welcome to cairns

Why hello there. Have you missed me??

Yeah yeah, I know, I'm getting lazy. But, I attribute the lack of blogging to the fact that I am in a country far to similar to my own, so I really don't have a whole lot that is super interesting to write about... I mean, I'm not the kind of person who would have started a blog about my daily life in Canada, and daily life in Australia isn't so far off at the moment... but I suppose you still deserve some updates on my whereabouts... you know, to make sure I'm not dead or something.

Lets see... I have been in Cairns for a few weeks now... it was funny when we finally arrived here, we had spent so much time trying to GET to Cairns, that when we actually ARRIVED in the city we had no idea what to do... none of us had looked into where we would go (hostels or campgrounds, in the city or outside) or even what the city was like... So we just drove until we found ocean (it actually reminded me of when I first arrive in Victoria eight years ago.... My friends and I had been driving around western Canada for months in search of a new home, and when we got to our last stop, we didn't know where to do with ourselves... so we drove until we found ocean, the “end of the world” we called it (Dallas Road)). Then we go out of our vehicles and just sat. We were SOOO overwhelmed by all of the PEOPLE! I mean, after four weeks of driving around in the middle of nowhere... all of the sudden (bam) there were hundreds of people everywhere. (and I SWEAR they were staring...like, who are these dazed and confused backpackers and what do they think they are doing in a city!) We pulled it together and decided to go to a campsite, it was a little cheaper than a hostel and at least we would have our own space.

This is around the time I realized I was broke. Literally. No money. Maybe $100 left (which is good for a few nights camping and a bit of food). So we promptly went out to find work. Luckily work was not very hard to find, and after our first day we were with a recruitment agency (Signature Staff) who had work for us the next day. (which was TERRIBLE... we had to wear AWFUL uniforms and walk around for hours with trays of drinks). So the next day we went out to find REAL jobs, and I got a trial at a local restaurant (restaurants and bars make you work for a few hours for free to see if you ACUTALLY have experience, or are just lying) So, naturally, I got the job (cuz I'm awesome) and now I am working at Paddywhacks... it's a neat little place that serves local stuff, like crocodile, emu, and kangaroo. And they have AMAZING steaks (too bad I can't afford a steak dinner).

first day of work... we look like flight attendants....

Life on the campsite was getting on our nerves... we actually started pulling an air mattress out to the camp kitchen to watch TV on, you know, so we could pretend we had a couch. We searched for a house share, but everywhere here wants a bond (you have to pay rent weekly here, and when you move in you need three weeks upfront, which is around $400 each... which wasn't gonna happen). So, when some random guy drinking at my bar gave me his number (he said I could live in his driveway) naturally, I called him (sure, maybe a little dangerous, but he was Canadian so it seemed like a good idea). Coincidentally enough, there were three rooms available in his share house, and NO BOND needed (it was meant to be). Obviously, we moved in the next day.

our pretend living room

Life is relatively normal now, I sleep in a bed in my very own room (with a closet for my clothes!!! ooooh, the little things make me so happy now!!!) wake up to an alarm, and walk to work. I say it is RELITIVELY normal because I am living in a house with eight other people (all around my age, and all fellow travellers... we have two Canadians, two English guys, two Germans, a Kiwi, an American, and an Australian) and that means there is always something going on (aka always someone drinking). I do responsible things like jump off the deck into the pool, drink in the middle of the day, sleep till noon, show up to work with a WICKED hangover, and steal shopping carts from grocery stores (yes, I am 19 again). Somewhere in all of this I am going to have to find time to save money.... 

volleyball in the pool!!

the family around the table for Canadian Thanksgiving :-)