Super Sweet Sixteen

The summer of 2004 was one of the best summers of my life. I took my first trip via airplane, visited two new countries, celebrated my 16th birthday in Sydney, Australia, and road tripped to Daytona Beach.

I flew on my first airplane, second, and third, and finally hit my final destination of Melbourne, Australia. In the summer of '04, I was selected as a People to People Student Ambassador and had the amazing opportunity to travel to Australia and New Zealand with about forty other kids my age. I met some of the most amazing people on this trip, DJ being the most special of course.

The trip was incredible from beginning to end. The highlight by far was my birthday. We were in Sydney for the day. The day started bright and early with a climb on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the first of many singings of Happy Birthday. There was a museum visit, a stop at the Hard Rock Cafe for more singing, a tour of the Sydney Opera House, and a magical dinner cruise on the harbour with more singing.

Me, Laura, and Chelsea

The dinner cruise was by far the highlight for many reasons. It was the first time our group was dressed up and presentable. There was dancing, and everyone knows I love dancing. My group also surprised me with an opal ring that was purchased that day at an opal store without my knowing. It was the most incredible gift and surprise ever. What a bangin' group.

Andy, Me, and DJ

New Zealand was incredibly beautiful, but the trip was dying by this point. People were getting edgier, dirtier, and less fun. I think it was a combination of homesickness and a decrease in temperature. Then after sleeping on the ground on the ship that brought us from the North to South Island, I was feeling the dirty edginess too and was ready to get back to the farm.

I'll never forget P2P '04.  

Then about a week after I got back, I hit the road with Kasey, Chris, and my best friend Amanda for a trip across America. My sister, Kasey, got a job in Daytona and was relocating with her fiance at the time to the land of fun and sun. Amanda and I got picked to follow the truck and Uhaul with Kasey's car. Who would trust a couple of 16 year-olds with their car driving to Florida? Crazy people, that's who.

Another amazing adventure. The trip had highs and lows. Most of the lows were when Amanda would sleep for hours on end and never drive. Then there was that brief spurt in the mountains when I was riding with Chris in a rain storm and there was only one radio station-forcing us to fill the silences with conversation instead.

Once we got to Daytona, the fun really took off. We spent days by the pool and the beach without a care in the world. There were a few boys we picked up here and there. One turned into a huge stalker, which would only foreshadow my future... Then we packed our bags and flew home.

The rest of the summer was a joke, which would explain why I got my minor that summer. After that the party train slowed down as my dad suggested.