February 16, 2010

Good day all you Cultural Embracers!

I hope February has treated you well so far. Normally, my blogs hold some sort of recently stumbled upon life lesson, travel advice or semi-meaningful message, but this particular blog is a product of my excitement over my upcoming trips and recent activities and thus probably will not be quite as evocative : ). Everything has been superb in the land down under- February is going to be an epic month.

I had a successful move two weeks ago into an apartment with four of my friends just ten minutes from my old place on Coogee beach. And although I definitely do miss my twenty something building mates and waking up and walking straight onto the sand, I could not be happier with the new flat. Aside from the perk of living with four of my good friends, my rent is much cheaper ($115 per week from $180 pw), my name is not on the six month lease which means as long as I find a replacement I can move on string free, and I am in a beautiful area with easy access to the rest of the city as well as excellent running and bike paths through some of the most beautiful parks in Sydney. I would almost feel like I have moved out of backpacker territory and into permanent residency if it was not for our makeshift furniture- but blow up air mattresses, hand-me-down couch and table given by a random neighbor which we have surrounded with recovered mismatched table chairs, and the lack of normal kitchen appliances together emit quite the squatting vibe. Our place is a little random, but it is pretty perfect and my own person symbol of independence. For the first time in my life every dime of my rent, along with my living expenses and travel savings, etc., is coming out of my own paychecked pocket. It's a superb feeling.

Another splendid February event is my trip to Tasmania coming up in a little over a week. Two friends and I are flying over for about a week to camp on one of the top ten rated beaches in the world, Wine Glass Bay, and hit other famous spots like St. Helens, Bay of Fires and Cradle Mountain. Should be an amazing excursion, and an interesting one as we are renting a car and I am apparently the volunteered driver (probably not the best decision, hmm). But this trip is pretty monumental for me particularly. When I was five or six I asked Santa for a globe (do not judge me), and that Christmas morning as I was spinning it under my finger, playing "where I am going to live when I grow up" (you know what I'm talking about), I discovered Tasmania. It was so mysterious to me and I can remember wondering who in the world got to visit such a far away place. So, I suppose I am fulfilling a childhood ambition- I am getting to explore a destination I never thought I would have the opportunity to visit. Really cool.

With Tasmania set on the horizon and being in a better financial situation where I can start to save a bit more, I am definitely planning my next adventures more aggressively. A few weeks ago I booked my New Zealand travels and am currently drooling over all of the Kiwi awesomeness. Glacier hikes, sky diving over crystal clear waters surrounded by lush mountain ranges, white water rafting, trekking to the first point on the globe to see the sun per day- I do not think I have ever loved researching as much as I have lately in planning all of my travels. So with NZ planned for April (in order to miss the extreme cold that hits shortly after then and not sacrifice pure enjoyment in water activities) I am pushing my trip up the Aus east coast (to Cairns, the Whitsunday and Magnetic Islands which I declared were coming up in February and March on Cultural Embraces work and travel Australia Facebook group wall http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=416345310612&ref=ts) back to May. Fortunately for me, even though May is the beginningish of winter for Aus, the northern east coast essentially only encounters two seasons: rainy season (which is slightly rainy, scorching hot with lots of jellyfish) and not rainy season (which usually brings temperatures around 78 degrees F and no jellyfish), perfect! And because I will be spending a bit more time up the coast than I will in New Zealand I have more time to plan and save for it.

Life is good, and between making small beach and mountain escapes up and down the coastline with friends a weekly habit, cheaper rent, and remembering I am swapping posh evenings out for saving for a day of Whitsunday sailing, bungee jumping in New Zealand or kayak rentals in Tasmania, keeping a nice balance between play and traveling, and work and saving (key word) is easier than ever. All smiles in the world of an Australian work and traveler. And I can't wait to share my Tasmania adventures with you!

Please feel free to email me at Jcampbell@culturalembrace.com if you have any questions or want specifics on the adventures of a Work and Traveler in Australia.

Live fully,
Jennifer C Campbell

January 13, 2010

Happy January Fellow Adventure Seekers!

