Why everyone should go to a Rodeo, at least once in their life...

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

“It’s boots and chaps, cowboy hats, spurs and latigo, ropes and the reins & the joy and the pain; They call the thing Rodeo.” -Anonymous

Being in Texas is surreal. Everything about Texas screams beauty; everything is green and big and it kinda feels like home. There is a rich, cultural history and it is also the place that stole my heart! We had the opportunity and privilege to experience Rodeo at Tejas Rodeo on the 4th of July celebrations.

My family and I at Tejas Rodeo

Here’s why Rodeos are awesome:

1. There is eye candy for everyone: Women: The cowboys who are riding the bulls/horses are gorgeous! They are strong, handsome and they are entertaining to watch… doesn’t it sound amazing?

Men: The women watching the rodeos are gorgeous, as well. Dresses/ skirts, boots and cowboy hats, need I say more? I think not.

2. It is great fun for everyone to watch! It is entertaining to watch the barrel jumping, the horse riding, the bull catching and the bull-riding. Children can participate in the ‘Mutton Bustin’ where they try to catch sheep or the calves. The women can enjoy the eye candy around them, as well as in the arena and the men can enjoy the view around them and all the action in the arena! Score, right?

3. There is a dance and live music afterwards! Hello, is this not a bargain and a score? You can dance the night away with your friends/family, plus you can dance with the cowboy/cowgirl, that you have been eyeing the whole night. The live music is also great; country singers, line dancing… Need I say more?

4. It is affordable: It is hours of entertainment and great fun for the whole family. It is worth every single penny.

5. The beer is cold: It is summer and EXTREMELY hot at the rodeos in summertime, but there is a cure! BEER!!!!! So drink up and enjoy!

My sister enjoying the action in the arena

RODEO IS SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!

If all this is not motivation enough, just go anyway! Put it in your Bucket List! Just try it! If you don’t enjoy it, then I will apologize and send a chocolate, but I doubt that I will ever have to do that! There is entertainment for everyone and it is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Love,

From the girl buying a mechanical bull to practice her bull-riding…

Texas, the Lone Star State that stole my heart.

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

I haven't blogged in a while, because I had exams in June and then went on an amazing holiday to San Antonio, Texas.
After the holiday our plane landed, I have hit the ground running when university started two weeks ago. So it has been hectic! But this post is not about how hectic it is going, but rather how amazing my holiday was...

IT IS ABOUT TIME THAT I BLOG ABOUT TEXAS!!!!

My uncle has been living in San Antonio, Texas, for the past few years. My grandparents and aunt already went to visit him, ranting on about the beautiful country, so finally our turn came to visit him. We swapped  our very cold winter here in South-Africa for a very hot summer there! So here is my general feeling about San Antonio and Texas:

• Texas is green: Coming home felt like leaving Avatar to come back to Earth. We left the green, beautiful, warm and green country to come back to a very dull and cold South-Africa. While flying over Texas, we just saw green green trees and land and then a few hours later, we flew over South-Africa, the brown, dull country of ours. 

The Valero Trailhead- the green is everywhere and majestically beautiful!

• Everything is big; the food, cars (trucks), the drinks, the roads (which is mostly highways), did I mention the food?

My dad next to a truck- it is BIG!!!

The highway interchanges goes 4-5 levels up! Holy crap that is high and MASSIVE!!!

• Everything works; Postal services, packages arrive a day after it has been ordered, without getting stolen! People want to work there, they don't have the attitude of that they HAVE to work, they WANT to!
• Their beer is AMAZING! 

CHEERS!!!

• They have Rodeos!!!!! You know like the sexy cowboys and bull-riding... Like where do I sign-up for a sexy cowboy husband??? 

Looking all cowgirl-ish

• It is safe! We did not have to check over our shoulders or be afraid. Even the dodge areas of San Antonio didn't scare us. There is not crime like we know it in South-Africa. We felt safe and relaxed. Postal services can drop packages in front of your door, without it getting stolen. 
• We were in the company of two gorgeous dogs: Mila and Percy!

