"American Honey..."

For the first time since August 31st, 2010 I am back on American soil. I landed in LAX on March 9th (the second March 9th that I had this year), and couldn't stop grinning. To be completely honest, I wasn't even that excited to be going back to the States until I heard the flight attendant's announcement over the loud speaker...

"And to all of our returning citizens, Welcome Home..."

Then it hit me. I was going to be seeing two of my best friends that night, Christa Rossell and Maggie May Graham. I was going to be able to hug them, and laugh, and show them pictures, and sit around in pj's eating baked lays talking about everything. I was going to my cousin's wedding in Key West and was able to see my family, which has been the longest I've gone without seeing them in my life. I was going to be able to eat all of my comfort foods, visit my favorite restaurants, go home to Columbus and Miami University and see everyone there... I was going to be able to go back to North Carolina and walk my dog, swim in the lake, play yahtzee, and eat Chipotle. I was going to be doing everything that I have pushed from my mind over the past six months. Not intentionally, of course, but it's easier to dwell on what you have in front of you rather than yearn after something you can't have. It's incredible to be able to experience all these different things once more. In fact, I started off this experience by grabbing a Bud Light at 9AM in LAX. Figuring I was going to Key West and could claim the excuse, "hey... it's 5 o'clock somewhere!"

In one of my first blogs about going to Australia I said something along the lines of having my "two lives collide" or something equally as cheesy and dramatic. Now, I am experiencing this sensation again - just in reverse. Instead of being in Australia and finding the differences and always thinking of back home, I'm now home... and using Aussie terms, trying to figure out where the meat pies are, getting used to cars and not trams, finding it odd that everyone has the same accent as me, and getting REALLY confused at the money situation. Our bills look like they're about to rip apart at any moment. Strange.

I'm really excited about going back to Melbourne, and even more excited about the things to come in the last half of my trip... but I'm really enjoying my time here. I'm remember why it was so comfortable... and realizing that even though at times I thought I was going to scream (or actually did scream) this was never that bad. My life back in Columbus was perfect for the first year out of college. Walking down High Street, and driving around the city, I can find memories in almost every place I look. Whether it was watching Patty in a fashion show on Halloween, grabbing mexican food after my first day at a 'real job' with Scott, going to the National's hockey games, Clipper's baseball games, OSU tailgates, countless breakfasts - lunches - and dinners out, or going to the park on Easter instead of Church... it's a city that I fell in love with. I'm so happy to be back!

The only thing that would make it feel perfect was if Patty was here. I haven't really experienced this city without her, and it seems odd that her (and her family) are gone. So shout out to you aussie roomie!! Keep those boys in line and have a skinny capp waiting for me when I get back :) :) :) I'll wave at your house when I drive by and stop by Liberty Place (APT 12307!) for you.

I'm sure I'll have tons more to tell you all once I get settled here in Columbus... but for now, I'm going to venture out in my converse, Floridian tan, aussie sunnies, and coat (brrr!) to take some pictures!

Miss & Love.

Em

"There's a wild, wild whisper
Blowing in the wind
Calling out my name like a long lost friend
Oh I miss those days as the years go by
Oh nothing's sweeter than summer time
And American honey..." ~ Lady Antebellum

The Vince Lombardi Trophy is Coming Home!

First and foremost, a big congrats is in order to Green Bay's boys! The Packers took hold of the 2011 Superbowl title today with the amazing leadership of Mr. Aaron Rodgers. I was lucky enough to be able to watch the game on a beach with an endlessly cloudless sky and a big ol' sun shining on my back... sure, I was wearing the bright orange Beachcomber attire and serving guests the lunch special, but I got to cheer on green & gold nonetheless.

