When the Cheshire emerges...

Travel sickness can be a bit of a pain. Travel injuries are a whole other story. And then those combined with a scare of nearly not making a flight is a good plot for someone's worst nightmare.

Thankfully I've never had anything serious in the way of these during my previous travels, but both injury and sickness were definitive in the final hours of my trip to South America - pushing me towards actually wanting to return to Australia.

Yeah, on the last day I really did just want to be home.

After being unable to meet with my friend in Santiago, all my sightseeing hadn't gone to plan on the second day there ahead of my flight. I was continuing to have issues with my bowels (which to be fair hadn't felt right since heading to Peru two weeks before), and I'd hurt my knee on day three of the Inca Trail, feeling a pain on the outside of my right kneecap as I completed the bulk of the downhill climb.

Not sure if the strap helped, but I wore it for the rest of the trek - thanks Hans!

I was grateful that the Inca Trail had been in the last week of the trip, knowing I would soon be able to see my physiotherapist at home. I could walk, but it was getting really painful and limping was a near necessity. As for the bowels, they worsened the later it got and toilet trips were becoming more frequent than breaths for air.

Then I almost didn't get on my flight because of damn Lan Airlines. Told at check-in I'm on standby - they apparently had 20 people over because of a change in the size of the plane taking us. Being told to wait there, and with the body not holding up, I sat on the floor before actually bursting into tears. I did not feel well. I had my Sydney day with friends planned that I was really excited about and a connecting flight. I did not want to stay an extra day!

Thankfully I was with two lovely sisters, Morgane and Armelle, from my Santiago hostel who I'd spent time with, and they were in the same boat. With an 11.20pm departure, 10pm comes and goes and there's no news like they said there would be. I'd been given a free food voucher so went to use it (where the people swarming around me were not terribly helpful). On returning I'm found and told they called my name. Then the woman at the counter says "You can't get on, you've missed it, it's past 10.20 and that's an hour before departure. You should've been here at 10 like you were meant to." It was 10.20 on the dot on my watch, but she tried proving otherwise on her iPhone. I then have back-up from Morgane and Armelle (who had received their tickets) arguing I was around at 10 - "but I went to use the voucher YOU provided me because I was told I wasn't getting on this plane".

And then she finally let me on. Miraculously with a seat letting me stretch out my leg.

***

I ended up losing any holiday weight and then some because I continued to have a lack of solid digestion during and after the plane ride. So there was good out of that I guess. Although that easily creeps back as I've found without regular exercise.



Yes, I can't exercise properly yet because of having to recover by doing these exercises with a foam roller. The knee pain is my showing of ITB Friction Syndrome, a common problem, so I have to ease my way back to fitness. And nearly three weeks since coming back, jogging for more than 10 minutes on a treadmill isn't going well. So I definitely can't manage weights or other classes, and it's killing me. I just want to sweat it out!

I've been on this earth for a quarter of a century. That's insane. I still feel like I'm five sometimes, waiting to see what I can learn. But that's not the case. And coming back to Australia after a beautiful trip abroad, it was time for reflection. For the record I do this a bit... I am a writer after all.

If you don't know much about me you may do after reading this post. I mulled hard over how to structure this, but figure list stories are so in trend right now that I should follow suit. So here are, in no particular order,

25 Things Katina Has Learnt In Her 25 Years Of Existence

1. Travel makes life experience all the richer.
I have just returned from a trip through part of South America; after that, two very different trips to Europe/Egypt and Australia/New Zealand venturing, I've travelled enough to know there's always more to explore, always more to learn. I would not be the person I am today without seeing these parts of our world.

2. Family is forever.
I'm very lucky to be close with my family. Mum is my best friend. The people who have raised me have done a wonderful job and I hope I've done them proud.


