Blog Resurection

Ummm....yeah. After reading Ivy's latest blog about being MIA, I came to terms with the fact that I have yet to blog since being stateside. I know, I know: I am a blogger failure. I would use the excuse that the blog becomes superfluous when I'm not half a world away, but since I'm still playing phone tag with some of my favorite people I decided to just put it all out there. Or I guess more specifically here. So this is the world according to Shivonne as of now.

Back in my Hometown
I've decided to spend the summer in Amarillo living with the family and working at, yes-you guessed it, Malcolms. Every time I go back to my old high school job I swear it's the last time, but here I am again: mid twenties, living with my parents, and waiting tables. Isn't that the profile of every blind date loser you see on the movies? Well at least I'm not into the whole role playing sci-fi scene-that's your sign that you really have hit bottom. Seriously though (prepare for the explanatory self rationalizing bit) I think this is a good thing. I get the next few months to relax, earn some much needed cash, regroup, and most importantly spend as much quality time as possible with my kick-ass family. At the moment the whole clan is here sans Monica so when I'm not at work I'm watching a little of The Office with Noah, running errands with Daniel, having girls' night with Mum and Reese, and learning about my Daddy's new passion for sustainable living. Amarillo definitely has it's pros-my church and family, cool summer nights, cheap living-but I'm not planning on an extended stay which brings me to my next update....

Austin Bound
I've spent the last two+ years since graduation running away from the real world in the best way possible-by traveling it. But now [insert monumental drum roll] I've decided it's time for a change. No longer am I to be Shivonne the Texas Nomad. No. My next goal is much more vague and elusive because, after all, I love a challenge. So here it is: to grow up. No, seriously. I've decided it's time to settle down, pursue a career I love, stop hopping from place to place, job to job, and really make a life for myself. Heavy right? Well it feels like it to me. I hardly know where to begin! Here's what I know: 1. Austin has been my favorite ever place to live regardless of country and 2. I still don't know 'what I want to be when I grow up', but I know what I love: fashion. So it's time to make something happen. Come September I'm packing up and moving south. I'm in the midst of convincing my baby sister to take the highly coveted role of Shivonne's roommate (I mean, who WOULDN'T want to live with me?), and my older sister is pretty positive she can use her connections at Nordstrom's to get me a job selling shoes. I figure whatever future I might be inclined to in fashion, retail experience is a must. I know it's not much, but it's a start. I'm not sure what my future may hold, but I'm committing to the next year living here in the states working towards something I just might love. And that's good enough for now.

The Boy
After the all important family meet (his not mine) in London last month, Chris and I seem to still be going strong. Unfortunately 'going strong' doesn't really cut it when applying for a work visa to another country so we're doing that thing every couple dreads, that dirty phrase you hope never to be faced with: long distance. We had a couple of other options (New Zealand was tempting) but we decided we both need to focus on our individual futures before we can really move forward with ours as a couple. The plan is to talk everyday (skype may be the best creation of all time) and see each other at least three times over the next year. First visit is tentatively scheduled for a birthday reunion in September (mine not his-ditto for the country). It's not going to be easy, but I feel this is the right decision as opposed to pushing back everything to spend another year together in New Zealand only to find ourselves in the same predicament after that tour. Don't get me wrong-I'm still all about the travel. I just think that now I'll travel for vacation instead of living to travel.

Well I guess that's the abridged version of my life at the moment. I'm looking forward to seeing how everything shapes up in the coming months-one thing's for sure: this is going to be an interesting summer.

Travel Limbo Hell

Ummm...so not sure if ya heard, but apparently there's a freaking volcano erupting crap all over the place in Iceland, and all flights from London Heathrow are suspended until further notice. Right. With my flight scheduled to depart in roughly twenty-four hours, I'm a wee bit concerned to say the least. The official word on the street (by 'the street' I of course mean the official airport website) Heathrow is on lock down mode until 1am Monday morning at the earliest. Yesterday it was Sunday at 1am so obviously they have to keep pushing back the time. My flight should/would be departing at 1pm Monday so I'm kind of on the cusp of things at the moment. And do you know what the real kicker is? I'm flying London to New York via Iceland. Right.