I hope your holidays were spectacular! I have received so many questions via email and Facebook messages asking what it was like abroad over the holidays, spending New Years in Sydney, what my plan is now that the holidays are past, even questions about my New Years Resolutions having been abroad for the last three months. So I will start from the top!

My holidays were wonderful but being away from family on Christmas was definitely tough. Most of the people around me were bummed at one point or another on the big day, running in and out of our Christmas Day barbeque bash to Skype with family and answer their phones, but we did have an excellent out-of-the-ordinary celebration. We rang in the holiday with a swim in the sea, grilling burgers and, yes, shrimp on the barbie just to stereotype the day, exchanging gifts, and watching naked Santas (neighbors) run amuck down the street to quote-un-quote lighten spirits. Although we were missing our families, I am pleased to report all in all it was a joyous occasion.

But even aside from random shenanigans, great company from all over the world, Santa hats and Aussie lager on the beach, the one thing that definitely helped all of us get through Christmas time was the promise of an absolutely first-class New Years- the reason there are an extra million people in Sydney over the holiday season. Sydney has been rated one of the worlds top cities to ring in the New Year- And I will stand for it!

Friends and I spent the hot New Years Eve morning through afternoon just past Rushcutters Bay, across the water from the Sydney Harbor Bridge, with about a thousand other tent-poppers cheersing chilled beers and ice cream cones. (It felt a little like Fourth of July in The States.) Most of our group stayed to see the midnight harbor fireworks, which I have since caught on video and it is definitely worth Googleing, while a few of us went on to hit Shore Thing at Bondi Beach. Shore Thing is a yearly massive New Years Eve party featuring top DJs and guest artists from around the world, incredible light shows, count down and fireworks, and thousands of people going mad with glow sticks having the time of their life. Everything, especially the music was top-notch. Breaks in killer mixes were filled with short light shows choreographed to instrumentals by classic artists like Pink Floyd (including at the strike at midnight during the fireworks- Floyds Time- amazing). The glimpses of light twirlers on the beach also made for an absolutely eyegasmic event. (Eyegasmic is a word, I promise, look it up.)

We followed the epic New Years Eve with the noon to night Space Ibiza show in Moore Park, which featured world-renown artists from Ibiza, Spain and guests. The performances and scene was everything Space promised. And seeing the sun fall behind the park lined with giant butterfly-people on stilts, feather dancers and hundreds of body painted rave-goers dancing to music unveiled by artists for the first time was a truly surreal ending to the holidays. Positively one for the books.

Since the holidays have past, I have been working a few days a week, getting wear out of my new snorkel and fins, and traveling bit- I FINALLY made it to the Blue Mountains, about two hours west of Sydney. I had been holding out to make the trip in hopes of getting to camp, but trying to match weekends with mates was a tough task so we took a day trip instead. The mountains were breathtaking with plunging ranges and lush vegetation, rain forest hikes, troops of wild kangaroos, and at least fifteen waterfalls to dance around in. I spent most of the day behind the group with my camera, capturing everything I could and playing catch up when realizing I had not heard another voice around for a bit too long. The best part of the trip happened two hours into our first hike- at about one thousand meters up walking along an edge path which ran next to a huge canyon of rainforest below- when a thunderstorm and light showers rolled in. It was probably one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed. The thunder echoed through the canyon as the dark clouds came over the mountains and the rushing water over the falls became heavy. I have never had a more magnificent moment just watching and listening. We were only caught in the rain for twenty minutes or so before the sky cleared again, but the flash weather left the air fresher than I have ever breathed, and the waterfalls and forests surrounding and below extraordinarily more beautiful than I can describe. I am definitely currently rallying future camping partners. Anyone in?

Now, for a fast change of feeling, I will admit last week after all of these superb festivities had past I had a pretty hard hit when I realized I had accomplished what I wanted in Sydney and I did not have a plan in action per say for my next move. But I figured, like I still figure today, feeling stagnant in such a beautiful country and time in my life is not an option. So I have been forming a sort-of plan (since backpacking is regularly a fine line between a plan and a few ideas that might sort themselves out) and am excited for what is coming next, semi-planned and not.