One of my earliest memories was having my parents sing the Wisconsin fight song to get me before bed. We'd make the 2 day trek each summer to spend days playing on hot pavement and visiting all our family members in the Cheese State. The reds and whites of UW have been an ever-present force in my life consistently for 23 years and I hope it never ends. Along with the unwavering school spirit my family so ferociously grabs hold of, we also had the same pride and respect for the Packers instilled in us from the same age - birth. So for me, who has waiting since I was 9 for another Super Bowl victory, today was a huge milestone. I would have preferred to be spending it surrounded by family members, wearing an old Farve jersey, drinking Miller Lite (shout out to my cousins - Brad & Lauren), and eating my Mom's home-made chex mix. But, what are you going to do?

So to Aaron Rodgers (and the rest of the team, of course),

Welcome to a place that nobody has been able to hold for a very long time... welcome to a day where you will end the negative comparisons made to (standing ovation please...) Brett Farve. Welcome to the moment where YOU are the best quarter back in this game. Welcome, and take a seat (stay a while even), to a moment where Green Bay can proudly say - with cheese head hats donned and bratwursts being munched on - that WE are the champions! To Jordy Nelson and Greg Jennings - Bravo! You two will silence anyone who had any doubts about your abilities. Way to show up to the game, have fun taking home this much deserved win! You all made my head whirl and my heart soar today. My spirits, which have been down recently, have been fully picked up... you guys are my iron shield in which only happiness will be let through! I needed this guys, and surely you did as well. My nine year-old self is jumping for joy just like I did 13 years ago... even though I claim Connecticut as my home, my heart belongs in Wisconsin. Way to go!!!

To the Steelers and the poor representation of Miami University that is "Big Ben",

Hang up those black and golds guys, the only thing you were flying on today was your ego. That (not surprisingly, cough cough) wasn't enough to get you to first place boys. You can claim the elite honor of getting beat by "cheese heads". Yeah, that's right. See you next year!

With bragging and boasting aside, I hope everyone had a fantastic football, beer, and food consumed day. I got a couple confused looks as I put down menus for Monday's lunch and wished people a happy Super Bowl Sunday.

"On Wisconsin..." Ladies and gentlemen.

xoxo Em

*On a more somber note. My heart goes out to the friends and family members of students at Youngstown State University. Thinking and praying for you all.*

A Bogan Christmas

There have been two times since I've left the States that I have had a hands-in-face, tears-soaking-through-my-fingers, knees-up-to-my-chest, weird-noises-that-I-didn't-think-I-could-make, sobbing crisis moments. Christmas morning was one of those times. Even though the moment after I got off Skype with my family was fleeting, I could feel it in my chest for the rest of the day. When you're missing something that is such an integral part of you it's hard to shake it off quickly.

Christmas was... well, nontraditional. In every sense of the word. We had Christmas dinner, sure, but was the turkey done? Nope. Did we eat it anyway? Yep! Did we have dessert? Couldn't be bothered. Did we listen to Christmas carols? Only if Eminem's "Stan" counts as seasonal. Did we say grace? Well, we sloshed our drinks around and cheered to each other. Did we spend it with our families? Not by blood, but by everything else - yes. Did we get presents? Bogan ones. That consisted of a fake boob, a Backstreet Boys t-shirt found at an op-shop, a diary with cut out letters and tape that says "The Adventures of Emily Meyers Part 1", wine, santa shorts, and matching bracelets. Did we all sleep in one room per the Meyers family tradition? Absolutely. Was it comfortable? Not really. Was it the most memorable and amazing Christmas to date? No doubt about it.

The best Christmas present I received was having one of my best friends fly all the way from across the world to come spend 3 amazing weeks with us. Kyle is one of those people you meet and you can't believe you survived without them. We just get each other. From our long discussions about life, love, and adventure while climbing down Mount Kosciuszko to our late nights staying up leaving video messages on our friend's walls to our early morning walks down to St. Kilda pier - we just click. It was incredible to have someone here from home to celebrate our first Christmas away and to bring in the New Years with. He was a trooper as we ran into a couple of unseen setbacks and at many times was deemed "the strongest link". So shout out to you KMell aka Wreck. J-Peck loves and misses you!

