Jungle Fever

Hello and welcome back!

It feels like ages since I've posted anything.

Well this week has been pretty exciting for me. As you know, (and if you don't, firstly -shame on you for not reading my blog! And secondly -just pop back and read my last entry if your like WTF is she on about??) this last week I went down to Coffs Harbour for some Army training.

The bus trip was brutal. 6 whole hours. It is usually only about 4 or 5, but we had to make a stop in Lismore and change buses because there was more of us down there and the bus we were taking was down there too or something I don't really know.

Luckily I did manage to get some sleep on the way down which killed a little time, then most of the rest of the trip was me really needing to pee but being too scared to ask if we could stop, and feeling really sick and trying (successfully might I add) to stop myself from throwing up all over the nice girl in front of me.

Oh, did I mention that I was disgustingly hungover and sleep deprived from the night before?
I know, not a great start right? Let me just start by blaming my mother. I was planning to have a nice early night, make sure I had packed everything I needed and get a good night's sleep.

Instead, I went to the movies with mum (saw No Strings Attached with Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher - very very funny! And Natalie Portman is fantastic as always) and then my little sister Courtney calls me and begs me to go out clubbing with her and her boyfriend Jake. I said no at first, but then mum gave me the old 'Your only 21 and you can sleep when your dead and stop being so responsible and boring etc etc blah blah blah' speech. Needless to say, it kinda worked, so I decided to go.

I had a few drinks and ended up only having about 3 hours sleep, then had to get up (still feeling drunk btw) and pack and go to meet the bus.

My week, although it started off pretty crappy with me being hungover and sick (I know, self inflicted. I don't expect your sympathy haha) was pretty awesome and I had a great time. I am now officially competent in Senior First Aid and can Navigate my way through a thick forest (day or night- yea that's right!) with just a compass, a map, a pencil and a protractor! Don't act like your not impressed.

The field experience for the Navigation - if I'm being completely honest - was crap at the time.
It was hot and I kept falling over and getting hit in the face with Lantana and poked in the eye with sticks and stepping in smelly creeks (oh little side note, I got a leech and it is disgusting!)
All up, I think we spent about 16 hours smashing our way through 'dense vegetation' and by the end of it we all smelt like a dirty sweaty swamp. Lovely.

Looking back, however, I can see all the good bits and conveniently block out all the crap bits (like nearly crying when I fell over and nearly twisted my ankle in the middle of the night in the middle of a National Forest) and laugh about the things that seemed so shitty at the time.

I made some great friends (Sando, Billy and Yogi) and am looking forward to catching up with them soon!

And, alas, I have some bad news for you. I will be going to Kapooka (Basic Training) on the 2nd of March for 4 whole weeks and will have no phone or internet access for the majority of the time so I will be unable to update you on my progress.

Good news is I'm going with Pye and Yogi. If nothing else, it will be good to see some familiar faces around.

Loz
xxx