The Back of Tamzy's Head series

Today I'm going to share my latest (and only) art project with you. I have entitled it "The Back of Tamzy's Head series."

While my sister and I were in New York I slowly started to realise that a lot of the photos I was taking pictured the back of her head. And that in fact they were some of my favourite photos from the trip. So then I started doing it on purpose and came up with a series of photos that I really like, and that I would like to share with you today. Let me know what you think, maybe I'll do another art project! XD And see if you can spot the odd one out!

I promise that I will do my best...

We're taking a break from the road trip saga today because I'm too excited about something else I want to share.

A few months ago Girlguiding (in which I was a Rainbow, Brownie, Guide, Young Leader and, since I was 18, an adult leader) held a consultation about the Promise. Just asking about it was exciting enough for me, as I had had problems with the wording since I was old enough to really understand what I was saying. However I obviously put up with it, because it never took away from the fact that it's an amazing organisation.

This is what the Promise has been for as long as I can remember:

I promise that I will do my best:
To love my God,
To serve the Queen and my country,
To help other people
and
To keep the (Brownie) Guide Law.

Which is fine, but must have been off-putting for newcomers to the organisation who, for example, were atheist or agnostic; or anyone who believed in another God and weren't able to make this apply to them. I even had a discussion with some fellow Guiders at a training once who were convinced that if you were an atheist you weren't allowed to be a leader. I'm nearly 100% certain that this was never the case, but it does put it into perspective when even people within the organisation were put off by it!

Well, I am very happy to say that today Girlguiding has announced a change in wording for the Promise, effective 1st September 2013. It now reads:

I promise that I will do my best:
To be true to myself and develop my beliefs,
To serve the Queen and my community,
To help other people
and
To keep the (Brownie) Guide Law.

So I no longer have to pretend that I believe in God every time I say the Promise! I can be my true agnostic self, who will wait for a divine being to be proven or disproven either way before I decide whether or not to love it! I no longer have to say my God is "chocolate" or something else silly just to justify the Promise to myself! Yays!

And to all of you who have used the Promise as an excuse not to help at your local unit: haha! You now have no excuse! Now get out there and go for it, I promise you won't regret it!

Road Trip - final day in New Orleans

Day 9 - Friday 24th May - New Orleans

Slept really well, but woke up too early, stupid body still on Eastern time!

Diner for breakfast, poor service, massive pancake not cooked through, won't be going back!

Went out into hot muggy weather. Found post office but no international stamps. Tried to walk to garden district but too far. Got streetcar instead.

Wandered around some pretty houses and found a cemetery, very interesting above ground graves/tombs. Lizards roaming the streets! Got too hot so stopped at Starbucks for OJ and iced chai before heading to the Magazine Street shops - shop full of reused items including beautifully bound notebooks made of scrap card, for $54! Estate sale/antique store, record store and needlework store.

Headed back to Canal Street and changed trams to go to City Park. Too hot, nowhere to eat and too far to real bit of park so saw the Pavilion of Two Sisters and the museum sculpture garden then headed back to streetcar.

Very late lunch of shrimp po boy at a cafe on the corner of Jackson Square, followed by beignets and sweet tea. 

Wandered to Louis Armstrong Park again, but no music today so sat a bit then walked back. Sat in Jackson Square for a while but couldn't stand terrible pipe music. Never found the perpetrator though! Sat by the Market Cafe for a bit instead.
Got pre-dinner drinks and then dinner of jambalaya. Went to Preservation Hall and saw some amazing jazz!

And so ends my road trip journal! The following day we went back to the Beignet Cafe for an amazing breakfast of waffles, then I had to say my goodbyes to my sister (who was off on the next leg of her trip, from New Orleans to San Francisco!) and head to the airport. It was nice to be home though, although I can't believe how fast the time has gone since I got back now!

Road Trip - Tallahassee to New Orleans

Day 8 - Thursday 23rd May - Tallahassee to New Orleans

Slept well at the motel, real bed! OK breakfast, learned the lady's whole family, including her sixteen year old son who eats everything and her daredevil daughter in the navy!

Florida

Got on the road to New Orleans, I-10 for over five hours!

Stopped at a rest stop, then in Alabama for gas, and in Mississippi for lunch! 

Mississippi

Made it to New Orleans around two, they didn't even check the car so we just ran away before they noticed the scratch! Although I think it's more likely that it was just covered by the insurance so they didn't actually care!

So hot here! Chilled out (literally) at hotel for a bit before venturing out into the French Quarter. So many amazing houses!

