AUSSIE! AUSSIE! AUSSIE!

OY! OY! OY!

Turns out, I am no longer getting to venture to one of the cities I've been longing to go for what feels like forever. No more Los Angeles, California for me. However, I will be making my way through California by way of San Francisco on my way to ...

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA!!!!

That's right!! I was transferred before I even got to the ship the Carnival Imagination - I will now be joining the Carnival Spirit out of Sydney! I am unbelievably excited. I can't even find words to describe how excited I am. Elated. Delighted. Thrilled. I feel like those words don't even come close but they'll have to do for now! (thank you online thesaurus for trying to help out) 

When I told the head office approximately when I wanted to come back from vacation, the Carnival Spirit wasn't on the list as ships available at that time so I figured it was a waste of time to ask and take the next best thing: west coast ship out of Long Beach (Los Angeles) which is where I have been wanting to go for the majority of my life. I'd be able to go LA and still get to be doing what I love. When I got the email last week asking me to join the Carnival Spirit, well I jumped, I just kept saying 'wait what?' to my iPhone - poor Siri thought something was wrong with me. I ran downstairs, told my Dad, he said do it. I called my Mum, she said do it. I emailed them back - I'll take it! 

SYDNEY FREAKIN' AUSTRALIA. Never in a million years had I honestly thought I would be able to venture to the other side of the world - let alone do it with a bunch of friends that I know are already on board! I know quite a few of my friends call Australia home, but to me right now it's honestly this incredible place on earth that so many people desire to go to but never get the chance and I'm getting paid to go there to entertain people, do what I love to do! 

I'm now leaving 2 weeks earlier than originally planned. I was supposed to join the Imagination March 2 and stay until July 31. Now, I'll be joining the Spirit Feb 18th and staying until July 23rd. I'm so fortunate that they are letting me arrange my contract around my cousins wedding which will be taking place in August. 

I say I'm joining the Spirit on Feb 18, but that's before some very long travel days. I'm leaving Ottawa February 15, flying to Chicago. Flying from Chicago to San Francisco. And then my last 14.5 hour flight from San Francisco to Sydney. Some of you have probably done a flight like this before, so any tips for me would be greatly appreciated ;) I'll arrive to Sydney on the morning of Feb 17th and probably immediately go to bed. I say that now, but honestly, I'll be in Sydney. I'll want to venture a little bit. 

To Do List While in Sydney:

Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Visit the Sydney Opera House

(try to) Surf at Bondi Beach 

Find P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney 

If there's anything else that you've seen or done in the Sydney area that you think I should try, let me know! 

Some of the places I'll get to see and explore on this ship is Port Villa, Noumea, Mare, Isle of Pines, Lifou Isle, Santo, Mystery Island, Wala, Suva, and Port Denarau. I really know nothing about any of these ports so I'm really excited to check them out. 

Can't wait to share my experiences with you from Down Under. Hope you'll keep following along! 

xo

The First Step .. Again.

I just made the first step to my returning to the cruise ship .. again. I made my appointment for my medical.

$600 later .. I've got it. Doing the medical is probably the BIGGEST downfall of working on a cruise ship. Everybody has to get one done and most people will pay between $300-$700 to get it done. Of course mine just happens to be at the higher end of the spectrum. :(

Besides that, I've had a pretty great month of vacation so far and more great things to come in the next 2 months.

I've been working at Hallmark since I've been home which means the first month has FLOWN by because I worked over the Christmas holidays and now I'm sticking around until I leave to go to the Imagination on March 1st.

I've been able to go to a few Ottawa Senators games which was great - once to a Toronto Maple Leafs game (our biggest rival ... and we lost:( ) and the other was with my family for a Christmas Party for my Mum's work.

Made a quick trip to Kingston with my friend Jordan (@jordanmcintosh - check out his music he's great) to visit my friend Steph! That was a good time .. did some Christmas shopping and just had a time.

Thanks to my aunt for Christmas, my mum, sister, aunt and myself went to see 'The Sound of Music' at the National Arts Centre here in Ottawa. I have loved the musical since, well forever, and it was the first time I had seen it on stage and it was great. So great in fact, I went a second time thanks to a nice invite from my friend Alison. Dinner and a show = great date night.

Oh, and what can I say there is NO place I'd rather be than home for Christmas. Such an incredible feeling to be surrounded by them at the holidays - quite a change from last year. And this year I definitely plan on being home for Christmas again! Might go back on a ship for the new year though!

My family and I also took a quick trip to Peterborough after Christmas for a day to visit my Nanny. Hadn't seen her in a very long time ... I think she's shrinking :P

Coming up for me is a quick trip to Toronto to visit one of my amazing friends Emilie. She's leaving on a trip to Thailand so I'm giving her a quick visit before she goes and before I leave again! Also get to meet up with 2 Canadian ship friends, Bailey and Melissa. We're going to make a night of it and all have an great time!

Another trip in the works is to Vegas with one of my besties Laura - main mission: to see Britney Spears at Planet Hollywood. Cannot wait for that!

This contract for me is only going to be 5 months because I've got some things coming up in August. One, is my cousin Josh is getting married which is super exciting!! And I'm also going to the One Direction concert in Toronto with my friend Emma! We have a strange love of boy bands and basically anything One Direction.

Once I get back from all of this excitement I'm sure I'll share pictures and stories don't worry! Not that you were ;)