3 Reasons to Travel While You're Young

I've shared the link to this article by Jeff Goins, "3 Reasons to Travel While You're Young" on my twitter account (follow me on twitter here) recently, and I've gotten a lot of good feedback. It's a great post, and Goins mentions that most people respond to the opportunity to travel while young with a series of Yeah, buts... 

“Yeah, but…” 

"Never were more fatal words spoken:" he writes,

• Yeah, but… what about debt?
• Yeah, but… what about my job?
• Yeah, but… what about my boyfriend (or dog or car or whatever)?

"'Yeah, but…' is pernicious," Goins writes, "because it makes it sound like we have the best of intentions when really we are just too scared to do what we should. It allows us to be cowards, while sounding noble.

Most people I know who waited to travel the world never did. Conversely, plenty of people who waited for grad school or a steady job and traveled still did those things — eventually. Be careful of the yeah-but. The yeah-but will kill your dreams.

Goins goes on to list his top 3 reasons to travel while young:

1. Traveling teaches you to live an adventure

2. Traveling helps you encounter compassion

3. Traveling allows you to get some culture

It's a great, truthful post, and really spoke to a lot of doubts that I had myself about taking an entire six months when I could be finding a job and getting started working towards my career. It spoke to my heart about what I really wanted, when plenty of people are putting me down, saying I'm just trying to "avoid the real world." In truth, I feel like I WILL be living the in real world--what is more real than seeing the world?

I've been so lucky to travel quite a bit in my past, but I don't know that I'll ever get another chance to live in another country for half a year, or take off without worrying about other major responsibilities. I do want to have a successful career and I do eventually want to settle down, and if I'm lucky enough to someday have a family of my own, I won't be able to make big decisions like this based only on my own wants and needs. 

I know that everyone doesn't have the resources to extend their college career by an extra semester just to study abroad, or the support from their family, but I feel so blessed to have both, and I know that I won't ever look back on my life and wish I'd traveled while I was young.

Go read the article, (here's the link again) it's great. Don't just take my word for it.

Blending In

I'm so lucky to go to a university that provides countless resources for students and alumni alike. I recently wrote an article for my internship at UNCW's University Relations department about new resources purchased by the Career Center to help students network, make connections, and find potential jobs. One of these, Going Global, is a site that does this on an international level. In addition to featuring job listings and such, it also features "country guides," which give all kinds of information on your country of choice. They feature so much information that I'd never think to look for-- here are some basics (and just a TINY amount of the information offered) from their country guide on Australia (there is a shortened version for free online, the full version is available for students, but the public has to pay to access the in-depth one). For UNCW students: you can access Going Global (your membership is already paid for by UNCW) by going to your SeaWork. It's also available to all alumni!

Vocabulary

Australian English differs from British and American English mainly in its use of accent, intonation and colorful slang phrases. However, in business practice, Australian slang is not commonly used. Australian English uses many words from Indigenous languages, such as kangaroo and boomerang, and other words that came from convicts and early settlers. In addition, Australians are prone to creating abbreviations of many words by taking the first syllable and adding ‘e’ or ‘o’ to the end (e.g., brekkie, journo, brollie and arvo). Below are some common words and phrases, divided into those that might be encountered in the workplace and those that would be rarely heard in or inappropriate for the workplace.

Workplace appropriate phrases

Arvo – afternoon

Aussie/Ozzie (pronoun) – Australian

Barbie – barbecue

Barrack for – to cheer for / support a team (usually football)

Battler – honest, hardworking people with a positive attitude; people who keep going in the face of adversity

Beaut/Beauty – fantastic

Bickie - biscuit

Bitumen – asphalt, paved road

Biz – business

Bloke – a man

Brekkie – breakfast

Brollie – umbrella

Bring a plate – to bring food to share with other guests at a party (on a plate)

Bush – out of the city, country areas

Chook – chicken (cooked or uncooked)

Click – kilometer

Crook – in addition to the obvious meaning, can also mean badly made or substandard

Doona – an eiderdown, comforter or bedspread

Esky – cooler bag for beer or meat, often used at a barbeque

Fair go! - giving people a chance

Footy – football (usually Australian Rules Football but also can be Rugby League, Rugby Union or Soccer depending on the state or the context)

Hotel – in addition to its general meaning in terms of tourist and visitor accommodation, it can also mean a pub or bar

How ya goin'/doin’? – How are you?

