Survival of a naive travel nurse.

A great drink

I found my way to the coffee shop easily and now am staring up at the menu trying to decide what to get. It is difficult, as I'm a non coffee drinker normally. Not for any grand reasons, but I just don't like the taste. No way was I was going to decline Mark and Moya's offer to meet up just because I don't drink coffee though. I am determined to find something I can choke down without too much damage. Luckily for me, the coffee shop sells smoothies. I typically like smoothies so I'll give one a try. I gamely order up a mango smoothie based on Marks's recommendation. I take my first sip and am instantly in heaven. I have to tell you, even though I've had a terrible day and am Extremely exhausted, I will never forget the taste of my first mango smoothie. Talk about a fabulous drink. I know I'm getting off topic, but I just have to pay homage to the fantastic mango smoothie. Trust me, when you've had the day I've had, you appreciate a great drink.
Moving on from my amazing smoothie, I'm brought back to my current situation. My mind starts up with the concerns again. Here I am sitting across from these two people I kind of know since we've emailed, but yet I don't really know them. What am I doing here?
I feel somewhat better upon meeting them. I can see now that they are about middle aged (maybe a little older), but basically they look like normal people. Mark kind of looks like Santa Clause and reminds me of my dad. He and my dad both have whitish beards and let's face it, a bit of a beer belly. The similarities are comforting since I'm sitting in a coffee shop half way around the world from my family. It's kind of a weird situation to be in, but it's also a little unusual to be in a foreign country by myself, so why should this be any different?
"Well," says Mark with a smile, "Australia isn't quite what you thought it would be aye?"
"Umm, no it's not even close" I mutter between sips. "I'm not sure what I was expecting" (besides the kangaroos and koalas I think to myself), "but I most certainly wasn't expecting to be in a city with bars on the windows, staying at a hotel that doesn't have a normal lobby and won't even let me check-in."
He starts chuckling and gamely quips "Don't you remember I told you in email that you would be arriving on the national holiday?"
Clearly I do not remember.
"Mmm," I shrug noncommittally. Oh, I guess that part slipped my mind what with the long flight, lack of a driver and weird hotel and all. "Ok," I relent, "I seemed to have forgotten that today was a holiday, but it still doesn't explain the hotel with the little lobby that won't even let me wait inside until I can check in."
Once again with the chuckling, (I must be amusing him) "didn't you realize that you were staying at a pub?"
From the look on my face, it must be obvious that No, I certainly did not realize that I was staying in a pub. I don't even know what a pub is, why would I knowingly book myself into one?
"A pub,"he patiently explains, "is what you Americans would call a bar, but it also has rooms for rent. The rooms are usually situated above the bar."
My face goes white and I manage to croak out, "You mean to tell me that I booked myself into a place where drunken people go to sleep it off when they've had too much?" Oh, I don't think I can handle any more information right now. I'm going to pass out from the sheer shock of it all. Luckily I'm still sitting down. Once again I can't help thinking "what have I gotten myself into?"
They must have realized that it was all getting to be too much for me. Just before I was ready to pass out from shock, they said "We wanted to wait to meet you before talking to you about this." "Talking to me about what?"I ask, still a bit rattled. "Well," he explains, attempting to hide a smile, "We knew you had booked into a pub when you mentioned the name on trip advisor, but didn't want to scare you." (I think a little notice might have helped with the shock, but moving on) "That's why we left you the note," he smiles helpfully, "to call us if you needed anything. As I said, we wanted to wait to meet you first, but we've talked about it and would like to invite you to come to stay with us until you get on your feet" he announces with a gentle smile.