Elaine and I have been having adventures together ever since we met in preschool at the age of three. From exploring the playground, to biking to historic ruins, to getting mistaken for twins, we have had many great memories in our sixteen years as friends. Last summer while visiting Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, we became interested in an alligator that had taken up residence in a pond near our condo. We visited the alligator, dubbed “Charlie” by the locals, almost every day. One night Charlie wasn’t in sight so we walked around the edge of the pond (in the dark mind you) searching for bubbles in the water that might lead to his location. There was a slight dip in the bank where water ran down into the pond and I was standing at the top, looking down into the water. Suddenly Elaine screamed “Ashley, there he is! Charlie’s right in front of you!” I looked down, and there was our toothy friend, barely a yard from my feet. Charlie made a brief attempt at attacking my foot, just as the two of us took off running in a zigzag pattern….just like we had learned from The Crocodile Hunter! We didn’t stop running until we got safely inside the condo.

This escapade among others has surely prepared us for the wilderness of the Australian outback. I’m sure we will be more careful the next time we encounter crocs! Exploring Australia would be a dream come true for both of us, especially since Elaine has never been overseas, and we would love to make a Blurb book to document it. Elaine is a graphic design major so she could not only enhance our pictures, but also create beautiful illustrations of her own in our layout. I, on the other hand, would love to write about the thrilling adventures we are sure to have while exploring the Land Down Under together!