Hostel life

After travelling on and off over the past few years I've come across a fair few hostels, especially now as I'm writing this on the last day of a double road trip through Tasmania and the Great Ocean Road and it's fair to say I have definitely come across some interesting and wacky typical stereotype travellers along the way. 

This post is me trying to name and explain (or atleast try to) some of the individuals you usually come across and I'm sure will be able to relate with if you too have experienced hostel life. 

This is me being totally stereotypical so please don't get offended :) 

Not every traveller with a suitcase is a wanker it's just what I call them for jokes. 

The Brand Spanking New Traveller 

So these guys are fresh travellers usually freaking out at the whole shared mixed sex dorm situation and how to get dressed without people people thinking you're easy (the dorm perves) They're usually a suitcase wanker aswell, but sometimes not. If they're on their own they are usually really quiet or totally in your face asking questions about EVERYTHING. Usually nice peeps. 

The Forever Traveller 

These people are pretty hardcore. The people I've met that have been on the road for a very long time, usually forming some sort of natural dread in their hair with numerous friendship bracelets and a cracking tan. Great story tellers and not a lot phases them. 

The Big Drinker Party Animal 

(With no noise concern after everyone's asleep) 

Oh my favourite. Not. I like my sleep and for those that know me I don't really drink  so I'm not a huge fan of drunk people alone, especially when they come in at silly o'clock and bang and crash and talk REALLY loud and then drunk snore the rest of the night so no one else can sleep. Once they're asleep it's not so bad it's when they bring a friend back or a "night friend" and attempt to get it on quietly so no one else can hear, but we ALL can. I like to get ready early and put all the lights on the next morning just to welcome them to the hangover Ha! 

The Flashpackers 

For those who don't know what a flash packer is.. It's a backpacker/traveller that packs everything and usually dolls up and pays extra so they don't have to hate any facilities with other people.. Again usually a suitcase wanker. Like the type of people that go camping and bring a blow up mattress and a toilet, and a shower and champagne.... And probably a spray tan machine and tent. Ok too far. 

The Stoner 

Travellers that live off beans and super noodles as they spend all their so far life savings on pills or weed and not experiences (each to their own) 

The ones I've across are either off their fave on some weird pills or something or completely mellowed the f*€k out on a lot of pot and talking about evolution and dinosaurs and if crabs drink beer do they walk forwards and stuff (totally sounds like a conversation I'd have) usually amusing to listen to if you have a lot of spare time. 

The Creepy One 

You're sharing a room with a bunch I strangers from all over the world that some have been travelling years... You're bound to come across some weirdos but these are something else. I'm talking about the ones that you see staring right at you while you sleep or awkwardly touch you when they walk passed. NOT COOL. 

Forever Sleepers

I've noticed a lot of the Europeans sleep a hell of a lot. I mean if you're trying to see things and make each day worth it you're usually out the room by around 9/10am but these guys are still in bed asleep at like 5pm! I mean unless you work and just living at the hostel and it's a day off then fair enough but if you're travelling you'd think you'd make the most of your time outside rather than cooped up in a bunk bed. 

The OVERLY Friendly Lone Traveller 

These guys are either hilarious or just fucking annoying. I mean, I have to give it to them for doing it alone, it must be hard and you kinda have to be a little extra friendly to make friends alone, especially when a lot of people travel in couples or groups. But there's a limit. And self inviting themselves out with you everywhere you go is a little OTT. Especially if you're a travelling couple. Have yet to experience this one yes but I've defo seen it. 

The Awkward Older Traveller/Families 

In a hostel you usually expect the clientele to be youngish travellers either alone or in a couple or group. But occasionally you get the odd 50+ year old (usually alone) or even better, a whole family. It doesn't sound too bad but when you're in a hostel and if it's quite a lively one its a little awkward. It hasn't happened to me but a friend of mine staying in the same hostel as us in Sydney was in a 6 dorm room and the other 5 beds were taken up by a family! How awkward! 

