1st train trip... alone! ah!

Someone once told me... (or actually wrote me in an email...)

"Love yourself. Challenge yourself. Be inspired and make a change. Once all of that comes together---you'll find what your looking for. Sometimes we don't realize that what we're looking for has been there all along."

and it got me thinking...

I've decided something big... well kinda big.. I decided to stop worrying... I decided to do what I said I was going to do all along... I am going to stay at Starbucks for the next 4 months and put my heart into voluteering... yeah I said it... I will stay at the bux... this is something I never thought I would be saying 2 weeks ago.. BUT today when I was walking to work I decided that there is a reason I'm there and there is a reason its so hard for me right now...

I have never been one to just give up and not try to work it out.. and well I'm not going to start now... especially now.. so, I will work each day and put my heart out there to the bux and let people see how passionate I am about my life within Child work by volunteering with the Salvation Army.... or something else...

I have also decided to stay in the house we are currently living in because we have made it our home and even though it does cost a lot.. it is the best for us.. we have amazing roommates and we feel safe here... which honestly is priceless...

This past weekend I took a little trip to the gold coast for my friend Rohan's 19th birthday! He picked me up at the train station and we went to this Japanese resturant for dinner it was yummy!!

The chef wrote 'Happy Birthday Day' UPSIDE down!! (with salt!) it was pretty cool! :) After dinner we went to Surfers Paradise and went bowling... and then they rented a room and had karaoke (i of course watched..) and then afterwards we did a little walking around Surfers Paradise and I was amazed at the weird outfits that the people wear out.... honestly its like Halloween... no seriously its scary what people actually wear out...

Jessica had to work Saturday night so she wasn't able to make it out to the Gold Coast with me.. which was weird because it was the first night since we've been away that Jess has gone to bed alone... and it was the first night I hadn't slept in MY bed... so that was weird... I slept on Rohan's couch... so I really did miss my bed.. lol...

Sunday morning I woke up and caught the train back to Brisbane and came home and then Jess and I went to the City and went to The Coffee Club (don't tell Starbucks!) lol :)

We had the greek salad, salmon sandwich and potato wedges.... Jess said the Sandwich was yummy! and I honestly have had better greek salads in my life.. but the potato wedges were pretty good... but i've had better :) Overall, I would go back again.. next time I'd like to try the coffee... we just had tea! but that was yummy!!! :) I love fresh tea leaf tea!!! :)

Today I worked 12-close and then I came home and made soup again! :) I'm a huge fan of making soup because its so yummy and so good for you! and its so easy!!! you just have to chop up vegatables and add some herbs and spices and your good to go!! :) jess made chocolate and bananas for dessert! lol :) yums!

yesterday was probably the first day I actually said 'i want to go home...' BUT its not what you think... I just told jess I'd love to go home for a week see everyone and then come back... maybe its because the neighbor is going home on saturday for a week and then coming back.. and well I'd love to just see my mom and friends... i really do miss everyone... and sometimes I find myself not coming on here because when I come on here I miss them more... but, I'm glad i have made friends here.. BUT they just aren't the same as my friends back in the states...

Jessica and I were talking yesterday also about when we go home (in a year or 2...) lol... how we will miss be around eachother... like on saturday night when I wasn't around here it was SOOOO weird... and she was like it was SOOO weird going to sleep without you here.. and well its true... we have grown to being used to having each other around.. and well its going to be weird when we go back and she isn't around as much... especially if she goes off to another country for school.. which is something she's been talking about lately.. and I'm thinking of just staying in one state and working....

well, tomorrow Jess and I have the day off of work and we are taking the train early in the morning to the Australia Zoo... so I best be going to bed... I will take my Camera and have pictures of everything later!!! I haven't figured out everything on the camera yet... but give me time.. I figured out how to upload the pictures.. but the whole video thing... haven't figured that part out yet.. just give me time... lol

alright.. love and miss you all...

always,

dayyyyyy

p.s Kiefer is already 2 months old!!!! crazy!!!!! eh!!!?

Tuesday Morning...

Wake up... walk to bus... work.... workout... walk home... go to sleep to do it all over again tomorrow... see I wouldn't mind it if I didn't feel like I'm wasting my time away at Starbucks.. Today I worked from 11:30am until about 10:16pm... I have worked the last 3 days in a row without one single ten minute break... now, its by law in the states that every 4 hours of work you are intitled to a 10 min break.. yeah, i guess it doesn't apply here.. idk... I'm just over it.. I'm over working my butt off for other people to just slack off and not have to do anything... I'm ready to go to work and actually make a difference in my life and in someone else's life...