I have decided to stay put in Sydney, moving into another flat with friends just ten minutes inland from my current place, for another month or so after this lease is up to work and save money for my trips to Tasmania, New Zealand, and up the east coast. (Friends and I finally booked our trip to Tasmania and are throwing around the idea of camping in Wine Glass Bay. Google Images it. The scenery is dreamlike.) After that I would like to say I am moving to the Southern Gold Coast where I will land and work a bit before making a further ascent, or hit New Zealand first before it gets really cold there, but like I have said before, plans can change rapidly depending on whims, funding, job opportunities, etc. So instead of stressing about making certain timing happen, I will guide what is to come next when it gets here.

Really, the beauty of my current situation abroad is that I AM able to stay just to the right of making a set-in-stone travel timeframe and can focus on one month or so at a time. (One-month apartment leases are fairly easy to come by, I have not locked myself into a six month job contract, and I still have nine months left on my visa = flexibility.) Also helping me ease my way into feeling more relaxed about not knowing exactly where I might be in two months is the fact I have Cultural Embraces partner company to lend a hand with certain logistics once I do make the decision. No matter where I want to move in Australia the partner company can assist me in finding a job and living arrangements. The partner company can even assist me in setting up job training for particular fields in advance, and can offer resume guidance as well. (Australia uses a much different resume model than what America typically uses, so that help is very valuable.) I also have the privilege of resting easy knowing I have Cultural Embrace, a company run by experienced travelers behind me wherever I am in Australia. So, even though I might be a tiny bit directionally challenged when it comes to where my next few months are going, I am confident I will be gaining even more excellent experiences than I have in the last few.

And finally yes, the last few months here has definitely shaped my first ever absolutely to be followed New Years resolution (or recent development turned commitment-to-self)… which I will get to. It is hard to believe I have been in Australia nearly three months, but it is even harder for me to believe what all I have been privileged to get into since arriving. Living part-time in Gerroa my first month in Oz working for Surf Camp, spending my days surfing and ending them paddling down river to get back home to camp with a friend on high tide evenings. Immersing myself in the different cultures Sydney has to offer hitting scenes across the board. And most recently spending days snorkeling and beaching it in my own neighborhood with the amazing people from all over the world I can for certain say will be friends for life. I have been very lucky and am so thankful for every opportunity I have had. So, with that said my three-part New Years resolution: Taking in my experiences, appreciating each of their significances and details and recognizing the opportunities they present. I have learned and grown from each of my experiences listed above, and know I am where I am presently in my life having had each one of them.

So, for those of you who were wondering if leaving right before a holiday season is bad choice – for fear you might turn around and fly right back home – keep in mind the reason you are traveling abroad in the first place: to gain and grow from new experiences. Consider yourself lucky to have the opportunity to be out-of-the box whenever you can, and take every detail in. After all, it is the details that make the great stories so great.

Thank you so much for reading my blog! I appreciate all of you so much and I look forward to hearing from you!

Please feel free to email me at Jcampbell@culturalembrace.com if you have any questions or want specifics on the adventures of a Work and Traveler in Australia.

Live fully,
Jennifer C Campbell

December 1, 2009

Oy! from Aussie Land,

The last few weeks in Australia have been filled with some of the most unconventional, even strength of mind searching, but wonderful and real days in my twenty-two years of living. A few curve balls after another such as a job change, a move, new best friends leaving to travel elsewhere, lost items, exploding expensive electronics, etc have made for a pretty interesting time. But even though I have both found and face planted on these and a few other bumps in the road I had been warned about from other travelers, I can honestly say I have still had the magnificent quote-un-quote I cannot believe this is my life moment at least once every day. I am embracing the twists and truly learning the meaning of going with the flow -which I believe is absolutely vital in traveling.

My brother recently reminded me of John Lennon’s famous quote - Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans. In a traveler’s world, I am taking this to mean your plans are going to scatter and change, so just enjoy the moment and have no expectations for the next. Because that is what traveling is all about right? Taking on new chapters and adding onto your cultural gains whether they are expected or not.

So in saying this, I will share with you a few pieces of advice most backpackers I have met would agree on:
1. Never take good people you meet for granted. Enjoy them now and keep as many connections as possible, even if you are traveling with your best mates.
2. If you take the wrong ferry, bus or train and have time to explore where you have accidently ended up, do it. It will probably make an even better story than you started out to make
in the first place.
3. Do not try to cram your day full of attractions, because you will not have enough time to let any single one of them sink in. Pick one or two and really take them in.

