Woke up at 7 and wore my bikini under my clothes ready for an awesome day at Panama Beach City but the weather was abysmal. Still went swimming anyway but not before we got stopped by security guards at the mall because they thought we were terrorists. Apparently you aren’t allowed back packs or shopping bags at the movies. I am sure our bright yellow Forever 21 bags and polka dotted back pack looked very suspicious.
Slept heaps on the bus on the way and then bought 4 singlets at Forever 21 for $1.20 each. Great find. Yay for not doing Laundry for another week. Got soaked at Panama Beach City and it almost felt like a Bollywood movie running in the rain but not as glamorous when I smelt like a wet dog after. Shopping with Ellie is awesome because she never lets me buy anything that doesn’t fit me perfectly and always tells me when something doesn’t suit me. Also we both love bargains!
Wrote this on the bus on the way to PCB.
Went out with the group to Spinnakers which was hilarious as everyones true colours came out when they were drunk. Safe to say first impressions really do count. Was a hilarious night and had fun dancing with Ellie and Erin. Narrowly avoided potential argument with scary guy of African American descent who Erin kept banging into while she was dancing. Girl friend was sent to move us away.
Left for Orlando the next day and I was feeling kinda sick after drinking so much ice all night so got some cold and flu tablets. Waste of $15.98 that could have gone towards a tour, or food, or museum entrance. Ver ver Annoying. Slept on the bus and watched Mean Girls. Which will never get old. Awesome movie. Awesome. For the first time I could actually say “Ahem ahem. I feel sick” with a genuine blocked nose. Arrived in Orlando and bought my Disney ticket and planned out my whole day with all the rides I was going to do, the order, what was close together on the map. All that went out the window when I arrived at Disney World and felt like a small child.
Eddie dropped us off at Disney and we got the bus to Magic Kingdom. My Disney experience was completely different to Universal Studios for several reasons. Partly because I was sick and didn’t have as much drive and energy to do all the rides I wanted to, and partly because Bec and I had completely different energy levels, interests and styles of travelling so we both compromised for each other. It was great having someone else to share that experience with and talk about all the rides we went on, grab each other excitedly when we saw a character we knew, but I wish I had pushed through the heat and my flu and gone on a couple more rides. I also wish my phone hadn’t died by 9.30pm which meant I couldn’t get any photos of the Fireworks at night and the Magic Kingdom all lit up.
My favourite rides were Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and Under the Sea. Also loved the festival of fantasy parade, fireworks and electric parade. I wish I’d gotten to do Haunted Mansion, Astro Orbiter, Buzz Lightyear ride. Oh well. Next time. Got the shuttle back at 11.45pm and Ellie was still up, talked for bit about Harry Potter’s diagon Alley and Hogsmead where she went at Universal Studios and then went to bed.
Left lateish the next day and stopped at Siesta Beach which was a beautiful white sand beach and nice warm water. Didn’t go swimming. Realised I left my grey shorts behind at Panama Beach which was really annoying. Must’ve hung them up to dry after the thunderstorm and then forgotten all about them. They were hand-me-downs and I still wore them for 5 years. I don’t think anyone can say I don’t make my clothes last.
Had an included dinner at Asian Takeaway restaurant, then drinks at Line dancing bar Dixieland Roadhouse. Was absolutely crack up there were 25 cent drinks so everyone got pretty tipsy really quickly and the line dancing soon turned into squiggle dancing. Locals got sick of us pretty soon. There are videos from that night that I never want to watch again.
I realised, not for the first time, that my feelings are heightened so much when I drink and conversations that I could laugh off and avoid with ease sober, made me cry in the cab back home when I wasn’t. I pride myself on being a happy drunk so that was an exception to the rule for me. It wasn’t even a mean conversation, just a case of FOMO on my side and regret I think. Got back to the hotel and changed into our pjs, then Ellie and I got some snacks and climbed the gate into the pool and sat by the pool talking to Simon.
Left for Marathon Keys the next day, woke up feeling like crap but with amazing hair. Got caught in a thunderstorm at the everglades. In a boat. In a swamp. Hilarious moment when I fell out of the boat on the deck and looked up shocked, as if I had no idea what just happened to me. Yes Anushka, that is ground under you. Yes it is wooden. Yes you fell down. Held a snake. Pfft. It wasn’t very friendly. I love the snakes that glide up your arm and stick their tongue out. Cheeky devils.
Spent the day at Key West with Ellie and had a really nice time walking around, went swimming at Southernmost point Beach which is 90 miles from Cuba. Then walked to the beach at Fort Zachary which was next to an Army Naval Base, walked in and out of random shops, went into bars and asked for water and then scuttled away, saw the Ernest Hemingway house and watched the sun set over Mallory Square. Walked around with Amy, Simon, Brii, Ben and Lauren after that and then sang on the bus all the way home. Long long day.
Drove to Miami the next day and stopped at Little Havana for lunch where we had a Cuban lunch with fried plaintain, strew, rice and chicken. Amazing paintings on the walls and street art around the place. Also saw domino Park where old men play gather and play dominoes.
Then drove to the city, walked around the boardwalk and had dinner from 7-11. Drank in the lobby and in Ben and Brii’s room. Hilarious moment when Ellie and I got locked in the stairwell and really needed to pee and we had to run all the way down 8 flights of stairs to the basement to get out and ended up in the back of the kitchen. Where I fell over a box and was sprawled all over the ground holding a six pack of Smirnoff ice. Great look Anushka. Played Never have I ever at Pre-Drinks and then went to The Mansion and Ellie managed to get in with Amy’s drivers license was a pretty fun night. Met a guy called Renee who was from Brazil originally I think and he bought us a drink each. Really nice guy. Hung out in the lobby till 4am with the crew and then went to bed.
Woke up late to a thunderstorm. Had breakfast, did laundry and then went out to south Beach with Ellie and Dennis. Then met up with Wayde and Sean, went swimming a bit and made a sandcastle. Walked along the Art Deco Point of Ocean Drive, then Lincoln Road shops. Got back by Cab, showered, got a burger and fries for dinner and then met the new girls. Hung out with Dennis, Ellie and Simon in the bar for a while. Went back to the room and did squats and crunches with Ellie. Watched second half of Theory of Everything.
Left at 8.30am and drove to the Kennedy Space Centre which was 3.5 hours away. Went around with Andrea and we saw the launchpads for the rockets, the remains of space shuttles, touched a moonrock which was pretty cool, and went on a rocket simulator which was shit.
Watching footage of people all over the world reacting to the moment when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon was incredible. It was such an iconic moment I wish I could have witnessed it myself. My mother always claims she remembers when JFK died but really she wasn’t even born yet. In the same way I feel like I remember when man walked on the moon. As if another self may have watched it. I remember when Princess Diana died. It was an afternoon at home. My mum was shocked. I had no idea who she was. I remember when 9/11 happened. I was 9 years old. I remember walking to school wearing a brown beanie and I was planning to talk about it for current events but everyone already knew. These are moments I will never forget and will tell my kids about.
Did a lot of writing on the bus that day….a lot of writing, a lot of thinking…
Had BBQ for dinner and then went swimming at cocoa beach. Was pretty fun. This is our last night in Florida before we head to Savannah.
Life in the Liminal Space 