HELLO EVERYONE! *big hugs*

**Chaos Butterfly** · May 22nd, 2003, 05:18 AM

*jumps in and starts hugging people left, right and center*

I missed the madness and you all since drifting away while I did my musical thing in March (gosh it seems a long time agoalready)

It all went really well tho' and the season was a sellout. and basically since then my life's gone crazy and insane and I basically have almost been living at work since then where they have cut down our internet access to minimal but I'm now making more of a point to use it at home.

Anyone wanna fill me in, what's happening with Firebird last time I had a brief lurk he was about to be shipped off somewhere unpleasant.

Anyway my lifes gone totally crazy and insane because I'm turning into a bit of a globetrotter for the rest of the year and next.

Earlier this year I was vaguely considering coming to the States on holiday but I never really had much of a plan so when really cheap fares to Surfer's Paradise Oz came up in Feb. I took them and am going for 10 days in June Yay! Just when its starting to get really cold here but hopefully still nice and sunny there.

Then my friend was leaving to do her big OE in London in August, she wanted to do a contiki of Europe first so she'd have an idea of where she'd want to visit, her boyfriend's not going with her and she casually mentioned in her e-mail to me Do I want to come? and before I'd even really thought about it I'd said well actually yes.

I'm not doing an OE tho' its not my style but I am going on a massive 6 week holiday in August with her. Basically it goes something like this.

Fly to Thailand and do touristy things for a couple of days, fly to London hook up with other friends on OE there and beg to sleep on their floor for a coupla days.

Then start the Contiki whichkinda goes Dover, Amsterdam 2nights, St Goar Germany 1 night, Engleberg Switzerland 2 nights, Innsbruck Austria 1 night, Venice Italy 1 night, Rome 2 nights, Florence 1 night, Nice French Riviera 2 nights, Lyon 1 night, Paris 2 nights then back to London.

Then I'm in London anohter 10 days (begging more free accomodation. Then because I couldn't possibly be over the other side of the world and not realise my dream of going to the Spanish Riding School in Vienna and the dancing horses, I'm flying to Vienna on my own (a bit scary) for 5 nights. Then I come home on a mega 36 hour in a plane or airport longhaul journey.

So is there anybody here I might meet on my journeys? (hey look I've just discovered the new smilies) [img]graemlins/plane.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/party.gif[/img]

So I basically have been trying to do as much overtime as I can as I'm barely going to have much spending money that doesn't involve little plastic cards, this means I'm at work pretty much 7 days a week lately aargh! I'm so sick of the place but it will be worth it in the end.

Hoping to come to the States in September next year too.

*goes to pitch tent in carpark at work* [img]graemlins/handcuffs.gif[/img]

**Ersby** · May 22nd, 2003, 11:31 AM

You see? This is what happens when you let an StPer out in the real world.

Welcome back.

**Exotic Ginger** · May 22nd, 2003, 11:40 AM

Hello Chaos Butterfly. I think I started posting around March so maybe we missed each other. I'll send a welcome hug anyhow. [img]smile.gif[/img]

**Neophobic Man** · May 22nd, 2003, 01:16 PM

Real world? What's that...

Good to see another return to the nest...

**JaceSan** · May 22nd, 2003, 07:54 PM

Weclome back, Chaos. Sounds like you've kept yourself busy.

**erisesoteric** · May 22nd, 2003, 11:17 PM

Honestly, you people. Chaos, Bird did get shipped out, he's not quite incommunicado, but close, but so far we're working on the "no news is good news" theory. Last known destination was Kuwait, but I could be wrong. This was just before shit broke out and then settled again.

Hope you have fun on your 6 weeks, it sounds like SUCH a blast. By the way, what's an OE?

**3peanuts** · May 24th, 2003, 04:27 PM

Italy, Rome, August? Did I catch that right?

Well, our (me and sarabiga) plans are about spendig fifteen days here at (my) home during August while mommy and brother are out of the picture for sea and relatives getting married, so if you want to meet us and we are free just e-mail me... [img]graemlins/beer.gif[/img]

**Chaos Butterfly** · May 26th, 2003, 06:58 AM

Hope you have fun on your 6 weeks, it sounds like SUCH a blast. By the way, what's an OE?[/QB][/QUOTE]

Not ever really being into doing one as all my mates seem too this is the best way I can describe the Big OE which stands for Overseas Experience. [img]graemlins/plane.gif[/img]

I suppose it sort of compares to an American Road Trip tho' I don't know if that is real or exists only in movies. After getting their degrees or working for a few years many Kiwis and Ozzies decide to see if they are more appreciated elsewhere, and basically go out and see the world and drink alot. Because we are pretty isolated down here this usually involves travelling halfway around the world to London, finding some sort of job (you can get a work visa for 2 years then you have to come home, of course you have be be under 28yrs old) and then using it as a base to hop over to other European countries during your stay. It seems to often involve meeting up with all the other Ozzies and KIwis in London and drinking alot. [img]graemlins/beer.gif[/img]

Of course I am only reporting 2nd hand as I love living here too much and see no reason to go and spend 2 yrs in a place where it appears to be rather cold grey and damp for a good part of the year. [img]graemlins/umbrella.gif[/img] So far no one's changed my mind and I don't think my holiday will either.

Will definitly try to get in touch 3peanuts I'm not sure exactly which dates the Contiki bus rolls into town yet but I know we start from London on the 19th of August and I think Italy is about 1/2 way thru the 16days. [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

**Jelymo** · May 26th, 2003, 10:23 PM

heya!! [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

might i throw in here that Contiki is THE most awesome experience ever??? lots of ozzies and lots of canucks on those things, you know. i loved my contiki trip, had the time of my life. lots of drinking and you meet some really awesome people. i wanna go to australia/new zealand for a while sometime in the next few years so badly.

you'll have to let me know who your driver and stuff is. *grins*

*is also quite jealous of this extensive travelling, as that is what I wanna be doing right now!!*

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ May 26, 2003 07:24 PM: Message edited by: Jelymo ]</font>

**Exotic Ginger** · May 27th, 2003, 05:35 PM

Me too! I'm really jealous of all this travelling. I just want to go to the US to visit some friends and I don't think I can do that this summer. [img]frown.gif[/img]