Danielle's American Adventure

Hey Everyone!!!!

I am at Camp Echo Lake in Warrensburg New York. It is so beautiful here, it is such an amazing place. I have only been here for 3 days but it feels like so much longer. As soon as I walked into camp I felt at home...Its like another world here, a fun, happy exciting world! I already know I will be sad to leave and camp has barely even begun!

Some parts of camp are a little strange though...like the cordial! Its called Cool-aid and it tastes like fruit tingles dissolved in water...YUK!!! and the food is not so great...everyone is saying how they feel like they are always eating and I am complaining that they don't feed me enough!! We have a no food rule in our bunks, but I snuck a museli bar in today in case of emergency starvation :P

I went to Walmart yesterday!! It is huge!!! It is like Target or Kmart...Only 1000000 times larger. It even has a Mc Donalds (called Micky D's here) and a hair salon here! I got lost...it was so much fun though...It was like a shopping theme park!

I am in orientation week right now...which involves lots of get to know you games, and videos and talks...the kids arrive on saturday. I can't wait! There bags arrived today, we got to unpack them. Everybody gets super excited about everything here...like unpacked 500 kids bags from 5 trucks! My first day here I was thinking how strange all these people were for getting so excited about anything and everything...but now I am getting just like them. Its like the curse of camp! But its a great camp...I have ran, walked, played and laughed more in the last 3 days then I have in a long time. I love Summer Camp!!

I will check in again soon guys

Greetings From New York City!

It is about 10:45pm here and I have had about 5 hours sleep in the last two days! The flight was long to say the least...very very long! They only fed us a few times so we spent most of the time hungry!! We did make up for being hungry though, right now I am so full I am about to burst! Tash and I didnt realise that when you order a LARGE Pizza in New York it means that you will recieve a giant pizza that fills half of the table!!!

After arriving at the airport we jumped on a SUPER SHUTTLE and headed into the city. The whole driving on the wrong side of the road thing was a little strange...The funniest bit was when Tash and I freaked out becasue we couldn't see the driver, then we realised that he was on the other side...he was a funny man...He asked us what we were talking about and we told him that we thought he had dissapered. He just laughed at us. Lots of people seem to be doing that, esspecially the Mexican lady at the Mexican/Itallian restaraunt where we ordered our monster pizza. She looked at us like we were crazy when we ordered a main spaghetti and the pizza to share...Although she couldn't tell us why she thought we were crazy because she spoke no english. In fact no one in the restaraunt spoke any english! Definatly not what you expect coming to an English speaking country. There were lots of Mexican men sitting around drinking coronas and ordering 1 SLICE of pizza...all watching us! I do think we did them proud though seeing as we managed to get through most of the pizza and all of the pasta. The best part was we only payed $12 each for a meal that could have fed an army...

The hostel that we are staying at is definatly not as exciting as our giant pizza however! we got put in seperate room with 10 random strangers...but we found away to fix that problem, we are sharing a bed in Tashs room (we like the look of the people in there better). Its a single bed top bunk...I am sure we are in for a quality sleep!! At least we will be together though.

Well my $2 of Internet time is coming to an end, and I am in need of a shower!

So goodbye...I will keep you all updated!

There is only 3 Days until I leave the country!!

Tash and I had our going away party on friday night and I had a family going away party on saturday night.
It was a big weekend!

I have spent the last few days shopping and packing and attempting to be organised. I think that I have everything I need but there is always that feeling that I have forgotten something.

Its a strange feeling knowing that I am leaving in 3 days. I think its a mixture of excitment, nerves and being anxious. Its always a little bit scary getting out of your comfort zone and heading into the unknown, but its also very exciting!

I have asked like 100000 questions about camp, and talked to soooo many people about what to expect...but I still feel a little bit un prepared. I dont think I will really know what to expect until I am at camp. Which isnt very far away at all!!

I now have only around Two weeks to go until I leave for the States. Its strange, I have known for months that I am going and how long I am going for, but its only starting to feel real now. When I planned this trip it felt so far ahead in the future, and now the future has caught up on me really quick!! I have so much going through my head right now...Do I have everything ready in order to leave...What should I pack...How much should I pack...Will I have enough Money...Will I miss home too much, and at the same time I am bubbling over with excitement! I remember this feeling from the last time I was about to go on an overseas trip...even with all the stress of organising everything before I go, I feel as light as a feather!

Hi everyone!!

I now have my very own Blog! I am very new to the whole blogging thing but thought it might be a good way to keep in touch with all of you back in Australia while I am away on my American Adventure. Right now I am sitting at work in front of my computer finding it hard to believe that in 4 weeks time I will be on a plane flying to the US of A! The fact that I will be on the other side of the world for almost 4 months is really starting to hit me now...I am excited and nervous all at the same time! I am starting to realise what a big, amazing, life changing experience I am about to have.

For those of you who don't already know the in's and out's of my trip (I tend to talk about America a lot these days!) here they are:

I leave for the US on Thursday the 19th of June, and after spending almost 24 hours on a plane I arrive in the US on the same day...gotta love gaining a day due to the time difference!

After getting off the plane I am heading to a hostel in New York to sleep off my jet lag and prepare myself to head to camp the very next day...

On friday the 20th of June I head to Camp Echo Lake (my new home for the next two months), and begin my orientation. Camp is the part of my trip that I am most excited about, but its also the part I am most nervous about! I guess its always scary stepping into a world where everything is new and different from what you know, but from what I have heard Camp becomes home very quickly.

After my 2 months at Camp Echo Lake I am getting on a bus/train/plane and heading back to New York City to meet up with Tash, Rachel and Pharoh. We are spending 8 nights in the Big Apple in our own apartment with a doorman...I am hoping that his name is Frank and he wears a funny hat! After nine whole days of strolling through central park, watching broadway shows, dinning in Upper East side cafes and watching the Yankees play we are heading to Miami.

We are spending 2 nights in Miami in a hostel that we are paying about $30 Australian dollars for a night. I doubt that this will be the most luxurious part of our trip, but I am sure that the beautiful beaches will make up for it.

After 3 days in Miami we are jumping on a cruise ship and heading to Mexico!! for the next 5 days we will be cruising in tropical waters and drinking coronas on the beach...definatly something to look forward too!!

After we return to the mainland, relaxed and hopefully very tanned we are flying to Las Vegas.

We are spending 4 nights in Vegas. I am very excited about vegas!!! I plan to win millions of dollars and maybe even get married.

After Vegas we fly to San Francisco. We are spending 5 nights in San Fran before catching the train to Anaheim, California.

Then we have a whole 3 wonderful days to spend at Disneyland!!!! DISNEYLAND! before heading to Hollywood to meet the stars...We are spending 6 nights in a hostel in hollywood.

After Hollywood Tash and I are starting our 9 day unplanned adventure!! We hope to head to San Diago and maybe Santa Barbara but who knows where we will end up...

Then after almost 4 months abroad I am getting on a plane and heading home...