Other important tips worth mentioning:
4. Take note of EVERY free Internet café!
5. Combine your travel book advice with the information the locals give you on a destination. You will usually find the destination to be somewhere in the middle of the two.
6. Watch your spending and use every kitchen you have available to you. Nothing burns money faster than eating out!
7. Pack light or get ready to get rid of some of your favorite items. There is nothing worse than hoping on a bus and whacking every person sitting in an isle seat all the way to row
fourteen because you cannot fit everything in your backpack.

But apart from recent trials, tips and notes circling around in my head, I have actually had a pretty remarkable few weeks.The Manly Beach Festival of Surfing, which I mentioned earlier this month in my blog, was absolutely top notch. Aside from the Rip Curl and Billabong pro surfing legends and newer to the scene surf pros chatting around and their surf offs to settle twenty-year-old rivalries and competitions to claim new glories, the beautiful weather and perfect surf brought heaps of other wave and sun seekers- all combining to complete my own perfect vision of Australia. Meeting pro surfing world champion Mick Fanning was not a bad touch to the weekend either. I have still been living in a bathing suit, enjoying the sun and surf almost every day in beaches scattered from Seven Mile to Maroubra, etc. - which is an incredible way of living minus the fact that finding last minute hostels in the area you end up in can be tough this time of year and no matter how many showers you take you will still end up with sand in your bed. (Other items I have learned to embrace.) And since I FINALLY moved into my first apartment in OZ (which is fifteen meters from the beach in Coogee- awesome) a few days ago with friends, it is even easier to commit to the beach-bum lifestyle. However, now that I am a bit more settled and done running in and out of hostels for a while, it is seriously time for me to brush the sand off and find another job to pay the rent.

And thankfully, because of my connections through Cultural Embrace, I have wonderful job-hunting resources. The job database Cultural Embrace hooks you up with is a great tool for starting the search. With the time I have spent on the database I know the kinds of businesses in need of holiday employees, which kinds of jobs are keen on employing travelers and what areas of the city are looking to hire. Another avenue I have been taking, which Cultural Embrace’s partner company helps you locate, are classes that certify you to work in bars, restaurants, and casinos, and other day classes that offer training in several different fields of work. And because the job market, even for simple jobs in retail or bar work, is so competitive at the moment with the extra million travelers in Sydney this time of year, I am glad to have the support of the partner company in my search.

However, if retail and bar work is not your thing, no worries, there are plenty more professional opportunities available here as well. Most of these opportunities require a six-month commitment, but if you are looking for resume building experience, and maybe even sponsorship to get your once-in-a-lifetime year visa back, it is definitely doable and worth it!

In the meantime, between online job hunting and stopping around at local businesses, I have indeed found a few things to keep myself occupied. Since moving into my apartment one of my favorite time passers is the amazing 6k Beach Walk – or run - from Coogee to Bondi Beach. On the route are several beaches, snorkeling coves and bays such as Bronte, Clovelly, Gordons Bay and Tamarama and a cliff view cemetery named Waverly. (All of which are Google Image worthy! Beautiful!) And I cannot forget to mention the beer festival going on a street over from me – I am very excited about that one! I also have my flat mates, and the other twenty-five people from all over the world living my beachfront building to keep me company while watching the cricket and off season rugby matches in the palm tree surrounded field across the street, cooking out on our deck sized balconies, and taking exploratory excursions to a few of the less well known areas in our coastal neighborhood. And since I signed a two-month lease (which, in most areas in Sydney- including the outskirt beaches such as where I am living- you can find flats offering one month to one year leases) I have plenty of time to explore, take in my surroundings and report excellent local spots your travel books left out!

So, because I have had the opportunity to seek and soak in so much the last couple of weeks, I will end with a word-to-the-wise-ish message I have been living by: Whether you are on your own or traveling with your best mates, every breathing moment is an opportunity to learn and progress in your cultural immersion experience. Letting go of your stresses and appreciating everything for what it is, learning from your mistakes and moving on to the next adventure with an open mind and a wiser point of view are all key in the imprinting process of your environs.

