Adventure Addict

Blue Mountains and Featherdale Wildlife Park

2010-08-05T03:19:00.000-07:00

When two of my besties were visiting from San Diego, we had the opportunity to go on an amazing adventure to Featherdale Wildlife Park and Australia's famous Blue Mountains- all for under $100 per person!! I am not kidding about this whole living on a budget thing! There are multiple Blue Mountains tours with the same features for the same low price, but we chose The Great Sights Blue Mountains Mini Coach Tour and loved it! Added bonus points: We met a HOT translator/tour guide who was narrating the entire tour in Italian <3 easy on the ears and the eyes!

The morning started with a scavenger hunt for the bus in Sydney's CBD (Central Business District). Finding the bus proved to be an adventure in and of itself because we just missed it in two locations! Finally we jumped into a cab and had a "Follow that bus!" moment, finally catching it (and our breaths) at Star City Casino near Darling Harbour.

Featherdale Wildlife Park only took about one hour by bus from Sydney, and we LOVE love loved this place!! Us girls were able to pet wallabies, kiss a koala, feed kangaroos, run from giant emus (Gina! hahaha) and coo at the most adorable tiny penguins in the world!

These are wallabies, not kangaroos!

Gina's worst nightmare lol

followed by...

Gina's true love/

HAPPY FEET!! :))

My bff... kinda stinky though!!

From Featherdale, we rode about another hour to the breathtaking Blue Mountains. We started at Echo Point, overlooking the enormous Jamison Valley and in front of the famous rock formation, Three Sisters, named for its three pinnacles. Stunning! Jamison Valley was huge- picture the Grand Canyon but covered with dense trees instead of sandstone. The entire canyon and mountain range is famous for its namesake- the blue mist that lingers in the valleys and gives a blue appearance to all the trees. Apparently, the mist comes from Eucalyptus trees and the chemicals they give off.

We rode a cable car suspended over a deep valley, and although I am terrified of heights, it was too beautiful to mind. We rode on Australia's steepest incline train (more like a roller coaster) to get down to the trails, and our tour guides let us go off and explore for several hours on the trails. We felt like we were lost in Fern Gully with trees, ferns, streams, waterfalls and plentiful wildlife. Being the nature junkie that I am, I was completely in Heaven and wanted to permanently move to the Blue Mountains forest!

My little explorer <3

☮ ♥ :) Soooo at one with nature haha

This was one of the best things I have done in Australia, and it is a must-see for any visitors!! I highly recommend this excursion, adventure addicts!!

Never stop exploring!!

THE Life List

2010-07-29T05:35:00.000-07:00

I am a strong believer in writing down life goals and wishes. This probably stems from my love of the written word. However there is something to be said for the power of positive thinking, and I truly believe that putting thoughts on paper gives them a tangible aspect that produces more power than they would have had just swimming around in our brains all day.

I am also a strong believer in putting what you want out there for the universe/God/etc. to hear, and I have been impressed many times in my life by circumstances that have come about simply by wishing them into reality, i.e. winning a major sweepstakes to being my world travels.

I started this to do list of life wishes, goals and dreams about a year ago, and whenever I need to feel inspired I read it to remind myself what I want to be doing with my life. I am a list maker as it is, with random bits of paper throughout my room of budgets, grocery lists, to do lists, lists of people I want to write or visit, etc. This, however, is by far my most treasured of them all. Why? Because my #1 worst fear (yes, even more than death or heights) is mediocrity.

“Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid” – Basil King

“Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” – Goethe

So here it is, Sarah Hahn’s Bucket List (in no particular order):
Italics = DONE!