Mila and my sister

Percy getting some loving from my uncle

The locals are so friendly! The locals always greet you and they always ask where you are from. They made me feel welcome and at home. My 'thank-you' was always met with a reply of 'you're welcome'! They have manners like you cannot believe...

San Antonio has stolen my heart! I still want to travel the world and see all there is to see, but I think that San Antonio will be my home one day. It is the type of place where I can live out my days with my family and be extremely happy.

So, how can I get my green card?

I will be writing of my trip in more detail on my other blog: In Travel Of Adventures.
Check it out and follow my journey...

When dreams have to be put on hold

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

When you know you have given your all, there is nothing more you can do.

I have failed my accounting exam. I have failed. I cannot write the rewrite, because we will be in San Antonio Texas! In your final year, you sometimes get a second rewrite, but you have to write the first rewrite and fail to get the opportunity to the second rewrite.

Unfortunately, I cannot write the first rewrite, which means I have to do it again next year. I was planning to Au pair in the Netherlands next year and travel the world a bit. But that dream has to be put on hold.

Everything happens for a reason. Therefore, I will make the best of this major  minor set back. I will get a job close to the university or maybe at the university if I am lucky. I will complete accounting and maybe do a creative course or two in Communication related things. But while I'm working, I will try to save loads of money to travel the world in 2017.

I will make the best of this set back, like I said, everything happens for a reason. Maybe I will save enough money to have a royal time overseas. Haha wishful thinking! The Rand is so weak against the Dollar, Pound and Euro that our money means almost nothing! But every bit helps!

I shall make the best of 2016! Nothing will get me down! Challenge accepted!

Travelling between places

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

In a few days my family and I will be jetting off to San Antonio, Texas. I can almost not contain my excitement!! Already planning my outfits and itinerary, whilst trying to study for exams...

I have a wanderlust in me, that is just killing me. Every day, I want to explore and have the urge to see and experience things!!!! San Antonio will be the first of many!

A sketch of Brian Patten by an anonymous artist

Anyway, I found a poem about a traveller in The Poet's Sphere:

Travelling between places

Leaving nothing and nothing ahead;
when you stop for the evening
the sky will be in ruins,

when you hear late birds
with tired throats singing
think how good it is that they,

knowing you were coming,
stayed up late to greet you
who travels between places

when the late afternoon
drifts into the woods,
when nothing matters specially.

-Brian Patten

My curiosity to see the world, will one day be satisfied. But for now, I can dream and plan until then!

Love,
The Wanderluster

San Antonio, Texas = 2 Months!

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

You know that insane headache you get. The headache that drives you mad and almost makes you want to scream. What's its name again?
Visa! Yes, Visa.

We had to go and apply for our visas today. Oh man, the preparation, filling out the DS-160 and getting all the papers in order for our visa application was definitely a huge headache. Where are those painkillers? The stress had us in tight knots. After all our preparation they didn't even take our papers, only asked a few questions! Our Visas got approved!

But even the stress could not dampen our excitement: in less than two months, me and my family will be travelling to San Antonio, Texas. We are going to stay at my uncle's house.

I CAN NOT WAIT!!!!

It will be the middle of winter here in South Africa, so we will be skipping winter for two weeks and going to high summer. Yippeee!!! We will be basking in the sun, while the people at home freeze! We will be wearing summer dresses, okay you get the point! I'll stop rubbing it in your face!

The wanderluster will be going on an adventure! Adventure is my word for 2015 and that is what I'll be doing. I will also be celebrating my 22nd birthday in the country of Cowboys with the best family! Oh, this is going to be good!

What places are recommended whilst visiting San Antonio?

Living vs. Rat Race

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

“Life had become some kind of profound competition, where my emotional loss was substituted by my professional success. I became a part of what they call the rat race.”
― Saurbh Katyal, Seduced by Murder

From the day I was born, life has been a rat race. People going to work, trying to make money, rushing home in traffic, feeding the kids and getting them into bed. Only to fall asleep yourself.
Day spent.

