Despite general consensus, I have never personally felt that Europe was really that far away from home, I mean after all what’s a 20 hour flight!? But when you are racing against the clock to see a loved one off on their next ‘adventure’ to another life 20 hours can feel like an eternity… especially when you loose a day just simply because of time zones. So when I finally landed in Sydney two days after departing London, the first thing I did was call my parents to let them know I had arrived and that I would be there with Pop shortly. It was in that moment that I realised just how far away Europe is – I was too late, Pop had lost his fight the night before and I had lost my race.

Wishing you Peace, Love & Happiness

Jessica Dawn Xx

When you know that your world is falling apart back home for more reasons that one, nothing is less comforting than being woken mid slumber by the ringing of your phone.. Before you even check the caller ID, already you know it is going to be bad news! So seeing my father’s name spread across my screen confirmed my fears – well almost! Greeting his cheery ‘good morning love – did I wake you?’ with ‘what’s wrong? Is pop okay?’ it didn’t take long to get to the essence of the conversation… ‘Pop just hasn’t got much fight left in him – I think you should think about heading home if that’s what you want to do’.

Having known this call would come sooner or later, initially, I was unsurprised and instantly sprang out of bed from sweet dreams straight into plan mode – calling my travel insurance company, my employers and then just about every airline that flies from London to Sydney to secure the best deal; departing immediately. But once everything was taken care of and all that was left was for me to do was pack and pass the next 10 hours before setting off for the airport, reality set in, starting with what to pack? It wasn’t long before the initial suitcase weighing in at a mere 9kg containing only the bare essentials had morphed into my large suitcase with 22kg of contents to cover all of the ‘what ifs’ that my mind had been allowed to explore in order to distract itself amidst, given the circumstances, way too much thinking time.

After what felt like a lifetime (Trust me; you feel EVERY SECOND when you are racing the clock!), it was finally time for me to optimistically say ‘see you later’ to the host family that I had grown attached to in the past month and take the tube (one of the many features of London that I truly adore) to Heathrow. The ninety minute journey was sufficiently long enough to enable me to contemplate my inability to endure a February in the Northern Hemisphere. Given that this was the second time in my life that I had set out to live abroad and the second time that I had spent a February weekend racing home, I was beginning to question if I was really cut out for a life miles from home… home? But where is that? Having never lived anywhere longer than 2 years I never really felt attached enough to call anywhere ‘home’ – then it hit me; ‘home’ for me was never defined by a place or a building, it was where those I care about, my family and friends were. And right now despite my track record of February Flees, with my family was exactly where I needed to be and hopefully I could get there in time to give my grandfather one last (if not many more) kiss and cuddle and tell him just how much I love him.

At last arriving at the airport, I had gone from ‘calm and composed’ to ‘emotionless zombie’ and was fast regretting my decision to pack for the ‘what if’s’ in life. Having my vision disintegrated down to a blurred silhouette by the time I reached the check in counter and being overcome by a hot sweat in the security line, I was almost certain I was going to pass out in the immigration line. Surprisingly, somehow I managed to keep it together and in a fluster, make some last minute souvenir purchases before recomposing myself with the assistance of a couple of nurofens, a few Smirnoff Blacks and a group of backpackers. But wait – what time was it – ohh shit not again!! Leaving the loud bar to rush to my gate (which was now closing) I hear “if there is a Miss Jessica Buckley in the terminal, can she please report to gate 16 as her plane is fully boarded and ready to depart” booming out of the terminal speakers – Well I guess some traditions just can’t be broken!

Once boarded I stowed away my bag, fastened my seatbelt and breathed a sigh of what I thought was relief (I had made it), or was it? Taking off over London staring back over the city lights, reminiscing on ‘the night of my life’ as I passed the London Eye and St Michaels Tower (commonly referred to as the Big Ben, which is actually the bell on the inside) I began to contemplate if I had made the right choice in leaving this city, this hub of possibility behind … but at the end of the day, whether my choice was right or wrong, London will always be there, but this chance, this moment with pop is something, that once gone, I will never have the opportunity to get back. So now, strapped in with the beverages freely flowing all that is left to do is spend the next 20 hours trying not to think, and hoping that I reach Sydney in time!

Wishing you Peace, Love (health) & Happiness,

Jessica Dawn Xx

… PARIS!!!

Leading the poll with 60% of the votes.. plus many more uncounted text message and facebook opinions it is decided that I will accept my exchange posting at Sciences Po Paris, commencing in the fall semester (Sept 2010)!

Thankyou for everyone that voted

Wishing you Peace, Love & Happiness

Jessica Dawn Xx

Having worked full time right up until the Sydney trip blogged about previously, the only preparations that had been made for the trip consisted of tickets, passport, visa and travel insurance – well at least I had the essentials right!? So arriving home from Sydney I had a grand total of two days before I was due to depart my homeland, in which time I had to get my international drivers licence, re-direct my mail, visit the Dr, inform my bank, university and every other vested party that I would be overseas for the coming year, change some currency, pack, host farewell drinks, pack my room up… I think you are starting to get my drift; I had ALOT to do and very little time in which to do it all!

