"To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else." ~Emily Dickenson~
So this blog post has been a long time coming! I’m so sorry that it has taken me so long to piece it together, but doing so was both time and emotionally intensive. This last entry chronicles my time in Sydney from mid June – the 30th of July, so it is kind of ridiculously long! Feel free to look over the pictures and read what you like because as usual, I could talk all day long about my experience in Oz. This post represents the end of a single chapter, not the end of my journey…
I’m stealing this idea from my friend Luke…I you feel so inclined to continue reading, do so with the accompaniment of this playlist.
Find Love - http://www.rhapsody.com/clem-snide/soft-spot--caroline-records-distributed/find-love/lyrics.html
When You Come Back Down - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwkpihGwSj0
Time of Your Life - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClhNPb3mmpI
Love You All - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3Q7OnZOgdg
So I'm sitting here on the plane from Sydney to LA watching an old episode of Friends sifting through seven months of amazing memories, going back and forth between giggles and tears. Leaving has been one of the hardest days I have ever faced, but I feel I should catch up on the past month leading up to this meaningful day. I have once again been an absolutely horrible blogger, but my excuse is that I was far too busy living life to the fullest to be able to write about it. But, on this plane, the urge to write just hit me. There is so much to tell from the past few months....
Since I last wrote...All of the Americans in Dramac started heading back home. It came in waves and with those waves came a lot of parties. Michelle, who was the lead in Cabaret, headed home first and we had a great farewell party at the theatre for her.
Steff and I ventured into the city for an art exhibit that wrapped the city in lights and was called Vivid Sydney. From Circular Quay/Opera House areas around Old Sydney (the Rocks) there were various art works made out of lights. Some of the most famous buildings also had lights projected onto them. The result was amazing. We went on the last evening and were so lucky to catch it before it was over. We had even more fun with it because Steff brought her fancy camera and used me as her model. People would get out of our way when we started shooting and point at us like we were some important duo. It was quite the evening.
Next came a few days filled with some good old fashioned baking. My friend Phil bought a herbs and flowers cookbook and we decided that it was necessary to give several of the recipes a go. It ended up turning into quite the adventure. Phil stole lavender from some random person's yard, Steff and I rode in the shopping trollies while we did our shopping, we wore some sweet matching hats, Steff and Phil fought like usual, we went to body pump/hip hop and had a pool party, and we finished off the two days with some good old pizza making.
Next it was off to Dane's 21st. It was my first time at an Aussie 21st, and they are quite different from the typical American drunken celebration. Since they've been able to drink for 3 years, it generally isn't all about the alcohol. There are themes, adults are invited, and speeches are made. Dane's party asked for everyone to come dressed as a song. It was a really cool theme but one that was difficult to think up!
The very next morning Wilma arrived! We had an amazing week together exploring Sydney and the Blue Mountains. The first day she arrived we went to Yum Cha at my favorite restaurant in China Town, looked around Paddy's Markets, visited the Sydney Aquarium, had hot chocolates and macaroons at the Lindt Cafe, and finished off the night with a Japanese dinner in the Rocks. It was a pretty spectacular first day if you subtract the fact that I was ridiculously late picking her up from the airport! For some reason late night birthday parties and stranded friends with flat tires at 2 am do not help me wake up at 4 am to catch my bus to the city :-( But I hope I made up for it!
Day 2 was spent wandering around the Rocks Markets and the QVB until it was time to see our matinee performance of Steel Magnolias. We were both pretty psyched to see Aussies attempt not only southern accents, but southern humor as well. Lets just say that is wasn't quite the Sally Fields/Julia Roberts spectacular that the movie is, but we had fun poking a bit of fun at it. That evening we went out to a noodle bar called Wagamama for dinner and shared two amazing dishes.
Day 3 started with a walk across the Harbour Bridge followed by lunch at Sydney Dance Cafe right on the wharf. We also did some looking around at a few antique shops and trying on some rather funny hats. We walked back to the QVB that afternoon and ended up being late for our Opera House Tour. It worked out for the best though because we were put on a later tour and were able to see the spectacular sunset over the Harbour Bridge. That night we went out to Pancakes with my favorite girlies, Steff, Jane, Maddi, and Kate. We all had a blast chatting and filling Wilma in on some Aussie lingo, plus the food was amazing as usual.
