A day at the Palace of Versailles....

It was just PEACEFUL, perfect weather, and sooo relaxing.

I have to tell you. One of the most peaceful days I have had in 2009 was taking a day trip to Versailles. It wasn't the trip there, and it wasn't even the tour of the Palace.

It was touring the garden on bicycles.

One of the best things I have done this year.

Just another Tourist in Paris, France........

I am so proud of this photo I took. I just love it. This is going on a wall someday.

My Cousin Amil, and I. We just climbed a billion stairs to get to the top of Notre Dame.

Mona's actually quite small.

This pic kinda gives you an idea of how big it seems. Its surreal when you walk up to it, because there are just crowds of people everywhere....alll showing up for the same purpose.

I think after going to Paris, I have realized that I enjoy travelling to places that aren't so touristy. I just felt like one in a million gazillion people who wanted to see the attracitons and sites.

It's a hard choice though, because of course....in my lifetime it is an accomplishment to actually say, "Yes, I've seen the Mona Lisa and the Eifel Tower...", and then have the ability to give a true opinion on what the experience was like.

I can actually say that Paris has not been the best city I personally have been to in my life, but still enjoyed many parts about the city. I didn't really feel the romance that everyone else feels when going there, but I did understand the hype. Especially when I walked up to the base of the Eifel Tower. All you can think in your head is: BIG.

My favorite part of Paris was: The FOOD.

Which I'm sure is not much of a surprise for many. Not because I like to eat, but because everyone says the food in Paris is the best...and that is SOO TRUE.

I loved how every restaurant we ate at you had a choice between a 3-4 course meal. What a great dining experience. Being with my Aunt Nita helped a lot too, because she is quite the food critic, so I really enjoyed experiencing the dining atomospheres with her, my Uncle Dennis, and my cousin.

Overall, Paris was not my favorite part of FRANCE, but definately still a city worth spending some time in.

Sorry I haven't posted...

Hey Everyone!!

I apologize for not posting in a while. My internet is so slow, and it takes forever to upload pictures. Today I have the day off and have decided to really take time to write and show you what I have been up to over the last 3 months. I have done lots of travelling, and think I am going to take it easy until February. There is tons to do in Perth anyway, since it is Christmas time.

Love You,

Marcy

United Arab Emirates

Burj Dubai: The world's tallest building (or one of them) a view from the plane heading West to France.

Hashim, my tour guide. He ended up being a very hypocritical Muslim....one of many in Dubai.

Burj Dubai view from the Dubai Mall.


Burj Al Arab. Beautiful beach too, but still....makes you feel bad for how much energy is wasted on such a fake city.

Dubai

I was so nervous coming to Dubai alone, but my feelings of anxiety have been relieved after spending a day here. I really don't know if I like it here or not?? What an interesting, and different culture. I feel like the entire day, all I did was analyze what it would be like to have to wake up in the morning and wear a black silk cover from head to toe...or if I was lucky, maybe a wrap that has color. I think Arab women are just beautiful though. They have such excotic and profound features.

So far though, Dubai has many of the same attributes America has, except with middle eastern people. There are tons of transplants here too, especially from America, The UK, and Australia for contract work. There is construction everywhere here! Not only that, it is very clear the amount of money that goes through the United Arab Emirate economy. It doesn't seem to be very high in poverty....so many nice cars, clothes, and material items.

Love, Martina

Gold Souk....Dubai is known for them!

True Opionion about Dubai:
Would I go back??? Probably not. Is it the Las Vegas of the Middle East??? NO WAY!!

Dubai, one is too expensive to get to, shop in, and also too restricted legally because of the Muslim based laws. Being an ethical world citizen too, it is hard to not feel some type of guilt for how much energy all the fancy buildings are using up, and how many resources are used for such a project that seems quite uneventful.

As for the city, it has beutiful buildings and architecture, and the hotels are not very pricy for all that you get.

As for the laws: the black market economy is huge...why??

Because you can only drink in designated hotels. And you have to really keep on eye out on the choices you make in terms of partying. I personally chose to just stay in my hotel and relax by the pool.