The stress of getting everything done on time coupled with the sudden realisation that I would be gone for a year meant I was a bit of a train wreck (Travellers take note: Do not leave EVERYTHING to the last minute… you can’t control the traffic, the interoffice hold ups or the looooong ques!). Managing to get most of my list checked by close of business all that was left to do the following morning was pack both my room and suitcases and change some currency, but for now it was time to unwind over a few drinks and indulge in one last summer barbie on the beach with friends before I left a land of endless summer for a land of endless winter. However as mentioned previously, there are just some things in life that cannot be controlled; the weather being one of them! As the late afternoon tropical storm rolled in, I was thankful I had devised a plan B – drinks in dad’s living room by the beach. Arriving ‘fashionably late’ to my own party (with all the food and drinks in my car) too see all my friends waiting there for me finally put an end to my manic day and started a relaxed evening of laugher, memories and of course at the end the ‘I love you’s’, ‘have a safe trip’s’ and ‘farewells’ began to flow as freely as the drinks had been earlier that night.

After stealing a few hours beauty sleep I had to dash home to pack – a task which saw most of my possessions scattered across the living room floor as I contemplated which parts of my life to take, after all a year is a long time! Deciding to go minimalistic I opted to take only the essentials rather than the sentimental baggage that weighs you down and is completely impractical once you reach your destination (and I can honestly say I am happy with my pack – unlike many trips before, I have actually used everything I came with at least once so far). With an overwhelming sense of satisfaction, I zipped up my suitcases just as my mother’s car pulled in the driveway – it was time to go.. But how could I? The stuff I had chosen to leave behind was still scattered across the lounge and my bedroom looked like a disaster zone with stuff EVERYWHERE. With no time to do anything about it I piled my cases in the boot and smiled at mum apologetically for the mess she would have to clean on my behalf (something I still feel terribly guilty about to this day). If only I had one more day!

***

Arriving at our hotel on the Gold Coast where dad thoughtfully decided we would spend the night as a family before my early morning flight from Coolangatta Airport I was overcome with a sense of relief.. I was there and packed, nothing could go wrong now so I could enjoy what time I had left with the family I love. Too exhausted to get ready to go out and wanting to just enjoy my families company I talked them into getting room service which was followed by an impromptu Christmas gift swap before bed. (SCORE; New mobile, the DKNY perfume I had been wanting for weeks and Pandora Charms)

As the alarms went off for the 5am rise, I excitedly jumped out of bed, pulled on some clothes and in a last minute of madness (or intelligence) decided to give my suitcases one last re-pack to shed a few more excess items. With just enough time left to check my emails I logged on, only to discover my exchange; the purpose of my trip, was no longer viable (or at least they thought at the time.. for the details read post ‘The Constant Planner’). On that note it was time to log off, get in the car and head to the airport, where I managed to check in (and later board) without a hitch – quite a rarity in my history of flying!

With two hours to kill at the airport it was time for a wholesome breakfast of takeaway airport food before exchanging those last kisses and hugs as I passed security and entered the boarding lounge – only to discover my plane was now delayed. Wanting to make the most of that ‘extra’ time, I made my way to the glass window that divided the domestic lounge with the international lounge and spotted my family. Once I got their attention the ‘extra’ hour passed quickly while we (totally oblivious to the curious stares from those around us) engaged in a very dynamic conversation in sign language – something we had all learnt years ago when we discovered my younger brother is deaf. As the boarding call came over the loudspeaker we wrapped up the conversation and I boarded the plane – where I nabbed he best seat on the plane; emergency exit window side! Minutes later the plane was hurtling down the runway while I sat in my seat grinning ear to ear – THE ADVENTURE HAS FINALLY BEGUN !!!

Wishing you Peace, Love & Happiness

Jessica Dawn Xx

For as long as I can remember Christmas has always been a big thing in my family, with nothing spared or forgotten (aside from Nan’s mint sauce, which for some reason always struggles to make it to the table). To give you a bit of an idea, the Buckley Christmas process (and I mean process) generally involves the following;

• A lot of decorations, carols and anything else that might put you in the festive spirit
• Lazing around by the pool, beach or riverfront depending on which family was hosting the day’s festivities
• An abundance every roast meat, vegetable, salad and dessert imaginable
• Enough Christmas gifts to provide for a small village (delivered by a certain family member dressed as Santa just before Christmas lunch)
• Copious amounts of alcohol, prawns on ice, scorched almonds, cherries & liquorice all sorts
• A ‘friendly’ match of cricket, football, table tennis, or whatever else we can find to challenge each other to, followed by all the males settling down for an afternoon siesta
• And of course the one thing, without which it just wouldn’t be considered Christmas… FAMILY (both immediate & extended)
• Ohh and Christmas also wouldn’t be right unless it was followed up with a boxing day that encompasses eating a mountain of leftovers, watching the Boxing Day Test Match, watching the start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, nursing sore heads, water skiing, visiting the beach, lazing by the pool and in the event of completely crap weather – heading off to the cinema to watch the latest boxing day release!

