed in while in Laos Tubing in the caves in laos! (this is clarice, not me)

Crazy asian lack of laws. she was so cute though!

Bottle Beach, Koh Phangan, Thailand (this is the beach i met my brothers on)

Floating river markets near Bangkok, Thailand

Sailing off of Kao Samui, Thailand Cooking Classes in Chaing Mai, Thailand

Snorkling off the Perhentian Islands, Malaysia

Leaving Koh Phi Phi Island, Thailand
Temple in Bangkok
Elephant riding by river Kwai

I went back to sydney for a quick minute before comin back to the states for Laura's wedding!

Unfortunately during my trek back, I had a not so fun hospital visit due to contaminated water in malaysia (thats a crazy story in itself, some of you know already). But all good now! Had lots of people praying and great friends and family taking great care of me :)

So since june I have been working at Sprinkles Cupcake Bakery in Dallas and little did i know how famous of a bakery it was before i started....

In recent news, I am moving to Washington DC next week for a job with a travel company! Its called STA Travel . And I could not be more excited!! Its basically my dream job right now. I get to help plan and book peoples trips!! Its on George Washington University Campus. :)

Don't worry people, just because I have a grown up job now and don't sell (and mostly just eat) lost of cupcakes, doesn't mean i'm going to stop traveling! Clarice and I are going to backpack the west coast of australia in march, and hopefully our other friend elena (who we did southeast asia with) will be joining us :) I am liking the tradition we're starting of backpacking together once a year!

And other fun news, the first weekend I am in DC, the Colbert rally and John Stewart rally are going on, and some of my friends are flying in for it and we are all dressing up as the characters from hook :)

So thats it for now! till next time! sorry this ended up being more of a picture blog than anything!

Beginning of the End

just a quick update.

my mom came to visit (so much fun!) we got to go to melbourne and see the great ocean road and bike riding in manly and more fun adventures :)

just chillin on the 12 apostles

i leave for South east asia in 11 days (EKK!) and have fun little things before that to do :). i go to surf camp wednesday to friday 3 hours north of sydney in Seal's Rock (we will see how THAT goes), then going to Mudgee for a 3 day country and wine trip with Rich then off on my trip!

it doesnt feel like i am done with australia, maybe because im not going straight home, but i will miss sydney, i've meet some amazing people and got to see some amazing things, but im excited to be home as well. i get to be a part of whats going to be my favorite friend's wedding!! and i'm already bummed i have missed some of the wedding hooplah and planning so im very pumped about all that as soon as i land! :) and seeing everyone. i miss my lubbock family and my dallas family. miss monday night dinners at the carmacks, bon giorno coffee, mexican food (that cannot be stressed enough), my dogs (which i find annoying at most times until i see them on skype looking cuddly and cute), driving my car and being able to sing along to the radio (bc singing along to my ipod in the streets here is obviously a little odd) and most of all, my family! this summer, i will be able to hang out with not just my parents and brian, but my older brother kyle who will be back from dubai. this year has been so amazing so far and each year keeps getting better :)

p.s. i am looking for overseas volunteer opportunites for when i get back so if anyone has anything that might be up that ally please send it my way! :)

oh and these were my pretty aussie valentine's day flowers :)

i will miss conveyor belts of sushi everywhere

what im going to miss most about australia

Closing Chapter

2010

So this is a bit overdue, but i won't be writing for a while because my mama comes to visit on thursday! So thought i should now :)

2009 went by so fast i cant believe its already 2010! when i think about what all has happened in a years time its unreal. I officially believe that at this point in my life, 2009 has been the best year thus far:

I graduate college,

got to go to dublin for spring break with some great friends,

a good friend went into a coma and beat the odds everyday and survived (amazing story, he is a living miracle) This was on my birthday, i got to see him for the first time since he's woken up

moved to Australia and met some incredible people and have gotten to visit some amazing places while here

(new years eve fireworks over the harbor)

and my best friend from kid days is getting married and i get to be her maid of honor! (still excited, sorry if its mentioned in every post...well, not that sorry!)

2010 is going to be amazing and i am sure it will be even better than the last year. i have learned so much and feel like so much has changed in just a years time. this march i get to go to south east asia with my roommate out here from england named elena, and with my friend from texas (clarice) who is meeting us in bangkok! We are traveling through thailand, laos, vietnam, cambodia, malaysia, and singapore. I.CANT.WAIT!