At this moment I'm flippin' out just a bit. My transatlantic flight is pretty much the least of my worries. If it doesn't take off I call the reservation center and book a new flight at the first available time which I'm thinking might cause quite a bit of delay due to all the back up. Unfortunately I already have a non refundable hotel booked in New York City the night of my arrival and two US Airways flights the next day to get me back to Texas. So I'm sitting here checking airline/airport/travel agent websites and making respective calls to any number I can find, and I'm at a bit of a loss. Do I keep my domestic flights on the off chance my international one goes through? What about my Mom who took time off from work to pick me up in Dallas upon my arrival Tuesday morning, or my sister who secured her only two consecutive days off for the entire summer to meet me there? Sigh.

Thankfully I have wonderful support on both sides of the pond. Chris and his family have been very sympathetic, and I know I have somewhere calming to wait out the storm here in London. And then there's my daddy. I called him yesterday frustrated, stressed, close to tears and his ever calming influence and perspective put me back on track. He reminded me everything happens for a reason, and God has a plan. Make sure I don't get to bogged down in my stress to miss an opportunity He is setting before me.

So here I am. Sitting. Waiting. Wishing. And though I might not see you as soon as I would like, hopefully I'll be stateside again before you know it.

London Calling

Greetings from across the jolly ol' pond!

After a 14 hour and 8 hour set of flights, 6 hour layover in Abu Dhabi, crossing numerous timezones, moving up a hemisphere, countless movie viewings (thank you in air flight entertainment), and very little sleep, Chris and I arrived at London Heathrow Airport on Monday evening weary but content to reach our final destination for the moment. After clearing customs and collecting our bags we were met by Chris' parents who graciously picked us up from the airport (more public transportation at this moment seemed insurmountable). Walking out of the airport doors into the misty chill of early London spring brought a smile to my face....how I do love Great Britain.

For some reason, I've always romanticized England, and really the whole UK in general. My short time residing here two years ago only reinforced my passionate love affair with the country, and I've been anticipating my return ever since. It might be because I've adored Jane Austen from an early age, it might be the sheer oldness of a country with such a longer, richer history than my own (let's not kid ourselves, the good old US of A is a baby in this world), it might be the castles, the rolling green countryside, the accents, the winding roads, the architecture. It might be my love for historical fiction revolving around the salacious court of Henry VII or my love for period films set in 19th century London. Whatever it is, to me, it's pure magic.

So far we've made good use of our time. Chris' family has been so welcoming and accommodating to me-from the homemade chicken curry feast his youngest sister Caroline concocted our first night back to the simple fact of opening their home to me a relative stranger. I haven't met Chris' other sister yet-Claire is working on her masters in Philosophy at Cambridge but will be meeting us up in Scotland for our holiday, but Caroline has been amazing. We went to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square where she put good use to the History of Art degree she's currently studying. I felt as if I had my own personal guide leading me to highlight pieces and explaining the artist, setting, and background of each masterpiece. Next we took in the Portrait Gallery next door where I saw the likes of Richard III, Queen Elizabeth I, Anne Boleyn, Lily Allen, Kiera Knightly, and the Beatles. The next day was less culture but more money intensive-yes, the very important task of shopping was seen to. We decided not to play around (we're not amateurs for goodness sakes) and made our way straight to Oxford Street. After hitting up Topshop, H&M, Urban Outfitters, and even making a wistful trip down Bond Street to admire Chanel, Tiffany's, Cartier, Prada, and every other high end label you can think of from the safety of the street side of the glass we set homeward several pounds lighter but with our shopping fix in place.

Today (Saturday) we're busy packing for our big Scottish adventure. We leave very, very early tomorrow morning for our long scenic drive up, and I'm beyond excited. We even get to revisit Callander, the village where Chris and I met and worked during my last British trist. But first we have our first big night out on the city tonight. Chris' friend Sam's 25th birthday bash is tonight at an American retro bowling alley/bar where we'll enjoy live music, dancing, and I'll finally get to meet all his mates. Big night out followed by early morning drive? I did always love a challenge.

Bon Jovi can be so wise....

[cue awesomely over the top eighties cover band/karaoke music]
...'OOOHHHH WE'RE HALFWAY THERE!!!! OO--OOO--OOH LIVIN' ON A PRAYER'

That pretty much sums up how I'm feeling this moment. Standing at an internet terminal in the Abu Dhabi International Airport on a six hour layover between a fourteen hour flight from Australia and an eight hour leg to London with 2 hours of sleep over the past 34 hours. Oh, and might I mention the kind airport staff are apparently preparing us for the climate change from Australia to the UK by freezing our tushies off in this refrigerator of an airport whilst we engage in this torturous travel limbo. Ain't world trotting glamorous? Thankfully only two more hours of the waiting game until we board our final flight. With the anticipation of finally meeting Chris' wonderful family on the not too far horizon, I think I just might make it. Just don't be surprised if you read a story in the international news section about a crazy Texan backpacker kicking in the air conditioning unit of Abu Dhabi International resulting in temporary loss of power (both mine and the airport's) and general panic. See you on the other side.....

