Weekend in Glen Innes

Hey Everybody! So this past weekend I went to Glen Innes! It was a 6 hour drive each way...although, the time in the car passed pretty quickly. The town was SO farm-ish. I've never seen so much cow, sheep and kangaroo roadkill in my LIFE. Sorry for the visual on that one but it was disgusting! Every few kilometers there was a kangaroo that had been hit. Gross, gross, gross. Other than that, Jess's family was lovely! I had a great time at her farm house! Here's a photo of us from her place:

This is myself with one of Jess's friends from home- Savannah. She's great!
The first night we were there we hit the "town." We went to this super sketchy club where a lot of old men hit on us and watched us dance all night. They were all like 50-60 years old and still in their flannel farm clothes. It was pretty creepy, but made for some good laughs!
Here's a group picture of us girls from TEDs. Me, Jess and Katie. Katie is from a town called Tamworth which is on the way to Glen Innes. We stopped at her house on the way there and back for lunch and some rest time. She lives on 1,400 acres of land and has over 2,000 SHEEP! What the heck, right?! These people come from a totally different lifestyle...
This is a group photo of the girls we went out with the second night: Jenny, Katie, Savannah, Jess and myself.
On the ride home, we stopped at a park where all of the trees were filled with BATS! It was too dark to get pictures of them, so we grabbed some shots with this sign! In case you cant see it, it says, "LARGE BRANCHES MAY FALL DUE TO BAT ACTIVITY" and it was completely true, too! There were hundreds upon hundreds of bats! Eeeek!

Glen Innes only claim to fame is the fact that they host the annual "Lamb and Potato Festival" every year. Special, right? Hahaha. Anyway here's myself with their huge lamb and potato monument...

This was our view from the car window all 12 hours. Dark skies, open paddocks, and the occasional rainbow.

It was a sucsessful weekend- very nice to get out of the dorms for a change and see more of the country!

Exactly ONE MONTH until I'm back in Arizona! The reality of leaving my friends here is hard but I'm keeping my mind on how great it'll be to be back with Dad, Betty, Anthony and everyone at NAU!

I'M GOING TO NEW ZEALAND THIS WEEKEND!!! Oh, and I'm bungy jumping off the Auckland Harbour Bridge once I get over there...in case something happens- I love you all. Ha ha- kidding! Well, about the dying part at least- I really am jumping!

Also- I'm done with classes on Thursday. What a TOUGH semester! ;)

--LP--

Video Update- Press Play!

--LP--

Oldies in the AM

It's currently 4am (FOUR AM!!!!) on a Thursday morning and the walls of my dorm are shaking and the window is rattling uncontrollably, because about 20-30 guys decided to set up their amplifying speakers on our back lawn and BLAIR oldies....for the last hmmm I'd say 5-6 hours??? All of these people are tapping on their windows and screaming, "SHUT UP!!!!" which of course just makes them turn it up louder. I think I'm about to take matters into my own hands and go cut their cords...!

As much as I LOVE hearing Build Me Up Buttercup, Tiny Dancer and Jesse's Girl- I really think it's time for some sleep!

Oh, and the best part? There's a guy out there who's blowing a freaking CONCH SHELL every 10 seconds. I must admit- I'm cracking up everytime I hear it. But still- enough is enough. Ha!

Announcement

I'm going to New Zealand!!!!!!!!!! Originally I didn't think I could swing it financially, buuuuuut I got lucky and found a cheap flight. I booked my ticket online last night and I'm leaving June 4th. CANNOT WAIT :) :) :)

Australia? CHECK.

Fiji? CHECK.

New Zealand? CHECK!

Also- exactly ONE MONTH until I see my family again!

The Price's are going to be rockin' Australia hard. Hahahah

Koala Capitol of the World- Gunnedah, NSW

I have just had one of the best weekends since I've been here! I spent the last 4 days of my life in a town called Gunnedah...3 of us Americans went home with one of my friends and spent time with her and her family at their house. It felt SO nice to be in a home again!

We hopped on the train and rode it for 4 and a half hours before arriving. ALL you could see from the train window was flat plains with cows and sheep and red barns. Thaaaaaaat's it. I think this picture depicts my thoughts very well for that moment. I think the exact phrase that was going through my head was, "WHAT am I getting myself into?!"

