Road Trip // 5 states in 37 hours

Despite the Solano household, including myself, being sick with an infection for a week, it doesn’t stop Christine from getting me in the car and taking us on a phenomenal adventure to do some sight seeing. 

We got on the road with our usual sweet teas and Dairy Queen breakfast burritos and left Pell City, Alabama and drove 279 miles (449 km) in 4 and a half hours through Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee to Gatinburg, Tennessee. 

After an afternoons adventure in Gatlinburg we drove 60 miles (96 km) in 1 hour and a half to Greeneville, Tennessee. 

The next morning we drove 55 miles (88 km) in 1 hour and a half from Greeneville to Asheville, North Carolina. After not even a full 48 hours we were back on the road to head home… Driving through North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and then Alabama, home to Pell City after 321 miles (516 km) in 5 hours and 45 minutes.

GATLINBURG, TENNESSEE 

Our first stop! Gatlinburg. The number one, ultimate place for tourists! To me, Gatlinburg is a heart-warming, playful and fun, but crazy resort-city on the Smoky Mountains. It is your number one destination for absolutely anything between haunted houses, sky chair-lifts, superb restaurants, booked out hotels, the best fudge and candy in America and even your typical touristy trinkets that we all love…

We happened to be driving, in very slow traffic, and came across a Hollywood Wax Museum just outside of Gatlinburg (yes, did I say touristy?). It was my first time being to a decent wax museum… 

There isn’t words to describe Gatinburg… Nothing can compare to the beauty of the mountains, the chaos in the streets and the appealing, enjoyments the town hidden away in the Smoky Mountains has to offer.

We visited Ripley’s Haunted Adventure and echoed screams and had our hearts rushing with adrenaline. It was my first haunted house tour I’ve experienced and it has definitely spawned me to visit many more!

I’m guessing most of you snow skiing junkies back at home have been on a sky chair-lift of some sort before? Well, I hadn’t before and finally I did while we were venturing around Gatlinburg. It was definitely a biggie for me to go on a sky chair-lift. I am afraid of unfastened, open air heights and I go berserk if I am put in that situation. Christine proposed and positively pushed me that I should give it a go and put my fears behind me. That’s exactly what I did… As soon as I got settled on the sky chair-lift, I adored and was overwhelmed every second of it! Behind my camera my hands shook angst but my face was hurting from smiling and giggling with Christine. At the top of the lift, was surreal, stunning and breathtaking views of the Fall leaves, the Smoky Mountains and Gatlinburg itself. It may appear as lame in your eyes, but I’m proud of my achievement and would do it again in a heart beat! 

GREENEVILLE, TENNESSEE 

‘Green'eville… unquestionably does represent it’s name. It is a very vibrant, green, hilly and a cozy township. Greeneville is Christine’s father’s home town, where generations of the Harrison family have been raised and grown up in the typical American country town. I had the privilege to meet 2 of Christine’s relatives, her Aunt Polly (her father’s brother’s wife) and Jerry (her cousin). Aunt Polly now lives in the Harrison family homestead which was built by Christine’s Grandfather in 1934. We stayed the night in the Harrison homestead upstairs, in these 1930’s, little, snug bedrooms. Aunt Polly was your classic Southern aunt. She welcomed us with dishes of homegrown green beans (best beans I’ve ever had!) , potatoes, corn and a coconut pie. It was gratifying and might I add affordable, staying at Aunt Polly’s home!

The next day in Greeneville, Christine was reminiscing and wanted to take me out to breakfast to a small diner her cousin Alan told her about… It was called Tiptons and it was the a mini, cramped diner. As we went to pay for our meals, the lady working at the till told us “not to worry” about the payment and said “somebody else has taken care of it” and gestured her eyes towards a friendly family we had a chit chat to outside the diner, while waiting for our turn to go inside and eat. The man of the family had secretly paid for our breakfast and we were flooded with amazement and were so thank-ful. 
Karma would’ve most definitely not have been a bitch to him that day… 

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA - Biltmore “biggest home in America”

Our adventure to Asheville was to see the world-known famous house, Biltmore. It was a trip to a whole new state of mind. If you are unaware of what Biltmore is then here are some fast facts… It is a large estate and the main house on the property was built and designed by George Washington Vanderblilt II between 1889 and 1895. It is the largest privately owned house in the United States at 178,926 square feet (16,622 metres squared) of floor space and features 250 rooms. Most of the house and it’s furnishings and features are Europe (mostly French) inspired. It is regarded as the most advanced, technological and prospective home of it’s time. Can you imagine a house (freaking big ass mansion) in that era with a bowling alley, indoor swimming pool, a dining room the size of your house and rooms upon rooms of classy, superb and exquisite interesting rooms? Oh and might I add, 43 bathrooms with running water! (Which was rare in that era). 