The Photographs to Speak the Thousand words I'm too tired to type...

My goodness what a week I've had.

After arriving home last night from our whirlwind Outback tour, I was planning to write a lengthy, in depth, captivating, amusing, all-around-amazing post about our exciting week of travel. Just one tiny problem-I'm pooped. Today was not a day of rest unfortunately. Another early morning saw Chris and I rub our sleepy eyes and head into the city for a day of errand running with dreams of resting quickly evaporating in our grasping hands. After getting everything else out of the way, I made my way to the state library for one last enchanting day in its dinstinguished walls where I've formed so many lovely memories. I've already been blowing up their free wifi for five hours, and I'm just now making it to the blog section of my internet to-do list. Who knew how much you missed being virtually sans internet for a week? What is the world coming to where we have to check our emails every few hours to stay 'in-touch'? Well there are pros and cons to everything so I shouldn't complain, especially since this hassling medium is what allows me to stay connected with everyone I love across the world. It's all in the perspective my friends.
Anywho, after checking countless emails, confirming flights, looking up hotel information, sending some emotionally exhausting correspondence (I figure if you're not gonna commit to an email, just don't do it. Who wants to open a highly anticipated note to discover a one liner?) I am just about interneted out. As I'm typing I can barely keep my drooping eyelids from immersing me in complete darkness and my head from slamming down on my keyboard. So instead, I spent thirty minutes trying to do an upload of as many photos from our trip as possible to share with all my favorite people. With this shoddy unsecured wifi connection, I managed two. So here they are in all their glory, and I guess you'll just have to wait to see the other 9,874,392 photos some other time so now you have something to look forward to. Or make you cringe. Your pick.

The ever entrancing and mystifying Uluru in all it's sunset glory. I literally have over a hundred pictures of the world's most famous monolith-from sunrise, to sunset, to base walk it's covered. So let me know if you want to see picture after picture of a big red rock, and I've got you covered.

Still fresh faced after our first day of our travelthon toasting Uluru with, what else, cider. The English bloke seems to really be rubbing off on this poor Texan.

The next 48 hours are all I have left of my Australia adventure, and unfortunately they will be dedicated mostly to laundry, cleaning, and packing. How very glamorous. Thankfully we do have one more night of Melbourne shenanigans to engage in-so I now I must leave you to prepare for one last night on the town. So goodbye from Australia...my next post will most likely be from Chris' very own England. G'Day Mate!

Update Teaser

Hi kids!
Sitting here in the youth hostel recovering from trip number one and preparing for trip number two so I decided to give a quick update on my glamorous life as citizen of the world. Unfortunately I'm being a bit of a tease (aren't I always) since I can't post any photo evidence yet (funny how my laptop isn't considered essential luggage for an outback tour). So here's the down low on the past few days:

Alice Springs
After finishing work Wednesday, we woke up rondiculously early to catch our 8am flights the next morning. Since I'm used to the early hours, I was bouncing around chipper as ever and pretty much doing Chris' head in as he often doesn't go to bed until 6am let alone ever wake up that early. Fortunately we made it to the airport before Chris could lash out at my hyperness so no casualties occurred. Our flight was uneventful and quite luxurious for our general backpacker ways. This is the first time in ages we booked a non budget airline flight and I actually had to stop Chris from pushing money into the shocked flight attendants hand as the drink cart came around. We touched down in outback central and booked into our hostel all before lunch ready to explore the metropolis that is Alice Springs. Coming in at the second largest city in the Northern Territory (one of Australia's seven states) at a whopping population of 26,000, there was unsurprisingly not a whole lot to occupy our time for the rest of the day. After walking the entire city, engaging in a cultural heritage self guided walk, entering every tacky souvenir shop, stopping by the bank, and even hitting up the local kmart, we realized that it was-alas-only 5pm. After giving Chris a good tease about how he wanted to live and work here instead of Melbourne (yep, that was the original plan) we hit up the local supermarket for a picnic dinner and pretty much called it a night. Another pre 6am wake up call was on the horizon.