See the Aurora Borealis
Ride on a dog sled
Learn to drive a manual
Save a life
Hike the John Muir Trail in Yosemite
Win money at a horse race
Win a major sweepstakes
Sea kayak
Be someone’s maid of honor and do an amazing job
Be someone’s God Mother
Act in a play, television show or movie
Attend the Olympics
Run with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain
Stand under the Eiffel Tower
Speak Italian in Italy
Join the Peace Corps
Shower in a waterfall
Learn to play a musical instrument
Walk the Great Wall in China
Sit with a stranger in a restaurant and have a meal with them
Buy a homeless person a meal
Dance with a stranger in a foreign country
Fill an entire passport within 10 years before it expires
Party hard with a celebrity
Be in Times Square for New Years
Catch a fish, prepare it and cook it
Dance on stage at a major concert
Donate a significant amount of money to a charity I believe in
Go on a big travel/adventure completely solo for at least 3 months
Get a job in another country
Create a famous family recipe that my family can’t get enough of
Safari in Africa
See the salmon swim upstream in Alaska
Eat a croissant in a French café
See the Pyramids
Have a rooftop garden
Participate in a political protest or peace rally
Make a quilt
Start a business
See the Seven Wonders of the World
Crew on a large sail boat
Hang glide
Base jump
Tight rope walk
Fly a small plane all by myself
Sail a small boat by myself
Scuba dive
Skydive
Bungee jump
Marry the love of my life
Meet the president or prime minister of a country
Be a food critic
Read The Bible
Ride in a helicopter
Send a message in a bottle
Whale watch
Throw a dart on a world map and go there!!
Teach a class
Write a novel… and get it published!!
Play with a gorilla or chimpanzee
Swim with dolphins
Ride in a hot air balloon
See a meteor shower
Get better at sailing
Get better at windsurfing
Find my soul mate
Have a family, teach my children good things
Have a well-trained (big) dog
Be a good friend, sister, daughter
Climb the Sydney Bridge
Climb a very tall mountain
Backpack through Europe
Beat someone up who really deserves it
Kiss someone in the pouring rain (Good idea, Jenna’s life list)
Zip line through a rain forest canopy
White water raft
Surf in Hawaii
See the Grand Canyon
Tour the best food cities in US and try all the local favorites : )
Visit each continent before the age of 30
Set foot on Antarctica
Write a (published) freelance travel article
Get a press release published
Move something with telepathy haha… no but seriously
Learn to cook WELL
Be on a TV show (including hosting or journalism)
Invent something
Dance with someone I love under the stars
Go on some sort of spiritual retreat
Be a leader of some sort of outdoor adventure
Try the trapeze
Have an adventure in NYC

Most people I know have a life list or something similar. Do you? If not, why the Hell not??! Get on itz! Life is farrrrr to short to simply exist, people- you have to actually LIVE!

What's at the top of your life list? What did I leave out??

Where’s Your Head At?

2010-07-27T06:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, fellow adventure addicts, I am having one of those WTF moments where I am smack dab in the middle of a life story that I know I will laugh about later but feels a bit terrifying now. I quit my amazing fashion PR job in Sydney to pursue dreams of world travel and ditch the 9-5 scene. So far, to be completely honest, it has been a rocky couple of days. Zekee and I were meant to go to Asia immediately after my last day, but in order to score lower fares we pushed our trip back three weeks (after I had already put in my 2 weeks at work) Now we are struggling to find temp jobs to cover rent and living expenses until we leave, not to mention spending money for our upcoming trip!

Check out my farewell on SBPR's Official Bog at:

http://www.sweatybettypr.com/blog/

I am biting my nails and buying only spaghetti, but I asked for adventure and I have most certainly found it. I figure as long as I don’t starve or end up homeless, it’s allllll good. Besides, famished is in right? I could write a book called ‘The broke traveler’s Diet’. As I said before, I will do anything for my true love- travel/adventure. I will just have to figure it out- I have no other choice.

I found work at a local café, but it pays significantly less than hoped for and only offers about 10 hours a week. Tomorrow I will apply for more bar jobs etc. and hope for the best. Things like this have a way of working themselves out. Worst case scenario, Zekee and I plan on utilizing the Couch Surfer’s website. Now that I have vented all of my anxiety to you, fellow adventurers, I can move onto the positive…

I am getting SO excited for Perth, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. Thank God the American and Australian dollar go VERY far in these countries. We are finding hostel rates at as low as $7/night! My FAV delicious Asian food will also be extremely affordable. That said, we are still planning on doing this whole trip on a budget, even for the low prices- It’s all relative right? Before we leave, I will be featuring each destination in a research post investigating local culture, food, traditions, the best places to visit, hostels we will check out, etc. We want to know as much as possible going in without over-planning because getting a little lost and experiencing some culture shock is half the fun for us adventure addicts.

Immediately after Asia, I will be returning 2 months earlier than planned to the States because I will be attempting to become a flight attendant so I can see what I’ve been missing in my backyard all along. I am embarrassed to admit I have never been to NYC, Boston, Washington DC, and many other American must-sees. Every world traveler I have encountered cannot believe I grew up in CA and haven’t taken the time to see other states. I mean I was in college and working nearly full-time so I had an excuse, but now that I am out of school I am overdue for a US adventure. I figure getting paid to travel beats sitting at a desk and saving for the rare adventure. I will still take any vaca time I get to see the rest of the world!