So, the ONE place I wanted to hear back from emailed me back today... YAYYY!!! and well, I'm not saying anything yet besides cross your fingers.. I would love to either turn my 2 weeks in to starbucks or just change my availability to just weekends... ohhhh yeah this upcoming week at starbucks my new manager has me on for ONLY 13 hours.. umm... 13 hours!!!? how is someone supposed to live off of 13 hours!!? how can I go working 6 days in a week to working 3 days in a week.. idk if my manager is trying to be 'nice' by giving me time off.. but.. umm heres the thing I don't need time off.. I need to make the money.. sooooo... ah! I'm a little upset at him right now.. but then again don't even get me started on him.. it is only his first week... well 2nd week now...

Jessica is sick... so I'm trying to stay sickness free right now... yay to vit C! lol... :) we took work off tomorrow to travel to the sunshine coast... however, since she is sick.. we won't be going anywhere... sad day... so, so far I haven't really been able to travel much around Australia... and it kinda sucks.. because I'm so ready to get out of this city and see what else is out there..

well, I better get to bed because well its 1am.. and I need to stay rested so I don't get sick... oh tonight was the first time since I've been here that I actually got to work on the floor at Starbucks with Jessica... it made my day... I miss working with her... (i worked at my store until 8pm and then I went over 2 her store until 10:30ish and worked for her... they were short a person...) so yeah and Wednesday I am working there again!!! yay! so I'm a little excited about work on Wednesday.. but thats about it... lol... and the I'm back to my store on thursday.. ya!... :( blah! jess's manager said she'd always have hours for me if i want to work for her... sooooo even though my store only gave me 13 hours.. I can just pick up hours at jessica's store.. but I'm thinking maybe it will give me the time to look for another job that I can actually enjoy going to work... we'll see.. if I really like it on wednesday maybe i'll just transfer to jess's store...

okay...

well keep it real yo.

goodnight..

love always,

dayyyy

Fingers crossed...

I don't like working at Starbucks right now because I feel like I could use my knowledge and heart for something that is actually worth my time and effort. I just feel like I'm wasting away my life at Starbucks at what I'm doing there isn't really anything I want to do and its not like they really need me there. Whereas if I could find a job doing what I want to do (ie Helping Children) I could actually feel like I'm making a difference in this world.. I sent my resume off today to a couple of places.. and well, I'm hoping that ONE of them gets back to me... As I sent it off last week to a couple of places and I heard back from most of them BUT they were all places I didn't truly want to work at and I decided while I was talking to them that I didn't wanna start something I wasn't truly going to enjoy doing because it would just mean I would be leaving a job I didn't like to start another job I didn't like... One of the jobs had already starte me up with shifts for the following week.. I was like whoa! you haven't even met me all you've seen is my resume! and I decided based off of that I did not want to work for that company.. I want to earn my position not just be given it...

therefore overall, cross your fingers that the ONE I applied for tonight gets back to me this week!!!

...So, I decided tonight that Jess and I are paying too much for rent and I decided to look elsewheres, yes we are on a lease HOWEVER I believe we can get out of the lease if we need too.. spending over $280 a week for one room shared is crazy! and well yes Australia is expensive... BUT not THAT expensive.. so I started looking for another place today, and I found MANY MANY MANY other places that are around $150-$200 shared bedrooms... which would be way more affordable for us, as we are trying to save money to travel later on rather than living paycheck to paycheck for rent... BUT, then again, we may endup staying here because we have made this place 'home...' BUT if I can find something 'better' then I will... as everyone I have talked to from work said that $280 for a shared room is crazy and we are being taken adventage of because we are 'from out of town'... and well f-that!

Today I worked my first Saturday and lets just say I would work every Saturday of my life at Starbucks... It was SO nice and relaxed.. there was no stress at all.. I guess its just different on the weekends because its not really all business people as thats how it is during the week...