I urge you in your next adventure, whether it is visiting a new area in your city or another country, keep your mind open to all of the possibilities that lay ahead of you. And most certainly, enjoy the person next to you and invest in listening to what they have taken in as well. They might have discovered something you have wondered right past.

I am so thankful to be able to share details of my life traveling in Australia with you, and hope they give you a better idea of some of the opportunities the Australian Work and Travel visa can give you. I still have itchy feet, and lots of expeditions planned so look out for my blog again next week! Please feel free to email me at Jcampbell@culturalembrace.com if you have any questions or want some specifics on the adventures of a Work and Traveler in Australia. Cheers!

Live fully,

Jennifer C Campbell

November 2, 2009

Hey guys! Whoa. So much has happened in the last week and a half I am not even sure where to begin!

An unplanned landing in Fiji on my flight into Australia and catching the most beautiful sunrise I have seen yet, getting to Australia - yooah! Patio Salsa dancing in the harbor across from the Opera house, taking the wrong ferry to the zoo and ending up in Lavender Bay only to stumble across one of the most amazing gardens I will ever visit, Bondi Beach and rock art, Seven Mile Beach and kite surfers, Snakebites and crab racing, finding out what the term mixed shared hostel rooms ACTUALLY means, non-stop live music and beer festivals, meeting tons of awesome people, interviewing and job finding an incredibly unbelievable job, and the list goes on and on!

Let me just say that when Cultural Embrace, and any one else who has ever been backpacking in Australia, says it is easy to meet other travelers - this is an understatement. Within the first five hours of landing in Sydney I was having a beer with a group of locals at a popular outdoor cafe right in the heart of Sydney Centre and hooked up with an AWESOME group of girls from the UK whom I have been running around with ever since. A few other wonderful people I have seen quite often are the employees of the company Cultural Embrace sets you up with to receive hostel discounts, an orientation, and job, travel and other support.

The partner company has actually been one of my greatest assets since arriving- I use them way more than I thought I would, and I am so glad Cultural Embrace hooked me up with them. On my second day in Sydney, I attended an orientation with twenty five or so other work travelers, where I had help setting up my bank account, tax file number for paid work, online resume for quick submission when finding jobs on the database, and my phone account. They also walked us through the must sees and dos of OZ, safety precautions for the water and outback and met with us about specific job enquiries and such. Very helpful! And aside from all of the more professional offerings, everyone in the partner company office is incredibly welcoming, and ready to give you tips on fun hot spots around the city, and some are even ready to hit the scene with you! haha.

Speaking of hot spots around the city, Sydney has it all. Beautiful beaches and running routes, phenomenal museums and architecture, live music spots around every corner, awesome sports bars such as Cheers (perfect for a little football Liverpool versus Manchester United. I am still recovering), Scubar for a little crazy backpackers bar fun, Empire in Kings Cross for a bit of a classier evening- it is a great city for all interests.

But honestly one of my favorite things about Sydney so far is that there are a million different suburbs (Bondi, Coogee, Surry Hills, Glebe to name a few) so there is a great mixture of cultures offering something for everyone. Even the locals still appreciate hot tourist spots such as Bondi, Coogee and Manly Beach, and the night scene spots as well.

And although I have had an incredible time running around with my newfound friends from the UK, Germany, Spain, France, Brazil, Holland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, I have actually had an equally mind-blowing time with the job that I landed six days ago. And actually, I am at work right now! And guess what I am doing? I am lying on the grass, forty yards from the beach, at the camp grounds of Surf Camp Australia, enjoying the sun in between surf lessons, hanging with the surf coaches, crew and twenty plus camp goers. Yep, I am at WORK right now!

Through the connections that Cultural Embrace offered me, I landed one of the most proper wicked jobs in all of Australia. I am a promotions and marketing rep for Surf Camp Australia. My job requires going to surf camps to surf and hang out with the crew and camp goers at least Monday through Wednesday every week in Seven Mile Beach, Byron Bay, Yamba and/or Gold Coast, promote Surf Camp Australia at their events and parties and any surf festival and event around the Sydney area they attend. What is also pretty cool is that Surf Camp Australia is sponsored by Rip Curl, so this coming weekend, November 5- 8 I am attending the Manly Beach Festival of Surfing by day and Surf Expo by night, hanging out with pro Rip Curl surfer Mick Fanning and I am even getting paid enough to live comfortably and potentially even end up with a bit of savings. Pretty awesome huh? I still can not believe this is actually a job pinch me! Thank you Cultural Embrace!!