After studying, you get a job. You get the man. You get the house. You get the children. And this is it. I know I have reached the time when I should send out CV's and decide where I want to work. The type of work that won't feel like work. I should aim to be successful. Maybe, I'll meet the man, while being successful in my work. Then comes the baby and the golden carriage. Constantly chasing success. Will it even make you happy?

Hell's Bells!

I want to shout at the rat race to slow down! Smell the roses around you. Live. See. Touch. Experience. Travel.

There is nothing wrong with being in the rat race and having a family and kids. BUT IT'S NOT ME. IT IS NOT ME. For now....

I want to go to places, which I have read about in books. I want to touch the Tower of Piza. I want to swim in Jacob's Well. I want to ride a bicycle in Netherlands and go places on my bicycle.
I want to do and see things, which not many people do after getting a job, the man and kids. I want to travel in Europe. I want to eat things, I have never eaten before. Walk where I've never walked before. Learn about different cultures. I want to travel. Maybe, once I have done that, I will be ready for the rat race. MAYBE.

I'll never be the common rat racer. I will always have feet itching to go places and see things. Is there a job where I can do that? Please make suggestions, if you know about something like that.

But for now, I'll be completing my studies and in the meantime, I'll be contemplating about what my next move is gonna be. The rat race has to wait for a while.

Love
The Wanderluster

Quitting the studies to travel.

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

I have big news! I have decided to discontinue my studies, to go and travel the world!

I have been struggling too much with Accounting and all those other boring subjects, while I tried to silence my Communication brain. It has been really hard. While I was struggling with this diploma, the wanderlust in me has taken over and it has been nagging at me for the last few months. I have been planning 2016 for a while, I was planning to Au-pair in the Netherlands, so that I can tour Europe in my spare time, but then life decided that it has to be NOW! I have to travel ASAP!

I have been contacted by a travel agency on Facebook, who wants to me to blog for them overseas. I will be blogging on their site, but I have free reign on my blog about what I blog about my travels. Guess my blog will be transformed into a travel blog!

The amazing deal includes that they will pay for my flight, my accommodation and meals, wherever they send me, as long as I blog for them, rating the place's stay. And I still earn a salary per month! My first stop will be Ireland, since I don't need a Visa to enter the country, thereafter we will arrange Visa's as we go.

My parents are not really happy about this decision. They feel it is a bit rash and I should think it through. My mom feels that I should first finish my studies, before doing this. But an opportunity like this only comes around once in a lifetime, whereas studies can always be completed later on. After all, traveling has been my dream for many years! I will join my parents in San Antonio in June, which I'm also looking forward to!

My flight takes off on the 11th of April. I am going to live the dream. I cannot wait for this amazing adventure to start! It will be so much fun!

Travelling starts locally

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

One of my biggest dreams is to travel the whole world. This has been my dream, since I went to France and London in 2011. I have discovered that I have a wanderlust. According to the Urban Dictionary the definition of Wanderlust is:

1. A very strong or irresistible impulse to travel.

2. Strong longing for or impulse toward wandering


I want to see and explore every country. I want to eat the weird and wacky foods of those countries and learn about the traditional foods, the traditions. I want to experience EVERYTHING!!

But what does it help if you travel the world, but you never explore your own country?

This past week, we went to Uvongo in Kwazulu-Natal on the South Coast of South-Africa. Here are some photos of our time there and the surrounding areas. I decided to use photos, because they are worth a thousand words.

Beautiful mountains on our trip to the coast

We have arrived! Rock pools at Uvongo

Sister taking a photo of me at the rock pools

Sisters ready to go to the beach

The beautiful beach, Uvongo.

My flip flops in the sand

A coffee tour at the Beaver Creek Coffee Estate in Port Edward

Taking a walk at the Clearwater Trails in Port Edward

I find the name Clearwater Trails ironic, when I look at the river. 

Travelling back home, my sister made a fort for herself out of pure boredom

Travelling starts locally and then internationally. I had the best time this past week and I realized all over again, just how beautiful my country is. South-Africa truly is majestic and amazing!