The Outback Camping Safari
Gathering outside of the hostel front entrance at 6am the following morning with half of the other backpackers staying there (turns out the only reason anyone come to the Alice is to engage in one of these outback tours so everyone is either on their way to or returning from a tour) we were met by an incredibly chirpy akubra hat wearing (complete with an eagle feather I might add) tour guide named Sheldon. He boarded his zombie like charges onto the modest bus and set us out on the road destination outback. A few hours and a couple of short stops later, we embarked at Yalara-a community built for the sole purpose of catering to the tourism surrounding their famous rock formations-at our campground. Thirty seconds after departing the bus, each of us were horrified to discover the thirty flies buzzing around our heads. I was not expecting this. A few well prepared and rather ambitious travelers pulled out mosquito netting attached to goofy hats and proceeded to wrap themselves up like bee keepers. I stifled a giggle at the ridiculousness. Five minutes later I was considering offering $50 to the first person who would sacrifice their ridiculous headpiece for my own sanity. I have never experienced flies on this level. They were to a point that it was a serious detriment to my trip enjoyment. But, being in the outback and all, we sucked it up and spent the next three days perfecting our Aussie Salute-waving our arms wildly around our heads while simultaneously cursing all flying insects to the depths of hell.

The next two days were amazing-hiking Kata Tjuta (a series of rock domes sticking up out of the flat landscape), discovering the awesomeness that is Uluru (the largest monolith in the world) through sunrise/sunset viewings and a 10k base walk, and sleeping under the breathtaking stars in traditional swag bedrolls. Unfortunately halfway through the second day we ran into an obstacle. We must have the rain gods stowing away with us because our last destination-King's Canyon-had been saturated to the point of inaccessibility. Did I mention we were in the desert? After jokingly asking Sheldon if they were going to helicopter us in, we found out that we would have to spend a second night at our current location and forgo King's Canyon which was actually the bit of the tour I was looking forward to most. Our consolation prize was that we were not forced to sleep outside in the rain-at least we were upgraded to tents, something that most of the other tour groups were not as fortunate in. We spent the rest of the day playing card games, reading magazines, and listening to the rain pour down around us. The last day was a bit of a bust as we just drove back to Alice Springs, had a picnic lunch, and saw a couple of second rate sites that we would have been just as happy to miss. No time to dwell on our sorrows though, we decided to drink our disappointment away with our fellow tour group members at the pub instead.

And on to Adelaide
Waking up severely hungover yet incredibly satisfied with an amazing night out, we checked out of our rooms, hobbled to McDonalds, and tried not to remember that we currently felt like the living dead as we ate our greasy morning after breakfast. Next we hopped on another flight this time traveling to South Australia's capitol of Adelaide-the city of churches. Now I have officially been to 5 of Australia's states which I think is a rather good accomplishment. We celebrated our anniversary two days early since we'll be in the middle of another tour on March 17th. We went for a beautiful walk around the city, I popped into a shop to buy an outfit that didn't consist of red tinged sneakers, sweaty tshirt, and manky trousers to look acceptable for dinner. Next stop was a lovely local seafood restaurant where we toasted our two years with a bottle of champagne and enjoyed the local cuisine before rounding the night out with a little bit of gelato, or in Chris' case, a rather large amount of gelato. Knackered and anticipating a 6am rise in the morning, we are about to hit the sheets and recharge for round two. But more of that to follow....

The Wrap Up

Our bags are packed. We're ready to go.* Tomorrow we embark on our whirlwind Australian tour before departing this great country. Since we have a mere two day interval between our tour conclusion and our international departure, the last few days have been full of tying up loose ends here in Williamstown.

Today is the last work shift for both Chris and me, and we're both a little sad about leaving our jobs. We've both been blessed with amazing coworkers and some great memories. Last night my bosses and fellow Pickle Barrelites (aka my coworkers) threw a farewell dinner in my honor. How amazing is that? I've only been with them seven months, and they actually put together a bon voyage party just for me. We had a lovely dinner at an extremely tasty local thai restaurant complete with good food, great conversation, and of course a few bottles of wine (what can I say but they know me well). I even received a parting gift! Who knew people buy you presents just for leaving. Hmm...on second consideration that might be saying something. In a further display of how well they've come to know me, I was gifted a wonderfully compact and stylish pocket notebook (the one that currently resides in my purse at all times for quick access is rather grubby and appears to belong to a ten year old student), a reading light for the plane (don't you just hate putting on that overhead light above your seat? I feel like I'm in the spotlight for people trying to sleep to glare at me), and a very unique and awesome ring. I couldn't think of a better gift. After dinner I returned home where Chris was entertaining a few of his work friends, and we stayed up into the wee hours of the morning sitting on the back porch giggling the night away.