And last but not least... (There were more that I wrote down to talk about but my thumbs ache) 

The Suitcase Wanker 

Ok not EVERYONE travelling with a suitcase is a wanker.. I just like calling them it especially if they're moving around a lot through busy cities and on and off trams and buses and trains and they're lugging a massive suitcase with them. Fair enough if you're staying in one place for a while and then moving on but when you're just spending a week or so somewhere and then moving on it's ten times easier just to sling your life on your back and take out pedestrians with your swinging walking boots or sleeping bag (or in my case a koala teddy named kelvin) It is added entertainment though seeing suitcases tip over and get in the way and take out people and wheels off on their own back down the hill, so cheers :) 

But I love hostel life and the weird and wonderful individuals you come across in them just makes it all more of a memorable experience :) 

10 random little facts about me that you may or may not know

When I was 16/17 year old i was playing football on a bouncy castle in an outdoor ed lesson and I ended up kicked someone's foot instead of the ball and ended up breaking my big toe. I strapped it to the toe next to it and in doing so I have now have a slightly deformed bent big toe with arthritis starting and I will probably have to have it re-broken and but back in place at some point. Sexy eh? 

I have a huge fear of the dark ever since I was a kid. Going to the toilet at night is still scary even though the bathroom is in my room. Walking anywhere that is dark on my own looks like a scene from a horror movie where the girl is running away from a baddy and just flailing about like a tit. Thank god for the torch on my phone. I end up telling my brain that there are people following me or something in the bushes and it's a total mind over matter thing. At night I have to sleep on the side of the bed that is furthest away from the door and if I ever had to sleep without my boyfriend I end up having a little night light on. Pathetic I know. 

I was born with an eye problem which has left me now with less than 10% vision in my right eye and next to no depth perception. As I kid I had to have really horrific looking glasses, some strong ass eye drops and my very cool eye patch with dinosaur stickers to jazz it up which totally made me the most popular kid in school and obviously never got bullied for it. Naaat! 

It hasn't really stopped me doing anything apart from working for the police or some high up job (but let's face it this is me we are talking about) I can't really play sport with ball very well anymore with the whole depth perception thing. I used to play basketball but now it's just painful when you get a ball to the face every 3 minutes. Hopefully it won't effect driving in the future,I haven't learnt completely yet as I don't need to drive now while I'm travelling and I didn't want to spend loads of money on learning and then to find I can't drive in years to come but hopefully it won't effect it. I wear glasses now and then when I'm static or watching tv or reading something but having them on 24/7 I end up bumping into things are they are so magnified it's like looking through a goldfish bowl.

I'm really bad in crowds, I have to cling onto my boyfriend because I just end up walking into people not being able to see how far something or someone is in front of me. I probably just look drunk all the time but nope, it's just me and my wonky eye :) there's no cure really for my little funky eye, I can't have laser surgery in it as it's a brain connection that is where the problem/weekness is but I can't have it in my left eye. So we will see! Until then I'll just be bumping into things and people. And NEVER throw me a phone or camera or something breakable to catch, I won't. 

Everyone has weird little things that make them shudder. Some people can't stand the sound of nails on a chalk board or the screech of cutlery on plates. For me, I ABSOLUTELY HATE people chewing their toothbrush. It litterly makes me feel sick and all funny. That sound of the brushes on their teeth as they crunch down on it. I'm feeling all shaking just typing about it. My boyfriend loves to wind me up with it most days. Don't do it, I will punch you. 

Another thing I'm afraid of is people touching my belly button. I'm sure there's some long word for it but I can't think for the life of me what it is. I don't know if it's because I have an inny belly button or the fact I've had an operation where I have key hole surgery almost through my belly button but I literally hate it. Again, the boyfriend likes to really wind me up with it. The outcome wasn't pretty. 

FISH. I can't stand the smell of fish, I can't stand eating fish I just can't do it. Not even a fish finger. Ok I've had fish fingers before and they're bareable doused in ketchup but I just don't think that is it fish and it's not too bad but out of choice I won't eat fish. I don't think if it's because my aunt used to own the fish shop at my dad's boatyard and as a kid I'd always be in there and watching them gut fish and the smell of it just haunted me. Prawns scare me, eating the whole thing like the whole body and then sucking it's brains and blah blah. I mean ew. We had them on the table for Christmas dinner last year at the farm as everyone has king prawns over in Australia for Christmas and it was horrendous. They just look at you with their big black bobbly eyes as you tuck in. Not a fan. 

For those that know me well know that I am quite a... What's the word... Outspoken? But basically I'm not very good at taming the filter between my brain and mouth. I think I get that from my mum, we're quite a loud, say what you think family. And it can be a good thing, or it can be an awkward thing and I'm often thinking to myself "maybe I should've kept that in" or something. People say to me that im entitled to my opinion and I am quite opinionated aswell as wearing my heart of my sleeve. I'm not good at filtering my brain to my mouth. Apologies. 