Kiwi – a person from New Zealand, not offensive

Knock – to criticize

Lollie – any candy (not just a lollipop)

Manchester – general name for bed sheets, pillow cases and table linen

Mate – friend or pal

Mozzies – mosquitoes

No worries! – no problem, don’t worry about it, you’re welcome

OS – overseas

Oz – Australia

Postie – mail carrier

Crisps - potato chips or hot chips

Shout – pay for a round of drinks

Stir – to joke or tease. A stirrer is someone who riles things up, especially by joking around.

Taking TOIL – taking time off for previous overtime work (‘time off in lieu’)

Phrases to know but not necessarily use (as these are not always polite in professional settings)

Aggro – aggravation or problem, e.g., a fight

Back of Beyond/Bourke – far away

Billy – teapot (rarely used, mostly outdoors)

A blue – an argument

Bludger – a lazy person (usually offensive)

Bogan – offensive term for people of disadvantage

Bonzer – great, wonderful (rarely used)

Buckley’s – to have no chance

Cobber – friend

Cossie – a swimsuit (from ’bathing costume’)

Dinkum/Fair dinkum – true, authentic (rarely used seriously)

Dunny – toilet (not polite use in the workplace but well known)

Galah – noisy idiot (also a parrot)

Go Walkabout – to take off, disappear, to take a lengthy vacation or time ‘away from it all’

Grouse – great, very good

Hard yacker/hard yakka – hard work

Hoon – to drive recklessly, or, a person who drives recklessly

Make a good fist of it – to do something (a task) well

Narky – annoyed or upset

Ocker – Australian who behaves in a very stereotyped manner, with strong accent

Oldies/Olds – parents (not polite use)

Pash – to kiss in an intimate manner

Pissed – drunk

Pom – slang for British person

Rack off - go away, get lost

Ratbag – weird or strange person or someone who cannot be trusted

Rentals – slang for parents (parental)

Ripper – something terrific (not in common use)

Sanger – sandwich

Servo – service station or garage, usually open 24 hours

Seppo – slang for an American person

Sheila – a woman (not polite use)

Skite – to boast

Sook – timid person, without bravery

Stoked – to be happy or excited

Strewth – surprise

Stubbie - bottle of beer

Suss – something that is suspicious

Tinnie – can of beer

Tucker – food (not polite use)

Yabber – to talk a lot

Yobbo – loutish badly-behaved male (from yob – boy backwards)

If you want to act like a local...

• In Australia, queuing (waiting in line) is expected and, in public spaces, it is customary to give up one's seat to pregnant, disabled or elderly persons.

• Table manners are Continental, meaning the fork is held in the left hand and the knife in the right. One should not switch the fork to the right hand. Elbows should be kept off the tables. To indicate one has finished eating, the fork and knife should lie horizontally with the handles towards your body in the middle of the plate.

• Dinner, also sometimes known as tea, is the main evening meal, between 6 and 8 pm, while supper is a late night snack or light meal. Brunch is a very common meal, particularly on weekends, eaten between 9 am and 1 pm and is more like breakfast than lunch.

• When meeting for the first time, people normally shake hands, firmly but not too hard. Personal space requirements should be observed, usually staying elbow to hand’s distance from another. Australians value eye contact but this should be not be constant and intense as that may be seen as staring and/or as an effort to intimidate.