Day 4 started at Featherdale Wildlife Park where Wilma met her first koalas and kangaroos. I literally thought she was going to cry the whole time she was so excited. She patted her friend Charlie, the koala, for about an hour in total and used 4 ice cream cones full of feed for the roos and the emus. It was great to see her enjoying it so much. That night we had bagels with Kate and Steff at Mac Centre before I gave Wilma a tour of campus and my apartment. That night we journeyed back into the city for some Max Brenner, the chocolatier, before heading home for the night.
Day 5 was an early start as Steff, Wilma, and I hopped on a train to Koorunda in the Blue Mountains. We started our time there in the famous Paragon Cafe with Devonshire tea (tea and scones with jam and cream) then moved onto Scenic World where we road trams and railways that were a little on the crazy side! That afternoon we went around the shops and found an awesome hattery as well as several fantastic antique/vintages shops. We also introduced Wilma to Tim Tams that evening and made sure she got the full experience.
Day 6 started with an absolutely amazing brekky. Steff and I split the brunch for two which had a little bit of everything and was pretty much perfect. Next was a trip to Luera which is just one town over in the Blue Mountains. We went around the shops there, including a lolly shop which isn't nearly as impressive as Steff's is. We also had another Devonshire Tea at this crazy tea house where they had over 10,000 tea pots, many of which were very politically incorrect. We also exchanged friendship bracelets and a spectacular dinner, including kangaroo!
After breakfast at a cute cafe on the morning of Day 7 and a stop at a cupcake bakery, we headed back toward the city. That afternoon we checked into our breathtaking 5-star hotel on the 26th floor at the Westin Martin Place. Then, that night we went to Steff's house for the Phil my Betts 25th Birthday Bash! It was so much fun. We themed it kind of as a kid's party so there was the usual Aussie party food, fairy bread, snag rolls, party pies...ew...as well as an Aussie game called "Pass the Parcel." That night we dropped WJ at her hotel and headed out for a bit of birthday dancing.
We went to the Kiribilli Markets on the morning of Day 8 and all ended up being quite successful. Wilma and I went back to the Rock's Markets to grab a Turkish Gozleme and some choc covered strawberries for lunch/dessert before heading over to the Opera House to meet Steff for the improved Broadway show that we were going to see. It was SO SO funny. What was even funnier was that there were characters in it that reminded us of Phil and Maddi! For Wilma's last night out we stopped off at the Guilyian Cafe for some hot drinks and cookies/cakes.
I dropped Wilma off at the airport the next morning and went home to start the awful task of packing up my apartment :-( This packing/cleaning adventure took place over two days and I only survived it thanks to Phil and Steff who distracted me and cooked me lovely food. They also took some funny photos of themselves on my camera whilst they were waiting for me for hours upon end. I finally finished everything around 2 am the morning of my flight to Alice Springs. It was a very sad moment to walk away from my Australian home, but I put on my brave face and walked away knowing that after so many amazing memories there, moving on would be okay. Abby and I had left our mark on #50 at Marsfield Gardens. I learned a lot about myself in that apartment. I had learned how to take care of myself. I had learned how to let others take care of me when I couldn't handle something that the world was throwing at me. I had learned a lot about laughter, friendship, and love in that apartment. It was where my journey began, but leaving it behind certainly did not signify the end of my journey.
The next morning I rode the train to the airport and hopped on a flight bound for Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. I spent the afternoon wandering around the small city with a girl called Emi from Japan who was staying in the same hostel as I was. I ended up running into a friend from Macquarie and going to dinner with her before calling it a night in preparation for my very early start the next morning.
My first adventure was a 3 day tour of Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon. I started off the trip with a camel ride which was quite the experience! Later on that day we did a bushwalk in an area of Kata Tjuta called the Valley of the Winds. Uluru is such an iconic part of Australia because of its size, but I was shocked that few people knew about Kata Tjuta, especially since the Aborigines consider it to be more sacred than Uluru. The walk there was breathtaking as was our next stop, Uluru by sunset. We spent the next morning in just the opposite location watching the sun come up and change Uluru's coloring with every passing minute. That morning we had a choice to walk around the base of Uluru or to climb it. I really wanted to climb, but found out that the Aborigines have requested again and again for people not to. After having familiarized myself so much with the practices of the Aborigines community, I certainly did not want to do anything to infringe upon their cultural rights. As it turned out the 10 kilometer base walk was pretty spectacular. I saw every angle of that massive rock. That afternoon we drove to King's Canyon to set up camp for the night. I slept outside under the stars in a swag (an Aussie bedroll) both nights, and despite the literally freezing temperatures, it is an experience I would never change. There is something about that black, black sky combined with thousands of glittering specks in the complete quiet of the Outback that brings things back into perspective. Dingo howls replaced sirens and serenity replaced chaos. It was a beautiful time to reflect; to drift away with nothing on your mind but they incredible beauty of nature. The next morning we did an amazing 3 hour walk of King's Canyon. I think it was the highlight of the trip for me. That afternoon it was back to Alice Springs where the whole group met up for dinner at a local pub for a few last laughs.