This works on multiple levels. Despite the odd snigger or harsh remark, I've always been extremely proud to hail from Adelaide, South Australia. The city is no Sydney or Melbourne, but it shouldn't try to be because it has its own great charm. And on another wavelength, learning about how my grandparents came to make success for themselves in Australia after migrating from Greece... they have amazing, humbling stories that make me appreciate and embrace my heritage.

4. Don't try and act like your father. You'll hurt yourself.
At three or four years old you make foolish decisions. Sneaking into the bathroom during the night, grabbing dad's razor and shaving your face doesn't end well.

5. Don't concern yourself too much with who's cool or not. You'll hurt yourself.
In the 1990s you had to watch for tree branches in the schoolyard potentially being flung into your cheek... wanting to play with the boys and being rejected left a permanent scar. Only physically; mentally I'm fine, thanks for asking. Slippery paths are also not good for seven-year-olds who want to run away from someone. They cause broken arms.

6. Romance is a myth for some.
We'll leave it at that.

7. Absence from home makes the resolve grow stronger.
I have grown in such an integral way since leaving Adelaide at 22, dealing with physical and mental problems as I've adjusted to entering the journalism industry. It's not been easy, and something I don't admit easily. But I have become a such stronger person as life continues to unfold and I try to figure out what my next step may be.

8. It's easy to discover who your real friends are.
I love my different groups of friends dearly, and they know who they are. But in some instances, attitudes post-high school, travelling and moving brought out sides to people you wouldn't expect, and it was an eye-opener for me to see that even with Facebook connecting can go out the window in seconds.

9. You have to make the effort. No silver platters.
In relation to #8, friendships are double-sided so blame can never be placed completely on one side. But making an effort also concerns pursuing other things in life. Sometimes I've been slack in that, and it's something I'm still learning to take control of.

10. When in doubt, chuck some Kylie Minogue on.
She's good at making people happy. Her songs are often relatable to moments in life. I love her stuff to bits. Don't be hatin'.


11. Toilets can be dodgy. Anywhere, anytime. And to throw toilet paper in the toilet is quite the luxury.
Parts of Europe were memorable for dodgy toilet seats as a constant. Peru's squat toilets and the uncertainty of where to place paper was frustrating. We in Australia have fantastic relievers.

12. People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
It's a beautiful saying that I first heard from a friend I had in Dubbo. Unlike her, I sometimes struggle to accept it - but do understand the value of meeting every person I do.

13. Things can be different to what you might be looking for.
This is a prime example of that:


14. Some men really do have their shit together.
I've not had many solid male friends in my lifetime. But growing up, you still notice things. In the last year, I've met a number of men in very different situations. And while some have left me flabbergasted (to say the least), others have shown their absolute awesomeness. It gives me the slightest hope that I can one day land someone of that calibre.

15. Meanwhile, you think you have things sorted, but really, you don't.
I'm happy with where I am right now, but at the same time I always want something more. Is never being 100 per cent content a showing of growth and learning, or uncertainty? That I'm still not sure of.

16. Don't expect much from people - you set yourself up for disappointment.
Although I understand it, I'm still working on cementing this one. It covers friends, crushes, the lot. It's worth noting here that you don't need to be in love to have your heart shattered.

17. Be the bigger person - which sometimes means not to say everything you feel you have to.
Sometimes there are people in the world who will refuse to see your point of view. You might have to agree to disagree. Or let them have what they think is a win by not revealing all your cards. Stick it to the man, but also show some reserve.

18. Karma will get you.
You might not know why, and a lot of it is in small doses, but it's there hanging over you.

19. Mercury retrograde is real.
Astrology is something most take with a grain of salt. But I've written on Mercury going retrograde before. After a number of instances where I've travelled and encounter massive delays (including my World Cup tour which I only just discovered), as well as entering jobs with different proposals to what actually ends up happening, I'm a firm believer in this astrological phenomenon.

20. Harry Potter kicks arse over any other book series.
Seven books. One wizard. Adventure. Suspense. Fun words like Quidditch. While I will still always advocate The Baby-Sitters Club, Harry has a special place in my heart.


