Land Down Under

I'm home.....bored.....to tears......

Well, I've made it home alive and in one piece. Not that it seems anyone really noticed or cares much. Sorry to be so cynical, I think it stems from spending a week alone in a country during a military coup and then arriving in LA to hear that my mother didn't know when or where I was arriving back in Boca, and was completely unconcerned and not very interested in what had happened. And so now I'm home, and I've spent the past two days on the couch, all alone, watching TV with only Marmie to keep me company. It's a fascinating life I lead, I know.

Fiji, I must admit, was somewhat disappointing. I guess when you're as spoiled as I am, and have traveled so much, you've got high expectations for such an esteemed place. I think it would've made an awesome 5-star vacation like Tia Linda or Lelo would've gone on, but as far as backpacking goes, it just wasn't all that. I think I was a bit jaded from the beginning-- in Melbourne airport they argued with me about my carry-ons (they literally weighed my carry-ons, and told me I was only allowed 7 kilos....MY LAPTOP WEIGHS 7 KILOS! And the guy didn't care, he wasn't letting me on the plane unless I got rid of some of my stuff), and when I first got to Fiji, exhausted after having spent the night in a cramped Air Pacific jet (which, by the way, are even more stuffed than Qantas' coach seats are), I was put in a 2-bed dorm with (get this) AN OLD MAN. Seriously. I'm not lying when I say this guy was around 50 years old, chatty as anything, and sleeping in the bed below mine. Creeped out doesn't begin to describe what I felt that night. The beach on the mainland wasn't anything to rave about either-- muddy water and coarse sand. The only thing that made that trip fun was the Wanna Taki cruise, which was rather enjoyable. And the food was pretty good too. The military coup was a bit scary, just because they said everything in Fijian and the locals wouldn't tell the tourists what was going on, more than "don't worry, tourists will be fine, they wouldn't hurt you." These are comforting words to a 21-year-old American girl traveling alone halfway across the world. Sorry for the sarcasm; I haven't had a real conversation with anyone since leaving Melbourne, and I'm a bit desperate for someone to talk to. I'm not really cut out to be a loner after all. Anyway, I've been keeping myself "busy" by watching movies (a total of 4 today), doing loads of laundry (at least 7), and unpacking my bags (I'm not quite sure where to put all the....stuff....I now own). And being told for the hundredth time how Marmie has been leaving "butt balls" all over the house, and in particular, using Mom's newly shampooed bedroom carpet as a litterbox. I think he's not quite normal, and Mom just thinks he's angry about having a house full of workers practically all month. I wonder if having to be shut in a house that's being painted for 7 days in a row might have anything to do with it? Poor thing just wants to be left alone to lounge on the couch cushions all day and nap. What more can he ask for? Maybe some eucalyptus leaves to justify his laziness. :-P Anyway, I've got to see the sun tomorrow. I'm going crazy shut in this house all day, and I need to get out and at least breathe in some fresh air. I'm going to Lelo's house for dinner tomorrow night; that should be yummy and fattening. I think maybe if I can wrangle the car away from Mom I may get up early to go to the beach and watch the sunrise. That's one of my all-time favorite things to do, and I've really missed it this year.

So I'm going to go to bed now, and maybe I'll be able to wake up early tomorrow. Just for everyone's information, I will be updating this blog (mainly for my Aussie friends, but for anyone else who happens to read this and find my life just that fascinating too), at least until I make a new one for Italy. I guess it wouldn't be very fitting to write about Italy in a blog titled Land Down Under, right?

posted by Christina @ 4:59 PM