This morning Chris had to wake up early to open the restaurant, but since I'm not scheduled in until noon I made a trip to the bank, did some fancy overseas money tranfer, online checked us into our morning flight for tomorrow, and now I'm chatting with you fine folks before heading in for my last day. Tomorrow our next adventure begins at 6am no less since we have to make it to the airport by eight. Earlier than I'd like to start a vacation yes, but oh so worth it.

So this week as you go about your daily lives, think of me and Chris exploring central Australia and try not to be too terribly jealous. I'll return next week with a recap of our travels!

*Um...actually, technically speaking, they are not. Not even a little. But it sounds way cooler to say it this way than admit I never pack until the very last minute possible. What can I say? John Denver conveyance beats mine everytime.

Happy Anniversary to Me!

...oh and to Chris too! Can't be forgetting about him. I don't know if you've heard, but we're kind of a big deal. Or at least we think so. And as our two year anniversary rapidly approaches (March 17th), it's time to decide how we should celebrate. Two years might not be impressive stats to many, but in our situation I would have to disagree. For one, Chris is my first boyfriend. I know, I know...how cutesy high school musical of me. Two? This marks the longest relationship engaged by either of us so that's an achievement in and of itself. Three: Yes. I'm gonna play the crazy long distance/international couple card. How many duos do you know consisting of a Texan and a Londoner who met in Scotland and currently reside in Australia? See? I told you. Bid deal.

Now that you're convinced of our awesomeness (not that it took much convincing) I'm going to let you in on how we've determined to commemorate the last two years of adventures, trials, distance, laughter, surprises, and, of course, love. No, not with some tawdry jewelry, or an expensive meal. We my friends are travelers, so travel we must. We've just booked back to back tours to conclude our great Aussie tour, and I couldn't be more excited. Here's the plan:
March 10th-last day of work
March 11th-Fly to Alice Springs (that's the biggest city in the center of Australia...that elusive red outback)
March 12th- Embark on a 3 day/2 night Rock tour complete with a trip to Uluru (also known as Ayer's Rock; it's that big random red rock in the middle of nowhere that for some reason is super famous. That's what we're going to find out)
March 14th-The rock tour wraps up and we spend a night recovering back in Alice Springs
March 15th-Fly from Alice Springs (Northern Territory) to Adelaide (South Australia) known as the city of cathedrals. We'll spend the day exploring and getting ready for...
March 16th-Hello tour numero dos! Our scenic escapade to The Grampians and along the Great Ocean Road begins. The biggest highlight? The 12 Apostles Rock Formations-random rocks sticking out of the ocean. They do like their rocks here, no?
March 18th-Arrive back in Melbourne, exhausted but content in our whirlwind coverage of middle Australia.

Following our trip, we have a mere two days to pack up, say our goodbyes, and brace ourselves for the climate change. Sunday March 21st we are London bound my friends! Oh the life of a Texas nomad....

Gotta Love a Sweet Summer Saturday

That's right. I'm afraid I must rub it in. I'm basking in the sumptuous summer sun while you poor Northern Hemispherites (yes that's the official term) are dealing with the winter crazy hitting an all time high this year. And do you know what really puts the cherry on my summer Saturday sundae? A day off. So TGIS* my friends.

I started my low key day off right; I resisted the sleep in temptation. Well not so much resisted as my internal alarm clock woke me up at 8am, and try as I might I could not get back to sleep. I'm going to go ahead and chalk this up as another pro in the maturity column of my life. My continuously running maturity pros/cons list is kind of like that 'you know you're getting older when...' deal. For example the other day someone asked me how old I was, and I had to think about it, I mean really think about it. What happened to the good old days when I would answer without a milisecond of hesitation 'fixin to be 15 thank you very much.' I not only knew my age, but qualified it reflex style. But don't worry too much about my pro column being all that full. I managed to round it out with a big old con in the form of demolishing the entire contents of a bottle of red wine last night whilst watching some bad TV. How did mature Shivonne rationalize this decision? The antioxidants of course. Hello pro. Yep. I'm all about the balance.