21. There's no such thing as a stupid question.
Journalism 101. If you need to know, you need to know.

22. I believe there is a God. Although sometimes it doesn't feel as if there's anyone/anything around.
I don't go to church much. I don't preach my religion to anyone. Though there is a part of me that is proud to believe. And sometimes it's hard when you feel completely alone, but someone - or something - is always there. It just takes a while to realise.

23. Things generally have a way of figuring themselves out; everything happens for a reason.

I'm on the home stretch before my departure for South America. It's very exciting, but I still feel like there's a heck of a lot to do.

I've found out it doesn't always pay to stay up late to send off correspondence though. After having found out I need to pay a 'reciprocity fee' to enter Argentina (hello hidden costs), the same is applicable for Chile. While that fee is payable at the airport on entering through Santiago I wanted to confirm how much it might be or how else I may need to go about it.

This is my response.

Before the week that was, I just have to say... Pharrell's hat. Wow.

we did it we did it RT @MTVNews: Who won the #GRAMMYs? Duh, @Pharrellhat. #infogrammys pic.twitter.com/EGHf5DYQZP
— Pharrell's Hat (@Pharrellhat) January 27, 2014

Well, I'm still excited I have Instagram a month in (follow me by all means, @katiinkaa01), but really, not being able to embed photos to show you is a bit of a pain in the neck.

So you'll just have to follow the links.

Elcho Island #Galiwinku #NTAustralia #TopEnd http://t.co/Rs93333QPr
— Katina V (@Katiinkaa) January 20, 2014

A day on Elcho Island as Indigenous Affairs minister Nigel Scullion talked with #Galiwinku residents… http://t.co/yaAEyk17XF
— Katina V (@Katiinkaa) January 20, 2014

The pictures show my day at Arnhem Land's Elcho Island, which is my first proper trip for work. I had to fly on a plane to get there! It was also my first day as the education reporter, as I'll be focusing on that round as well as general news stories from now on.

It was really great to get to a remote part of the Northern Territory - and Australia. I was there while the Galiwin'ku community received a visit by federal Indigenous Affairs minister Nigel Scullion, who had been in talks with an elder from a group of Yolngu communities. They have been discussing the options for getting children to attend school - in Galiwin'ku there's a five-year average of about 52 per cent attendance - and that's for the kids that are enrolled, there are still lots more that have never been to school.

For me, it was just great to get to talk to some locals. I got a little bit of an insight into a different way of life, saw why there's such a need to push education in certain areas, and saw how a community is easily brought together (literally - the meeting was organised by someone talking over a massive PA system and everyone converged onto a public space).

I thought it was so important I suggested my American friend Luke get a copy of my paper while he was visiting Uluru during his current trip across Australia. Although he couldn't buy one, he did see my work. Thanks mate.

Ahh! This is so cool! I am finally in the same region as my Aussie friend @Katiinkaa's newspaper is distributed! :-) pic.twitter.com/jgjIkXPsJV
— Luke Fritz (@LukeFritz64) January 21, 2014

The power of news...

Making a conscious effort to make the most of a #roadtrip from now on... #language #Greek twitter.com/Katiinkaa/stat…
— Katina V (@Katiinkaa) March 31, 2013

There was no new release for me to post a review up last week so I have a DVD review to eventually post instead. For now though, I have a favour to ask!

I'm currently involved in trying to become the newest blogger for Expedia.com.au and have to get the highest number of votes in order to get to the final round and be judged by an actual panel. I believe I have what it takes and if I can get there in a (massive) final surge it would make my holiday if not my year!

I've only got three days to go so please take two minutes out of your day to help me out! They will ask you to share information but if you say 'allow none' it will still let you vote... so no excuses!

If the link to my page doesn't work, try the button on the side of my blog.

If nothing else, you can watch the video I made, which is rather embarrassing but done in one take just the one time. I tried.