• Australians appreciate people who express opinions, but not people who boast or speak over others. When speaking, use verbal clues such as “hmmm” and “oh” if it is necessary to think before speaking; staying silent for longer than around five seconds after a question can be seen as lack of confidence or rude.

• Avoid making comments about accents as this may be perceived as a way to establish a person's social class; accents can be seen as a strong indicator of class.

• If teased good-naturedly, reply in kind, as self-confidence can win respect. It is important for this teasing not to become offensive in return; if unsure it is best to just smile at the teasing.

• Australians drive and walk on the left, and pass on the right. This applies to the road, sidewalk (known as pavement) and escalators.

Shopping for Continent Hopping 101

I'm getting so excited for my trip, and also for others that are coming up before I leave for Australia (I'll be scuba diving in Honduras for a while in June-July!) and my old-faithful travel accessories have gotten a little bit worn down. Luckily, my awesome parents gave me a three-piece set of hard-shell houndstooth London Fog luggage that I posted a photo of in my first post, but I didn't mention the specifics: all of them feature 360 degree wheels that roll in every direction, so they are easy to maneuver. I think that these should be required on ALL suitcases--they're definitely a requirement on any that I carry.

Here's the photo of those again: I'm so glad to finally have my own set of durable luggage that will last me far into my future, especially since I'd love to travel for a living.

I've also started to stock up on a few other essentials that I wouldn't want to be stuck without. I know that monograms aren't for everyone, but I love adding them to my essentials so that I can know without a doubt that I'm grabbing the right jacket or phone.

Other essentials I've bought recently:

-a lightweight raincoat (I'll be living in a rainforest, and though it is a "dry" rainforest, part of the time that I'm there will be monsoon season in the late afternoon (via Marley Lilly)

-a Lifeproof case for my new iPhone 5 (I will be able to use the phone internationally & to use iMessage when I have Wi-Fi, but my history with phone damage is enough that I need to know I won't have a mishap and be stuck halfway around the world without a way to get a new one. Also, a great feature of the Lifeproof cases is that you can use them underwater to take photos, which will be great for beach days. (via Boutique Me)

-a Travel Stub Diary to collect photos, tickets, boarding passes, stubs, and any other reminders of my travels (via Uncommon Goods)

-A travel journal (I'm a writer, after all) that includes pages for writing, and scratch-off maps of every continent, so that you can scratch off the cities and countries that you visit--I'm so excited about this one, and to scratch off all of the places I've already been (via Uncommon Goods) ...they also offer a wall-sized scratch off world map that I'd love to buy someday when I have a permanent home

-a new passport cover (via Kate Spade, duh)-- I've been needing a new one for years, and couldn't resist the precious polka-dots inside

- Sleep Phones: this fleece headband plays music through its cloth so that you don't have to try to fall asleep with uncomfortable earbuds in. Those next to you can't hear the music, and it can also double as a sleeping mask. I might be a baby, but this couldn't be more needed for my long flight. I hate sleeping sitting up or trying to find comfortable positions, and it seems like as soon as I do, my headphone start aggravating me. I think I'll be using these for a long, long time! I ordered them in lavender, pictured above. They could also help spouses who have a snoring partner! (via Sleep Phones)

-Laundry Soap Sheets- I'm sure that, being there for so long, I'll end up buying detergent there, but this tiny pack holds 50 sheets that can be thrown in the washer, or used to hand-wash clothes. I know they'll come in handy when I'm first getting settled and when I go on weekend/school break trips to other parts of Australia (via Travel Smith)

                                                  

-Lonely Planet guides- in case you didn't know, Lonely Planet makes the greatest guides ever. They give tips for all kinds of budgets, ages, and scenes, and they give you actual descriptions, not just the typical ones you could find for yourself on Wikipedia. They also include hole-in-the-wall joints and other local spots, so they are extremely worthy investments, especially for when I travel to other parts of Australia (via Lonely Planet)


So there you go, that's where I'm at so far-- I'm always on the quest for other new things to make my travels easier, so let me know if you have any tips. Right now, I'm working on packing up my current home (the beach house in Wrightsville Beach) that we move out of on May 12. It's such a sad process, but I'm excited for new beginnings.