I decided to make good use of my early rising by taking my lovely new camera for a playdate along the waterfront before the heat set in. In true day off fashion, I quickly braided my hair, pulled on leggings and a gray tshirt, threw on a cap and even slapped on some suncreen for good measure. Luckily Williamstown stays pretty sleepy on Saturday mornings before 10am, so my only company consisted of seagulls and the occasional jogger snidely running by. Don't you just hate that self congratulatory look of someone who wakes up early on the weekend, puts on fancy running clothes, and proceeds to run 10 miles? Smug bastards. Smug, incredibly fit, tanned bastards. Okay. Maybe they are on to something, but I'll never admit it to their face. That'll show 'em!

Forty minutes and hundreds of shots later (good thing I invested in the biggest memory card I could find), I turned my tear strewn eyes out of the blinding morning light and blustery summer wind feeling assured that I had captured multiple shots of every building in detail staring at me from Melbourne's skyline across the bay. In my post photo yet temporarily sight hindered glow, I neglected to mind my footing and promptly spun cartoon style into a magnificent fall. Sprawled on the dewy grass surrounded by my belongings, I thanked my lucky stars only the seagulls witnessed the latest proof of my increasingly rapid inclination towards clumsiness. I swear I heard them cackle though...cheeky little gits.

So now I'm enjoying the free internet and air conditioning provided by the Hobson Bay Library System. I think I'll spend the rest of my day reading and maybe sneak in a little nap. The only downside of of lazy summer days off is that they never seem to last as long as I'd like.
*Thank goodness it's Saturday. and Summer. It goes both ways. I don't. TMI? OK. Enough with the acronyms already!

Like a Moth to a Flame

Now I realize that the lovely Laura just posted a blog with a similar title, but as you will soon find out my interpretation is slightly more-how shall I put it? Literal. Yes that's it. Very literal indeed.

Recently Chris has had some schedule changes at his job resulting in more days shifts than he previously worked. Noting all his positive attributes no doubt, management decided to move him from evenings to daytime since less people work during the day, so they need stronger employees to take such shifts. I'm very proud of him. He's only been working there about six months, and he's already considered senior staff. However I digress. The big benefit of this recent change is that our schedules are now much more compatible, and those rare elusive nights we get to spend together have become, thankfully, much less rare. It was on such a night that our story unfolds.

Relaxing one evening in my bedroom, I'm lying on my bed reading a book as Chris continues his ever dominance of world power via his adored computer game Total War. It's a warm summer night, so the window is pushed open to let whatever breeze is to be found into the room. Unfortunately a gigantic moth decides to breeze right in as well. Chris suddenly pushes his laptop to the side and frantically jumps to his feet, 'Oh my gosh! Baby look at the SIZE of that moth!' I glance up from my latest literary obsession-The Blind Side (on a side note this book is excellent, especially if you like football. My parents gave it to Chris for Christmas, and the movie version starring Sandra Bullock looks great too)- and quickly dismiss it's presence. Turning back to my reading I reply, 'Don't worry about it. It will find it's way out soon enough.' But Chris isn't having it. 'How can I kill it?' he asks roaming the room for potential weapons with his eyes. A few seconds later I look up and see him holding an aerosol deodorant can and begin to say that I doubt that will do the trick, but the words never leave my lips as I realize what's in his other hand-a lighter. 'Um, that's not a good idea.' I say half heartedly as I go back to my reading. Surely he won't be that stupid. I hear the woosh of spray emitting from the can. Not even looking up, 'I really think that's a bad idea.' Then the click of the lighter. My eyes pop up. 'Chris don't.' The torch finds expelled gas and ignites into the air. I have to admit, it's pretty cool. Like when you're a little kid and learn how to use matches for the first time. Chris exclaims 'I almost got him!' I sit enthralled, frozen for a few seconds, and a few seconds is all it takes. Chris gives the lighter another flick as he shoots the spray into the direction of the moth. Into the direction of the paper Chinese lampshade thingy covering the light bulb hanging from the ceiling. As the paper lantern ignites my mind starts to race-oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. The fire is going to ignite the electric wires and spread through the house and we're all going to die in the explosion. Our landlord is going to KILL us! In the thirty longest seconds of my life, Chris runs around screaming 'What do I do?!?! What do I do!?!' as I sit still frozen on the bed. Thankfully God had our stupid backs covered, and the flame extinguished itself after consuming the paper lantern. Sitting in my bed, with wisps of shriveled moth wings and ashen paper floating down around me I think, Damn. That moth must of really had it coming.

Quick Update

And I mean really quick.

