Hit the Road Jack

By Jessica 'Kermi' Kerr

My Friend and I just got back a few weeks ago from a truly amaazing road trip. (yes, that extra 'a' is there on purpose!) not across Australia, but up Australia! Well, part of it anyway.

We started out our journey in the humble little town of Narre Warren in Melbourne, and winded up all the way in the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydoore.

I've seen so many incredible parts of my own country on this trip, which is definitely a good thing as usually when my friends ask me if I've been to anywhere interesting in my very own country the answer is a resounding 'no'.

This experience was really a little gem in disguise. I hadn't even thought about it previously, but it seemed like a good idea at the time, so when my friend said:

"Hey, wanna go on a road trip with me up to the Sunshine Coast? Don't really know what we'll do, but we'll figure it out along the way?"

I replied with an enthusiastic: "Sure, why not"

Such a crazy, spontaneous, random and joyous experience should be done at least once in this lifetime. I learnt a lot, experienced a lot, saw a lot...All in all, a lot of lots. I'm sure you get the picture.

We saw trees, trees and more trees. Note to anyone who wants to do a roadtrip similar to this, Australia definitely gets more interesting the higher you go, I mean come on Parks Victoria, how about a 'theme park' once in a while hmm?

At one stop, we stayed in the houses of some delightful people who happened to be total strangers, and shared breakfast with them the next day, whilst they discussed with us the many tourist destinations in Coffs Harbour. They came up with one, the Big Banana.

Now, long road trips all the way up Australia are obviuoiusly going to require a large amount of time spent in a car. If you like driving this is not a problem, however if you don't like the person you are driving with, then you could have an issue on your hands.

Being in a car with one other friend for extended periods of time is always bound to lead to one of two possible scenarios:

Scenario one, you end up getting so sick of each other you want to leave them by the roadside and make them hitch their own way back home, without a care in the world for their welfare or wellbeing, coz they are just so damn annoying.

OR

scenario two, you get along famously, enjoying various tunes galore, decadent roadside treats, and glorious new food experiences, exquisite secenery and those quintessential roadtrip deep and meaningfulls that leave you feeling extremely blissed out, fulfilled and inspired.

Thankfully I got to experience the latter.

Some road trip rules I've learnt along my way I feel I have to share in order for those out there reading this to never have to experience the pure torture of scenario one!

• Sstop at all the restaurants, eateries, cafes and bars you like, and eat whatever you want off the menu 'healthy' and 'road trip' don't really go together.




• Have amazing music, without music, there is silence, and though it can be at times, silence is not always golden




• Pay your half of the petrol share, I know, I know, but it has to be done




• Get enough sleep, fool!




• DON'T take photos of your innocent (and perhaps drooling) sleeping friend whilst they are asleep in the passenger seat, they may just feel the need to reciprocate

Just a few tidbits from my time away, an experience never to be forgotten, but always to be cherished.

The Unique Wedding

By Jessica Kerr



So today I attended the wedding of two friends of mine, and it got me to thinking on the whole 'wedding bizzo'...

The wedding was very beautiful and classic, bridesmaids were lovely with their curled side ponytails of elegant hair, and the bride wore a beautiful white lace dress with a long, flowing lace train, but have we seen this all before?



Weddings are a big crazy and very lucrative industry these days, and in the US alone, the wedding industry is estimated at a value of well over $100 billion annually. AND, apparently, the typical cost of a wedding these days is estimated at a cool $27,000-quite a nice little party really!



So why all the expense over the union of love? I mean, after all isn't that what it all boils down to? Isn't a wedding really because of love, after all?



These days, it's become all about the white dress, the flowers, the suits, the reception hall, the catering, the hair, the makeup, etc, etc, etc...Every girl (and every woman, for that matter!) Is after the perfect day, in the perfect location, with their perfect man, a truly unique ocassion like none other! Hence the $27,000! I mean, golly gumdrops goodness gracious, that's a deposit on a house that is!



But, everyone gets married! Everyone's done it, it's all the same! Well, okay not everyone but there's still quite a few of them lassies in white dresses trotting down aisles these days That I seem to have come across! Why spend $27,00 on a party that everyone else had already held?



And isn't it all really just things we've seen before? I mean, weddings are quite an ancient tradition, nothing new under the sun!


So what makes a wedding unique at all? Isn't it just a big, extravagant, costly party the couple throws for their friends and family when they decide to celebrate their wedding union just like the rest of the world?

It's true, their is nothing really that new or unique about the actual wedding itself, but I guess what makes any wedding really special is them, "The happy couple". The thing that made the wedding of these two friends of mine today so special, delightful, lovely and all things bubbly, was the love they shared, it ultimately was about the people.

And I know this is going to sound so cliche, but it's really not necessary to have all the bells and whistles when the love is genuine between two people, and the friends and family surrounding them are genuine aswell. So, really, in it's own beautiful way, every single wedding is unique. The people are unique, their love is unique, and it's not about the big, flash dash crazy bash they throw for all of us lucky friends and family, but about a love that is pure, and genuine, and will last a lifetime.