Cheers. 

Bittersweet

Hello, y'all!

I'm in the strangest mindset right now-- I am so excited to be taking off on this adventure, but it is a little bit bittersweet because I'm probably graduating in December, so these months right now may be my last in Wilmington (at least as a student) for a a long, long time. So while I'm focusing on the things I can't wait to do in Australia, I'm making a list of things I MUST do before I take off in July.

1. Buy as much  Wrightsville beach apparel as possible. Touristy? Absolutely. But I know I'm going to want to throw on a neon Wrightsville tank from Wings or a WB sweatshirt on chilly nights when I'm feeling homesick, so I'm going all out.

2. Leave as many letters in the "Mailbox" on the North end of Wrightsville beach as possible

3. Go camping on Carolina Beach

4. Not waste a single potential beach day, for any reason

5. Sunday Fundays every weekend until I leave-- bottomless mimosas at surf house or Las Olas & bloodies at Tower 7 & Dockside

6. Attend as many downtown sundown concerts as possible

7. Play in the fountain outside of Burney late night

8. Devour a 4 am breakfast at Jimbo's

9. Go on as many dates to Indochine as possible

10. Rent paddle boards and play in the ICW


...there are so many more, but these are just a start.
I want to re-live & re-visit my favorite places as many times as I can before we're separated for a while.

I also found these cool bracelets from Uncommon Goods that I am definitely having made with sand from Wrightsville Beach so that I can always have a piece of home right on my wrist!

Check out the bracelets here


Xoxo,

Amelia

Plans Bigger than This Town

Hello, y'all!

Whether you are stumbling across this blog or have been directed from my personal blog "Southern by the Grace," I am glad that you are here-- my life will be changing drastically over the next few months, and I am thankful for the technology that will allow me to share those changes and this journey with others.

Long story short: I have been accepted to study abroad for the upcoming fall semester of 2013 in Townsville, Australia! I was very excited to find the e-mail below in my inbox, and to get started finalizing all of the details about my 5-6 month journey.

For those of you who don't know, Townsville is on the north eastern coast of Australia, and the Great Barrier reef is just off of its shores. I'll arrive in July, which is technically the end of their winter season, but even then, the temperatures are supposed to be in the 70s. By the time that I leave in December, summer will be in full swing!

                                           Townsville is above, marked with the red star

     Many of you know that I love to write, but am also very interested in fashion, traveling, scuba diving, and good music. I'm hoping to make this blog less of a typical travel blog (the ones that I keep finding which are basically just summaries of the persons days, and what they did each day) and more of a place where I can share exciting opinions on my favorite local spots, great barrier reef diving adventures, information on the local Australian music scene, and Australian fashion trends that might not have hit the states yet. I want to share information on the campus life there, and how the university differs from my own, and I want to give information that might help others looking to travel or study abroad in Queensland. 

I won't be taking off until mid-July, however I wanted to start the blog from the very beginning so that I could share every part of the process--the ups and downs, the differences in registering for classes, the best ways to find cheap airfare, packing tips that I find online (and then sharing whether they were actually helpful or not), and so forth. 

Tonight, I attended my pre-orientation for Australia, and am so excited to finally know some specifics about the region where I am going. I've decided to start an Australian bucket list, and will update the additions with each post as it grows, but so far, based on suggestions from people who have been there already, here it is:

-Attend a "Full moon" party on Magnetic island

 -hang out at "the river" in between classes

-swim in the "rock pool"

-dive the Yongala wreck 

-climb the Castle Rock

-camp, swim, and slide down rock slides in Crystal Creek Rainforest 

Thanks so much for reading, I wish that I could pack all of you in my suitcases!