Fire up the barbie!

Ok, I am not roughing it at all actually.
After 24-hours of travel, I arrived in Byron Bay, received by my friend Meredith at the 3-million dollar house she rented for her wedding. It’s the opposite of roughing it.
There are breezes that blow through the Balinese doors and wrap you in a blanket of your own personal air conditioning. There are fluffy pillows that invite you to nap on the balconies. There’s a refreshing pool with floaties and a bubbly hot tub. A secluded, white sand beach lies just a few feet away. I have a feeling this might be the nicest place I’ll stay in during my entire trip.
Upon arrival, wine was poured, champagne was popped, and no joke…. An Aussie put shrimp on the barbie! For real!

24 hours later....

I am here! I have arrived in Brisbane! I am a true backpacker. I showered in the Brisbane airport and used my chamois towel. I am truly roughing it!

Adios Trafico

Leaving the country is a weird thing. I know I can always come back and that I probably will. But, I still feel they way I assume I would feel if someone I knew were about to die. I’d want to spend all my time with my dying friend and really drink him in before he’d go away forever.

Same now. I am seeing LA like I never have before, finding myself grateful for its many nuances. I am, for the first time, noticing all the things I enjoy about LA on the daily: the coral trees on San Vicente, the hipsters on Melrose, the view of the beach from Montana and Ocean, the vegan club sandwiches at M Café, my fireplace, game nights, the proximity to Hollywood and its celebrity (It is pretty nice to see Jake Gyllenhal at Peet‘s and be able to shrug it off as if he‘s one of your old pals.). I am even grateful for my rush-hour nemesis: the 405. I have cursed its slow pace every day to and fro. But it keeps us all on the same plane and gives everybody in town something to talk about.

I am going to miss all these little things, and I am sad I’ve lived some 8 years here without noticing how much of an impact they’ve made on me, a full-fledged Angeleno.

I am lucky to learn such a lesson before my trip. I hope to experience things from now on and really take them in. Really enjoy them and realize that I am enjoying them. Take nothing for granted. Remind me.

They are so right.

I decided to take a solo journey up the west coast of California as a little practice trip-- to see how I’d get along traveling alone.
Not only did I discover that I get along tremendously with myself, I also learned that the US itself is home to many tourism gems, giving me second thoughts about my journey to other countries.


This bank, for example, really exists. And real people are actually customers of this bank. Some joker got stoned and decided to name his bank Rabobank. And people are accepting it! The simple vowel switcheroo provided comfort for people looking to store their life’s savings. Might as well name a car “Hyt this with Baat” or an apartment complex “Rayped in the Allee.”

You can watch the gullible customers patronize this bank at the Pismo Beach branch from 9-5 on weekdays and 9-1 on weekends.

I also stopped at an amazing rest stop on Interstate 5, home to a combo Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. Fortunately, it also sold fried chicken at the cashier next to the lighters. And there was a pay shower just on the other side of the arcade! A one-eyed man tried to pick me up by the Doritos.

Many of my family members and friends have said, “Laurenne, what are you thinking? I just don’t get why you want to leave the country.” Now I see that they are right. I am nuts to want to see what it’s like in Asia.
But, I think I may check it out just in case there exists an even better rest stop or bank in Tokyo.

Here is the tentative itinerary:
Australia Dec 28 - Jan 31
Papua New Guinea to Feb 10
Tokyo to Feb 17
From Hanoi to Kuala Lumpur by land Feb 18 - April 30
New Delhi and all around India until June 20
Then we’ll see what happens.

Taking the show on the road.

To all my readers (meaning my mother and that one guy from the bar):
I have not forsaken you by stopping my posting of the funny things that humans do. I have only taken a quick break because my life is about to change dramatically and I have been making the appropriate preparations.

Not too long ago, I looked around and thought it was pretty funny that we humans tear ourselves from our comfy houses just to go make money every day. Some people have found something they are passionate about, and that makes it ok. But, after 4 years in advertising, I realized that I was on the fast track to becoming one of those bitter complainers who resents employment and spits snide remarks to those who take seconds of cake during office birthday celebrations.

I didn't want to be that person. And I don't want to be my boss and work 18-hr days.
So I'm not. I quit. I am packing up my cubicle once and for all. I have no idea what the plan is, but until I figure it out, I shall be backpacking around the world.

From now on, this blog will be about the funny things humans in other countries do. Who knows what crazy things those wacky foreigners might do?
First stop: Australia.
Until then...