Lesson Learned: Not all animals are caged at the zoo

I’m used to going to the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago where there is a large barrier between the animals and the people watching them; however, that’s not the case at zoos in Australia.

I visited a zoo in Sydney where several of the animals were free to run wild, including kangaroos and emus. You actually got to scoop out cones of food and feed some of them.

I decided to have lunch with one of the emus, to watch, click on the video below…enjoy! 

Lesson Learned: Kangaroo does not taste like chicken

When in Australia you must do like the Aussie do. So, my friend and I tried to enjoy the countries cuisine. We ordered Kangaroo for dinner one night, it came out rare.

I thought it was going to be like chicken but to my surprise it was much more similar to a red meat. I don't really know how to explain it. If I had to compare it to anything I would have to say it had the same type of texture as pork but was a bit easier to chew.

I took a couple of bites and decided I preferred our 2nd dish, snapper!

Lesson Learned: All wine festivals need to have cheese

When I travel to a new country I always like to have an itinerary. However, winging it lets you experience things you would have otherwise missed.

My latest adventure was to Australia. I spent 10 days visiting a college roommate who is working in Sydney for the next 9 months. I along with 2 other girls traveled more then 14 hours for the trip. So, when we arrived and stumbled upon a wine festival the first day we were eager to partake in festivities. The only problem was, I don't really drink a lot of wine.

We had about 100 booths to pick from and 5 tickets to spend (that meant 10 tastings each). 

After about 5 of them I was starving and went in search of cheese, I figured what wine festival would skimp on brie? Unfortunately this Aussie one did. We all agreed the choices we did have like mini pancakes, chinese, pizza, and salmon weren't exactly what we were looking for.

So, the next time you decide to host a wine festival make sure you've got some gorgonzola to go along with it. 

Lesson Learned: Make sure your carry on fits underneath your seat

For years I've been meaning to buy a carry on with wheels; one that just makes it through security and fits above the seats. My current carry on has no wheels which leaves me lugging around a huge bag on my shoulder. However, lately I've been thankful for my outdated luggage.

Since airlines have started charging $20 to check a bag more passengers are turning to larger carry ons to cut costs. Unfortunately, this means less space above our seats for items. 

During my trips over the past few months some travelers on almost every plane have had to check their carry ons at the gate because of lack of space. While they don't have to pay the $20 they still have to wait at baggage claim afterwards and hope their piece arrived just like they did. 

A couple of weeks ago my brother was forced to check his bag on a flight from Chicago to NYC at the gate. That luggage never made it on and he went without a change of clothes for the entire weekend he was visiting. 

Fortunately for me no matter how large my duffel like purse gets I can always squeeze it underneath the seat, which means I'm never forced to wait and hope, I just have to deal with the strap mark on my shoulder for a couple of days. 

I'm back from Australia...it was AMAZING!!

Lesson Learned: Sometimes the best things in life are free!

I went hiking at Goose Creek State Park in Chocowinity, North Carolina over the weekend. It was beautiful! Enjoy the video (I'm not sure why it is so pixelated but I'll work on that).

Lesson Learned: You're never to old to...

Today is Ethan Alexander’s birthday, but why is that important?

Ethan’s turning 100 today and still shows up to church every Sunday for his sermon, that’s because he’s The First Christian Church’s sitting Pastor.

I met Ethan at a church service last weekend. I’ve actually never been to a service on Sunday before (because I’m Jewish) but thoroughly enjoyed it.

There was something special about The First Christian Church. The congregation accepted me as soon as I walked in the door and even invited me to a seafood lunch afterwards. However, I was there to meet Ethan. It’s not everyday you get to sit down with a century old pastor and hear what he has to say about life.

It was clear that Ethan loves Edenton, his church, and the members of it. He told me, “We enjoy life.” However, I was most interested in his complete faith and appreciation for God. It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about whether I believe in God and whether he has an impact on my life?

Ethan says he owes everything to God and that throughout his life God has always been the head of his household.

I was impressed by this 100 year old man sitting next to me. He told me he doesn’t know where he’ll be in the next 5 years, but when it comes to this Sunday, you can find him on the pulpit with a sermon in hand.