Packing Palava!

So apparently it's -15c today in New York.  I'm not sure whether I've made the right move or not, but I've decided not to pack thermals.  I may be popping into the first thermal shop when I get there, but at the moment, whilst thinking about packing, I just can't get my head around what -15c actually means.  What does -15c feels like?  I've been in cold minus degree weather before, like -5ish, but I just can't imagine -15c!.

The weather change is even more dramatic because I've just spent the last 3 weeks in sunny Mandurah, Western Australia.

Shorts.  Thongs.  T-Shirt.

That was all that was worn - day in, day out.  And in a couple of days I will need to consider hats, scarves, gloves, layers, boots, socks, snoods, ear muffs, jackets.... and the rest.

So my next challenge is combing the two lots of attire in the one suitcase because I'll be facing a range of temps from the said -15c to upwards of 27c in Hawaii, and then some in-between temps in Las Vegas where it will be mid to late teens during the day and then colder at night.

Easy!  I hear you all cry.  Just pack your winter things and then chuck the shorts, thongs and t-shirts in on the top!  But, I don't like to be slapdash in my approach to packing.  There is an intricate skill to fitting in outfits for an array of temps such as these.  Mixing and matching so that you can utilise all items in the cold locales.  

How will I wear shorts and thongs in the cold climates you might ask..... well, I'm not sure yet, but perhaps I just might start some new fashion trends whilst I'm there...... 

Move over Vicky Beckham, you've got some competition!

When I first went overseas, I took a back without wheels.  

Then the next trip, I upgraded to a backpack - heavy and cumbersome.  My travel intelligence grew bit by bit and the next time I travelled, I packed a suitcase - the biggest suitcase you've ever seen!  

Since then, each trip I try desperately to packer lighter and take a smaller case.  I like to think I've evolved somewhat in this area...

...and so this trip will see me take a medium sized lightweight case with 4 wheels.  

Next trip I will invest in a case that is like Marry Poppin's magic carpet bag or Hermione's magic tardis purse - extremely small and lightweight and has no bottom on the inside!

I'm sure I'll get it right one day. 

"The Glamour Of It All! New York! America!" Charlie Chaplin

7 more sleeps until I fly out to: 

New York City.  The Big Apple.  The City of Dreams.  The City That Never Sleeps.  Gotham City.  The Centre of the Universe.  The Capital of the World.  The Empire City.  The Five Boroughs.  The Modern Gomorrah.  New Amsterdam.  The Melting Pot.  The City So Nice They Named It Twice....

(Thank you Wikipedia) 

New York, New York.

My friend, and one of my traveling companions, Marie is already there and has been for the past week and a bit.  I've been reading her fabulous blog and I can't wait to get there myself.

New York is one of those iconic places that I just love to immerse myself in.  The  streets, the parks, the buildings, the people, the accent.  Everything just seems so familiar, like you've been there before.  And really we've all been there before from the comfort of our lounge chairs.... 

Seinfeld, Friends, Mad About You, CSI New York, Big, Sex and the City, When Harry Met Sally, Kramer Vs Kramer, Desperately Seeking Susan, Crocodile Dundee, Ghostbusters, You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle had scenes in NYC and Titanic.....The list, like the heart, literally goes on and on!

The diner in Seinfeld

The Soup Nazi from Seinfeld

 Cnr Bedford and Grove Streets - the supposed apartment building in Friends

Carry's Stoop from Sex and the City

Kramer Vs Kramer in Central Park

 Katz Deli - Where Harry Met Sally

New York Public Library - Where Carry nearly married Big in Sex and the City

Battery Park - with The Lady in the background - Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan

Grand Central Station - Crocodile Dundees's famous "That's not a knife, this is a knife"

Spook Central - 55 Central Park West - Ghostbusters

 Riverside Park - You've Got Mail

 CSI New York - There's no Horatio, but the lots of well known NYC locales

The iconic Empire State Building - on Valentine's Day

Rose arriving in the New York harbour passing The Lady in Titanic

 Thank you Celine, that's enough now.

 and they said watching ALL that American TV would damage my brain!  What it really did was give me a permanently imprinted map in the back of my brain to automatically guide me through the neighbourhoods. That, and a plethora movie lines to be quoted each time you wander through the locale in the movie.