People get a little surprised if they find out that I'm actually really self coincious and unconfident. I know I'm not a quiet person and I'm always ranting on about being yourself and travel and blah blah blah and it's all true but underneath I am very uneasy with mainly my body. Which does affect different ways I feel good and rubbish. I've never been skinny I've always had junk in my trunk and I'm starting a routine that hopefully my future self will thank me for. 

The reason my blog name is featherheadthoughts is because I have feathers in my hair (for those who really don't know me all that well) 

And last but not least... My really shit party trick. I can do all sorts of armpit farts with my hand. Like you used to do as a kid or mainly what all the boys used to do in primary school if kiss chase didn't end up impressing the girls. It's not ladylike and it's not very cool but if im drunk (rare for me I know) and around new people, don't be shocked if I pull out my armpit farting skills. If you're still my friend afterwards then you're a Keeper! 

Ciao. Featherhead

Raw Travel Moments

I've been wanting to write this type of post for a long time about some of the "raw moments" you experience when travelling. I've been so lucky to have seen and experienced what I have at the young age of 22 and like now after being in Australia for nearly 3 months already most days now are kinda like the norm, though i still get those little moments that give me a rush and complete sense of freedom and content-ness (if that's even a word) 

Early travel moments 

I was a lucky kid with travel. Me and my dad would always be abroad either on skiing holidays in the mountains or at my grandparents house in Spain. I'm pretty sure I got on m first ever plane at 3 months old and I think I've counted 29 times I've been to Spain and the last time was when I was like 15, that's quite a lot in 15 years. My dad's side I the family had money so I was lucky to get to go on holidays and see things.

I started to get these moments that have stuck with me all my life, like little snapshots of things I've seen. Like a time I was sat on a ski lift and looking down in the perfectly untouched snow glistening in the sunlight. My dad was the person who introduced me to travel so young through holidays together and I'm forever thankful and I will always live my travels through his spirit, hence the snowflake in the middle of my dream catcher tattoo that is in memory of him. 

The first time I visited a place with such a strong culture shock was morocco. Dad took me there when I was 12 or 13 for a day trip as it was only a short trip on a ferry from the south of Spain. I was in total shock and amazement of everything around me. The people, smells, poverty, sounds. Camels in the streets and people trying to sell you everything and anything. I remember him holding my hand tightly through the busy little streets and I was just amazed and totally hooked on wanting to know more. How could somewhere so close to a place I know be so different. 

That was the first moment in my life I remember thinking "I want to see the world". 

South Africa's raw moments 

Those that know me well know that I a little (lot) obsessed with Africa. Since my first trip in 2010 when I was just 17 I have always held the place close to my heart. It was my first travel experience alone, although I went out with a team of other volunteers of friends and people that had a big impact on my life. The whole trip was just a whirl wind of freedom, love and curiosity. I was in my element and I have never felt as at home as I did out there since leaving. 

I was surrounded by the most incredible wildlife, waking up to hippos wallowing in the dam and the distant groan of lions walking near by. The red dirt and orange skies. My home at heart. 

There were so many raw moments on that trip, from sleeping in the Kruger national park surrounded by nearby hyenas, watching the sun rise over the beach in tofo, Mozambique. The first time riding an elephant, feeding a load of orphans and seeing their beaming faces. Just thinking about it all give me goosebumps and makes my eyes sting and my throat block. 

I've been out there twice since but those times I was on my own doing what I love which is horse riding in the bush and doing trails. I met so many awesome friends out there. What a place.

Here's some photos from all 3 of my South African trips... 

My Summer In America 

In 2012 I ended up getting a job in upper state NY working in an adventure camp through camp leaders. I met some AMAZING beautiful people that I cherish to this day. I saw some beautiful waterfalls, camped out under the stars, drank too much at the magical place alle the cellar spent days off usually hungover at beautiful lakes. 

Part of my job was to teach basic horse riding to the campers and when we didn't have kids riding me and the other two horse girls would take the horses swimming in the lake. The raw moments at camp I remember on duty at night laying on the benches around a big open fire, star gazing and listening to the crackle of the fire, talking about where we would end up in life and how amazing the place was. Another moment was climbing a mountain and sleeping over night in the woods and waking up to the smell of a stale fire and the fresh morning damn smell. The last night of the final session where we lit a huge fire with the kids and let little Candles off the lake shore. If only I could turn back time and relive it all. 

After camp me a load of people went to NYC and rented an apartment for a week. But the journey from camp to NYC was a drive I would never forget. In our bosses BMW convertible, me and Tyler singing our hearts out to Good Charlotte and Bowling For Soup and all sorts. Great little road trip! 