Saw crazy Bourbon Street, to be avoided for rest of trip, Royal Street with antique and art shops. Bought some praline, and Taffy for Tamz. Got an iced chai at a lovely cafe. Saw a wedding at Jackson Square. checked out the waterfront, serenaded by the old guy!

Saw the French market then wandered up to Louis Armstrong park where there was a little festival thing going on, lots of music and people watching. 

Went back to the market for a drink at the Market Cafe, also with music. Then an amazing dinner of alligator sausage and chicken gumbo! 

Took pecan pie to go, enjoyed with tea and silly telly back at hotel. Now excited for sleeping in the super comfy bed!

Road Trip - Savannah to Tallahassee

Day 7 - Wednesday 22nd May - Savannah to Tallahassee

Dry night, finally! Still had to pack tent damp though, condensation didn't dry fast enough :-( nice shower though!

Tamz managed to donate her mat to a wild park ranger :-)

Went back to Savannah, checked out the very pretty Forsyth park and finally found the nice part of the historic district. Enjoyed some iced beverages and resisted buying a very cute puppy!

Found and went inside the first Girl Scout headquarters, then had a tour around the Juliette Gordon Low birthplace which was very interesting but not as Girl Scout focused as expected.

Bought some bread and made sure to see the square where Forrest Gump was filmed before heading back to the car and nearly being soaked! Saw Forrest himself! Kinda...

Got on the road to Tallahassee, interstate all the way! Mostly boring except crazy rain time!
Stopped for petrol and picnic by a fake lake.

Arrived at motel around six, sorted out car, drove to Applebee's for dinner, trouble with one way roads, don't ask! Now enjoying the chillaxing and excited for sleeping in a real bed!

Road Trip - Charleston to Savannah

Day 6 - Tuesday 21st May - Charleston to Savannah

Slept well again, but again had to quickly get tent down and pack it wet before it started to chuck down!

Headed back to Charleston for a tour of the bakeries in the pouring rain! First walked from visitor centre to Wild Flour for chai, then past Sugar Bakehouse which was closed. Hopped on a free shuttle back to visitor centre to visit Glaze, a doughnut store where we got an orange and pistachio doughnut, so tasty! 

Then the Macaroon Boutique, but that was closed :-( after a souvenir visit to visitor centre store got on another shuttle to The Bakehouse, which sold amazing homemade marshmallow for 50c! 

Waited for the circulator around the corner but realised we could fill our water from the fountain on the pier, saw a heron and a skimmer, then managed to get a free swing so hung out there for a while. 

Another trolley to Whisk for quiche and free coffee. 

Then yet another back to the Macaroon Boutique which was now open! Fun filling morning, still got lots left!

Onwards to Savannah, more crazy rain. Stopped at an old plantation for restrooms and to use a picnic table to eat our quiche for lunch. Rather bizarre!

Another beautiful campsite at Skidaway Island, got tent up and dry and headed back to Savannah.

Walked around a lot, found Juliette Gordon Low's birthplace, lots of pretty squares, the waterfront with a waving lady and Olympic flame. Different to expected, more touristy but not like Charleston, very expensive restaurants, looked for ages before finding Moon River, local brewery and food, served by Devon who had an ex from Wigan! Ate an amazing pulled pork wrap. Apparently one of the most haunted buildings in town (which is saying something!), filming with Ghost Hunters next month!

Back at tent now, hoping for a dry night!

Road Trip - Wilmington to Charleston

Day 5 - Monday 20th May - Wilmington to Charleston

Up, showered and left KOA by 8.30, Tamzy did a very good job of getting the tent down before a massive amount of rain came down.

Stopped off at Myrtle Beach, even more bizarre than Ocean City. Wandered around a bit, nice to see the sea, eventually found some terrible hot beverages and left again just before a massive amount of rain hit.

Spent most of the day on the 17 which felt like one long strip mall most of the time.

Drove through a terrifying storm, could barely see but got through it!

Made it to Charleston around 2.30, got the tent up straight away and it was dry! Ate a picnic lunch then headed into Charleston.

Parked at visitor centre and jumped on free trolley, wandered through market then went to find Rainbow Row, such beautiful houses! Walked back along the waterfront, through the park, sat on a pier then through French Quarter. We both want to live here! Feels like a completely other country though! And accent has definitely changed.

Lots of bike perving today!

Looked in some shops including Life Is Good and a hot sauce shop!

Went in search of dinner, found Toast, local cuisine, I had pecan crusted chicken with house made BBQ sauce, sweet potato fries and collard greens :-) Tamzy had a classic: shrimp + grits.

Back to tent to fight off mozzies!