Christmas day stretched out for three days. Day 1 ::: Christmas Eve consisted of us shopping for Christmas dinner and getting ready for our Christmas Eve pub crawl! In fact, we were so concerned about Christmas dinner that we completely forgot to have Christmas Eve dinner. Good thing there is Subway! Anyway, I can't wait for everyone to see the pictures of this ridiculous night. I was in a red dress and a matching santa hat, Patty was in a white dress and a santa hat, Josh and Chris were decked out in their Christmas presents which were ONLY red fuzzy santa shorts with white trim and santa hats, and Kyle was jolly in his Santa Suit we found at KMart. As we bounced down Acland St we looked rather silly but had the most fantastic time. Jeremy was able to meet up with us at the end for a final festive drink as we brought in Christmas morning. The night ended back at Chris' after he read us "The Night Before Christmas" in his English accent. Perfect.

Day 2 ::: We woke up Christmas morning in what looked like a pile of puppies. There were pillows and blankets, legs and arms, strewn about everywhere. As we made our way to the kitchen we ate Josh's scrambled eggs (which still had the shells in them - I think it's one of those strange Canadian traditions) and listened to the boys play guitar all morning long. It wasn't the same as waking up to my Mom's blueberry coffee cake and listening to classical music but it was definitely a different kind of wonderful. :) The rest of the day was spent on the beach sunbathing and having swimming races. The boys even dove off of the pier which resulted in Josh having bruises ribs. Smart guys. Chris holds the best moment of the day when he poured all the empty ice/water left over in the cooler on Patty and myself. Finally, confused by the time we wandered home to make our makeshift dinner and continue the Christmas celebrations.

Day 3 ::: Boxing day came and went in a blur. It was us cleaning up, getting thrown in shopping carts, trying to pack for our big trip, jumping on trampolines, talking to our families for their US Christmases, hiking our way down to Republica for some dancing and strawberry daiquiris, and trying to figure out of Christmas had actually happened or if it was just some weird aussie joke they were playing on us. As we twirled about and saw the lights still hanging up in Abbey Road we looked at each other, shook our heads, and were thankful that even if we didn't have everyone we wanted... we still had each other. And that was enough.

How's that for corny Josh?

At the end of your comfort zone...

I received a card from one of my very best friends not so long ago. The front was black with white writing that said, "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." I couldn't think of a better quote to sum up this entire experience that I have been having. It's been a string of pushes... each day marking one more day successfully completed. Because after all, it's been over 3 months and we're still here - aren't we?

I went Christmas shopping a couple days ago by myself downtown. I hate to say it, but I'm going to have to venture out in the rain again today to pick up some little additions that I didn't purchase last time. It made my mind a bit weird when I looked around and saw wreaths, trees, lights, banners, and even a Christmas donkey (yes, you can be confused... I was as well) on the side of the road. It was like a snowball hitting you smack in the face. It's the holiday season, and it's completely crept up on me.

It's not just the weather that has led me to push Christmas to the back of my mind... but I think also the fact that we aren't with our families and our contact with friends from home has dwindled a bit recently. With all of our lives going a million different directions it hard enough to stay in touch... let alone if you can't shoot out a quick text or call.

So to Le Pack & Della. I miss you.

The muggy heat seems unnatural for a month that for the past 23 years has been complete with snow, cold, jackets, scarfs, red noses, big boots, slushy weather, hot chocolate, and fires. When I think of Christmas I think of my mom's cooking... big pots of steamy goodness that makes my kitchen smell like home. I think of flannel pjs and reading by the fire. I think of Christmas cookies and wrapping paper. I think of board games and family movies. It's odd, but all these images and memories of this time of year seem so far off right now.

On the flip side, I'm really excited to celebrate such an amazing holiday with incredible friends over here. I'm lucky enough to have one of my best guy friends trek all the way from Ohio to celebrate not only New Years, but Christmas as well. Shout out to Kyle Melling who I cannot wait to see! It'll make this time a lot easier when we have someone from home, who can make me laugh no matter what, to spend it with.