"I'll have what she's having."

Thank you Sesame Street and the Children's Television Network.

So with a life long televised education pertaining to all things New York City, it is not surprising that it is one of my favourite places in the world to visit.

7 more sleeps.

A Town Like Geraldton

Geraldton, or 'Gero' as is it is known to the locals, is the town where I grew up.

It was the town that was full of surfers and bogans alike.  

It was the town where if you didn't play sport, there wasn't much else to do.  

  

(Hawks - My old basketball team & Stacey Heberle (right) - a local Gero girl and sporting superstar whose picture I found on Google Images!)

It was the town where the southerly wind would come in each day and blow the trees over, the flies away and the European windsurfers in. 

It was also the town where I met my oldest, most nearest and dearest girlfriends - so old in fact that we go all the way back to Grade 1 in primary school.

Maryellen Hipworth, me, Shelley Wilton (nee Brown), Marie Duplex, Kirsty Scurry (nee Carrick)

  

Absent: Chris Dobson (nee Brown)

We've been through everything together.......

12 years of Catholic school
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Boys we loved
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Our first cars
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University
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Jobs a plenty
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(Fifo Documents Controller)

(Tuna Fish Grader)

(Beautician)

 (Travel Agent)
"Computer says no...."

(Primary School Teacher)

(Small Appliance Sales Person  .......   Soft Adventure Footwear and Apparel Sales Person)

Marriages
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Break Ups

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Children...
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(Koji & Tommy Dobson)

...Of all sorts
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(Leo Brown & Jacques Wilton)

And our love of Spandau Ballet....
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You name it - we've shared it!

I've lived in a lot of different cities and towns, but no matter where I roam, I will always call Geraldton home.

The big country town sits half way up the Western Australian coast about 400kms from the next city - Perth.  Growing up there was idyllic, although we probably didn't think so at the time and we still bag it out to this day!  

Life was pretty easy growing up in Geraldton.  We could walk to the beach (although we would usually get our mums to drop us off). We'd hang out at each other's houses and 3 of us even lived in the same street!

There was only one main street of shops, so no decisions to make.  

And everywhere you needed to go was only 10 minutes away.  

No traffic lights, no Hungry Jacks, no good TV. 

You had to travel to your Nana's house in Perth in the school holidays to get a decent cartoon. 

It was a small community. Even one of our Primary school teachers used to read the news.... until she hooked up with the local priest and scandal broke loose (or so the legend goes).  Generally you knew most people and if you didn't know them, they knew you.

Now all the girls (except one die hard fan) have moved away from Geraldton and live in the big smokes around the country, but we always come together and talk and laugh like we saw each other yesterday.

We will always share that bond of growing up together in Geraldton.  Whether we like it or not, she'll always be a part of us - hence the name of our blog..... 

"You can take the girls out of Gero,

but you can't take Gero out of the girls"

This January three of the gang are heading to the US of A together.
New York, Washington DC, Las Vegas & Hawaii 
(Marie has a few extra weeks and destinations before we meet her)

It's so lovely to spend time with these ladies.  They know me so well and they make it easy and effortless to have a good time.

Chris Dobson, Marie Duplex and me

We invite you to join us on our journey and Marie, a first time blogger is also going to be writing her first travel blog along the way.  If you are keen to get a different perspective of our trip you can find her blog: 

Big Apple..... Bitten and Beyond at:

http://bigapplebittenandbeyond.blogspot.com.au

NB:

In previous blogs it was very tricky for people to post comments.  I've since learned I can press a button to make it not so tricky.