Tonight I made 'Lamb Burgers!' I added red pepper, onions, oatmeal, eggs, garlic, and basil - lets just say 'yummy!!!' :) I think tomorrow I am going to try to bake me a loaf of bread with my rice flour that I got today as well... I will let you know how that goes since I've never made anything with rice flour let alone made bread before in my life...

well, its after 1am and I'm tired so off to bed I go.. tomorrow I'm planning to venture to the other gym because my gym is closed on sundays... but OMG my tummy is SO sore and it hurts to walk... my legs are super ubber tired... BUT I love the feeling of working out!!! :)

Hope you are all staying cool! As Australia is currently a bit nippy and windy... I have yet to go without my jacket to work... and I've actually been wearing my jacket on the floor when I'm at work which is something I don't really do often... so its a bit cold! :) but its nice...

well, g'night and sweet dreams...

love always,

dayyyyy

Ekka Festival - Aug 15 - 2008

Hey so Jess and I went to the Ekka Festival yesterday and I just wanted to show you some pictures!! (since I haven't had the time to get the video's uploaded on here yet.)

yay to us :) This is by the goats... I wanted to take a picture with the picture..
we rode this.
the views.
peace :)

14 Camona St

My room in Australia - it might look big but there is 2 people living in this room..!! and 7 people in total living in the house.. soooooo its really not that big of a house..





BUT overall, I still love my Camona house! :)

Lol... One of the first things jess and I got for our room was a full length mirror because we couldn't live w/o one.. sad but true... lol

The dresser, desk and beds of our room!! :) as you can see we have A LOT of books... (those are going to be going home with our parents when they visit...) tee hee!!! I can't have nothing on the walls.. so as you can see by my bed I have all my pictures I brought.. which I wish I had more... wink wink!!!
This would be Jessica's bed... which started out as mine.. but I don't like sleeping by the door.. and I also I don't sleeping by the window.. so then we switched and then I couldn't sleep in my bed.. so then we swiched back.. and then I couldn't sleep by the door/windows... so then we swiched back again.. (see jessica puts up with a lot from me... lol) so now I have just stayed in 'my' bed.. (unless jess isn't there then I sleep in her bed... tee hee... shh!!)

This is our living room.. its right by our room so thats kinda nice.. but the walls here are super thin so it kinda sucks if people are hanging out in the living room and i'm trying to sleep..

Well, I'm opening tomorrow at starbucks... so I best get some zzz's... today Jess and I went to the ekka festival and it was AMAZING!!! I took some video so I'll see what I can do and see if i can get that posted.. and yes I said VIDEO!!! :) yay!!! g'night and miss you all! love always,

dayyyy

Without ME you'd just be 'Aweso'...

Working my life away is something I don't ever want to do.. but that is what I feel i am doing right now. and its not even doing something I enjoy doing... Sure, I sometimes love my job.. but then again there are days I hate it. Its a love hate relationship... Honestly I know if I worked with Jess it would be easier for me but then again its still working with the same company doing the same thing... and well, in the end it isn't where my heart is and it makes it even harder to work there because I know I could be somewhere doing something that I would enjoy doing and helping children...

working monday thru friday is something I'm not used to and i don't really like it.. especially when jess works weekends and I don't... its just weird.. so i'm looking into other jobs just to see what else is out there and see why my heart isn't into starbucks anymore...

8/8/08 - I was going to go and get my tattoo... but I decided I didn't want it.. well, I want it now but will i want it in 10 years?.. i can't decide.. and besides that I'm working out now and well I want a tattoo on my foot so its kinda hard to wear shoes.. and also starbucks.. my working shoes wouldn't work.. so i decided right now in my life isn't a good time to get the tattoo... so I decided I wanted to get another piercing... but then.. the money factor came in.. and well piercings aren't cheap.. so i decided to hold off on the piercing as well.. maybe next month... like 10/09/08 (remember the dates are backwards here.... so that would be written out as 09/10/08 in the states... but here its 10/9/08... lol i still get thrown off by it sometimes... but im getting better with it...lol) but I'll keep you posted on what I get... and if i do get something...

Today I went into Ipswich which is about 45 minutes away from Brisbane... its a small country town that is also known as the ghetto of Australia.. like they say u are weird if you are from Ipswich and well... lets just say one trip there is enough for my trip to australia.. lol.. we traveled to the water tank of Ipswich which you can climb and it has an amazing outlook of the city... and well honestly that was super cool... but other than that.. wasn't too exciting... we also traveled to the main city of Ipswich and did some walking around which it was about 3pm on Saturday and the ONLY thing open was Coles the foodmart and a tattoo piercing palor... seriously!?!?!? lol.. that was super weird.. we also went to the art gallery and that was super boring... until I entered the High School Kids expo... which I wanted to look at every picture and every drawing and read why they did and what they were feeling... it got me to thinking about my life and where I am right now... sure I'm in Australia.. but there is a reason I'm HERE! and i started to feel something while I was in that room today.. it was pushing me... and i don't know what it was.. but I know its something to do with helping others out of tough situations...