We did the usual city site seeing and partying and just spending all the money we earnt at camp on having a good time. We had a rooftop apparement and spent most nights out over looking the sites of Harlem with the city sky line in view. Magical place. 

After a week me, Katie and Amy (the other horse girls) and then Darryl and went to sunny Miami for a beach and party holiday before returning home. We relaxed on the beach, drank and danced the nights away. From strip clubs to big celeb hotels to skinny dipping to Miami ink. It was for sure a holiday to remember. 

A few Americans snaps... 

The Land Down Under.. So far. 

I have been in Australia almost 3 months now and although it seems a fair amount of time I know that the best of times are yet to come. As you will know if you know me I'm out here with my boyfriend Callum and currently working for pgl put here as activity instructors and group leaders. We have seen some beautiful things like the darling harbour fire works in Sydney, the waves crashing in on the beach in surfers paradise, the kangaroos hopping through the tall grass in the sunset, buskers in the streets of Melbourne at night and the sun lighting up the skies in bright pink over the lake the other evening after a BBQ. I am very much gettin used to the chilled Ozzy way of life. 

I love those raw moments you get from travelling. Where you take it all in with all the senses and just fill up with complete content-ness (there's that made up word again) 

Life isn't meant to be lived in one place. 

Complete and utter wanderlust 🌏✌️

Farm Life

From beaches to Beaudesert 

Whilst in surfers paradise we found a job on Gumtree advertising for someone to work on a small race horse stud farm in a small country town called Beaudesert just an hour inland from the goldcoast. We got In touch with the lady who owned the farm and we landed the job and started a couple days later. The lady that owned the farm worked in surfers paradise so was able to give us a lift back to beaudesert. 

We get a house to live in whilst working on the farm which is about a 30 minute bike ride away from the farm which we have bikes and cycle to and from, high typically Callum has broken his tyres so we are getting lifts in at the moment. The house is awesome and we love surrounded by paddocks with pretty horses all around and a cute little Aussie sheep dog that lives next door called Montana, who I totally adore! 

Average day on the farm 

A day on the farm is always different and there's never a dull day working with some of the crazy little personalities we work with. There's things we have to do each day like feeding the horses morning and evening, feeding the chickens and collecting eggs, feeding budgies and other birds, feeding dogs and cat in the evening, cleaning out the stables and poo picking the paddocks. 

Along side those jobs we do things like Strimming which is called whipper snipping over here (Callum's job) which I find hilarious still, painting fences, weeding, watering plants and veggie patch, washing the dogs, collecting rocks for garden walls, cleaning around the house, taking rubbish out and then the horsey stuff like grooming, washing, hoof picking, lunging and riding the two rideable horses. It works out great as Callum usually does all the handy man stuff like Strimming, fixing fences and stuff and I do the horsey stuff and then we both do all the other bits together. Works out great! 

Bugs. Everything bites 

Oh my god the bloody bugs on the farm drive me barmy. From the minutes you leave the house and jump on the bike to when you're cleaning poo in the heat of the day til you reach the house back door on the ride home, the bugs are all up in your face. I smother myself in bug spray usually getting it in my eyes and mouth and yet thee little sods still sit on my face.  Sometimes they're cool when you sit and watch the ants carry things in their nests but other than that they are awful. Even these tiny winey little ants that get into your socks bite like hell! 

The spider webs catch me out everyday. There's this massive one about two foot wide that I (without fail) walk straight through everyday and it's horrific. I get web all in my hair and in my mouth and up my nose. Not nice atall. But that's really the only down side. Apart from the weather.. When it's really really hot it's so sticky and sometimes unbareable. Until you get that beautiful little breeze.. Ahhh. 

Meet the gang

The chihuahuas - Mr Slim and Lesley Chow 

They are adorable, slim is the little brown one who's just the goofiest cutest little thing who tries to make friends with the horses by almost getting under their feet, runs with his front legs out straight and thinks he's a boxer dog like Diesel. 

The Boxer - Diesel 

Diesel is adorable! I am so in love with this slobbery bouncy runaway pooch. He chills with me in the stables while I clean on a long rope as he likes to explore beaudesert on his own whenever he feels like it and he's off a rope, loves to dance with me and does a great impression of a kangaroo when he's excited. 

The foals -Sven and the unnamed filly 

The mares - Poleaze and Gwen 

These guys are ao cute, Sven is the chestnut (ginger to un-horsey folk) and the unnamed is the brown one with a white star on her head. Sven is a little rebel who likes to escape paddocks and is becoming quite brave with me giving him strokes and scratches considering he hates human contact. The unnamed little beauty looks funny as she has her baby fur still on half her body and she just skips around following her mum. Adorable. 