We got to Gunnedah and Caz picked us up from the train stop and took us on a "tour" of the city which literally took 5 minutes, MAX. So to burn more time she took us up a hill to this lookout that reminded me a lot of a place I go to with my friends in Scottsdale. It was beautiful even though there wasn't much to see! Ha ha
Then we got to her house and it was such a wonderful feeling! She made up beds for the 3 of us complete with new blankets and Australian candy on each one. I then sat on a couch (and watched TV) for the first time in months and it was GLORIOUS!
After Caz's parents came home from work they made us a homemade dinner...delicious! I know they're not mine, but it was really nice to be in a family setting again with a mom and dad. Caz and her parents planned out homemade meals for EVERY meal all weekend. We were so grateful! In this photo its me and Aubrey on the left and Caz and Samantha on the right.
One hilarious thing about being at the Cone household was the fact that they had a THIRTY POUND cat. This picture doesn't even do him justice. He was huuuuuuuuuuuuge!
Here's a photo of Main Street in Gunnedah. Literally the stores you're seeing are their 1 dentist, their 1 doctor, their 1 haircut parlor, their 1 pharmacy, etc.... TINY.

We found this sign and took loads of pictures with it. We spent the whole day searching for random koala's all around town. Windows down, heads out, cameras ready.

The Americans experiencing the koala capitol! Me, Sam and Aubrey.

This is the visitor information center. I went a little crazy buying souvenirs here for everyone back home.

That night for dinner we were taken to Terry's pizza! Oh....my......gosh..... it was the most delicious pizza I have EVER eaten (or maybe it just seems like that since I haven't HAD pizza since February), but regardless we loved it! Great "family" bonding time!

The next morning we went to a craft show in town. I bought handmade soap and way too many Australian pride mementos. Oh, here's another picture of their massive cat, "Fuzz." It was a serious workout every time you had to pick him up.

Random Koala we found!

The next day, we all went to a wildlife reserve park. Here's me petting a baby koala bear! So, so, so precious! Did you know that koalas sleep 19-20 hours per day? What a life.

Here's a baby kangaroo I befriended! Although it doesn't look like that since he has his paws up in fighting position! Ha ha.

Mommy and Daddy roos!

The place we were at had a special area for refuge animals. When koalas, wallabies, kangaroos and everything are hurt in the wild they can be brought here for help.

After walking around the park, Caz's parents set up a barbecue for all of us! Every type of meat you can imagine was there. Here's Caz's dad grillin' up a storm.

We took turns taking pictures with all of the food. DELICIOUS!

Us girls at the park!

Every few meters there were these koala crossing signs along the high way! I thought it was the coolest thing ever. All types of Aussie wildlife were along side the road. Kangaroos truly jumped right along side our car.

Representing USA.

That night, we went to Caz's friend's house for dinner. They made us a huge homemade feast and were overjoyed to have Americans in their home. We were celebs. Here's one of the wild horses we played with while we were there.

That night we played the "pokies." Basically slot machines that ate a LOT of our money at the Gunnedah Country Club. Guess how much membership is to their country club....TEN BUCKS A MONTH. Ten dollars. That's it. And it was just as nice as any other CC.

Gunnedah's ONE street sign which had half of the city's resources listed. Oh yeah- and they only have 1 street light in their whole town.

And after that we experienced all the nightlife that this small town had to give us! But due to my sense of self pride, I can't post any of those pictures online...but here's a taste!

Don't judge me.

Anyway, overall it was a wonderful weekend! My homesickness is completely gone, which is an awesome feeling. I'm now back home at TEDs and enjoying the curry once more...NOT. I have a lot of school work to do this week, but it should fly by in a breeze! I love you all dearly back in the USA!

--LP--

Driver's Licenses in Australia

Hi everybody! I decided to put something interesting (AND educational) on my blog today! It's something that I find extremely different about the states and OZ and that something is....DRIVER'S LICENSES! Or, how to go about getting one, I should say. Before I start, just keep in mind that in order to get my license, I had to have my permit for 6 months (with no hour requirements) and then pass a 30 minute driving test. That's it. Piece of cake. But here it takes about 4 years in order to obtain your full license! Another thing I was going to mention is that police here are really strict about everyone wearing a seat belt...if a passenger in a car doesn't have it on, then the driver can get their license suspended. Also, no matter who it is, if someone liters out of a car window, the driver gets up to a $5,000 fine! HARSH.

