Dun-Dun…..Dun Dun…..Dun-Duh-Dun-Duh- Dun-Duh-Dun-Duh……

So Scuba Sunday was GREAT. I braved the open water against the wishes of my dear cousin Ashley who has seen the Jaws series just a few too many times. I got 2 days off of work and decided to take a mini vacay. (you know from my normally super hard and stressful life) Anyway, I came up to cairns for the weekend, kind of my first ditch effort to travel alone. And I gotta say, not too bad. Anyway, I made friends with these itailian sisters at the hostel and we went to the bar. It was a good night, oh it was a good night. We danced….we drank…..and we got hit on. I literally went into the bathroom to make sure I didn’t have a sign on my back that said…..CREEPERS WELCOME. DIGNITY AND MORALS NOT NECESSARY. Needless to say, these guys were far from marriage material. Hell they were far from dance partner material. Lets see, there was the 18 year old rugby player who was missing, um, about 40% of his teeth,

the guy in a skirt who thought it would really make the outfit to wear a thong under it, oh and the guy who tried to do hand motions to talk to me because the only English he knew was, “hi” and “no.” Which, as it turns out…were the only 2 words I used. Anyway, I ended up just dancing the night away (alone) and heading home.

Thanks to mom and dad, I had a FANTASTIC Saturday. As you all know, and anyone who has ever met me knows, I have a slight shopping addiction. Well when you’re backpacking and make no money you can’t exactly go on shopping sprees. So they let me feed my addiction, just slightly, but still. And I got my first diet coke in weeks. AMAZINNGGGGG. (They’re $3.50 out of a vending machine, who am I, Rockefeller?) Then I had a quiet night at home to get ready for SCUBA SUNDAY. Yay

So I board the boat bright and early this morning and we set sail to the great barrier reef. Our first stop was Michaelma’s Cay, which I learned soon after we arrived, is a bird sanctuary. OF COURSE IT IS. Why wouldn’t they bring me to an island with hundreds of ferocious birds? Anyway after I escaped the island, which I will also refer to as “my worst fear come true,” I went for a snorkel. I’ve never seen water like this. Crystal clear and sooo much colorful reef! After about a half hour, I headed back to the boat for my scuba dive. We went in groups of 4, and they put all the Americans in a group together. It’s probably like a special-ed thing. So if you think I’m uncoordinated on land, you should see me 20 feet under water with weights tied around my waist and a giant air tank on my back. That’s a sight for sure. I looked smoking hot. I’m pretty sure I kicked everyone in our group in the face at least 3 times. Whatever…..I didn’t die, and that’s the only rule here in aussie land.

Just got on the bus headed back to Mission Beach. I look like a cherry, I’m bruised all over, I can barely move my arms, and I’m happy as a clam. (which by the way, are bigger than me!!) I’m travelling the east coast in about a week and a half. Can’t wait to see what’s gonna happen next. (oh, and the DJ at the bar across the road from where I live is throwing me a going away party. See small towns do have advantages, like royal treatment at the mission beach resort. Yep, I’m practically as cool as Price William.)

"Did superman just jump off the roof?"...."Yep, and you're next catwoman."

The one thing I swore I would never do was bungy jump. Well, shocker……I did it. And not only did I do it, but I did it backwards with staff that were intent on making me pee my pants. So all day I’m terrified. Like way past scared to a point I’ll forever refer to as “the bungies.” I was literally shaking. We went to Cairns so Dez could “push me off the roof.” But we didn’t go straight to the bungy place so I could get it over with….NOOOOO…..we got to work all day doing promos and shaking hands. I’m pretty sure I will always be remembered as the quiet, weirdish, shaky girl that worked for absolute backpackers. Anyway, as soon as anyone found out I was jumping, they would think of the most horrible stories to tell me. “Well there was this guy I used to know. Now he’s dead…” Awesome.

I finally get to the bungy place and climb to the top. (by the way, I am in dire need of a gym. I almost died, not from the jump, but because of the 9 flights of stairs I had to climb beforehand.) I get to the top and I’m waiting my turn when one of the workers’ phone rings. He answers it, looks at me, and says “The girl?...Yea I got this on lock.” I HATE Dez sometimes. It’s my turn to jump and I am informed that I don’t get to jump forwards like everyone else…nooooo…..he wants me to stand backwards with my heels off the edge leaning as far back as possible. So I do it……because it’s no use fighting….I’m falling of that think one way or another. After 4 “pretend” almost drops he let go. Um OH MY GOSH. Scariest thing ever. I think everyone at home may have heard me scream. But, I did survive……Finally, Australia-10 Anne-1

My reward for being such a good sport was sushi. Not just any sushi…….sushi train. This is without a doubt what I think heaven is like. There are hundreds of plates of sushi that go around on a mini luggage carousel and you just sit at your table and grab what you want when it comes by. Seriously, HEAVEN. Dez looks over about 30 silent minutes later and goes, “Dang, you ate as much as me.” I don’t know when they’re gonna learn that I can eat a ridiculous amount of food……a whole pizza, sure…..2 hamburgeres, definitely……5 plates of sushi, NO problem. When asked how I do it, I simply respond with…….”I get it from my mama…..”

