Australia - Home Away from Home

Oz: the big brother to lil'NZ, the epicenter of all things sun, home to Steve Irwin, and most importantly the birthplace of my dad and nana. My leg in Oz was short, but certainly sweet.

It's been 10 years since I last went to Oz. This was when my great grandfather turned 100 and we went out for a weeklong rager. I thought that 10 years was long enough so I decided to pop into Oz to see all my lovely rellies. Im so fortunate to have family around the world who always have their door open. I want to thank all my relatives and family friends in Oz for taking such good care of me. It was s a week of luxury for a backpacker, constantly being fattened up and sleeping on a bed with two pillows. Thank you!

The trip certainly started with a bang when I thought I missed my connecting flight in Syd to Brisbane. I kind of told the customs guys that I never used my hiking boots and didn't really go to a farm in NZ just to save sometime. Despite my auntie Neens best planning and advice, everything we had outlined wasn't working. The taxi line was too long and a guy on a golf cart pointed me to the wrong bus station and by the time I asked a guy what time it was it was too late. I thought that surely I wasn't going to make it (he also made that very clear...) so I had my first little meltdown at the entrance of the train where all the passengers could see. I decided I might as well head to the domestic terminal. Pretty much all the counters were closed except for one lady who informed me that my flight had been delayed by 45 minutes! That flight to Brisbane was the last for the night so luck was clearly on my side. Everything pretty much went smooth sailing from there (sort of).

Our dear friends the Whitemans picked me up in Brissie and we headed straight to the Sunshine Coast from there to their house in Mdjimba. We spent the weekend "swimming" (more like getting knocked out by the surf because there was a hurricane in the Pacific), reading, biking, and chilling. Of course, staying with two doctors, my skin has never been so protected from Oz's vicious rays. Being with the Whitemans definitely brought some homesick feels as they reminded me so much of my family (especially when they were arguing about board games). That Sunday we headed over to the Mildenhall's, who also kindly let me stay the night. It was great fun looking back at pictures of Petra and my parents during their youth, makes me feel like I'm traveling in their footsteps. I also had the pleasure of meeting my Nana's bestest friend Neroli. Thank you to all Whitemans and Mildenhalls! The next day I spent with my Auntie Helen and Auntie Neen who were definitely the most thorough tour guides of Brisbane you could ever have. Helen pointed out all of the historic Huxam spots around Brissie as well as treating us to some phenomenal fish and chips in Redcliffe. That night Neen, uncle Brad, their two kids Mia and jack, and Auntie Helen headed to the Bowling club for a pint and dinner which overlooked the river. The city cat is apparently an icon of Brissie, so we took one down to the South Bank. 

I just want to give a special shoutout to Neen who organized my flight. You were so helpful and a ray of sunshine! Also to my Auntie Helen who was my grandmother away from home. 

The next day was definitely a treat as my cousin Jarrad and I got to meet all of Helen's neighbors for tea. Jarrad and I took a scenic drive up to Noosa stopping at a waterfall. Thank you jarrad and fam for   having me! It was time for me to say goodbye to Brisbane and all my dear rellies. Next stop Syd!

Ok so Brisbane was great, of course I wasn't able to see tons so this opinion might not be fair, but wow Sydney was truly a sight to behold. It might be one of the most people cities I've been to. I was fortunate enough to have been hosted by the sweetest and most generous Johnson family in Syd. They truly made me feel like I was at home. To put it simply, Tina is cousins with my dad. The afternoon I arrived, Tina drove me around telling me all about Sydney. I'd never seen someone so excited to share a city. I hope someday I'm that excited about where I live! I walked along Balmoral beach and around the neighborhood where her two daughters, Mia and Imy, go to school. The next day we decided that I should explore downtown Syd. This was when I really felt like I was in my essence just walking endlessly around the downtown through the Bitanical gardens and then to the rocks. I spent the afternoon watching Chinese tourist slipping off rocks as they tried to snap a pic in front of the opera house and then I finished off in Manly beach. My kind of day! That evening Felicity, another lovely and lively Lane related family member came for dinner. This probably seems like such a simple thing, but words can't describe how nice it was to have such nice food, like a piece of salmon with feta and tomatoes and mash potatoes (I know be surprised I'm starting to like them). Also, this is a bit of a side note, but the cafe scene and in particular the coffee scene in Oz is STRONG. So many people have told me how crappy they think American coffee is and I'm starting to see it. If you're having a flat white or an espresso everyday then I would think you're standard Starbucks black coffee is gross too. Ok back on track. Bondi. Never have I seen so many beautiful people in one place. Legit every single person was working out or has been working out every other hour besides tanning on Bondi working out. I did the coastal walk from Bondi to Cooogee which was stunning. At the end I was a bit intimidated by all the overall fitness that I opted for some wholesome juice. Mia took me out to Manly that night for pizza and cocktails. The next and last day in Sydney was quite a day in many ways. Mark, Imy, and I all went out on their friends boat and did a little Harbour cruise. It was truly a whole new perspective to Syd because you got to see all the sailboats and the city from the water, which is the best spot. I concluded that I need more friends with boats after that little excursion. Now, that morning, actually since I've left home, I've been having these very painful burning pains in my stomach. They usually pass so I tried not to think too much of it but that day it became increasingly painful. The johnsons kindly took me to their good friend who happen to be one of the best GP's in Syd. She examined me and concluded I have an ulcer. Like what even. Everything about me is ready for travelling, except for my stomach. My mind says go, but my stomach says no. Luckily it is very treatable and the only thing I have to be aware of is no bid meals (actually a lot harder than you think). To add a little extra spice to the day, I never got a notification saying my plane was delayed from 10:15pm to 6:30am so the Johnsons had to put with me for one more night. I'm just so thankful for everything you all have done and I truly can't thank you enough. When you're traveling by yourself you are taking care of yourself but you also feel the need to toughen up and sometimes ignore signs that you're not feeling well just to make sure you can keep going. I was so lucky to be with family who were looking out for me. 

Oz was a week of luxury, but now the mountains are calling me. Next stop Nepal!