I Finally Made It To Oz

Here’s a little story that should raise the hair on your arms.

I decide it’s time for me to see New Zealand and visit my pal Nancy and I think to myself I think, self, we can’t be down under and not visit Ashlee in Australia.

Ashlee is someone I shared an apartment with a million years ago (1989 to be exact) when I lived in Barcelona and who I could tell a million stories about things like stowing away on trains and accidentally having cat food for dinner because we couldn’t read the labels on the cans yet but I’d like to get to the arm hair part here so suffice it to say she’s a true kindred spirit, a bright shiny light, fun with a capital F.

I hadn’t spoken to or been in contact with in over a decade, so I attempt to track her down and within an hour am fully discouraged because it’s kind of a common name and she’s not on the almighty Facebook.

30 minutes after I put down my search, I get an email from her.  I HAVEN’T HEARD FROM HER IN 10 YEARS AND WITHIN THE SAME 30 MINUTES….

I love it when that happens.

So here we are at her place in Melbourne with dog, son and kimonos.

Downtown Melbourne, where muggles shop:

I put 2 major dings on my traveling the world card by purchasing somethings no one should travel the world without:  A painting….

And a ukulele.

The dog looks miserable for a reason

I’m rushing off to the airport to catch my flight to Bali but will post more about Melbourne and how I nearly had to be airlifted out of the bush when I land….