If you can’t tell I am having quite the quarter life crisis. Totally Ok with that though!! = )

I am an adventure junkie, and I will (clearly) stop at nothing to get my next fix!

Slightly freaked out,
Adventure Addict

I Left my Hiking Heart in San Francisco!

2010-07-19T11:06:00.000-07:00

Growing up in the bay area with an active family meant lots of trips to Yosemite National Park (My fav!), Redwood National Park, Point Reyes, The Sierra Nevadas,Tahoe, Mt. Shasta, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Half Moon Bay and Two Sentinels. To me, there is nothing more stunning than an ancient forest of redwoods, and I have gone on family backpacking trips for days at a time and camping trips under the stars. I have hiked my heart out up and down the state of California - AND in Mexico, Kauai and Australia!

Cowles Mountain with Melissa, San Diego, CA

Hiking Mt. Lassen with Kelly :) ,CA

Los Arbolitos, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Na Pali State Park Trail with my BestFriend Amanda <3, Kauai, HI

Blue Mountains, Australia

Basically, I am absolutely addicted to hiking, and of all the outdoor adventure sports I have tried, it remains my first love and favorite outdoor activity- No kidding, I am head over heels for it!

While perusing the travel section of the NY Times Online, I stumbled across an article very near and dear to my <3! I was immediately intrigued by the title, "A Hidden Secret in California", and realized it was about two of my favorite things in the world - hiking and the San Francisco Bay Area!

Apparently the secret the article reveals is Purisima Creek Redwoods,one of 26 preserves that make up the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District — a collection of protected parcels of nearly 60,000 acres between San Francisco and San Jose. So I'm sorry- this has been in my backyard my whole life, and I have never been?!??? (At least I feel slightly better, knowing that it is a "hidden secret"

Peter DaSilva for The New York Times

Care of www.openspace.org

I am dying to go!!! This is first on my US bucket list once I return Stateside! To all of my friends in Northern California- Please check this out for me (and yourselves!!) when you get the chance and tell me how amazing it is! Has anyone made it out there yet?? Let me know!! Xx

To all you adventure addicts out there, take another hit of fresh air and never stop looking for that next fix!

Peace and <3,
Adventure Addict

Perth, Singapore, Malaysia - BOOKED!!

2010-07-16T04:14:00.000-07:00

So one of my best friends from high school, Zekee Silos, is a fellow adventure addict and just arrived last weekend in Sydney from Cali. (check out his awesome blog at http://www.zekeeslife.blogspot.com/ )

We are taking off in a few weeks to ASIA!! I could hyperventilate I’m so excited! We spent night after night in my room hunting down the hottest deals, and we ended up saving over $1000 simply by putting in a little extra time and research. We are flying from Sydney to Perth (about the same distance as CA to NYC) roundtrip for only $350 each! After spending a few days in Perth, we head to Singapore (roundtrip only $350!!!) and from there we will travel to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia!!!! Get this- the roundtrip from Singapore to Malaysia is only $1 Singapore dollar each way (about $20 AUS each way!) We feel like traveling geniuses!!!

It’s all bc we discovered a cheaper-than-dirt Asian airline called Tiger Air ( www.tigerairways.com ). They fly all over Asia and Australia. Booking all 6 flights was hectic and took hours of strategizing, price comparing, and currency converting. But at the end of the day, I cannot tell you how much FUN it was to plan with one of my favorite people! It was like a game, trying to make all the times and layovers and prices work together- like solving a travel puzzle. THIS is the stuff I live for!!!!

We were able to book ALL the airfare for just about $800 AUD total, and after researching hostels in each city, the grand total for room/board will only be approx. $150/person! Cheapest trip everrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. If we had booked the “cheap” flight we found on our first search, the trip would have been well over $2000 total.

So now all I do day and night is dream about Singapore and Malaysia. Singapore is supposed to be the cleanest place in all of Asia. It is literally illegal to spit on the ground, toss a cigarette butt, or (get this) CHEW GUM!!! And I hear Malaysia is the ultimate budget traveler’s paradise!