At 20-30 dollars per drink....there was no party going to be happening in Dubai for me!!

Dubai and France tomorrow...4:00AM!!!!

Hey Guys!

I leave for Dubai tomorrow morning at 4:00am....which means I have to wake up at like 3:00am...so whats the point of sleeping??? Ha ha! I will probably just go to bed early. I am kind of nervous, like usual, but know that everything is cool! I have been talking to people who have been to Dubai, and they said it is safe, and not difficult to get around. So we will see!

I spend 3 days in Dubai, and October 2nd am off to France. We will be in Paris the first 3 days, then we are going to the Champagne District for a wine tour--then back to Paris the last 4 days of our trip.

Then, it's back to Australia! And time to plan for my next big excursion! The Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Brisbane, and a long ROAD TRIP up the coast!!!!

Love Always,

Marcy

September 20, 2009 Dedicated to my MOM!

Dear Mom,

I know I was the kid who swam in the opposite direction upside
down. Against all the other fish.
Yet still had the guts to ask who you loved best.

I also know I was the the kid who you knew if there was a big red button on the wall that said "DO NOT PRESS", I would be the first to press it.

I'm sorry for all the heartache I've caused you, the extra oatmeal you have to eat, because of the high blood pressure I give you, the worry I cause because I can never stay living in one spot for too long, before I get antzy and want to try something new.

I hope someday I can be as cool of a mom as you were to me.

Please understand that although I tend to swim upside down in the opposite direction it is all because--you let me. Yes, there may be 1, 2, or 500 arguments about my swimming choices, but at the end of the day:

You let me be who I truly am.

Thanks Mom. I love you, and Happy Birthday from Australia!!!!! ( A card is in the mail.)

(BEAT THAT POST MICHAEL AND ERIC)

My 25th Perth Birthday Blog!!!

My Goals for the Next 25 Years:

1. To try not to get offended--everyone makes choices and I need to understand that they will not always go how I want them to.
2. To love people unconditionally.
3. To be a good mother (whenever that is and if it comes to be).
4. If I have 1 more boyfriend or 100 more boyfriends, I need to remember that each one of those guys has been put into that spot in time for a reason! ha ha!! I know, I know...100 is kind of extreme...BUT HEY! WHO KNOWS!?
5. I want to accomplish every last one of my dreams: even if means quitting my stable job, haulting the purchase of house, and moving to Australia.--WAIT...I did that! But you get the point.
   Now, I am going to write my 25th Birthday Blog. I cannot believe I am 25 years old!!!! I am a quarter of my life done--if I live until 100, but in all honesty am probably 1/3 of my life done, because I will probably only live until I am 75!!

   Any 25th birthday wisdom is WELCOMED!! HOW
   SHOULD I LIVE THE NEXT 25 YEARS OF MY LIFE!!????
   My birthday was a very calm one this year. Lucie and Karly took me to a nice Italian dinner in Como. We drank some champagne and had lots of laughs! It was wonderful that they were so generous, because I didn't have to pay for a thing!! I'm truly appreciative to have them in my life right now. AND they bought me this cute bracelet, a hat, and cute pajamas! How nice they were!
   
   I also went to a motorcycle show, here in Perth. It was interesting, because the motorcycle shows here, are much different than the ones I worked at for 7 years when I was in the industry. I had a great time though, because I miss motorcycles being part of my life! It was good to see all the bikes, and to go all the booths. If only I could buy a quad or a dirt bike and ride it in the bush!!
   
   I did notice that I got a teeny bit homesick on my birthday. I miss my family and friends, and sometimes just miss my culture a ton. Being away from home has made me realize how much abundance I have been given in my life, and has helped me to put into perspective the wonderful life I was born into. Thank you to all of you who helped me grow to the person I am today...and thank you for supporting everything I have chosen to do these first 25 years!! Love You, Martina
   
   **I also want to apologize to all of you, for my spelling errors on my blog! I never knew the affects the text message generation had on my writing, until I started this blog! I look at past blogs and notice that I have a tendency to make simple spelling and grammar errors, on top of using words that do NOT exist outside of the text message world such as: "cuz". Again, I'm sorry to all my readers!