So this year, I'll be trading in my J. Crew pj bottoms and sweatshirts for a red bikini and Santa hat on Christmas day. Instead of putting on gloves and wool socks I'll be rubbing in sun tan lotion! It'll be different... but I have a feeling it will be just as magical.

Here's to embracing in new traditions and always keeping the old ones close by! Happy Christmas Season friends! Cheers to the reds and the greens, the blues and the silvers... and whatever holiday you might celebrate!

Peace & Love.

snippets.

picture this :::

90 degrees. sun boiling right through you. sunnies on... running. smile plastered. pieces of hair falling into your face. "no, i'm not canadian". why is the kitchen taking so long? who is this new person? "hey! can you clear table 408?" huge sigh. big gulp of diet coke. glance to your left. grin and wink at your girlfriend. "us against the world, right?" punch numbers into the computer. turn around. living the dream.

airport. forty minutes after he was supposed to arrive. nervously pacing. biting your nails. fixing your top... wringing your hands. *he's supposed to be here by now.* then swirls of colors and a rush of air... familiar face. familiar smell. hugging. is anyone else in here?

dressed up. walking into the casino. flashing lights... beautiful people... music. girls night out. dresses. tans. sharing drinks. "no photos in here miss..." you must be kidding. blackjack for the first time. winning. chips. slots. tons and tons of people. huge venue. amazing night. staying late with an old friend. winning. coronas. pretending like you know what you're doing. ending up on top.

legs up on the dash... air blowing in the windows. straw hat on and blue sunnies are donned. cracking open a bottle and listening to the radio. looking over the cliff side into the endless deep blue and white beaches. thinking... this is all there is, isn't it?

on stage. swaying to the music... which isn't that good. look over. blue eyes. both hands clutched on the microphone. "you say he's just a friend..." do you even know that song? reassuring smile. aussie rap concert. friends beaming back at you. "told you it'd be worth it!" looking over at the rapper... laughing too hard that you can't sing. getting off the stage. energy. music. vibrations. wishing the night wouldn't end.

waking up in the morning. stiff back... tired eyes... sore limbs. alarm ringing. work soon. but the shift just ended, didn't it? pulling on a bright orange shirt and wiping the sleep out of your eyes. fumbling with the toothbrush and making sure your have the keys. slipping $2 into your pocket for juice. finding your phone and ipod. running a brush through a bit of hair. and another day...

seeing your family on the computer from a million miles away. hearing them make dinner, mutter about where things are in the kitchen, and discuss the christmas tree. "you'll be on skype wednesday so you can tell us where to hang your ornaments, right?" the first christmas you'll be without. that part of the 6th will be missing. who's room will they sleep in christmas eve? the beginning feelings of longing... haven't felt like this since you left.

walking around downtown... ipod in one ear, phone in hand, searching for just the right presents. touching colored patterns as you pass through stores, reading signs and walking by. hearing the "beep" of the pedestrian cross sign. feeling the heat of the exhaust from cars. crossing off names as you catch a spare moment. figuring out what tram will get you closest. taking a deep breath as you realize... it's december. it's hot. you're far away. do your best.

legs crossed. arms crosses. nervously tapping on the desk. "come on, come on..." handing the card over. booked. 2 week vacation. sailing, hiking, camping, jungles, ocean, mountains. best friends, old friends, new friends. three weeks and counting. so far away, so soon. get here.

sore feet. sleepy eyes. hurt back. t-shirt tan. low bank account. bad internet connect. fast typing. faster calling. fastest texting. facebook check. email check. email send. blog post.

done.

miss & love. xo.