Fellow adventure addicts, I swear to you that I will take so many videos and photos!! Before we go, I will do some thorough research on both locations, and share my pre-trip findings with you. I don’t want to plan too much though or be overly prepared because, to me, figuring it out as you go and being resourceful is half the fun!!

So now I have no money at all, and when we get back, we plan on getting part-time hospitality jobs to support our backpacking treks throughout Australia.

You know you’re POOOOR when:
You get home from work (where you are a tin of chicken, peanut butter and crackers all day) and have baked beans on toast for dinner (on a Friday night, no less!) … not because you can afford this wonderful delicacy but because you found the can of beans in your share kitchen’s pantry and your French housemate left his hot dog buns out for poor kids to steal. And I thought it would be a rice and soy sauce kind of night. Lucky me!! Hahahah yes, this is what my life has come to. But I do not care one bit because A) payday is tomorrow – Thank God!! and B) Like I have said countless times, I am addicted to travel. Clearly, I will steep to new lows to support this addiction. Lol

I am an advventure addict, and I will stop at nothing to get my next fix!

Peace and love fellow travelers,
Adventure Addict

Aussie Slang 101

2010-07-15T08:09:00.000-07:00

When I first traveled to the land down under, I was constantly bombarded with friends joking about throwing “another shrimp on the Barbie, mate”. If you are one of those people, reading this, please do not be offended at the blank stare you received- you were probably the hundredth person to make this joke.

I know this is the stereotypical Aussie phrase, but I have I have never heard that in the 6 months I have been here. Outback Steakhouse and Crocodile Dundee have left me quite verbally unprepared for city life in Australia. It turns out boomerangs, walkabouts, koalas and wallabies are only found in the bush (AKA outback or rural areas).

In Sydney, and the rest of metropolitan Australia, I find the language culture to be a perfect mix of British tradition and laid-back California surf lingo. In Sydney, it is quite common to have afternoon tea (with milk, sugar and a biscuit of course), celebrate the Queen’s birthday and drive on the left-hand side of the road. P.s. fellow adventure addicts, Do NOT forget to look the opposite way before crossing the road! I cannot begin to tell you how many near-death experiences I had with busses my first week here.

[or die]

Anywhoo, just thought I would update everyone on the real slang of Sydney that I have picked up so far. Enjoy! : )

Reckon [rek-uh n] (v). = to think, believe; “Do you reckon you will come out tonight?”, “What do you reckon?” Aussies use this word so frequently I reckon I’ve heard it a million times. This word replaces the American version of “think”.

Heaps [heeps] (n). = used in place of “tons” or “a lot” to describe a large amount of something; “There were heaps of people at the festival” or commonly used in the phrase, “Thanks heaps!”

Ta [tah] = Thanks! ; derived from Irish immigrants saying Thanks, sounding like “tanks”, shortened later to “ta”

University, more commonly uni = college

Full on (adj.) = intense, extreme

Bogan (n.)/ boganey (adj.) = hick, white trash

Hot chips = French fries

Toilet = bathroom/restroom

Pram = stroller

Nappie = diaper

Devo = sad, bummed (short for devastated)

Entrée = appetizer

Main = entrée

Serviette = napkin

Mackers = McDonalds

Capsicum = bell pepper

Period (punctuation) = full stop

(the letter) Z = “zed”

(the letter) H = pronounced “Heich” instead of the American “eich”

Bacon = Canadian bacon/ham… there is no thin (regular American) bacon anywhere ever

Cut = feelings hurt

How ya goin’? = How are you doing?/ How’s it going?

Good on ya’ (said so fast that it always sounds like one word “goodnya” = Good for you

What’s doing? = What’s going on?

HAHN = BEER hahah

OMG I Want!!

2010-07-14T11:32:00.000-07:00

We were all stoked at the advent of the waterproof digital camera, and it revolutionized the world of travel for those of us who are water-obsessed. Being able to document surf, sail and kayak trips without stressing about water damage rocked our worlds.

Well, prepare to get rocked again with the latest in underwater camera technology! Check out this 3.1 megapixel underwater camera cleverly built into a snorkel mask!! Amazing!

Created by Liquid Image, the innovative snorkel mask won't break the bank or your tight travel budget and retails at about $135 (U.S.)

I wish I had this baby last summer :)

LOL

Keep your eyes peeled this winter for the "Summit Series", a range of snow goggles with the same camera technology. I love!

What more could an adventure junkie ask for??

Get your adventure fix, and then explore some more!

