Article on Erin, she lists who she is still friendly with (helpful?)
Surviving 'Survivor': Ousted Austinite has a new outlook on life
By Diane Holloway
AMERICAN-STATESMAN TELEVISION WRITER
Thursday, November 21, 2002
Erin Collins has been a "Survivor: Thailand" castoff since July 3, but we didn't find out until Nov. 7, when the heave-ho was televised.
Collins is the 26-year-old Austinite and former Sook Jai tribe member who kept a low profile and made friends. Maybe that was her downfall.
"I was extremely surprised," Collins said. "Now that I look back, I'm happy with the way I played the game. I went there with my integrity and came home with it. It's good to watch the show now and see that nobody had anything bad to say about me."
Collins admits she shed a few tears when she was ousted, but she's grateful for the adventure.
"It was an awesome experience," she said. "The first couple of days were the hardest, but I learned a lot about myself. I think it put my life in perspective, because I had been working really hard with real estate in the day and the bar at night. Now that I'm back, I enjoy things more, and I'm not as stressed out."
Collins, who works a few nights a week at the Aquarium Bar on Sixth Street, has already voted in the selection of the $1 million winner and will join her fellow castaways Dec. 19 for the live announcement and reunion.
The CBS series is fun for viewers but hard on participants.
"I never realized how not having food would weigh on me," says Collins, who lost 17 pounds. "Your thought processes slow down, you stand up and you're dizzy. You try to contribute to your tribe, but it gets really difficult."
Bonding with people you can't trust and may have to vote off is hard, too. Nevertheless, Collins remains friendly with Penny, Jake, Robb and Jed from her tribe, and Jan, Helen and Clay from Chuay Ghan. All but Robb have Texas connections.
"We have a lot to talk about, and it's neat to see how we feel after we've come home," Collins says.
Collins hasn't decided when she'll finish her degree in nutrition at the University of Texas. Like other "Survivor" veterans, she wouldn't mind a detour into show business.
"That wasn't the reason I did the show, but if I get an offer, I might be interested, maybe host a TV show," she says.
Email this topic to a friend
Printer-friendly version of this topic
Bookmark this topic (Registered users only)