I feel like such a teacher when I say this but, "Alright everyone let's start today's lesson!" First things first- when obtaining your full license there are 3 stages: L-Plates, Red P-Plates, and Green P-Plates. Each "plate" has to be displayed on the front and back bumpers of your car in either metal tag form, or jumbo sticker form.

Yellow L-Plates: These plates are for everyone who currently has their learner's permit. Unlike in the USA, you have to wait until you're 16-years-old just to get your permit. Everyone is required to pass a written test and you must have an adult with you at all times. Also, when you have your permit- the adult helping is the ONLY other person who can be in your car. The speed limit is 80 kph (or 50 miles per hour). Obviously with that restriction you can't be driving on any highway. You can't be towing anything from your car and you must complete a log booklet with information about all 140 hours of required driving (120 daytime, 20 nighttime). And you have to maintain your permit for a YEAR. If you get any points on your license during this time, your permit is automatically suspended for 3 months. Crazyyyyy.
Red P-Plates come next. You can now drive unsupervised with these, but can only carry 1 passenger from the hours of 11pm to 5am. The speed limit is 90kph (or 55miles per hour). There's a zero percent blood alcohol tolerance. You can tow anything under 250kgs. If you're caught breaking the speed limit while you're on your Red P's, your license is suspended for 6 months! You also have to hold this stage with a clean record for a year.

Green P-Plates follow the Red's. Green P-Plates are what most of the university students have right now. You can carry any amount of passengers and be driving at any time. In order to get it, you have to pass a computerized "Hazard Perception and Reaction" test. From what I hear, it's basically a simulator which throws obstacles in your way and you have to properly react and in a timely manor. You can now go 100kph (65 miles per hour) but there's still a very strict 0.0 blood alcohol level. Even a sip gets you a D.U.I. You've gotta hold your Green P's for 2 solid years with a clean record.

Once all 4 years of practice is over (keep in mind you're now 20 when you started at 16) you can get your full license. You can go any speed within the city limits and are allotted a 0.05 BAC. FREAKING FINALLY.

Anyway, I know this post was more an educational lecture rather than a fun update of my life, BUT I think that this system is really interesting. It would drive me crazy if I had to go through it (no pun intended), but at the same time, it truly makes good and safe drivers.
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This weekend I'm going home with a friend to a town called Gunnedah with these 2 other Americans I met. I'm pumped to see some wild koala bears literally walking around our friend's neighborhood. 5 hours on a train, on the other hand, is not something I'm looking forward to! Should be a wonderful time!

I miss you guys a ton!! 51 days until I'm reunited with the best people and best country in this world! Love you!!!

--LP--

P.S. Any of my friends (that are my age) remember the Nickelodeon show "Clarissa Explains It All"?? Definitely bought the WHOLE season off iTunes! SWEEEEEEEEET.

Mother's Day

Another Mother's Day passes and I don't think I'll never understand how Andrew and I got so lucky with a mom like ours. You're my guardian angel and I miss you dearly, Momma. I can't ever thank you enough for everything you and Dad did for us while we were growing up. Not a day goes by where I don't miss you!

To all of the other mom's out there: HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!! Hope it's a good one :)
--LP--

Crazy Night in Newie

PLEASE quote me when I say this:

Newcastle, Australia is the sketchiest town I've ever been to.

Period.

I've already had to press the emergency button on the train AND report old suspicious men pacing around my dorm, but tonight's events take the cake!

Sooooooo, my friends and I decide to hit the town tonight to party. We get on the bus at about 10pm and get off in this TOTALLY dodgey part of downtown to go to this Irish pub. This place was SO run down. Let me just paint you a picture here, okay? Alright so you walk in, the walls are peeling, it reeks of smoke, loud rock music was shaking the whole building, the bathrooms look like a tornado just went through, a HAIRBALL was found in a girl's drink, etc... oh and my favorite part was how we payed money to play pool but the white cue ball was missing completely and they gave us 1 and a half pool sticks (and yes, we literally got a HALF of a pool stick). I feel like instead of a cute dress and heels, I should have been wearing gang colors and a leather jacket.