Xx, Adventure Addict

How I Got to Sydney, Australia... It's EMBARASSING!

2010-07-14T10:19:00.000-07:00

[ My one moment of creativity in 23 years of life haha/ proof that I am too broke traveling to afford real wall art ]

So for those of you who know me from California, you may be wondering how I ended up all the way in Sydney for the past 5 months. I will start from the beginning...

Thanks to my beautiful girls, Melissa and Gina for coming halfway around the world to visit me!! x

I have always been notorious in my group of friends for being the daydreaming hippie weirdo who enters any and every sweepstakes with the simple logic of "Why NOT me??" Back somewhere close to last century when people were still on Myspace, I discovered a sweepstakes through Sydney's government tourism board, Tourism New South Whales (TNSW).

The rules were simple- make a video, no longer than 60 seconds, explaining why you are the ideal candidate to work in Sydney and participate in various web video promotions with TNSW to target a youth travel demographic in their new campaign.

I hired my next door neighbor, Katie Sharp (for $50), to help me create and edit my video, and we filmed it in one day while I visited Pleasanton, CA during winter break from San Diego State University.

My hippie weirdo-ness payed off because for some crazy reason, TNSW picked yours truly out of 2500 entrants to recieve a free roundtrip ticket to Sydney, a job placement package, a promotions contract and some ticket vouchers for music festivals and events!! Best feeling everrrrrr when I received that phone call.

...Almost eases the painful embarrassment of what I'm about to show you lol But hey, an adventure addict's gotta do what an adventure addict's gotta do, right?!???!

Most embarrassing/successful home video of my life lol

Made 2008 by Katie Sharp (I owe you BIG!! x)

BAhahahahahah... Ok so I told you it was bad. But don't make too much fun bc

1) You're an idiot if you are unwilling to make a fool of yourself to reach your dreams

2) Karma's only a bitch if you are... so play nice people :)

In all honesty, it was completely worth it because now I am in one of the coolest cities in the entire world!!!! LML, LOVEEEE Sydney!

As you know, I am an adventure junkie, and I will stop at nothing to get my next fix! Never quit exploring.

Peace and Love,

Adventure Addict

Adventure Junkie, Itching for More!!

2010-07-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

SO I am finally starting the blog I have been blabbing about for ages!

I have always considered myself to be somewhat of an adventure junkie. The way I see it, life is too short not to be lived to its fullest potential, and this planet is simply too big to stay in one place or comfort zone for a lifetime.

Growing up in suburbia, I am fascinated by the tremendous scope of places, people and lifestyles there are on this planet. Whether I am traveling the world or trying a new outdoor adventure sport, I live for the adrenaline rush it gives me, and the term "natural high" is taken to a whole new level. 

I have started this blog to combine my two greatest passions- writing and travel. Growing up in beautiful California, I have been blessed to experience a myriad of eye-opening experiences from a very young age...

I have always been into this stuff

Snowbaording, surfing, sailing, windsurfing, paddle boarding, snorkeling, wakeboarding, hiking, backpacking, sea kayaking, bungee jumping, sky diving, slack lining, rapelling, rock climbing - you name it, I've tried it!

Sky Dive San Diego

Sea kayaking in Los Arbolitos, Mexico

Canoeing in Hanalei Bay, Kauai, HI

Hiking Kalihiwai Ridge, Kauai, HI

Kayaking and sailing around San Diego Bay <3

Riding (or falling off of) beach cruisers on Coronado Isalnd, CA

Now that I have finished college, the time has come for me to explore some more and see where my penchant for adventure will take me. I want to do it all and see all there is to see. I guess you could call me a bit of a hippie. I am addicted to fresh air and am a self-proclaimed advocate of nature, peace, love and all that jazz. I will travel any distance to experience what this (smaller by the second) planet has to offer, even if all I have is the shoes on my feet, a backpack and a ~~good~~ mind-blowing book.

The point is, I am determined to travel the world and collect unforgettable memories, which I plan on sharing with YOU, my fellow adventure addicts! I don't care if I stay in grungy hostels, get lost, run out of money- all of these things make for the best stories.

I have been on countless planes, and to this day I still cannot decide which I love more- takeoff or landing <3

Sunset behind the wing of a plane... Does it get any better?
Taken (and tweaked) by yours truly

San Francisco, CA from my seat

I am an adventure addict, and I will stop at nothing to get my next fix.

Never stop exploring,

<3 Adventure Addict Xx