Are There crocs in there? Oh just a few and they aren't that big.....

Hello all…….sorry I haven’t written in a while but there really hasn’t been anything too exciting going on! Mission Beach is still great and I got to play tour guide this morning to a sales rep. Which was fun until we went for a boat ride and I came off looking as if I had been submerged for a good 10 minutes. So much for showering today. I then spent the rest of my day at the beach reading…….i KNOW, life is SO hard.

The other day we had a bit of excitement. So we go about 10 minutes north to play beach volleyball every week. (And I have become a PRO by the way, so next time we’re in FL….IT IS SO ON) Well I was with my friend Carla and we decided that we wanted to jog back. Seeing as I

haven’t worked out since I came here, I thought that was a great idea. Between the volleyball court and home, there is a small creek. And apparently at high tide…..is isn’t so much a small creek as a raging river. Carla decides it can’t be that deep so she starts to cross it. Well, the first 3 steps are fine….then she takes the fourth one and is up to he shoulders about to drown. (which I though was ironic seeing as that’s my name) She comes back and we assess the situation. She explains that we should cross upriver and I explain that I’m not doing it. Well she runs across immediately so we are now on opposite sides of this death trap. After about 15 minutes of threats, on Carla’s end, I swim across.

Thinking that was it, I was so relieved. But then, we both realize that we’ve gone too far upriver and now have to trek the 40 meters through the rainforest, at dusk, barefoot, in the land of all things can kill you. So I ran like the most spastic creature any human has ever seen and made it out alive. We walked back to the hostel where everyone had extremely confused looks on their faces because we went for a beach jog and returned sopping wet with mud up to our knees. We then learn that the "creek" is full of crocs. Of course it is, why wouldn't it be. Thank you Australia…….you win again.

"Usually I'd say it's nothing we can't handle but the water is pretty high today so I'm not sure"......Thanks rafting guide for the confidence boost

Okay Everyone, I’m alive! Rafting was amazing…….and I am able to say that because I am out of the water now sitting on the couch. So we got going bright and early at 7:30 am (and no worries, I learned my lesson from sea kayaking……no drinking the night before). I get there and am assigned my boat. Well, lucky me…...it’s Anne plus three couples. GREAT. I get it world….I’m single…..no need to rub it in! But anyway, we get going immediately. I tried to warn the guide about my uncanny clumsiness, but noooo, no one wants to listen. Well after 30 minutes on the river, I was already in need of 2 bandages. Seriously.

The first was a little bit my fault. We got out of the raft to go rock jumping. (Sorry again mom

and dad. But don’t worry….it was only like 12 feet high) I got a little too excited, and tried to climb up the rock. Well I was in wet crocs trying to climb a giant wet rock……you do the math. I busted it pretty hard, turning my knee black and blue in seconds which then begin bleeding soon thereafter. I then proceeded to climb to the top of the rock and jump. AMAZING. Definitely a rush.

Our next fun adventure was body surfing through the rapids. Or in my case, playing pin ball with giant boulders. If anyone finds the chunk of my hip that’s missing, let me know. OUCH. Truthfully, I was like wow, that’s going to be a bad bruise….nope……it was a lot of blood though. So……one more bandage for the road. By this point…I think the guide was beginning to understand what I was saying about having trouble standing on flat ground.

We went on for a while more and because I was there alone, our raft guide saw this as an opportunity to ensure I was in the water A LOT. I would be mid conversation and he would just kick his leg out…..literally kicking me out of the raft. The best part was that I was in the back and he would deny it every time. This ensured “the couples” thought I was just a total spaz that fell out of the raft at the most rando times. Thanks Johnny. After about 5 times he promised to stop. But then the guides from the other rafts decided that they wanted in on the hilariousness

of watching me flail around in the water. So they started diving off their boat just to get me in the rapids. By the end of the trip, another backpacker got me with his paddle and I went in YET AGAIN. The rest of the people in the boat probably went in 4 times……..my count was 15. YEP, 15. It wouldn’t have been so bad but every time I went into the river they had to pull me back in the boat. There’s an attractive moment. I’m pulled in and all I can do is fall in and take a good minute to get back in position, successfully mimicking a beached whale. Weird how swimming around a strong current river 15 times can tire you out.

We get back to the base and no beer has ever been that good……EVER. And when I got home I probably took a 30 minute scolding hot shower…….freaking amazing. I’m definitely a serious adrenaline junkie now…….hey, it’s better than being an actual junkie.