Common Problems, Uncommon Solutions

So this past week I had a visitor who I've known for 23 years and two months. We have tons of things in common : wine enthusiasts, broadeners of horizons, globe trotters, similar gum & teeth smiles, undying love for a particular black fuzzy pet, and our last names. Yep, my dad made the outrageous trek over to Melbourne to come visit! We met at his hotel exactly a week ago and had the most fantastic reunion ever. It reminded me of two years ago when I made my way from Luxembourg to Florence, Italy and met him in the lobby of another hotel - only half a world away. Both of these trips have lead us to try new wine, new food, and partake in adventures which we'll tell for years to come. It's amazing to know that someone loves me enough to forgive me for oversleeping on the morning of a winery tour, to not complain (very much) when I take him on a 5 mile "short walk" to a town just to end up at a bar, and who will travel 20+ hours to see a glimpse into my life. I couldn't be luckier.

We sure did pack a ton of things into the 5 days he was here for! Went out for nice dinners in the CBD, met some friends for drinks, rented bikes and road around the city, went on a graffiti tour (led by Patty and myself), went to the top of the Eureka tower and saw the city, went to a very alternative rooftop bar, saw St. Kilda & Port Melbourne, caught up to a wine tour in the Yarra Valley, ate Kangaroo at a certain beachfront cafe, and tried new foods at the Queen Victoria Market.... phew, and that's only to name a few!

I think the most entertaining portion of this trip was the Yarra Valley winery tour I had planned weeks in advance. I was so excited to do this and was literally counting down the days until we got on a bus and sped off to the gorgeous vineyards! Well, I ended up oversleeping on the morning of the tour. When Patty told me that it was 9:40AM (20 minutes after the bus was supposed to pick us up, and 40 minutes after I was supposed to meet my dad in the city) I literally jumped off of the top bunk, called my dad sobbing, called the tour company in a completely chaotic frenzy and in ten minutes put together a plan and threw on some clothes. I ran out of my apartment, jumped on the closest tram, took it to the train station... where it stopped TWO stops away due to a parade... SPRINTED in the rain to Flinders Station, lost my shoes on the way and had to go back for them, missed the train, caught the next one and sat down with my dad for the hour long journey. When we got to Lilydale we grabbed a cab and made it just in time for lunch! With only one winery done we had 3 left to explore and were chauffeured the rest of the trip. Now, if that's not quick thinking / dedication / stupidity than I don't know what is. Our leader told us that out of all the years he had been doing the tours, only ONE other couple met up with them. The dozens and dozens of others had just thrown in the towel when they realized they had missed it. But not us! I'm exhausted just thinking about this... absolutely worth it though!

The wineries were gorgeous and we even met some people from my hometown - Ridgefield, CT! What a small world! We learned about "Sparkling" which is what Aussies call Champagne, tried some fantastic wine at Yerring Station, and had a fabulous lunch at Rochford in the Macedon Ranges. Even though it was raining a bit, I'd count the trip as an absolute success. And it makes for a hell of a story - don't you think?

Life throws you curve balls and it just depends what you do with them that really counts. I wouldn't trade any of the slip ups, pictures, memories, laughs, hugs, talks, and silly moments that made up this trip for anything in this world. So shout out to you dad! Thanks for making this past week one of the best weeks ever! You're amazing & I love you!

So the next time you see your dads everyone, give them a hug! They really are pretty awesome!

"You are absolutely too much."

I'm going to be honest, I'm not always the easiest person to get in contact with... I rarely check my voicemails and I'm usually on my way somewhere when I find a minute to call someone back. I have to admit, I really need to get better with dedicating time to catching up with loved ones back home. I know that there are some in particular who are getting a bit ticked off at my inability to be an arms length away (granted, two of these people will be visiting within the next 3 weeks).

So I've really been trying to send my parents emails with pictures whenever I have a spare moment (baby steps...). I recently received an email back from my Dad that said two things. The first was, "Wherever you wind up, you find or make a party. Good for you." The second one was, "You are absolutely too much!" Both of these responses are very true, but made me think about trying to get get better at this balancing act between the States and Oz. It's a catch-22, if I'm not out running about and and coming back with fantastic stories - what would I have to tell everyone back home? But if that's all I'm doing, and I'm not keeping friends & family close... then I'll have nobody to relay all my experiences to. It's tricky. As I said, I'm working on it.