thinking about the upcoming months.. so I joined a gym.. who would've thought those words would've ever came out of my mouth?... well i did.. and i love it.. its me time.. its the time in the day that i have to myself.. no one else matters because what I am doing is for myself.. and not for anyone else.. its to help ME feel better.. its for ME to sleep better...its all for ME.. which is something I haven't done since high school.. worked out in a workout room for ME... I mainly did it because of the classes they offer... I'm really not one to enjoy running for 30 minutes on the same machine not going anywhere.. lol... but i love streching and doing weird postitions for 90 minutes... ie yoga/pilates... :) they also have Bodypump and Body jam and other intense classes that I will do.. when I feel like I can actually keep up with them.. lol... but its kinda funny when you look around the room because there is all different types of shapes and sizes from super tiny to super big... and well it kinda makes me feel good for being there.. like hey i am helping myself so I dont turn into something i dont wanna become...

oh yeah I also decided I care too much about what others think... which I shouldn't.. I should care only about what I feel and what makes me happy... i mean I believe in the treat others how you want to be treated.. and well right now I think too much about what i do rather than just doing it because it makes me happy.. like the gym membership... i was like i don't know.. i need to talk to jessica first.. and well, the girl was just like.. are you working out for jessica or yourself?... which really got me thinking and its like... i need to be more of a myself rather than relaying on others... since this world is mine to live for myself.. no one else is in my skin but myself.. i only have this one life.. so i should be living it to my fullest and for me... other point to that is my friendships.. I have had many yet they always seen to go away... and I never seen to look into why.. but while I've been here i decided to investigate one of my past 'relationships' because i also believe that EVERY relationship in your life is important and each relationship teaches yourself more about yourself but you have to look into why and how... Angelica was my best friend through College yet while in India we fell apart and just stopped talking and never really did i ever connect the pieces to everything.. i just pushed it behind me and never looked back... until now.. something was pushing me backwards to that time... Angelica was a different friend.. she was someone I could talk to about anything and everything.. and she never held it against me.. nor did she ever say anything to anyone... thats called trust which is something hard to come by.. and well while we were in India I pushed her aside for a boy.. which at the time i didn't think I was doing.. but when I look back and see how I was treating her... and how 'different' I was before the boy had come into my life... i can see why she was scared for herself because she was losing her best friend to a boy.. something she never thought was possible.. and i never thought about.. and well that is what happened... which, i can't believe i did... because now in my life i would NEVER push my friends away for a guy... especially now when the only girl i have in my life is jess.. when a guy invited me out to the movies i made jess go with me.. its kinda funny.. you don't get just me in the relationship.. its a jess and i relationship... lol... I have started to talk to Angelica again while I've been here and it has been the best thing to finally truly understand what went 'wrong' within our relationship.. sure picking up the pieces is hard.. but i'm willing to do it because she isn't easy to come by.. the type of friendship Angelica and I have is not like many.. and well, I know I don't ever want to lose it again..

People here alway comment on Jessica and I relationship... most people are beyond amazed how close her and I are because they are just amazed that we traveled here together and live together.. (in the same room) and pretty much do everything together... Jess and I have our talks that allows me to keep sane and her as well.. and I know even though my mom isn't here to give me the hugs I love... jess is here... well most of the time... sure I've been spending more time alone.. but I know she is here... So the first night we went out on the town of Brisbane She met a boy named James which is an aussie boy from Brisbane.. and well it was like love at first sight for them.. so pretty much I see less of jess because of work and james... BUT all I care about is that she is happy and if she is happy than I am happy... I know she is there for me when I need her and even with the boy in her life she still finds Day and Jess time.. Like I said people are always amazed at our relationship.. I was talking on friday at work that I missed Jess bc she works so much and I work so much and i pretty much only see her at work or after work for like a little bit at home... and well its not really hanging out time.. cuz we are both usually tired and not into talking so it just sucks because I miss my jess..

Olympics 2008 - who do I cheer for? USA or Australia!? ah! lol... i still laugh at Mc.Donalds and there Mc.American Bagel and Mc.Australian Burger and Mc.African Wrap... just makes me giggle everytime I pass a mc.donalds.. lol

I'm ready... I've had this quote set on my facebook and myspace page.. I'm ready.. I'm ready for whatever is about to happen in my life.. I'm ready to live my life.. I'm ready to be happy. I'm ready to make nice with everyone important in my life... I'm just ready... bring it!!

Holding back or holding on... I might hold on to things that I shouldn't hold on to because I'm scared of actually letting go.. and well, I'm letting go of everything.. its just that time in my life that I've decided some of my relationships just need to be in my past and I don't really need them in my present life.. I do need to explore them and just see what I can learn from them and then move on.. and let go... I also need to explore myself and start to be more of myself and less of what I think others what to see...