Peace out, and I wish everyone a happy new year. Here's to 2013!

Across the border from Mildura, Wentworth (in NSW) is a quaint little town with a few big things going for it. Their jail was the first to be designed by an Australian and the model for many built later on (Dubbo's doors are a Wentworth design apparently), and it sits at the junction of the Murray and Darling rivers. A beautiful sight that is.

The steamer PS Ruby is a special monument to them, being restored by a loving team (I think of volunteers).

I can't remember which river is which, but this is from a lookout at the junction.

Now that's a drink.

The PS Ruby.

This is the tenth post in the On the road to nowhere series. Missed the last one? Catch up!

The second half of my journey began in Mildura after leaving Adelaide. Going through Renmark on the way was nice, having visited there two years ago for some work experience.

Right on the Victoria/NSW border, Mildura is a great base for surrounding areas. It also had a lot to offer for itself, not least a great major eating strip. Definitely one up on Dubbo there. To be fair, it services up to 60,000 within a close proximity.

Within Mildura and close surrounds I visited Orange World where I learnt about the wonderful produce that comes out of the Sunraysia region, the Stanley Wines factory in an attempt to see the Big Goon Box, and took notice of the cool art deco influence on their architecture.

I must mention that the hospitality I received here was great... and that they have a really good Sportsgirl. Oh how I miss that shop.

I could say this is the best fresh OJ I've ever had - and I will. Fabulous.



The Orange World experience then consists of a tractor ride through part of the orchard.

What used to be the Big Goon Box. You can imagine the Stanley logo and the pourer bit stuck on the bottom. No vomiting homages here. Devastated.

This is the ninth post of the On the road to nowhere series. Missed the last one? Catch up!

A town of the choo-choos for decades, Peterborough was interesting in that it was my first SA Outback destination ever in taking a second detour off the Barrier Highway. It delivered more than I expected.

The hours flew by during my short stay, accompanied by a father-daughter duo I had met in Broken Hill on my walking tour who were coincidentally ahead of me on the road and had the same idea.

We took in their train museum, the Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre, where I felt like I had been plonked in the middle of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends (subconscious childhood dream realised right there). Lunch followed at a place which combined three of my favourite things - retroness, film and good food.

From here I would continue to Adelaide to see family and friends, and attend a beautiful wedding. I felt I had already done so much in just five and a half days.

Thomas' roundhouse.

This thing on the back of the car is a means of mobile communication. Funny how that's changed...

Toby was a pretty cool train.

If someone had told me earlier I'd fine this on the main street I would've laughed. Fabulous.

This is the eighth post of the On the road to nowhere series. Missed the last one? Catch up!

Silverton: the Hollywood of the Outback. Parts of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert and just about all of Mad Max 2 were filmed there, a ghost town previously inhabited with those working in the mines. There's not much around, but what is is excellent. It's a great place.

I met the most enthusiastic person possibly ever in the creator of the Mad Max museum, an Englishman who moved his family out to start the pilgrimage after discovering on holiday that was nothing to support Silverton's moniker.

I also went to the lookout point at the Mundi Mundi Plains, a vast expanse of greenery in the desert and beautiful in its stillness. Much like White Cliffs, I felt I was in a different world. And only a simple but bumpy 25 minutes or so from Broken Hill.
*Mad Max Museum indoor photos taken with owner permission

The famous (replica) car that sits outside the Silverton Hotel.

The souvenir shop had pictures...

Donkey were not something I expected to see!

Legendary.

Dame Mary Gilmore of our $10 note taught at Silverton School.

That museum had the most random assortment of items ever. Here are awards from the Pal Pedigree and Rinso companies...

I felt it was appropriate to get a jumping shot on the Mundi Mundi Plains out of anywhere. The photo doesn't do the landscape justice.

This is the seventh post of the On the road to nowhere series. Missed the last one? Catch up!