The next morning began the most intense driving adventure I've been on in Australia...Alice Springs to Darwin (over 1500 kilometers). We started out early with a stop at the Tropic of Capricorn and began a series of stops at random roadhouses along the way. Our final stop of the day was at the Devil's Marbles which is a collection of round shaped boulders that have formed over many millions of years. We all enjoyed a good climb and a few silly pictures with a set of marbles called "King Kong's Gonads" before heading to our campsite for the evening. The next morning we started off with a bit of a climb up a mountain to wake us up before driving to the Daly Waters Pub which is quite the interesting place. People from all over the world leave all kinds of things behind there, IDs, bras, ect...That afternoon we went for an amazing swim in a natural spring. It was so warm and lovely. Our final day was spent at Katherine Gorge where we did a bit of bushwalking as well as some canoeing.
We spent one night in Darwin before heading out to Kakadu National Park for some more adventuring. Our first stop was at some gigantic termite mounds where we took some fun photos. Next we went to the Wangi Falls for some bushwalking before making our way to a rockpool area where I was pummled by a pommy! I was swimming in a waterhole when a guy jumped from the edge (about 15 feet up) and landed on top of me. It was quite the to-do. Thankfully, I was fine minus a bit of a sore back and losing my sunnies. That afternoon we went on a boat ride on the Mary River to look for a few crocs. It was amazing to see them so close by in their natural element. We saw both freshies and salties (the man eaters). The next day started our 4WD fun. We did some serious offroading to get up to Twin Falls and Jim Jim Falls. On our final day we stopped off at Ubirr to look at some amazing rock paintings as well as a beautiful view. Once we arrived back in Darwin that night, we went to the Mindil Beach Markets which were absolutely fantastic. I was there for 4 hours looking at all the stalls and eating some amazing food. It took me 30 minutes just to walk from one end to the other of the food area!
The next morning I had to wake up at 2 am in order to catch my early, early flight to Cairns. I spent the morning doing a bit of exploring before going on my white water rafting trip! I was absolutely scared to death the entire time leading up to the trip and even once I was in the boat. But as soon as we started to paddle, I was all for it. It was a blast! That night I dropped by the Cairns night markets and ate dinner by sunset on the Esplanade before heading back to my hostel for some much needed laundry doing.
Then my East Coast tour began. Our first trip was to Kuranda, a little mountain village nested at the top of the rainforest near Cairns. The whole town is basically just made up of markets, so there was plenty to see. We took the Skyrail back down to Cairns which was really fun. We had the best view of the rainforest, and later on of Cairns. That night it was off to Tjapakai Cultural Park for dinner and a show. It was so fun. We all got our faces painted as soon as we walked in and were handed some music sticks to help keep beat with. We were involved with the chanting, music making, and dancing of the fire lighting before our massive buffet dinner and watched another show while we ate. We were also taught how to play didgeridoo, which we all attempted to very little success.
The next day was spent on the Great Barrier reef snorkeling. I also went scuba diving for the first time! There goes another fear off the list. Once again, I nearly backed out at the last minute, but I knew that I would forever regret that decision. So I pushed myself beyond the fear and discovered a whole new world under the sea. I was able to swim with giant turtles and get up close and personal with the sealife. It was an incredible experience. That night, the whole gang went out to a pub for dinner and had heaps of fun!
Day 3 started with a stop at the beautiful Heales Lookout before driving into the bush toward Undara. Once we arrived we went on a bushwalk with our tour guides and learned a great deal about the area's natural environment. We also went on a sunset animal adventure tour. We saw the usual kangaroos as well as a massive bat cave.