Poleaze which is the unnamed fillys mum is a first time mum who's quite weary of the babies whereabouts and stands between me and the foal if I get too close to her. Gwen is Svens mum who's been a mum to around 6 foals so she's pretty relaxed with the foal and doesn't care unless there's food involved and then you see her turn into a moody mare! 

The Shetland- Zorro 

Zorro is such a little character with his little fly mask. He follows me around and trots after me if I run Infront of him and loves to roll straight after I've given him a bath. He's got his own cart that he can pull two adults in too! (Once we've fixed it up) 

The yearlings- Tracy, Trudy and Sweetie 

These guys are last years babies and they're not so little anymore! They have a huge field they play in all day and every couple days I go in a play with them and give them a brush to get used to being handled. There's sweetie who's Gwen's baby aswell who's the chestnut ginger one. She's so sweet and gentle and a little nervy sometimes but has such a girl face. Tracy is the brown one without white socks, she's very interested in everything am always comes right up to you and has no sense of space awareness. And then there's Trudy the brown one with socks who is probably the most confident and loves to be the centre of attention when I come in the paddock to give them a brush and scratches.  

The Giant - Raap

This is raap. A 17hh ginger beauty with a baby face. I would say gentle giant but it's not so much the case with this guy.

Loves a lunge, loves being fussed but the second you stop fussing he's trying to eat you. Loves eating lead ropes and poo pickers and has an unhealthy obsession with wheelbarrows (and if he's in a really annoying mood he tips them over, full of poo) 

The new little mare - Piper 

 

Piper is a newby who's only been at the farm a month or so. She's the horse I ride now and then and is really nice to ride and take around the race track. Although she has a couple of personalities.. She's either very chilled and lovely and loves a cuddle and making friends with the yearlings or she's being a typical mare and trying to nip me, push me out the way and rip her head collar off. She usually changes tune after some liquorice. Typical girl turns sweet after her sweet tooth is taken care of. 

There's also a cat called Geoffrey and se chickens and budgies but I don't have photos of those and Lisa and Ben who are the owners who are really nice and chilled :) 

Happy reading :) 

Laurie 

Our second week in the land of Oz.. Surfers Paradise!

From Sydney to Surfers

We arrived in Surfers Paradise after the longest, most un-comfy overnight coach journey from Sydney which took us 16 hours! We pulled up at te coach park which looked quite familiar and we soon were informed that it was Infact the coach park that was filmed in the Inbetweeners 2 movie. We got off the coach and was met by a mini bus that took us to the hostel we were staying at. 

The hostel was simple, chilled, quite small and had a cute little pool with some wacky bean bag seats around it. We chilled on those while we waited to check in at 12pm.. We had no idea there was a time difference from New South Wales to Queensland which was an hour behind because Queensland doesn't have daylight savings and so we ended up checking in at 11am thinking it was 12... The guys behind the desk looked at us funny as we came back to check in like 20 minuets thinking, wow not long to wait like usual but Infact we had turned up the check into our room an hour early but we didn't actually find this out until later on that evening. They probably thought we were abit odd after that. 

Anyway we freshened up and then went for a walk along broad beach to Cavil Avenue where the shops were and did a food shop for the few nights we had booked in at the hostel. 

Hostel life in Surfers Paradise Backpackers Resort 

We were quite lucky with the people we got in our room this time, there was our bunk, then a really nice Brazilian girl called Amanda that we got to know throughout our stay, a guy that was a manager of the hostel and lied there in the room, hugeeee guy who looked quite scary but he was actually really nice, a girl above him who was there a couple nights for a cheerleading competition, and then the weird one... There's always a weird one. Some guy (German I think) who would make the weirdest noises in his sleep and come in a stupid o'clock and forget that the door didn't work and couldn't get back in because he shut the door, meaning I was woken up a few times to let him in as my bed was closest to the door. All in all not a bad bedroom clan! Most of the people stayed the duration we were there but we also ha another weirdo come in the room for a night. Some American guy who was really hairy and had this awful chesty cough and he would yack up his guts all through the night. Was rather gross! He also slept with a book on Star Wars and a pack of batman playing cards. Pretty sure he was single ha. 

