Mid-Trip Breakdown...Check

So short blip while I'm in an internet café. Currently in Darwin, which is pretty lame. We got in about 1:30am last night and upon arrival found out somehow our reservation was canceled and they had only two beds left and in different rooms. So after not having slept well the night before and arriving from a late night flight, Margo had to go our separate ways and I think the best part was the stench of sweaty unbathed boy when I opened my door and the sound of leaf blowers blowing garbage off the street at 3am. I didn't pee or go to brush my teeth because I had somehow in three minutes lost my access card to the room so there ya go. Right as I felt settled the guy in the bed next to me starts snoring. Thankfully Margo let me cry when parking the car and the guys in my room let me cry myself to sleep.

So Darwin is like if Virginia Beach was trashy. "Wait Jill, Virginia Beach is kind of trashy." Ahhh yes you would be right, but instead of 18 and up bars with kids trying to get other people to buy them alcohol (or having already been drinking elsewhere), make the legal drinking age 18 and BAM! Darwin's main strip. We drive down the main drag - Mitchell Street - at the tail end of of the night so there are skantily clad girls with greasy faces and straightened hair and smeared eye liner to match. The hostel reception room is filled late teens early twenties wasted and checking their facebook pictures. I'm not saying I don't check my facebook page when I'm drunk, but the scene was way too cliché. This morning I go to find Margo and a girl is walking down the hall with a sheet wrapped around her and her bum-a-lum is hanging out. It's an all girls floor but come on. I hope she was wearing a thong.

ANYWAY complain fest over. Summary of Darwin, not so great. Summary of hostel life, I might be getting too old. That being said, I had a great run on a path that is sandwiched between the botanical garden and beach. I love being able to run in different cities. I get to see more of it and be with my own thoughts, which right now are very simple :).

Margo and I did a lot of errands like buying our passes to Kakadu National Park tomorrow (WOOHOO!) and then spent the afternoon at Kimdil beach reading up on New Zealand and reflecting on how mature and awesome we are. I spent a bit much on a swim suit but I decided I like it a lot and I got a horrendous souvenir towel that is now filled with sand.
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Sydney is a great city, btw. We stayed in King's Cross which is known as their red light district but the more we walked around it had a very Wicker Park feel. The city itself feels very Chicago - easy going and friendly but busy in it's own right. If I was offered a job in Sydney it would be really hard to turn it down. Running along the bay around the Opera house and watching the birds in the Royal Botanical Gardens have been so peaceful. I've really felt comfortable there and look forward to going back Monday morning. I wish we could have spent a few more days in Sydney but I guess I'll just have to visit again or get a job :).

I have to mosey on so I'll leave you with a video I took at the beach today.

Love yas!