Hey World,
If you do not know me then you would not understand BUT I have been obsessed with Australia since birth. I was birthed from my mum when the song "land down under" was playing. Ok ok that is a lie. But I have been obsessed with the continent since I was in 6th grade. I had a hard time containing my excitement as I learned more and more about this amazing continent. It all started with my hero Steve Irwin. When I was a little girl I used to watch, "The Crocodile Hunter" on TV. I saw that crazy man wrestling crocodiles and talking in a really funny accent yelling, "WHOOHOOO! WHAT A RIPPER!" I loved that. What I loved more was that the man not only wrestled crocodiles but he loved them. He told the world about how wonderful those creatures are. They may be ugly to some people or ferocious but really we need to look at ourselves and see how we need these creatures and how we are connected to these creatures. His passion fueled my interest in Australia. From then on I knew it was my destiny to end up in Oz. Every year since 6th grade at least one person I knew had traveled to Australia. I got a letter from People To People in middle school saying I had the opportunity to travel with them to Australia and New Zealand. I was so so so excited I was going to have a blast with my friend Emily- but we couldn't come up with the money. I watched my friend Emily leave and she returned with a boomerang and a really cool aborigine painted bag. I remember sitting during theatre rehearsal for Wizard of Oz and looking through her pictures on her camera of this beautiful land Australia. Then there was Kyle and Will who both went to Australia and I saw their pictures on the Sydney bridge and they told me about how amazing it was and then there was Holly too. By this time I had started working at Brookfield Zoo/ The Chicago Zoological Society. The zoo became my life, it is my passion, it is my future. Everybody there knows about my love for Australia. Some even call me Aussie. Even in PBI leadership camp they knew i was Australian Obsessed. (I even got a picture of a lady from Sydney who worked at Gypsy's) Then I started working at Australia House for a bit and my love for marsupials flourished. I worked in Zoo Camp and met Abby who always goes traveling the world and she told me all about her times in Australia apparently I need to visit perth and I have to go sand sledding? Then my best bud Mike went to Australia and brought me a boomerang and an Australian flag, and even vegemite! Mike and I met in YVC when we were working in Stingray Bay- of course someone mentioned "hey didn't that Australian bloke die from a stingray." We both said, "yeah Steve Irwin, he was my hero." Then we looked at each other and were like.... bffs for life. The following year Julie went to Australia, She told me all about her fun times in the mountains with her cousin and some creepy run down farm with metal kangaroos. Then Isabel went to Australia last year. She brought me back a book on wombats. So as you can see over the years I have watched countless friends travel Down Under as I sat here waiting for my turn. During my long wait I have collected many Australian things from foods, to books, to posters... I even listen to John Williams. My phone ringtone is Land Down Under. During my life I have been imagining how amazing Australia will be, and how I have a secret Aussie lover who is stubborn to get directions to America, I dreamed of waking up to the sound of kookaburas and going to work at Australia Zoo. All these years of dreaming all these days of my life are worth something. All of a sudden smack dab in the middle of my life God made my dream a possibility. I met Jaryd Bray. My first thought was.... OMG AN AUSTRALIAN A REAL ONE! FOR REAL! I remember the first time I heard his accent. I was in shock. Then after a while what happened? He came to visit in November with his sister Jenna! Would you believe it that Jenna and I just so happened to have A TON in common? How crazy is that! Never in a billion years would I imagine that I would spend my birthday with some Aussies. I never thought that I would have an Australian bring me a real Akubra Hat and some weet-bix!!! My dreams were coming true. I met genuine Australians who have so much heart and are truly really amazing people. I have been waiting my whole life to meet people like them. I am so thankful for everything. It has been 10 years of hardcore saving and asking for money for birthday prezzies, graduation, x-mas, the whole deal and finally. FINALLY I have enough for plane tickets. Would you believe that those Australians invited me to stay with them??? My dream is going to become a reality folks. You may not even understand how much it means to me that I have these people in my life. I can't even really explain what I feel. I feel like my heart is going to explode. For once in my life I can finally go on that Adventure I have been waiting for. I get to go home. I get to go to the land where my heart is. Once I get to Australia I am going to kiss the ground (I am) and I am going to dance and I am going to play land down under while driving in the car on the wrong side of the road from the airport. I am and have been secretly Australian for 19 years. Now you all know the truth. I'm an Aussie in the heart. I love the country and I haven't even been there already- but I met people from there and If I love them then I will def. love the country. What I really wanted to say with this really long note was that I am really happy and excited and thankful. I wanted to Thank you all for your love and support of my dreams. Even some of you guys supported financially- I really truly appreciate it. From the deepest bottom of my heart Thank you. I can't wait till my Adventures Down Under. I will tell you all how it goes. I know it is a long time until then... but yes. You will hear about it and then you can be done with hearing me complain about not being able to go. Your Dreams Can Become A Reality. Just pursue with passion. xxxxxxxooooooo~Katie