Sorting our lives out 

We came to Surfers Paradise because Byron Bay was fully booked up in every hostel because of the schoolies. Schoolies are school graduates that for two weeks they go to places like Bali and the main cities and the goldcoast to party and quickly find their alcohol limits. Considering we had been warned about them, they weren't that bad and it didn't seem as crazy as we thought. 

I also knew that a good friend of mine from back home in Bognor was living in surfers paradise so it made sense to go really. We came to surfers to have enjoy the beaches after being in a busy city and to see if it was a place we would want to live and work for a while. The first few days we were giving out CVs and enjoying afternoons on the beach and deciding if we liked it enough to stay. Our plan changed by the day and we weren't sure when we were going to do our regional work to be able to apply for our second year visa or if we were going to find bar work over Christmas and try and find an appartment somewhere. Whilst handing out numerous CVs in cafés, bars, shops and restaurants we were also on gumtree and wwoofing looking for couple jobs for our farm work. We found a few jobs and got in touch with people and we found a horsey job but the woman was abit off and ended up not messaging back after she received the photographs of me riding that she asked for. The riding I do is usual trail riding and none of this fancy show type riding and I think she freaked a little and didn't message back. Which was a good job because we came across another stud farm horse job which sounded 

perfect and was only an hour away and that's where we are now :) 

How straddling an artificial crocodile ruined my day..

After we bagged the job we had a few days where we could just relax and enjoy ourselves a bit more without having to think about adult stuff. We celebrated the day after we got the job by going to DreamWorld which is Australia's biggest theme park which we went with Amanda, the Brazilian girl that was staying in our hostel room and her friend. There was a big storm that day which actually worked out for us as the park was pretty empty and it wasn't too hot. As well as roller-coasters they also had an animal section where you could pay to cuddle a koala and feed crocodiles and stroke and feed kangaroos. We got some aboriginal body paint too which I got a gecko on my hand and Callum got some tribe journey painting on his arm which really just looked like a few flowers, he looked amusing for the rest of the day. 

The day went from great to me being a massive grump all because of a stupid artificial crocodile... Let me explain.

So me being immiture I see this massive fake crocodile so I decided to straddle it and ride it for a photo. Before hand I had been a on a rapid ride and I got ridiculously wet and I was wearing my favourite new hippy pants and when I climbed on the croc I heard a massive rip. Oh crap I had split my trousers from one end of the crouch to the other, baring all to the world! I was mortified but more because I had ripped my favourite item of clothing and not the fact I was mooning my bum to the world. We have to go and buy something from the gift shop to wear. Luckily there was a roxy shop and after a while trying on stuff I found a dress I liked in the sale. Not very suitable for a theme park but it was the only thing I liked and could justify spending the money on. 

I was in a mood for the rest of the day just sulking like a kid because my beautiful trousers had broke and I was in a dress at a themepark. 

The Australian version of big brother was based at DreamWorld and you could walk around the big brother house and meet 3 of the "stars". We walked around and then skipped the bit where you could get a photo with the stars which got us some odd looks from some teenage girls and then a group of girls overheard me say "it's weird when you have no idea who these people are" and the look on their faces was like I'd never heard of Jesus. They were horrified. So horrified they obviously didn't hear my English accent and realise I wasn't from

Australia. Couple hours later I was watching Callum and the two girls on a ride while I held the bags and I found myself stood next to this chick from the big brother house and she looked at me as if to say "why are you not asking for my autograph or a photo". It was a good day but I've learnt to never straddle a large reptile ever again, fake or real. 

Boogie boarding and dinosaur jellyfish 

A few times we used the hostels boogie boards to take down the beach which was great fun considering the waves were pretty big! You either got battered by the waves or you caught a wave that took you all the way into shore. We were going to rent out surf boards but they were miles up the beach from where we were and really expensive. We will defo rent them out some day when we go back on days off. 

Despite the typical Aussie beach fears of sharks and probably some sort of sting or deadly bite from anything living in the ocean, there were hundreds of these massive blue jellyfish that you'd see washed up all along the beach. They're not deadly though, if you are unlucky enough to get stung like Callum was, it just hurts for about an hour and gives you a red mark for the day and then it's gone. But after he got stung I was very weary and everytime I saw one I'd run out the sea like I'd seen a great white. 

Familiar faces.. 

It's a small world out there right? You hear crazy stories of people somewhere around the world and they bump into old friends in the oddest places. Well, I guess I knew john was in surfers but it was still awesome seeing him over this side of the world. We met up and went for dinners out and drinks and we met his lovely friends and house mates. It was so nice to see a friendly face from Bognor of all places in this awesome beach town. 

