Hey All,

Welcome home to me, I guess…

I’m still in two minds about being back home, as I always am….l’ve been catching up with everyone, and have made quite a few random finds the past week, people I haven’t seen in 8 years or so, so it has been a lil bit exciting…

The main reason that my return is not as exciting is that my health has been scrappy once again (how surprising for anyone who has ever lived with me…) and I’ve taken some big expensive steps to try and get happy & healthy. Doctors, specialists and I’ve only been here 5 days! I’m cutting out the majority of what used to form the Sarah 3000kj, my daily diet, high in chocolate, icing, sugar, vegetables and sugar. Now I’m allowing myself very little wheat, no dairy, no chocolate and no booze…at times I wonder what I’m living for….mmmm brown rice anyone, maybe a side of steamed vegetables? Least if my skins going to be shite, I may as well be thin and doing my arteries some good for once…

I probably wrote to the majority of you back when I was leaving Canada………ahh such a lovely place….last weeks involved fun things such as superhero party (too much lycra is never enough!), stressing out over packing (2080-I will return next year/this year to collect the rest of my belongings!), a fun road trip out to Lake Harrison….on route we saw a field of dogs, which is pretty odd…hanging out with Adam, many farewell dinners & cakes in my honour, and sunbaking. Yes, my year of eternal winter, I caught the beginning of what would seem to be a promising Vancouver summer…I got sunburnt! Only a lil on my whitest bits, I was out in full sun trying to get a base tan before hitting Hawaii…

Hawaii – lovely lil island Oahu is…I stayed in cheesy Waikiki, in a hostel a block from the beach. Had an awesome time there, even if I am now approaching the older travellers group….sob sob! Bit of a shock to find I am the older woman now….I’m getting used to it…What did I do in Oahu? Not a lot, weather apparently was a bit unseasonable when I arrive, decided it would be a good time to rain…was balmy out though. Walked up Diamond Head Crater from the hostel with Pete, the French Canadienne. Good hike, not to strenuous, and great views over the island. The next day, we got on a local bus and checked out the views of the eastern side of the island. Once you leave Waikiki, the island is fairly rural…2 and a bit hours on an icy air con’d bus and we somehow managed to get off the bus after all the cool big surf beaches…Nothing like a nice stroll along the beach so we walked from Haleiwa Harbour and just kept going…bout 9km later we ended up at Sunset Beach, a famous surf spot north of Waimea Bay…my feet were pretty cut up from wearing thongs/flip flops for the first time in months…and not to mention the several kilometres walking alongside the highway barefoot…ahhh…such a sensible girl. The long walk was all worthwhile as we saw green sea turtles, sunbaking on the beach, and some just surfing the waves, popping their lil heads out to grab a glimpse. North Shore is great. Just how I like my beaches, pretty and quite, summer is off season, and the waves so small, I’d be happy to go surfing out there. And anyone who’s seen me surf or body board before knows I’m a big sook. Went to Sea Life Park, discounted prices and the new English bloke in the dorm had never seen dolphins before! Pretty average for that sort of park, FYI it was where 50 First Dates, the average Drew Barrymore/Adam Sandler flick was filmed – that film made it look cool, the park was really quite average. The seals were funny, watching them at feeding time was ewwwwwwwww. Lot’s of big seal burps…blah! Then onto Hanuama Bay – oh my gawd that place is awesome! The pics live up to reality. Saw lot’s and lot’s of fishes, so many different types…not just piddley ones either – big mofos….huggable size fishes…..colourful fishes…and a baby turtle…sooo cute! We had to swim a fair ways to find him, just chilling on the ocean floor. Other than that, Hawaii consisted in hanging out with my slightly nutty dorm roommates, an entertaining bunch!

Then a flight whisked me off to Nadi, Fiji. First day I just relaxed at the hostel. Nadi Bay Hotel, good place for $26 a night in an air con dorm room. Next day it was off to the harbour to jump on the big yellow boat to the Yasawa Islands. Yay. Gorgeous day, water was still, sun was out…About 2 hours on this boat, I arrived at Octopus Resort on Waya….nice work. 4 days of rest & relaxation. 3 meals a day, and one of the nicest dorms I’ve ever stayed in…Found myself a nice patch of beach and started reading. Stopped my reading for meals and a few naps….ahhhh….The beach was lovely. Only problem was that I’m a lazy aussie gal, I don’t like reefs….well I do, but I prefer to be able to just stroll out and swim, and should I want to, admire coral and fishes, make my way over to the sides…yes, yes, moan, moan, so I stayed dry the entire time. Weather was perfect, not too hot, nice breeze…ahhhh….lot’s of hermit crabs on the beach, so many that when you would stroll along the shells would all move….made me laugh…3 days later on a crappy day, I boarded the boat and back to Nadi. Boat ride was rough, and my sea sickness decided it was time to pay me a visit. No hurling, just that ‘I want to die’ feeling….

Next morning I was up at 6am, eating pineapple iceblocks for breakfast, before jumping on a plane that took me back to the golden soils of Oz. Love flying into Sydney, I’ve never had a rough landing and I love looking at the beaches as you land…Paul, my mate picked me up, quick stop at Newtown to say hi to Al and to park Paul’s car with my gear in it in the security carpark and off to the Swannies match. Seems I have brought them good luck, the guys got up in the last minutes and won. Yay.

So, here I am, in the mountains, the mountains which used to be blue and green, are now brown, brown and brown. Drought is bad, more water restrictions hit next week. I’m trying to get back into mountain mode. It’s very, very slow up here….gradually, I’m getting the hang of things. The odd cycle round my home town, playing netball with my mates on Monday nights, and starting to get down to the city to visit more of my lovely friends. Doctors and dentists are filling up my life and draining my bank account (down almost a grand and I’ve only been here a week).

Anyone got any annoying jobs they want me to do? I’m available for cash incentives!

Australians in Australia - if I don’t call you, it’s probably because I have lost your number – don’t think I’m snobbing you!

Friends in far away countries – here is my new mobile/cell phone number:
+61 404 622 903 – make sure you sign off any text messages with your name…some reason my phone won’t id everyone I have put in my phone!

Hugs and sunshine to you all…it’s winter here and 20 degrees out, slight breeze, not a cloud in the sky…love it!

Love Sarah