I'm sitting in the little Williamstown public library using the free internet for the first time in over a week but for very good reasons. I've just finished my first full week back at work since we reopened after the renovations and I put in a solid 50 hours. 50 hours! That's crazy talk right! The kind of working week some fancy pants lawyer wouldn't think was a big deal but let me tell you after 5 weeks off I am DRAINED. My feet hurt. My knees hurt. I'm exhausted. But it's worth every minute. After my work sabatical and multi international ticket purchases my savings are as drained as I am. Good news though...I get TWO days off this week and only have 43 hours to cover.

Oh no. My terminal time is rapidly depleting (on my computer that is. I'm not terminal. Apparently my relating skills are low when exhausted and short on time) so I'm going to take the last two minutes before I'm kicked off to say....I don't have to become an illegal alien! Yay! Long story short I freaked my self out about my immigration office appointment for nothing. I walked in, didn't even have to show all my supporting evidence, and was granted an extension right away. Whew! Well I really have to go but hope to put in a longer update soon! love you all!

Stressed

I don't always make the smartest decisions.

As you (hopefully) have read, Chris and I will be extending our stay in Australia for an extra 5 weeks or so. Unfortunately, this means dealing with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Is it just me, or do all beauracratic, red tape cutting, government offices sound ominous? Why not choose a more upbeat name like...We Really Like You and Want to Help You Stay in Our Country for as Long as You'd Like Because the Awesomeness Factor Rises About 10 Points When You Step on Our Soil Department. I'll admit it's a tad long, but doesn't it just ring with optimism? That's all I'm looking for, a little optimism if you please.

Soooo....as I was saying, some necessary paperwork is required for me not to be booted out of the country on February 11th. I really needed these few extra weeks of work to fund my UK adventure before making my way home. Chris has it easy enough, because he's not a hated American, he can easily extend his visa for another year. Me? Well that's a different story. I have to lodge a formal request in person with an immigration officer to extend my visa for a further visit period. Now what would usually be a pain in the butt application/meeting is a bit more complicated than you'd expect. Why you might ask? Well because Shivonne is a corner cutting dumb ass who can't meet all legal requirements. Here's the rub: During my stay in Melbourne, I've been working cash in hand which didn't strike me as all that odd (Chris is doing the same thing-seems to be typical of restaurants around here). This means my last documented source of income using my tax file number was back in June. Now I have to show proof of funds to prove I can finance my extended stay and I'm very nervous all those cash deposits on my statement will raise more than just eyebrows. To make matters worse, I didn't file a tax return in October for my work in Queensland. Normally I don't avoid the tax man, but after doing an online return, my estimated payment to the government was around $1000 (apparently our bosses in Alpha cut corners on their tax info to, meaning we would have to pay out for it). Bottom line: my whole working income situation is way past dodgy, and I'm freaking out. Do I disclose my cash in hand situation (I mean the whole of the staff I work with gets paid this way) or will that royally screw me? For goodness sakes I just want five more weeks!

Whew! Needless to say, I'm a wee bit worried. Hopefully I'm blowing this all out of proportion, and the immigration meeting will be more like a formality. As long as I turn in the right paperwork/documents, they can't deny a teeny overstay can they? I really hope illegal immigration is not in my future.

Well other than my financial/immigration problems, things here are chugging along as usual. The renovations at work are finishing up this week, and I've even been able to go in a few days and help with the cleaning for a little more illegal cash in hand pay (If I fall, I might as well fall hard). We officially open up Wednesday, and my work sabatical will come to a close. I'm actually looking forward to going back to work-not only do I really need the cash, but a little bit of stability and routine in my life is definately welcome at the moment. Now if only I could learn to make more responsible decisions.....

This is what we call Perspective

Whilst engaging in potentially scary yet unavoidable hypothetical dinner table conversation:

Chris: "I don't want to freak you out, but eventually you are going to have to have a good long think about our future."

------long pause--------

Shivonne: "Hm. You know what would be good? If I married you, I could get dual citizenship and live like anywhere I wanted."

Chris: "Yes, WE could. I don't think you understand how this whole marriage thing works."

Flight of the Shivonne

Well kids, it's about that time again. Time to get a move on. Literally. As our stay here in the land of Paul Hogan, footy, servos, bogans, jackaroos, bondi cigars, cuppas, stubbies, and all those crazy marsupials* comes to an end, one particular to do on my list just had to be checked off. I wish it was some crazy adventure or a new exotic destination to be visited. Alas no. In the world of travel, the mundane details are just as important as the salacious adventures, and today we completed some necessary business that makes those adventures possible. Positive statement. Ringing affirmative**: we booked our flights. 