(Me and john) 

I'd definitely recommend visiting Surfers Paradise and staying in Surfers Paradise Backpackers Resort for a cheap, chilled vibe for a hostel. 

Body Hang-Up Blues

Body hang-ups are a total bitch right? 

We all get them, guys, girls, parents, grandparents and even children. 

For as long as I can remember I have had some sort of issue with my body, and that's a long time. I'm 22 now and I remember I was around 9 when I first started becoming insecure about my body.

I was in year 5 and we were doing a topic in school on the body and I remember we had to weigh ourselves Infront of everyone in the class. The other girls in my class were tiny, and I knew I was bigger than them but it started to get in my head when I stepped on the scales and saw I was about 7.5 stone and all the other girls in my class were lighter than me. 

My dad always told me as a kid that I had his genes and that I was never going to be little and I was going to be big and strong like he was ( baring in mind he was an 18st ex England rugby prop) and from a kid I thought I was destined to be "big". I remember when I was about 11/12 and it was summer and I was at my dad's and we were about to go out on his boat fishing, it was a hot day and I remember as I got dressed that day that I didn't want to put my shorts on as I thought my legs were too big so I wore jeans. Growing up I was quite chunky (size 12 at the age of 12) and I soon lost the "puppy fat" when I was about 13. 

I wasn't very confident growing up as for a while when I was young I wore an eyepatch and up until I was about 12 I wore glasses. I used to get called four eyes and thunder thighs at times but nothing major just kids teasing, but every name stuck in my head. 

I'm 22 now and since leaving school I have noticed an increased feeling of body insecurities eventhough my body hasn't really changed much since I left school. 

I usually wear a size 10 on top (sometimes a 12) because I do have quite a small waist and my boobs haven't grown since I was about 13 and a size 14 on my bottom half because of my bum and my chunky legs. I've always been quite small with a relatively flat-ish tummy from years of horse riding but big legs and bum, again from riding. Buying a fitted dress is a nightmare for me, it's either baggy on my boobs and waist or I can't squeeze my bum and legs into it. 

I'm forever comparing myself to pretty much every single female in the street and it's exhausting on my self esteem, especially here in Australia where everyone is slim and tanned and wearing next to nothing. A lot of my clothes are black mainly because black is meant to be slimming and I get weary or wearing a lot of colour. I struggle wearing vests and shorts (which wearing both together has been a big step for me here)  because I hate my legs and i think my arms are big. It almost feels as if it is the main thing that is in my head ruling my little world and it shouldn't be that way and it really upsets me. 

It's sad but the only times I remember feeling almost a little body confident is when I've been through a break up and not been eating properly or when I was really unwell in hospital last year when I couldn't eat properly for a short while.

An example of this feeling was something that happened today.. 

I was at a theme park with my boyfriend and i decided to sit as straddle a crocodile (a fake one don't worry!) for a photo and ended up splitting my hippy trousers I had on. So I went to a shop there that sold some roxy clothes and everything was either shorts or dresses. I finally found a dress I liked (again black) although I didn't really like what I looked in it but it was in the sale so I wore it the rest of the day and it totally ruined my day because I was so hung up on how I looked in this dress no matter what my friend or boyfriend said about how nice it looked. I ended up crying in the changing  room on my boyfriend because I hated what I saw and my mood for the rest of the day was altered. Which I know deep down is stupid and I hate that I say how curves are better and how you should love your body and I never take my own bloody advice. 

Working out feels good but there's always that insecure feeling that what if I look too big to work out or if people will laugh if they see me running out and about. 

Even writing this I know it sounds a bit ridiculous but this is what goes through my head. Despite my boyfriend telling me I'm beautiful and my body is great everyday there's always something bothering me about my body at that moment.

A lot of people who know me probably don't think I think like this because I usually come across so head strong and confident with my feathers in my hair and quirky hippy pants but here it is, all as it sounds. 

I think that I like to have feathers and braids in my hair and quirky clothes not just because I love them and I've always had a slightly unique style, but because if people see feathers in my hair and stuff, it takes the attention away from what my body looks like if that makes sense.

Writing this doesn't make me feel better about my body and the way I look in certain clothes but it's a little release and hopefully if anyone who reads I has a similar feelin towards themselves can feel a little less alone really and that we are the only ones who can change the way we feel and some days are good days and some are shitty ones. Friends tell me how nice my bum is and how I have a good figure but I never see the good in what i do have. I plan to get into a routine when we start this new job next week with starting up jogging, along side horse riding and bike riding to work and back everyday and cooking fresh healthy meals. And hopefully some day soon I'll start to feel more comfortable in my own skin and I hope that anyone out there reading this post who can empathise will be able to do the same or atleast feel a little less alone reading this post. 

