ps

Just to be clear, when we set out 134 days ago, it was suggested to us that we tally up how many days we come out on top compared to the days that the world shows us that it dominates us. May I say, we have been doing fabulously with us leading the world 120 to 14.

life in a van down by the river by Laura

Here's the scene: as I type this note to you I am sitting at the kitchen table of a caravan filled with Yermans and Frenchies hurdling up the east coast of australia. Contrary to what my mother may believe, we have not been kidnapped and forced into a camping-loving cult but have instead decided to take the ultimate roadtrip in the most quintessential way. We met the group in sydney and are now in our third day of travel - we have already visited some beautiful beaches and have settled into the caravan lifestyle (minus the chemical toilet which we have elected to leave barren to spare us all). We have also decided to introduce a phrase of the day in English, French, and German. Yesterday, the English term was 'narly', the french was 'dans tou cou' which nicely means 'in your ass' and is supposedly used whenever someone asks you where something is and that is your kindly response. The German word of the day was 'highfisch' which we think means shark but maybe that was a joke?

Here's the scene: as I type this note to you I am sitting at the kitchen table of a caravan filled with Yermans and Frenchies hurdling up the east coast of australia. Contrary to what my mother may believe, we have not been kidnapped and forced into a camping-loving cult but have instead decided to take the ultimate roadtrip in the most quintessential way. We met the group in sydney and are now in our third day of travel - we have already visited some beautiful beaches and have settled into the caravan lifestyle (minus the chemical toilet which we have elected to leave barren to spare us all). We have also decided to introduce a phrase of the day in English, French, and German. Yesterday, the English term was 'narly', the french was 'dans tou cou' which nicely means 'in your ass' and is supposedly used whenever someone asks you where something is and that is your kindly response. The German word of the day was 'highfisch' which we think means shark but maybe that was a joke?

taiwan and the east coast of australia by katy jane

hi all,

this post will be short as i am low on time at the internet cafe. big news this post: the girls and i have decided to part ways here in australia, with jess and laura to continue up the coast with some europeans in a camper van and me headed to taipei, taiwan to see a friend of ours from l'ville. we were together this weekend in sydney in a lovely hotel (thanks, linny!), but have gone our separate ways. as for the time in australia, we have enjoyed ourselves very much. i really really liked melbourne, which had a nice feeling to it, abundant, affordable, yummy food, and lots of tiny, colorful bright alley ways to get lost exploring. i'm sad to be leaving australia, but am excited to move on to the next phase of the trip. the girls and i have had a wonderful time, have seen so many awesome sights and met really great people. i am very sad that we are leaving eachother, but i think the time is right, as we have come to an inevitable crossroads on this kind of trip. ideally, we have all decided to travel to see new ways of life, meet new people and try to get a grasp of how people all over the world experience the ineffable. even on a trip where people, me and the girls, are together all the time and share common experiences, we all take away very different things and lessons and grow in new ways. in the last few days, i have come to realize that what i want and want to see and do and experience and live is different, no better and no worse, but different from the girls. and after much deliberation, i decided to be on my own for a while. i'm glad for the time we spent togther and the stories we will have to share in the future and the memories we will have forever. ah, this is actually getting a little depressing! but i am excited to get to asia and i know that the girls are very excited to keep exploring australia and the east coast. i am so excited and appropriately appreesive about traveling in an asia country, speaking only spanish and english, but can;t wait to eat a ton of noodles, to taichi in the park with old ladies, and drink tea until i burst. so, i will keep posting as will the girls and j.k.l.worldwide will be increasingly international. we continue to be winners. ok, out of time. hope everyone is well and i miss miss miss you all.

love katy

ah, new zealand.

Hello hello! Well, I write to you from sydney, australia ... But last time you heard, we were in christchurch, new zealand with mr. Caimi (called Datty for the rest of this post). It was really great to have him here with all of us, and a taste of Los Angeles for Me.

The last day he was here, we tried to go see an airshow at a base that was closing nearby. We expected to see droves of people ad we got closer, and maybe some jets doing acrobatic tricks in the air, but we were confused to find nothing of the sort. There was a family sitting outside their car on the side of the road, and their gaze appeared to be pointing toward the heavens, so we stopped to ask some questions. An hour later, we got back in the car having made new friends - the Konowe family. The girls and I ended up staying with these lovely, generous people for two days in their home, and I can't think of a better way we could have ended our time in new zealand.

I, personally, changed so much when I was in new zealand. I tried things, and saw things I thought I never would. My favorite activity is very revealing to this point. Sit down everyone. My favorite activity was hiking. And not just a little jaunt down the beach, but a full day trek over mountains, through craters, and even a little hobbling through rainforests at the end. Though this activity made two of my toenails turn purple, and Fox may have Developed a small case of temporary tendonitis in her foot, the sense of accomplishment I felt when we finished this 18 km, 7 hour, full day hike ... Well, it was just awesome. It made Me realize why I am on this trip in the first place. Don't get Me wrong, there are other things in my life that make Me proud, but this was something different. It was different from graduating college, or learning a second language, or winning an internship I really wanted. This was Me stepping way outside My box, and enjoying it. I suggest you look back a few posts ago, and check out what I had to say about "death mountain." trust Me, I have come a long way.