Anyway, the first step is to realize what needs to be worked on - right? So onto the past week... which, as Patty put very bluntly, was "epic". Haha. Flash back to college lingo right there. But it was... everything about these past couple of days has been a tornado of experiences. Some great, and some not so stellar. But looking back at the pictures and the memories, I think this has been one of my favorite weekends so far in Melbourne.

This week was the week of The Melbourne Cup! This is basically exactly like The Kentucky Derby, just a little less redneck... and a lot more Australian. I went out with two great friends from work on Friday night (shout out Caroline & James!) and ended up having a fantastic time... and even met an American bartender from North Carolina! James had the not-so-great idea of taking shots of absinthe. Which made it a bit hard to be even somewhat civil to Patty when she woke me up at 7AM the next morning to start getting ready for the Derby! But, I pulled myself out of bed and threw on the outfit that we had found in the city that previous week and soldiered on. The day ended up to be one of the rainiest days of the year (no kidding)... with two months of rain in two days! Yikes! Needless to say we all made it down, got absolutely soaked, and celebrated our decision to put our money towards champagne instead of betting. Everyone was DECKED OUT in their best attire even though the weather was less than friendly. Everybody looked "top-notch", haha.

After the races - Sean, Carolina, and myself made our way to a house party (I think Caroline knew the people there?) and wound up completely out of our comfort zones. It was like a scene out of a Tim Burton movie with people dressed up as scary dolls and zombies. Needless to say, I kind of stuck out in my bright green derby dress and obnoxious white hat. It was okay though, I made friends with everyone and even had the girls "bejewel" me with cool jewels all over my face. Not as scary as their face paint, but still - pretty cool. Afterwards we wound up at Sean's Halloween party and celebrated our first American holiday!

Sunday was actually Halloween, and Patty and I had absolutely no idea what we could be. Twins? Lame. American flags? Eh... Some sort of animals? Absolutely not. Then I remembered I walked past a shop on Acland that had American flag shorts in the windows a while ago. Lucky enough they had them (and half off!) so we wound up being 'Mericans for Halloween! Complete with white & blue beaters... red & blue trucker hats... and huge white aviators. We celebrated with "Death" aka Chris, and "Zoolander" aka Josh. It was absolutely hilarious. Although a bunch of our conversations with others went a bit like this...

"Oh! What are you guys?"

"We're Americans!"

"You're Americans! Haha, that's SO funny! So you're Canadians just making fun of Americans?"

"No... we're actually American."

... oops! haha, it wasn't the same as Pike's shot party or Spring Chicks, but it definitely filled the shoes of the previous years.

I wound up at the Derby again for the actual Melbourne Cup race. It was the day Patty left to go back to the States... which has been weird considering we haven't been apart for more than 12 hours since we arrived here. This time at the Derby it was less wet, a bigger group of people - which was great, and I bet. For the first time. AND WON! I put $10 down on a horse named "Americain" and he ended up winning! I was so happy and couldn't stop jumping up and down with my $85! I felt a lot cooler than I actually was... but was thrilled. I had to physically stop myself from calling my parents because it was 3AM their time. I received a bunch of texts from my friends over here though, all demanding that I had bet on Americain - and then congratulating me when I confirmed that I had! What an amazing experience!

Phew... so props to all of you who made it through this book-long post! I feel like my stories keep getting a bit more ridiculous each time I get on to type away! That's fine with me though, as most of you know - I thrive off of this stuff!! Couldn't be happier :)

Look for some emails and phone calls in the future guys! Can't wait to hear all about your incredible lives and get to relive it with you through stories and pictures as well! Thinking of you all and love you immensely.