Beers and Booze

Beers and Booze

I got a job bartending! Ilove it! It's lots of fun, and the people are all very friendly and warm. It's at a little Pub, just 3 streets from my house. It's nice to work there, because I have made a couple friends that I work with. Karly, is a girl who I have bartended with a few times who is from Perth, and has welcomed me into her group and life! Then, I have also met another wonderful friend named Lucie, who is from Switzerland but has been living here for a year. She is super sweet, and I have gone running with her around the river in front of the city, and really enjoy her company as well. Both girls I work with, are in their 20's, and so we all get a long very well when we work together. So far, the people at this job, makes for a very positive work environment.

Regulars:

We have tons of regulars that come into the bar. All of which will sit at the bar at the beginning of my shift, and leave towards the end of my shift. I work from 5pm-11pm.

They aren't the type of drunks that you see at a night club though. They
are nice drunks.

They are mostly older in their 50's and 60's age group. Mostly men. And are friendly, just trying to have a beer or two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight....

It's funny, because I have noticed a reooccuring trend. BEER is bigger than BOOZE. Also, wine is very big, because Perth is close to 2 big wine region.

Mostly, the customers love me, because they like to figure out where my accent is from. It's confusing for them, because many people think I am from Canada. I always have to correct them, and say with pride that "I'm American". . Normally, everyone is nice. I have only had one dumb man say:

"If you're American, I'm a plastic surgeon, do you want breast
implants??"

Other than that, I have nothing but great customers. My favorite story, is this guy around 18 or 19 (The drinking age here is 18), who comes in with his group of friends. He listens to me talk, and just stares at me for a very long time. I finally look over at him, and say: "what are you looking at??"

He says with a perplexed look on his face:

"Do you JUST get HEAPS of sex???"

I said to him, "No, I don't. I'm pretty limited in that department." While I laughed out loud, because he was so bold it was humorous and funny!! Then he says:

"Cause your accent is the best accent
I have ever heard!!!"

The conclusion to that one instance: People like hearing me talk, and like hearing my story about how I have moved to this suburb of Como all the way from the United States.

My job is lots of fun.

Also, I got a job with a Temp agency, who is now going to bring me in to work temporary jobs, during the week. So in the next week or two, I will have a Mon-Friday office job, and work at the bar 2-3 nights a week.

Love Always,

Marcy

The Most Isolated City on Earth....

Perth: The Most Isolated City on Earth

Before I moved here, everyone would tell me,
"Did you know you are moving to the most isolated city on earth??"

I really didn't think anything of it, but, then...after
being here for a few weeks...I have realized. Yeah. I'm in an entirely new
world. It feels even more isolated sometimes, because most of the time, I have no clue where I am at. There are about 1.5 million people in my city, and everything is much slower than what I am used to. There are definately days when I get culture shock, and all I want to do is sit in
traffic, go to a store that is opened past 5pm...or just hear another
American voice in person, not just on the TV or in the
movies.

Today I realized how
glad I am that I followed through with

living in Perth, and not the east coast of Australia. I AM FORCED to be isolated from other Americans. The East Coast of Australia has tons of American tourists. So the chances of me running into another American would be much higher there than here. NOT to say Perth does not have any American immigrants, I just find that I am much more original here, than in other areas of Australia. I know for certain, that Perth gets American exchange students, but since I am not going to "University", I do not run into many people of my own culture. Which I think is cool. For once in my life: I'm a rare species. And that's cool.

Will upload pictures of my neighborhood as soon as I can get the uploaded images to work.
Here's To A New Life in a New City,
Marcy

A Post Dedicted to my Nephew Braeden!!

Braeden!!!

So I was watching TV tonight, and a commercial came on for Australian Monster Trucks!! It is on August 15th! I thought of you instantly, because I know how much you love Monster Trucks, and remembered that as a 7 year old, your adult asperation is to be a monster truck driver!! I miss you, and love you Braeden!!

Okay, so they dont have GRAVEDIGGER here,

instead they have PREDATOR. Can you see the

Australian Flag under neath the truck?????