However this year given that two of the cousins (including myself) would be abroad and that two of the other older cousins were committed to spending Christmas with their respective partners, we all accepted early in the year that Christmas was going to be a bit of a non-event. This notion was solidified when we discovered that Poppy Bill would be spending this festive season in a hospital bed putting up the greatest fight of his life; the fight to live!

Despite the adversity, in true Buckley spirit, we were not going to completely relinquish the Christmas tradition and decided to hold an early Christmas in which all bar one of the cousins (and dad) could attend. So one week early we all found ourselves in Sydney juggling ‘decking the halls’ with hospital visits. However, try as we might to replicate our typical Christmases, all the good food and greats gifts didn’t fill the noticeable void in the festivities… after all it just didn’t seem fair celebrating while one of us was suffering!

Wishing you Peace, Love & Happiness (and a fantastic festive season)

Jessica Dawn Xx

I have always been the kind of person to plan… Think of a situation and chances are I will have a plan A, B and C for dealing with it. I love making lists, dreaming about the future and hypothesising about hypothetical situations. Nevertheless don’t write me off as boring and calculated just yet.. I also seem to find a certain thrill in spontaneous decisions and the challenges that arise when things don’t quite pan out as expected. In fact it is often when faced with such unexpected bumps in the road that I get the greatest kick out of being alive. I guess this is because when faced with calm waters one can become complacent letting life slip by, however when seas are rough and the survival of you and your crew is dependent upon every decision you make and every action (or inaction) you take, you will always find yourself on top of your game.

It is for this reason that while initially disappointed; I was slightly thrilled to receive an email the night before departing Australia informing me that my planned exchange to Science Po, Paris had been cancelled due to “an imbalance in student numbers” and that I had just short of a week to either apply to another institution or defer my exchange. Being the planner that I am, I already knew my second choice was going to be the University of Economics, Prague or the University of Edinburgh… but which one? Taking the choice to ‘sleep on it’ meant my hands were forced as the allocation became exhausted for the University of Edinburgh.. So Prague it was… now all that was left to do was to wait and wait and frustratingly wait some more to see if Prague wanted me… then last night after weeks of curiosity the news arrived – Prague wanted me, but so too did Sciences Po!

What to do? With both having a equal list of pros and cons I was beginning to be plagued a less favourable attribute that likes to occasionally rear its head – indecisiveness! I mean seriously, it is so hard to choose between two great things!!! So with the first deadline I have had in months looming, I had to devise a way to decide which position to accept in order to inform my university by Monday morning, and seeing as I would be happy with either place and would make the most out of its pros and find a way to deal with the cons I have decided to relinquish my need to be in control and leave it in the hands of you guys! So think wisely and cast your vote; Paris or Prague??

I can’t wait to see your verdict!!!

Wishing you Peace, Love & Happiness

Jessica Dawn Xx

I am struggling to choose between these two fantastically different locations which I have been offered an exchange placement at.. cast your vote to help me decide… (votes close Sun 31 Jan).

So it turns out that in just short of two months of existence, 20 days of which I have been adventuring abroad, the ‘tell all’ blog of mine has amounted to a (not so grand) plan (which has changed), a bit about my background, a few future predictions in the form of my horoscope and a girls gone wild party tale with a few pics to further expose the shenanigans. While all of these things are pages in the grand story, it appears that far too many pages have been left unwritten. So why is this so?

In my head I have created a billion excuses (that you all have probably heard a million times by now) as to why my blog has not been maintained;

‘I have been too busy living the moment to write about it’

‘I want it to be perfect so I will wait until the right words come to me’

‘The suspense will create interest’

‘Because of Facebook everyone knows what I am doing anyway’

… And so the list continues. But try as I might to convince myself and those around me, these excuses do not hold up. Firstly I was snowed in with nothing else to do to pass the time but write and watch DVDs, so time has not been the issue. Secondly there are no such things as ‘perfect words’ to describe an experience – This is because we all see and experience things through different lenses so whatever words I utilise to describe my experiences will be the perfect way to describe how the experience panned out for me. While my perfect words may not be perfect for your description it shouldn’t detract from the essence of the experience. In other words when it comes to finding the right words to use there is no right or wrong, better or worse, just different (I have found that this theory also holds true for comparing cultures – an impossible task by the way!) Thirdly, suspense does not create interest.. Okay maybe a short suspense following a tantalising prelude, but not the kind of suspense arising from weeks of nothingness; in fact it will only do the opposite. The more frequently people visiting your blog find nothing new, the less inclined they will be to visit your blog at all. And finally, well that is the nature of facebook (and technology in general these days), but leaving facebook to provide your news is comparable to publishing quality news on broadsheet. (Those of you that took any of Harrison’s lectures will attest that no matter how high quality the story, it will never be accepted or taken seriously by society simply because of the reputation of medium in which it was presented.)

