There's No Place Like Oz

Aussies and Mozzies

A few weeks ago Nicole, Adam, and I battled a SWARM of mosquitoes — wait — MOZZIES. As I’m a full on Americaussie by this point, you should know I’ve been calling the blood-sucking pests “mozzies” as the Aussies do for months. We drove from the Coonawarra region to Narracoorte and rocked up to the [...]

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Tasmania and Nature

Tasmania, Australia’s “Natural State”, is home to a handfull of national parks, with one covering a sizeable portion of the island in the south west. In addition to the major parks everyone visits, we visited a few other sites based on the recommendation of residents. Some offered butt-kicking hikes, most rewarded us with beautiful views, [...]

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Tasmania: 3 friends, 2 weeks

I almost didn’t make it to Tasmania. I’m sure when most people plan a trip to Australia, they give the small island a miss. After all, it requires more time and money to venture off the mainland and explore Australia’s “natural state”. Before I arrived last year, however, I promised myself that I would visit [...]

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Australian Roadtrip: Ready, Set, Wait

For nearly two months I’ve been sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting to kick off an Australian road trip with two of my best friends. And in these two months, I’ve learned a lot about the process of prepping for such a trip, especially when it comes to purchasing a campervan. 1) Tell [...]

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Healthy Food Stores in Sydney

You may not guess it from reading my posts about macarons and other sweets, but I love eating healthfully. Fresh fruits and vegetables and lean sources of protein make me smile, and I try to live gluten and dairy free as I’m sensitive to both. As much as I love healthy eats (and sweets…), I [...]

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How to become a model without really trying

There have been a few things in my life I’ve been paid to do: babysit, make cold calls about auto insurance, be a cashier in a department store and a grocery store, work as a psychology research assistant and lab coordinator, and coach and counsel students as an academic and career advisor. I can now [...]

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Sydney: The Inner West is Best

While I adore so many places in Australia, it’s fair to say that Sydney is my favorite. It was my introduction to Oz four years ago, and it’s where I kicked off my journey last May. Places speak (or don’t…) to people for different reasons, and Sydney just happens to have me under her spell. [...]

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Quitting Work to Travel…Again

I recently quit my job to travel. Sound familiar? You’re probably thinking of the time I transformed from career counselor to career breaker. On a Friday afternoon in March 2010, I met with my supervisor to offer my resignation and share the plan to move to Australia for a year. Well welcome to “Heather quits [...]

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New Years Eve in Sydney

I can’t remember the first December 31 where I watched a mid-morning recap of New Years celebrations around the world — but when I saw the fireworks over Sydney Harbour Bridge, I knew I wanted to be there one day. Perhaps I should have known Australia was in my future when over the course of [...]

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Heather’s Holiday Hiatus

Christmas is less than one week away. It’s THIS weekend. No matter how many times I listen to Elvis’ Christmas album on the iPod or look at the cards and packages I’ve received in the last few days, it just doesn’t feel like the holidays. – American for “holiday”: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentine’s Day, [...]

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