Today marks two months since I have been residing in Alabama, USA. I still continue to struggle each day to find the perfect words to express how thankful and grateful I am to have such incredible host parents that are making this once in a life time opportunity the best 5 months of my life. They have been doing what is best for me and immersing me into America’s culture by showing me around the country. I’m so lucky and I would not even think twice about changing them for the world. Christine has opened me to different state of minds and inspires me more everyday. Morris and I are two peas in a pod and as I’m writing this now he is drinking root beer straight from the bottle inside the fridge, just like I would… Not a bad habit at all…

Talladega NASCAR 2014 // #deganation

“This is more than a race. This is Talladega.” 
Talladega isn’t just a race, it’s one big adrenaline rush for 5 straight hours. The Talladega Super Speedway track hosts the NASCAR series including the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series. The super speedway is the longest NASCAR track made of asphalt with the length of 2.66 miles (4.28 km) and the tracks current seating capacity is 80,000, it once had a peak of 175,000 spectators. 
The event at Talladega is an all weekend affair. On the Saturday the Camping World Truck Series was held and Sunday was the chase for the Sprint Cup.  

I’m fortunate to have my host mum, Christine, work on the team at Talladega Super Speedway as the Director of Accounting. She receives exclusive seating tickets (plus more) which were in fact a spectacular view of the track. I got to be a spectator all weekend and witness both the lively Truck race and the intensified chase for the Sprint Cup! 

NASCAR was one of many sports I was truly foreign to when I first arrived in the states. Being apart of the Solano household makes it difficult to avoid this thrilling nationwide sport. Although I was feeling unfamiliar and foreign with the sport, I wasn’t the only Aussie absent from down under… Marcos Ambrose was a long way from home too. If you are unaware of who Marcos is, then he is from Tasmania, Australia and was the 2001 V8 Supercar Series Rookie of the Year and won consecutive titles in V8 Supercar Series throughout 2003-2004. In 2006, Marcos made the decision to move to the USA (being sponsored hugely by Ford) to give NASCAR a shot. Marcos driving the number 9 at last weekends chase for the Sprint Cup, he finished the race coming in at 8th, but holding a solid space around the top 10 throughout the race. 

The NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup at Talladega Super Speedway is by far my most cherished encounter so far. While being on exchange in the USA I have experienced an abundance of special once in a life time opportunities. My outright favourite opportunity so far was the helicopter ride over the race I got to experience (perks of my host mum working on the speedway team). The ride only being 3 or 4 minutes long, I still embraced and cherished every second of it. I’m so thank-ful to have shared this moment with such a witty and amazing person, Erin Porr. An incredible woman I am very thank-ful and lucky to have met. Her boyfriend, Collin Bennett, has also been an immense inspiration to me and is one of the most courageous, fearless and wisest people I’ve ever been introduced to. Their stories, words and wisdom is something I’ll carry along with me always.

Another perk I was lucky to have experienced was the passes before the race. I got to engage myself within the cars pits, garages and see the victory lane. Also being able to stand on the track it self! Seeing how things are behind the scenes really opened my eyes and has given me a new found love for NASCAR! At the end of the day, the winner of the race was car number 2, Brad Keselowski. 

NASCAR is now a profound love of mine and the sport has gained a new Aussie fan! The intense sport leaves you with an adrenaline rush and a taste for the race.

G'Day, Alabama // surprising myself on student exchange

Sometimes you really wonder how much your fragile body and your precious mind can grasp. If I can navigate myself from one side of the world to the other, reside in a completely unfamiliar foreign country, while leaving behind the most fundamental people who I depend on intensely and having to endure different battles intellectually on my own… I believe that I’ve pushed my body and mind to a certain limit. I can embrace and adopt anything from here. Having proved that I’m durable and self-assured during extensive situations, I am now determined to venture myself even further and I am on the pursuit of happiness. I’m ready to face the world.

Being a foreign exchange student is about fast, brutal and stunning changes. Everything you thought you regarded as the right and wrongs of society, everything people instructed you with beforehand and everything you thought life was about before you cut across that span of blue ocean is wholly and surprisingly wrong… You think you know who you are. But, exposing yourself to uncomfortable situations, presenting yourself to new incredible strangers and immersing yourself into extraordinary culture awakens you to dancing full of happiness for no reason, crying for no logical reasoning and laughing about that guy you said ‘Hello’ to when he asked how you were feeling. 

I will never gain a better perception from anything other than feeling a connection thrive between myself and someone new I’ve just met. The two most ridiculously, amazing and entertaining people I have ever come across welcomed me into their hefty, classic American home with generosity and so much love. Everyday something new and unique is revealed from both their lives, experiences and regrets that I will always cling to and learn from. I wouldn’t call them my host parents, I would call them my new best friends who I know will cherish me, as much as I cherish them. 

Foreign exchange is throwing your 'old self’ over your shoulder, putting your 'normal’ life on hold and then letting your true self grow and getting rid of the burdens of your 'old self’  that you don’t need to drag along with you anymore…