Moving on....so we were there for WAY too long and I really really really, DESPERATELY wanted to go home, but no one else did. The bus we took, to get there, picked us up right infront of my dorm and dropped us off right infront of the pub. Very easy. So I told the girls I was going to take the bus back (and after a LOT of arguing) they finally let me before going on to the next place. Sooo I'm sitting there, and after they're way out of sight I realize the next bus doesn't come for an HOUR. The bus stop is covered in grafitti, and OH! not to mention- the place we were at had BULLET holes in the window!!! Not even kidding. BULLET HOLES. So I figured I can't wait out there alone for a whole hour. I couldnt take a cab because I only had 4 bucks in cash on me. So I start walking towards the train station... people are honking and yelling things out their windows, homeless people, in the dark, asking me for money EVERY two steps. I see the train station and theres literal GANGSTERS at the bottom of the steps. And I'm not calling them 'gangsters' because I'm from Scottsdale- but they were literal thugs. So I quickly turned in the opposite direction.

So the very first cab that passed, I flagged down and told him the deal and THANKFULLY, in his cab, he had a debit card machine. Has anyone EVER seen that before? Definitely a first for me. I was so so so so relieved to be off the street. But what does this cab driver do? Rips me off, and takes me an ENTIRELY different way back to my dorm than I've ever gone...so after only 5 blocks (but SOMEHOW 29 dollars and 30 cents later) I'm back home safely at TEDs. Thank GOD.

Please spare me the lectures on how terrible it was for me to seperate from my friends because I'm now FULLY aware of that, and it won't be happening again, I promise. I didn't put this up to worry you guys about my sketchy city (so hopefully it didn't) but I just thought I'd share how my night ended. Lovely.

Miss you all a TON

--LP--

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANTHONY!!!!!!!!

A Cornicopia of Updates!

Alright let me just vent for like....2 seconds, and then I'll move on to the happy stuff from this week.

Soooo last night, our dorm told us we were having "Tomato Soup" as part of our dinner- which was fine by all of us- until we realized the "soup" was just left over MARINARA SAUCE from our spaghetti a week earlier. They literally poured jars of marinara pizza/pasta sauce into a giant bowl and warmed it up. I'm being totally serious- we watched as they did it. THEN, as if that wasn't enough, tonight's dinner was decent until I found a CLUMP OF OUR LUNCH LADY'S HAIR in my food....... I ....... I just don't even know what to do about this anymore. This place repulses me.

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Alright moving on... I found Shepherd's Pie at the grocery store this week!! I can only buy one at a time because we're not allowed to have freezers (and they come frozen), but still- it made my day! :) I'm sure 90% of you are already aware of this- but Shepherd's Pie is my favorite food on this whole planet. I was SO happy to see something I recognized from home! Good stuff.

Each floor in my dorm has one "Floor Function" per month, and most of my friends live on the floor beneath me, so I joined them for their function instead of going to my own. But anyway- we went American bowling! I'm saying American bowling because if you just say 'bowling' over here it means barefoot lawn bowling! Totally not the same! It was SOOOOOO much fun though!!! I had such a great time with everyone!! Here's me cheesin' it up for the camera:
These are some of my friends from TEDS who I shared a lane with- Aubrey, Jess, Sophie and Claudie.

These was our faces after we lost....badly. I refuse to even post my pathetic score on here!

Breakin' out the dance moves for everyone! Oh yeeeeeah. Ha ha!

I was going to post another picture but I'm waiting for a friend to email her photos to me. Anyway, you know how everyone puts their initials on the scoreboard TV screen thingy? Well everyone was putting their 3 letter initials up there but they decided it would be funny to make my initials "USA." Ridiculous. Can't wait to be back in the states so I'm not the minority anymore! But yeah, over all it was a super fun night with my girls!

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Tomorrow I'm going shopping with Geoff to help him find a Mother's Day present for his mom...which cracks me up. I've never even met her before but he's so lost that he needs my help. Typical boy. Love it!

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Some other exciting news from this week is I found out that Betty is joining my dad and Andrew on their trip over here! Wooo the Price family is going to take over this country in a few weeks!

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Good luck to everyone at NAU with their finals-I'll be thinking about you guys while I'm on the beach (sorry, I had to). Anyway, 2 months until I see all of you lovely people again! I think about everyone at home daily! xoxoxoxo

--LP--