Jump Mania!! Is what it's called. Here is the advertisement.

L♥VE, Aunt Marcy

Time to find a job...

Wish me luck. It's time to start looking for a job. The positive thing, their economy is much better than ours. So here I go! Cross your fingers. ♥Marcy

Perth!! How long do you think I'll last???

Happy Monday!

Do you guys want to place bets as to how long I will last away from America???

My brother Eric only predicted 2 weeks.

My friend Kevin Wray predicted less than a year, and I have to pay him 500 dollars if that's the case.
My parents, are set on 8 mos.!

What do you think?????????????????????????

I cannot beleive that I have almost been away for an entire week. The time has gone by fast. I personally think I will last, but then there are times when I have culture shock like crazy.

Things I need to adjust to:

1. All the phrases, tones, and social norms that I dont know or understand.

2. The expensive EVERYTHING!! Retail shopping is very expensive here.

3.Round-abouts on the roads. They have a lot of them.

4.The METRIC SYSTEM.

5.The grocery stores seem like ours, but hardly carry any brand we carry.

6.Expensive Restaurants. Even the simple restaurants are very very expensive.

7.They have a lot more coins than we do, I need to learn them. For instance, they have a $1 & $2 coin, 10cent coin, 20 cent., and so on.

Cottesloe Beach, (My new beach)

Things I'm LOVING about Australia so far!!:

1.The beautiful non-polluted beaches. Blue waters and white sand.

2.Tim Tams. (Cookies that are better than an Oreo).

3.Clean Air.

4. Everything is locally grown.
5. HUGE farmers markets, with lots of CHEAP fruits and Veggies.

6. Public Transportation is good.

7. Lots of outdoor time.

8. Cute little kids with cute Australian accents. I'm in love with all the kids!

9. Lots of surfers and surfing.

10. Lots of beach time.

City of Perth, from Kings Park (A good park to hike at).

A Koala Story...

When I was a little girl, my dad worked in Australia, because he works in the mining industry. Anyhow, when he would go, I would always ask him to bring me back a Koala bear. He thought I meant a toy, but really what I meant was that I wanted to own my own Koala bear. One year, he brought be back a stuffed Koala bear, and I was so dissapointed. That's when I learned, that I would never be able to have my own Koala as a pet.


Since then, I have been determined to actually see a koala in person. Come to find out, there is this place in Sydney that allows people to take pictures with the koala. I read it on this advertisement, and the first thing I could do that morning is walk to "Wildlife World", so I could hold my own koala. WELLL......I walk all the way there, and rush to the exhibit, which cost me 22 dollars....and it turns out that it is against the law in New South Whales Australia for people to hold and touch the koalas. So all a person can really do is stand by them to take a picture. If I really want to hold a koala, I have to try the small exhibits outside of New South Whales.

What a disspointment. AGAIN!

I'm truly on a mission to find a real life koala to hold. People have done it, I just need to find the place.

Below: Which one is cuter?? The Koala or the Guy???

(I KNOW THAT'S A DIFFICULT QUESTION, because I HAD A HARD TIME DECIDING MYSELF!!)

I couldn't hold the guy either!!! (Well, I guess I could have held him if I really tried, but I was still too disspointed about the Koala Law!!)

Oh yeah, and this guy has no idea he was part of my picture. NOR does he know he is part of my blog now! ha ha! He is just some Spaniard tourist walking around, looking hot, and making single women's days better.

Sydney!!

Hey Everyone! I am so sorry that it has taken me a couple days to blog again. It's so hard, because I was trying to wait for me to get to a computer to upload my pictures. I can do it now!