Unfortunately that doesn't mean you'll be seeing me anytime soon per say (these international do's have to be booked well in advance don't you know, not to mention the month long stopover to visit all of Chris' wonderful family and friends in the UK). What it DOES mean is I can give you actual, hard, set dates of when you WILL see me again. We call that a compromise. So here is all that vital information you just have to have. Sharpie these dates into your calendar because I am expecting numerous reunion specials upon my arrival. 

March 20th: depart Melbourne 11:15pm

March 21st: arrive London Heathrow 12:25pm

April 19th: depart London Heathrow 1pm

April 2oth: Arrive Dallas-Fort Worth 11am

Well that's the basic skeleton itinerary to date, and there's a lot of flesh around those bones that I'll update you on sometime later (let's just say the second leg of my journey will be an interesting one between an icelandic flight and changing airports in New York. The joys of traveling like a broke penny saving backpacker never end). Suffice to say that April showers this year will be bringing Shivonne along with May flowers. And I can't wait. 

*If you know what all these words mean, you have one up on me my friend.

**Yes, I realize these phrases aren't particularly necessary and probably rather confusing, but I was watching Breakfast at Tiffany's yesterday and Paul's character uttered these words and for some reason I just loved it. Now I'm trying to use this phrase whenever possible. And, yes. People are already getting tired of it. 

Baby, Oh baby.

Yes my friends, there has recently been a new addition to my existence, and frankly I'm ashamed I haven't mentioned him before. Meet my baby-Mr. Pentax X70 Digital Camera Extraordinaire himself. Since that name is a bit on the superfluous side, I decided to go with Harvey. Yes, I've named my fancy new camera Harvey. Makes me feel very vintage press. The pop up flash, on camera digital manipulation, 12 mega pixels, and 24X zoom lend me quite the  amateur photog vibe, even if I can't decipher most of the symbols appearing on my LCD screen. I know, I know. Something something manual reading blah blah blah. Where's the fun in that I ask you? What if I want to take a journey of discovery with my new friend Harvey, uncovering his most fantastic secrets with innocent experimentation? Well, that didn't work. Turns out these fancy schmancy cameras are rather intricate. We're talking histograms, aperture, light exposure, shutter speed, and a whole heap of things I don't understand let alone know how to manipulate. Looks like Harvey has issued me quite the challenge, and you know I'm not the type to back down. Hopefully this gal is brainy enough to figure out the complicated technology (I know, but it's complicated to ME) so I can showcase some fresh pics for your viewing pleasure. Oh, and by the way, this isn't even one of those fancy SLR types with interchangeable lenses. I'm afraid that would be WAY out of my league. 

Now you might be wondering just where I conjured up such a beautiful specimen. Well Harvey was gifted to me from an equally beautiful specimen-the boyfriend. Did Chris outdo himself in the Christmas spirit this year or what? Yes, I'm a very lucky girl. Knowing my fondness of capturing interesting images and my tendency of wearing out my poor little canon power shot, this thoughtful man decided to take it up a notch, and I couldn't be happier. Now let's hope there's enough love to share between Chris and Harvey, because two men in any girl's life can get complicated-am I right?

The Time Has Come My Friends...

...the time for champions that is.

As most, if not all of my readers know, I heart college football. And I have very good reason to. After attending a university boasting one of the foremost powers in the NCAA football arena, it would be heretic not to bleed burnt orange. Unfortunately, for reasons I can't fathom, Australians really aren't all that interested in American football, and definitely not on the college level. Over this past season, I've been able to watch a total of three games. THREE. In not one of those games incidentally did my beloved Longhorns play. Yes. That's just what I thought-an honest to God tragedy. And do you know what the kicker is? At this very moment, the BCS National Championship game is on it's way, and I have to muster some sort of other worldly will power NOT to check the numerous score updates, online streaming footage, or even innocently pop onto ESPN.com. Why might I be putting myself through such torture? Well I just checked the Australian sports channel network and starting at 11:25pm this evening, they will be showcasing one bowl-arama featuring the 5 bcs bowls back to back for my viewing pleasure. I am preparing to gorge myself on an all night college football feast concluding in watching my University of Texas Longhorns march to the victory they deserve in a manner not unlike four years ago on this day when they succeeded in such an attempt against USC. The team may be different, but I swear 'Bama will rue the day they were matched against the 'horns. Before I make my way home for napping duties (Isn't it clear that I have no choice? There's a mandatory all nighter in my future), I'll close this post the only way I know how: HOOK 'EM HORNS!