So, needless to say, I loved loved LOVED new zealand.

And now I find myself in australia. I couldn't be more excited for the road ahead.

So, there it is. We miss you ALL so much! I wanted to mention, that if you haven't looked at our google map for awhile, it is pretty impressive. Also, we have so many great pics and videos to put up, but never a good computer to do it on. So to picture new zealand, just imagine the most saturated colors ever (and if you want to check out the hike I described, google the tongariro alpine crossing ) and we will put up stuff ASAP.

Love love and baci to all, direct from Me!

Jca

Ps. Marcus. I'm still winning.also, us lil boo on google yet? Xoxo

August in New Zealand GUEST POST By: Datty Caimi

Things got a little hairy, but i'll explain.

The girls move like fireflies, often at night. Their recon is based on a biblical travel book that identifies potential sleep-spots that are clean and safe - and dicey. For example, when we saw the penguins on the coast, a swarthy bar patron asked me to go to the back of his van and look at his Bull Mastif. The girls quickly demurred. The penguins were amazing.

In Queenstown we rode beautiful horses into a paradise: the set of the Lord of the Rings films. Glacier capped mountains and turquoise streams guided us, along with a cute Kiwi horsewoman. But that damn English saddle haunts me.

We "jumped" mightily out of Queenstown, into the realm of the highest mountain in Australiasia, Mt. Cook. A three hour hike took us to the base of this giant. But to reach the mountain we had to ford a flooded stream. At some risk, I built a small walkway with nearby rocks - photos and video to follow. The stream lead to a glacial lake full of icebergs. Seriously, real icebergs, huge and floating. Later we took powered rafts and sucked the marrow from the ice?

I am pleased and satisfied with the judgment and joy these young women exhibit. Oh ... did I forget to say I'm jealous? All is well, thank God. See ya stateside. Datty

mt cook con't by Katy Jane

So the phone goofed just before I finished, but this time mysteriously posted instead of mysteriously deleting. Mostly I wanted to say that we hope eveyone is will at home and are glad you are reading the blog, leaving comments, and writing us emails. We appreciate it so so so much, even if we can't always respond right away. Especially these last few weeks where the internet has been exceedingly difficult(read: expensive) to get on. So we love love love you!

jkl

Marcus, I don't know what the count is and Jess isn't here right this second, but I think we're kicking ass... for realsies.

Mt cook!

,m gonna write this post just as fast as I can because I wrote one two days ago that got deleted when the phone froze. So hopefully time, powwers of the universe, and lance Armstrong will be on my side this time. As per the title, we are at the base of Mt cook, new zealands highest mountain. I'm actually looking at it this exact moment! And boy oh boy is it big! We are here with a special guest, Mr August Caimi, who has joined us here. We have had a lovely time today, taking a walk throug hooker valley and over some precarious bridges. I do believe that mr caimi and the girls might have even forded a river today, during a period of activity afectionately dubbed 'daddy adventures.' These adventures often include singing marine corps songs, coming home in need of a band aid and are generally character building. Needless to say, we're into it. Since mr caimi has been here we have been doing lots of fun things like going to the cookie factory, playing a TON of cards, he and the girls went on a horse riding trip, taking hot showers and being otherwise taken care of, including the luxury of not driving (which is quite a luxury, as they drive on the other side of the road here. We have so far been pretty safe and managed to avoid such quintessentially new zealand road hazards as herds of sheep and loose cattle). Today, after the trekking and river fording, we went on a little dingy across a glacial melt lake. There were HUGE icebergs and we drove almost right up to the face of tasman glacier, the longest one in new zealand. Glaciers, it has been officially decided by the group, are way cool. Several days ago, at the begining of our time with mr caimi, we did another conceptually similar (in a cold, Antarctic sense) activity, one which was for Jess the fulfillment of a life long dream. We were driving from christchurch and were headed to dunedin, when we realize we just had to stop in oamaru. Not because it was the home of a big cheese factory(thoug it was), but because...omg!... It is home to two colonies of penguins! Yellow eyed ones and little blue ones! So we went and we saw and were awed by cuteness. Oamaru itself reminded Me of the old mining towns in Colorado, down to seedy bars with cheesy wall paper and bar tenders with big mustaches. We met somelocals who invited us to act in a TV commercial. We declined due not to lack of interest, but lack of time, and went instead to see the penguins and then to a hear some atrocious cover bands at the Penguin Entertainment Club, where Laura (rightfully dispointed with the quality of her bottled beer) was gruffly refused a fresh drink after the barman sampled and returned her flat and now sullied beverage. The real highlight of the evening, next to the penguins, was the awesome old dude playing the harmonica. He shredded! I'm talking a rival to the greats. We will be in new zealand until the tenth, when we take an oh so early flight to Melbourne, australia. We are excited. Mr caimi is here for 6 more days. So we will continue to make the most of it!