Oh my gosh! My time in Sydney was a blast! Remember on the last blog I told you about how my hotel was right across the street from a motorcycle dealership? Well, that night, I ended up going out with the sales people and manager from the dealership. They actually close the doors of the dealer at the end of the day, and then just stay after and drink beer with each other. They invited me in, and we talked about motorcycles and industry stuff. I met Mark, Adam, Andrew, Steve, and Dave. I met the owner, who owns that dealership and a dealership in Parametta, a suburb of Sydney. They said if I need a job, I can come work there, which is assuring. It was cool, because it's been a while since I have worked in the industry, but motorcycles are something I still love a ton, and could talk about supercross and bikes all day if you let me. It seemed that I clicked really well with all these guys. Then, later that night, two of the guys (Adam and Andrew) and I went out to a club in the "northern beaches" just outside of Sydney. We drank a ton!!! Then later that night, on our way back to Sydney, they drover me to see where Kevin Rudd the Australian Prime Minister lives. We were in this really fancy area of Sydney, and on our way to the other side of the Harbour Bridge, we stopped to look at one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen in my life!!! (One of them). It was the other side of the Harbor Bridge, and the Opera House, but not the side where tourists see...it was a spot where you can only see if you live outside of the city. It was breath taking....the pictures just don't do justice to how it really felt.




Overall, it was one of the best nights so far on my trip...and am really really thankful I met Adam and Andrew.

Can you see the Opera House behind me??? It's hard to see in the pictures, but it was gorgeous!!

Kevin Rudd's House (The Australian Prime Minister)

You will never believe this!!

First I would like to say, I made it to Sydney safely, and will post pictures in about 2 days!!!

Guess what!! So it took me about 2 hours to get out of the airport, and have the shuttle take me to my hotel. And, when I arrived at my hotel, I look across the street....and low and behold it's a motorcycle dealership!! I see these big huge signs that say "Yamaha", "Suzuki", "Ducati", "Vespa", etc. OF COURSE I had to go in and introduce myself, and let them know that yes....aside from the cute black coat and boots I was wearing...I am in LOVE with motorcycles, and sold them for 6 years! I made instant friends just by talking to them about motorcycles!

Then, the rest of the afternoon has just been about walking around the city non-stop, trying to take in as much of Sydney as I can. I went to see the Opera House with the Harbor Bridge. I saw the tourist ferries, and also looked at some downtown malls. I love it here, and could totally live in this city. I am sure I am going to say that a lot in every big city I go to, because I am fascinated by big cities.

Anyway, I am going to stay in tonight, just because I am so tired...and am suffering from a bit of jet lag. Tomorrow is another day...then off to Perth!

I love everyone! Tell me about how you guys are doing too!!! Love, Martina Lynn

St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney

Darling Harbor

The Opera House, Sydney


The Dealership across the street

My Hotel, simple but perfect...

G'Bye Everyone!!!!

It's Here! It's time for me to leave! I have been so nervous these past few days. (I threw up twice). LOL. Sorry to write that, but it's true! I have had such a nervous stomach, holy cow!! Anyway, I hope all of you keep in touch, and hope that I can maintain all of my wonderful friendships on here! If not, I understand if you do not post anything...but if you want to see cool pictures of cool places, you can get on here too! Wish me luck! I hope I don't wimp out on myself!

Love, Marcy

Family, family, and more family....

My Mom and my Aunt Patsy who is also my other Mom.

My Big Brothers and I.
My Nephew Braeden


My Nephews Michael and Braeden on 4th of July

More to come....BECAUSE THATS NOT IT!

Mi Familia

I think I have the best family ever. We are so close, and it is obvious that we all care about each other so much. If there is anything that I will miss while on my trip, is my family, and all the time we spend with each other. My parents have Sunday BBQ's just about every Sunday. My cousins and I are so close, you would think we are brothers and sisters. My immediate family is my extended family always picking on each other, then supporting each other when needed. And all my Aunts are like 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th mom's to me. Over the next few months, and even moving on with my future...I am never going to forget my aawesome family.

2 Steps forward 1 ankle back...

Ouchy. I hurt my ankle/foot. It's swollen and painful. Please heal before I leave!!! Only 28 days to go!

TICK...TICK....TICK

TICKET!!!
Well, I did it...I got my ticket to Australia last month. I got my work visa, and I'm actually going... July 28th 2009.
I started this blog to ensure that I am journeling every detail, and keeping in touch with friends and family. I Hope this works! I apologize if I cannot email all of my closest friends, but know that I will think of everyone while I am gone, and keep in touch with my life on here!