Life could not be any sweeter. And it is pretty easy to get all of my friends and family on the phone and Skype. So although I miss all of the people that make my life so fantastic back in the States, I am in touch everyday. So I will leave you with this: take the leap and embrace your adventurous side, it will be one of the best decisions you will ever make. Traveling to Australia has changed my life forever; it is a feeling I can not describe through words in a blog or in conversation. So give it a go!

Please feel free to email me at Jcampbell@culturalembrace.com if you have any questions or want some specifics on the adventures of a Work and Traveler in Australia.
Live fully,
Jennifer C Campbell

Thank you for all of your love and support family and friends.
Mom, Dad, Marsha, Dan, John, Katherine, Adam, Claudia
All of my wonderful friends back home
And all you superbly awesome Cultural Embracers: Emlyn, Katy, Miranda, and Julie
You guys rock!

October 22, 2009

Hello fellow adventure seekers!

I'm Jennifer Campbell, your Work and Travel Australia blogger.

A little about me: I'm Dallas, Texas bred, but a definite Austin, TX enthusiast. I love anything outdoors, including deep sea, surf and bay fishing, diving and snorkeling, zip lining, biking, running and hiking, and I'm also a photography and travel fanatic. This past May, I graduated from Texas Christian University with a degree in Advertising, and a craving for a life altering next chapter.

A year ago, if you'd asked me what I would be doing after graduation, I wouldn't have said "Um, embarking on one of the greatest adventures of my life in the Land of Oz," like I would today. My original life after graduation plan was to attend law school directly after undergrad, work and save a little money before I set off to travel. Fortunately for me, Cultural Embrace helped me find a loophole. It turns out Australia's government recently widened their doors granting work visas for young adults, like myself- between the ages of 18-30, to work in non-technical fields for up to a year. With this opportunity, I will easily pay off the cost of living abroad while roaming the Australian country. Great news! This brilliant concept allows foreigners to travel with "no worries" about any limits of unearthing the awesome Australian lifestyle, sites, people and culture. So although my dream of law school still exists for down the line, I couldn't be more excited to start this new journey and take advantage of being young, string free, and adventurous at the most convenient time I'll probably have in my life. I've embraced the travel and adventure bug, and I couldn't be more excited for my ‘gap break' and to work and travel in Australia using Cultural Embraces support!

So why Australia? Although I'm not a fan of meat pies (ever so popular in Australia), I do fancy awesome beaches and surfing, a laid-back life style, outdoors, camping, shrimp on the barbie, kangaroos, and the occasional wombat. I even think I'll learn to appreciate cricket! On the more practical side of things, the fact that their infrastructure for tourism is one of the worlds best, helps reassure my (and my parents), with help and safety concerns. The dozens of hostel chain options, campgrounds, transportation options, and about 4 million tourists annually from countries such as the U.S., U.K, New Zealand, and Germany – great for networking - helps too. I haven't found a destination that sets you up to work and travel, and meet other trekkers more excellently than Australia. To top all of these travel Australia perks is the encouraging support I've received through Cultural Embrace with assistance with my questions and concerns, arrival arrangements, and granted access to a national job database with diverse listings across the Australian country (making it that much easier to find casual jobs to off-set my cost of living abroad). It's also comforting to know I have their support and assistance, from their Austin offices, throughout the entirety of my stay abroad. I feel more prepared knowing I have the backing of a company that has such extensive experience arranging (and participating in) travels abroad.

While I'm Down Under I'll be sharing my experience of a lifetime and the broadening of my horizons every step of the way with you. I'm extremely excited to report an insiders work and travel experience through Cultural Embrace, and answer your questions and even inspire you to take a leap into your own explorations (or better yet, join me in Australia!) Check out my weekly blog, videos and photos documenting my quest to achieve the greatest voyage of my life so far!