September 20:

First things first: I would like to take a moment to thank my parents, Kit and John Samford. They have showed me a world that is not just in Birmingham. And I just wanted to thank my parents for allowing me to grow up as I did. They did not hold me back from anything. They wanted me to experience life and take chances. They did not shelter me from, ...well life. If you have met my parents and their significant others (Laura Lee, my step mother and Mac, who is like a step father) you would know that they are all louder than life. They love life and experiencing it to the fullest. I get that love, passion and drive from all of them. As do my brother and sister.

On this trip I have encountered some people who think what I am doing is just so weird. They can't believe a woman is doing this by herself. It is a different time so it is not as uncommon for women to be traveling the world. Perhaps I think this way because I have had friends who have already done this - going to France, Australia and Prague, to study for 6 months. I just want to tell my parents thanks for allowing me to grow, experience the world and being comfortable in my own skin. You have taught me to experience life and not be scared of what is in store for you. We would not be given tasks and experiences if we were not able to handle them, "what does not kill us only makes us stronger". You have allowed me to do what I wanted to do since I was little - cook and travel. So thank you. Daddy and mom, thank you for allowing me to live. Laura Lee thank you for showing me life through different eyes and Mac, thank you for believing in me. You have all helped to shape me into the person I want to be.

So enough of that, onto my day:

So I have made up my mind about tours....I DON"T LIKE THEM! I pretty much think they are a waste of time, unless it is something really just spectacular. In the many cases that I have been in, they have not. Just a big fat waste of time. Oh well. My fault I guess, but I intend to do better in the future. If only when planning this trip I was able to talk with my travel agent to tell her what I wanted and what I like to do. But I guess at the time, she knew better than I did, since I have never been to Australia or New Zealand before, so I guess that only means that the ball is in her court! Oh well, next time I will know what I want to do.

Today started off going to the airport at 8 this morning. I left my watch at the hotel and the driver went to get for me, thank god! I would never have been able to live without it, Daniel gave it to me, well actually Emily did (she went shopping for our presents, which is a good thing sometimes, so thanks Em). However, the point is that it is a keep sake, something that means the world to me, plus I have already had to surrender my precious bear! So losing my watch would not be a good start to the day.

So to the airport and then off to Alice Springs. We watched in the airport and on the plan about Steve Irwin's ceremony - heartbreaking! Lots of people went to pay their last respects and there was not a dry eye in the house, I was told. Australia lost three people in a span of just weeks. The country weeped. Very sad time for them.

I got to Alice Springs just before noon. I got my things and went to the hotel by car, where I got food and then went on a "wonderful tour" around the city - NOTHING to really see here. If you have read the book by Bill Bryson, In A Sunburned Country, you would have learned that Alice Springs really has nothing to offer. On the tour we did go to see the Royal Flying Doctor Services, very cool. If someone is hurt within 500 meters a plane with doctors and nurses will come and get you and bring you to a hospital in Alice Springs or near by with better medical treatment. Planes fly to remote areas and help those injured. It was neat. Then on to the cyber school. This is a televised school that reaches over 100 kids around Alice Springs and teaches kids preschool to 7th grade. After which they go to boarding school. These kids are also in rural areas, having to stay at home to help with the farm or they just live too far away from a school. It kinda reminded me of my on-line classes, except without the actual interaction with the students and teachers by radio and television. The set-up this School by Air has is very cool. However, I would not want to spend a day doing this, on a guided tour. It is neat to learn about, but nothing you really need to spend two hours doing. We saw the first telegraph station here, that connected cities from all over the country, which was neat, but again, you don't really need to spend an hour there. Old buildings and dirt. We finished the tour with art work in an art gallery show casing the aborigine's art work. Not so cool - parts, but nothing to spend an hour in...plus art is something you need to do on your own time, not when it is scheduled.

The tour was ok, but I would not reccomment it to anyone. Now I am back at my hotel! I went to eat at some Thai restaurant. And now I am going to go back and take a long hot bath in my room and eventually go to sleep! Thank god!

So what did we learn today: don't do day long tours unless you have heard from other people it rocks! In my case I have yet to find one, well maybe the wine tour in Barossa Valley! But it had to do with wine tasting all afternoon so I don't think that counts!?! Does it? And to appreciate our parents! Stay turned for tomorrow's adventure at Ayer's Rock. Tomorrow I actually get to sleep in! It's about time!