:) 

(Photos are not mine by the way) 

Sydney.

Getting there..

So we set off on our mammoth journey on Thursday 20th Novemeber from Newcastle. At this point it was just about hitting home that in a matter of hours we were going to be in Australia and we were quite naive about the long ass journey ahead. My god was it long! Typical me setting the alarms off in security with my hair extentions and my ridiculous amount of jewelry. Great fun being searched in front of everyone and then there's Callum just giggling in the corner. 

We flew to London which was a baby flight compared to what was to come so we were still pretty hyper running around duty free and testing out every purfume until we smelt like insect repellent. 

The flight from London to Hong Kong was the absolute WORST. I mean, it was great service and great choice of movies and stuff but there definitely isn't enough space to try and sleep in a comfy position without having your face in the tv screen or your chin resting on your knees. We were pretty dead until they bought round the menus for breakfast. FUCKING STIR-FRY (which is my all time favourite thing in the world to eat) and it was 4am which made it even better. 

Hong Kong airport. What an interesting place. Evenmore interesting when you haven't slept in about 25 hours. It took us about two hours walking around in circles just to find a bottle of coke and you could tell the security and airport staff were looking at us and thinking "bloody useless tourists". 

The flight from Hong Kong to Sydney was another ball ache but we were so tired and our bums were still so numb from the last flight it seemed to go fairly quickly. 

We arrived in Sydney dead, smelly and really bloody hot. We got off the plane and the first Australian I came across was a very large, butch lady that snapped at me because my passport was shit basically. Great first impressions. 

Anyway, we hit Australia. TOUCHDOWN! 

Hostel life.

Hostels are great fun aren't they? 

You meet loads of weird and wonderful travelling a from all over the world. And if you're lucky you'll get some nice people to share your room with. If you're not you'll get some weirdos. We shared with a couple of French girls and one was really nice and the other was a total douche. And not a shower, showers are quite pleasant and keep themselves to themselves which this lass didn't. 

You tax your bed in hostels by sprawling all your shit all over the bed which everyone then knows that bed is taken. Simple right? Oh no, not this turd. I even said to her that i had the bunk underneath her but she persisted with sprawling her crap all over it. Yes I shared Callum's bed but it was still my bed with our stuff all over it. 

Other than some of the roomies the hostel was actually really snazzy with vintage chairs and sofas to chill on in the lobby and a bar next door that turned from restaurant to nightclub depending on what day it was. 

A couple days into our Sydney stay a couple of friends of ours arrived which was nice to have people we knew there, and then a couple more days our good friend Cat turned up. There was a little group of us which made going out for dinner and hanging out in the city pretty damn cool. It was Base hostel, totally recommend staying in a base hostel if you travel Australia. 

Big city life..

For a city, Sydney was pretty chilled. It had a nice atmosphere especially down at Darling Harbour. Every Saturday night they do a massive fireworks display over the water and it's probably the best display I've seen. 

We also had THE best steak ever in a restaurant called magarittaville. Heinz ketchup here is not good so always get BBQ sauce it's amazing. 

The traffic is a bit mental, everyone drives like they're in a car chase in some movie. Bit scary when you cross the road in a world of our own like I do 98.5% of the time. 

Everywhere is china town. Literally every two or three shops there is a Chinese restaurant or take away which was amazing because Asian food is my favourite but when trying to find an Indian one, you got no chance. 

But for a City Sydney is really nice, the botanic gardens are a must go and darling harbour and the Chinese Garden Of Friendship if you ever venture out to sydney. 

Bondi.. 

One of our days we went to the famous Bondi beach but typically this was the only day the weather was shit and I actually had 3 layers on. We also had our first ever taste of the famous backpackers drink, goon. 

Goon is basically a load of shitty cheap wine in a box that is made with fish eggs and shit but it's so cheap and isn't that bad if it's cold and mixed with something. But it's so cheap all the travellers drink it over here, I've heard the hangovers are pretty narley. 

We went paddling in the sea but it was pretty cold for me to go in but Callum and the two friends we were with braved it. A couple days before we went to bondi they had shut the beach off because apparenlty a great white shark got around the nets and into the area people would swim in. Pretty scary! The worst you'll come across on Bognor beach is a tesco shopping trolley or a syringe needle. We got it pretty easy I guess.