Having established the lack of validity in my excuses, it is time to dig deep and unearth the truth, that is; I am in the process of perfecting an art form highly familiar to many a uni student (and I am sure many workers as well)… that is the art of procrastination. The only problem is, is that while a uni student will eventually (even if it is 3 minutes before the deadline) get the essay written, and the worker will almost always ensure a deadline is met, I have neither the incentive of a promotion that faces a worker or grades that face the student to ignite that firecracker within. BUT what I lack in incentive I make up for in commitment (haha – I hear you all laugh – yes that’s right – despite my relationship-less existence, I am not entirely unable to commit!) and determination to finish what I started. Besides, given the unanticipated length of this post it is safe to say that my writer’s block is cured. So starting tomorrow (if not tonight now that I am on a roll) I am going to forget the big picture and tackle this grand story one blog post at a time.   

Wishing you Peace, Love & Happiness,

Jessica Dawn Xx

With only two (action packed) weeks to go until departure it was time to begin to farewell this fair country that I have called home for most of my life and what better way to do it than in full Aussie glory – that’s right shelas and blokes, you guessed it, BOGAN style! With the theme set and the venue booked (ladies night at the Down Under) all that was left to do was gather my mates, don the flannies, wife beaters and thongs and embrace the inner bogan (some seemed to find this task A LOT easier than others).

Starting the night with drinks in our spacious dorm (and I say spacious not in a sarcastic way – these rooms were HUGE.. however this may have been compensation from the bathrooms that would have left you cleaner had you not entered them), the night progressed downstairs where we, unable to completely ‘boganise’, skipped the bogan beverage of choice (a stubby of beer for those of you not familiar with the bogan way of life) in favour of free champers, $5 cocktail pints and $3 shots! As you can imagine with drinks soooo cheap it wasn’t long before we were up starting the dance floor and creating scenes that left every backpacker in the bar wanting to join our bogan exploits.

After hours of gracing the d-floor with moves like the ‘sprinkler’ (one hand on head elbow bent and one hand out straight, pulsing as you move in a circle), the ‘shopping trolley’ (self explanatory – see the grocery, grab it from the shelf and put it in the trolley), the ‘lawnmower’ (again self explanatory) and a whole host of nameless others that cannot be described with words it was finally that time of the night that every lady in the bar had been waiting for…….. THE STRIPPER!  Once the dance floor was cleared the bar was filled with squeals and cheers as a ‘police officer’ gyrated and de-clothed himself to tunes which by this stage I was too drunk to remember. After witnessing how it was done, it was time for the amateurs who had been dressed up in charity shop dresses all night (in attempt to fool the bar staff and take advantage of the ‘ladies specials’) to claim a space on stage to take it all off in order to win a trip to the beautiful Whitsundays – WHAT A HOOT!.

A few more drinks and many questionable dance moves later I managed to nab myself a $50 bar tab and 15.. err make that 40 seconds of fame for my ability to demonstrate a significantly larger number of intimate positions in a 40 second time span than any other couple in the competition (in all fairness though I will admit the strength of my partner may have had a lot to do with this).   

Shortly after the time had come for all the good little bogans to pop off to bed while Steph and I continued to work our magic on the Dance floor until we were practically kicked off at shutting time. At 4am, finally agreeing to call it a night.. or should I say morning? We staggered back to our dorm (past a Mexican intent of giving us crack cocaine) and curled up top and toe for a few short hours of beauty sleep.

THIS WAS DEFINITELY ONE SEND OFF I WILL NEVER FORGET!!!

Wishing you Peace, Love & Happiness

Jessica Dawn Xx

Hi there friends, family, acquaintances and followers

Welcome to my blog where you will not only find almost every juicy detail (a girl’s gotta have some secrets!) of my adventures but hot travel tips and destination guides all dished up with a serving of happy holiday snaps to visually encapsulate the journey. whether you are a friend trying to keep up with the goss, a relative trying to follow my every movement, a fellow traveller seeking advice and must do’s or someone who simply loves a good read, this blog will contain something to satisfy every appetite.

So to whoever you are, wherever you are; WELCOME TO THE JOURNEY, I hope you enjoy reading about it as much as I am going to enjoy writing about it!

Wishing you Peace, Love & Happiness

Jessica Dawn Xx