I am me.

Take me or leave me... I don't care.
My name is Dana but I'd prefer it to be spelled Dayna because I like the y.. and don't ask me why.. I just do...
My favorite thing to do in life is eat mint'n'chip ice cream.. don't hold it against me (just bring me some!!) even though I'm not supposed to eat dairy I still LOVE mint'n'chip icecream...
i hate when people think they aren't special.. because I believe everyone is here for a reason... life shouldn't be about looks. but more about feelings and then looks would just come easy. i love stars and birds. because stars take you places if you know how to follow them and birds travel around w/o worries of tomorrow.. they only know about the present and they can laugh (well the bird outside my window laughs ALL the time... kinda funny.. lol i don't know the name of this bird but its famous for 'the laughin bird'...)
I wanna be in the olympics.. probably because its on tv right now.. but that'd be such an awesome rush and amazing times
I don't think I ever want to drive again with gas prices
Something needs to happen with the American dollar..
I don't wanna move back home... (well I want to be around my friends and family again..) but the thought of living where mail is getting stolen doesn't sound like fun... I told my mom I live somewhere where we don't lock the doors and typically leave the front door wide open... without the fear of anything happening to us because we live in a nice area... i'm sorry but my mom told me that crime rate is just going up where I once lived...
i wanna be a regular at starbucks and make friends with the baristas... i want them to rememeber my name and my drink...
i wanna fall in love and stay in love.
i wanna find a church here like cornerstone minus the size...
i want to work with kids.
I wanna go to sleep.. so goodnight :) 1st step of completing my wants... is doing and well... im doing sleep.. lol

goodnight.. and I love and miss you loads...

send pictures! I love getting mail more than you know! I honestly check the mail box EVERY time I walk past it and I think its more of an OCD of mine.. but totally send anything even if its just a post-it saying hi.. i'd love it! lol

Always

dayyyy

Starbucks Australia... 84 to 23 in 5 days...

Wow. a lot has changed in the last week.. first off monday at work my manager told me that I had to be at a meeting 4pm the next day... at the meeting they told us that they would closing 61 of the 84 stores in Australia... by Sunday...

People would have been with the company would be let go and here I was... been over here for 3 weeks and this happens.. as you probably know in the states about 600 stores have closed.. mine of course was not one of those... and yet again.. mine was not one of the ones closing...

kinda funny (okay funny isn't the correct word..) but kinda intresting if you think about it.. I missed the closures in the states and I missed them in Australia... kinda funny... lol..

well, I've been awake for almost 20 hours and I'm beyond tired so I'm off to bed.. I just wanted to write a little about starbucks so y'all knew I still had a job and give you a little update on my life...

Here is an article from the newspaper...

At least 100 Queensland jobs will go as Starbucks Coffee shuts down 61 of its 84 stores in Australia this week.
The US-based coffee giant announced this afternoon it would concentrate its business in three cities, keeping 23 stores in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.
Australia-wide, 685 jobs are expected to be lost.
Starbucks stores closed at 2pm this afternoon for staff to be told the news, with many having no idea they would be losing their jobs.
There are now 16 Starbucks stores in Queensland, with the details of which stores will close to be made public on Thursday.
In a statement released on its website at 5pm, Starbucks confirmed it would close 61 of its 84 stores throughout Australia.
"Starbucks Coffee International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Starbucks Coffee Company, today announced plans to restructure its business in Australia through a geographical refocus on three core cities and surrounding areas: Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney," the statement read.
"This decision will result in the closure of 61 locations throughout the country by August 3, 2008."
"Starbucks has been a part of the Australian market since 2000. There are currently 84 Starbucks locations throughout the country, including Brisbane, Canberra, Gold Coast, Melbourne, South Australia, Sydney, and Tasmania.
"Twenty-three stores will remain open in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and surrounding areas to serve customers in those communities.
"The list of stores that are scheduled for closure will appear on this site by 5pm July 31st after all affected stores partners (employees) have been personally notified."
Last month Starbucks announced it would close 600 company-operated stores in the US, costing up to 12,000 jobs after it continued its rapid expansion while the US economy slowed.
The company said 70 per cent of the cafes slated for closure had opened after the start of 2006.
The chief financial officer, Pete Bocian, said that meant Starbucks would close 19 per cent of all US company-operated stores that opened in the past two years.
He said a Starbucks store's revenue dropped 25 to 30 per cent when a new one opened nearby.
The company operates more than 16,000 stores around the world..