This is what I wore everyday for a week in South Australia.
It was cold as butt, I had a lot to carry and, I swear, I thought I looked cute! In my mind, I was a little college hipster on her way to take an exam or french somebody in the quad. In reality, I looked like the 33 year old I actually am. More like a crunchy lady who sells homemade beeswax candles. Or maybe an enterprising actress in New York City getting ready to perform the stage version of “Newsies”?
Here are a million pics of that outfit starting in the Barossa Wine Valley and ending at the Twelve Apostles. I think you’ll agree that I should probably write a letter to Australia apologizing for my terrible fashion sense.
Here I am at the third winery on the Groovy Grape Barossa Valley Wine Tour. I can’t remember what it was called because I was drunk. The outfit could be acceptable here because I like that purple plaid. But I ruined everything with the hand on my hip and my feet turned out in such an abnormal way. I think the wine made me more flexible.
This is after a much needed carb-y lunch on that same tour. There was a group of friends traveling together who I kept insisting were British. “No Sarah, I’m Swedish!” “I’m French!” To which I replied, “Whatever, same difference! Let’s take a picture!” This is why everyone loves Americans.
Day 1 of my 3-day Great Ocean Road Adventure Tour, starting in Adelaide and ending in Melbourne. If you told me I did that first hike in the Grampians in a clown suit or naked, I would believe you. That’s because I was so terrified getting to the summit that I’ve blacked most of it out. Notice the insane view, but don’t miss my body language either.
Katie, best tour guide in the world: Ok everyone, there’s a kangaroo crossing sign coming up if anyone wants to stop and get a pic-
Sarah: YES! YES! PULL OVER! STOP IMMEDIATELY! Take my picture! First back to back and then like this! hahahaha, I’m so funny!
This is the beginning of the Great Ocean Road and some of the most amazing rock formations ev-ah. Breathtaking and freezing. You’ll notice a ridiculous amount of layering. I guess I did the Rocky thing because I couldn’t put my arms down?
The Loch Ard shipwreck site along the Great Ocean Road. Eerie and amazing. Not the view, my butt after 2 weeks of TimTams.
Another rockin’ outfit and person I met along the Great Ocean Road. Jack from the UK was definitely my favorite. Funny, weird, picked on me immediately…major points for that. I tried my first horrible bit of Vegemite with him, (”hahaha, it’s bloody awful isn’t it?!”), and duked it out over Cadbury vs. Reeses Peanut Butter Cup. “Don’t blame me because you don’t get chocolate and peanut butter! It’s not my fault you guys are crazy!” I have no idea what his romantic life was like, but someone better have been making out with Jack on the road. I would have done it myself, but I wasn’t feeling super sexy in my knit hat.
And it all led up to this…the Twelve Apostles. That’s what it really looks like. But you can’t imagine what it feels like. Go there. Right now. I’ll put your ticket on my credit card. Just pay me back when you get your tax return.
Australia, my apologies for my bad backpacker fashion taste. But it’s pretty hard to focus on that when you’re hiking the Grampians, chasing kangaroos, and looking for whales around every winding corner.
Next time I’ll wear a ball gown.
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4 Comments
ha! I swear when I’m traveling I look all hip and casual and not touristy. Then I flip through the pics and wonder what was I thinking and why would I stand like that or pull that face on purpose in front of a camera? Ah, well. At least they have personality, right?
p.s. love the kangaroo photo because that is totally the type of nerdy thing I would do!
Ha! I love travel fashion. First there’s the freeing sense of anonymity that a new place bestows upon you, which is subsequently ruined by the need to obsessively document that fact that one is traveling.
When I came back from Greece this summer I showed my mom pictures of us at the Acropolis in our shorts and sneakers. A few days later, she emailed me a picture from her 1965 trip to the same site. Her hair was in a perfect beehive, and she was wearing a Lilly Pulitzer dress and wedge sandals. I felt like I had just been served.
I think that we all would have just chalked your choice up to “doing as the locals do,” had you not just exposed your shame to us. What is absolutely not acceptable is the fact that you did not kiss that British boy. When you travel, Sarah, you represent all of us. Remember that.
Soul fusion-please, that kangaroo photo is one of the highlights of my trip! I cannot tell you how funny I thought I was doing that. In that situation, it doesn’t matter if anyone else thinks it’s funny. And that is unfortunate..for everybody else;-)
Crafternoon-My mom used to totally dress up for flights! Man, what is up with that? I wish I could go back in time and fly Pan Am or Eastern lookin’ like Jackie O. Instead, I go to Delia’s and find as many of the cheapest, comfiest t-shirts I can get my hands on. I’m a real class act!
Carlita-Did you not see what I was wearing?! Not much MoJo there. Plus, Jack is definitely my youngest brother’s age. I think one of the many millions of gap year students traveling around AU was all over that;-)