Days 4 and 5 were spent sailing the Whitsunday Islands. This was by far my favorite part of the tour. We lived on a sailboat together for 2 days enjoying the incredible beauty surrounding us on all sides. Some people weren't too fond of the boat especially because of its tight quarters, but I loved everything about the experience. I was able to do a bit more snorkeling on the Reef which was great since it was all so different from what we had seen up in Cairns. We also completely lucked out with the weather. It was perfect, not a cloud in the sky. We also got very lucky with the wildlife we saw, including whales, dolphins, and turtles. My favorite stop on the sailing trip was at White Haven Beach which is world renowned, and definitely deserves the attention! I woke up bright and early on our final day to watch the sun come up before our 3 hour sail back to the harbour. That afternoon we had free time in Airlie Beach before meeting up for dinner at a local pub. I walked the boardwalk to town and spent some time on the Esplanade as well as the man made lagoon there. Dinner that night was heaps of fun, but sad because some of our friends were hopping off the tour the next morning.
We drove toward the country town of Rockhampton on Day 6 where we hit up a Rodeo. Can't say I loved it based on the way the animals were treated, but it was definitely an experience.
On Day 7 we stopped at another point on the Tropic of Capricorn before making our way South to Harvey Bay and hopping on a ferry bound for Fraser Island. We had a big group dinner that night before calling it a night to prep for our day long safari tour on Day 8. The tour was pretty good as it showed us a lot of the island, but we really made the most of it by having such a blast on our own. We were complete goofballs the whole day. We were always last on the bus and always the loudest, but not in an annoying way. We just added a little spark to the tour J
The next morning Phil made us all breakfast in bed before we headed out toward Macquarie Centre to grab some T2, since it was a T2 Tuesday. We caught up there before Steff and Jane both had to split. Phil volunteered to look after me that night (I just bounced back and forth between whoever wasn't working/busy because my friends are that amazing to me). We made some yummy spring rolls and enjoyed a movie night of Garden State and Once.
Phil came through with another awesome breakfast the next day....PANCAKES! After that deliciousness and a few errands, Phil, Jane, and I headed to Manly to enjoy the beautiful springy weather. We walked on the beach, ate fish and chips, had ice cream, and watched Jane frolic in the water. It was pretty great. That night Steff and I decided to stay in as it had started to rain. We ordered pizza from our favorite gourmet pizza place, hung out in bed with our laptops, told stories, and laughed until our bellies hurt. It was one of the most perfect days ever.
Thursday, Steff and I went shopping for a friend's 21st that was going to be on Saturday. After picking up a few last minute costuming details, Steff went to work and I went into the city with Phil, Jane, and Joshy to meet up with two of my friends, Laura and Ben, from the East Coast tour. We all met up to have yum cha before Phil, Jane, Joshy, and I hit up Paddy's Markets in search of their costumes. It was a fairy tale themed party and they ended up decided to go as the Three Blind Mice so we bought them some ridiculous glasses. After riding back to Epping, we stopped off at Sweetness and met up with Maddi who took me back to her place for some dinner. I met her parents for the first time and had a great game of 20 (well maybe 100) questions with her dad before we drove to Castle Hill to pick up Steff from work. We went to a cafe and split delicious creme brule and sticky date pudding before heading home for the evening.
The next day Steff was off work and we were planning on going to see an Aussie cooking show be filmed, but we ended up sleeping too late so we just had a chill day. We stayed in bed all day, getting up only to change the washing or cook cupcakes. We laughed a lot that day. I can't imagine anything simpler or better then spending a day completely relaxed with your best friend. That night we practiced our hair and makeup for the party the next night and went out to dinner and a movie in the full get up. We saw Bruno and laughed our asses off at the incredibly inappropriate humor.
I stayed home and organized all of my packing stuffs the next day while Steff worked before heading over to Phil's to get ready for Stevie's 21st. It took us quite a while for all 5 of us to get ready so we ended up being like 3 hours late and then we only stayed for an hour, but it was totally worth it because we looked so awesome!
Sunday I spent the day at Castle Towers in Sugar Fix working with Steffie. I seriously love working there. I always have so much fun. I worked 10-4 with an hour lunch break which I took with my friend Marian. It was great to see her for a catch up one last time before I left. That night we headed back over to Macquarie where Steff had rehearsal for the musical she is in with Jane and Phil which Joshy is directing, Tick Tick Boom. They learned a dance for most of the night so I did a lot of watching as well as some hardcore chair painting with Joshy. We stopped at Woolies on the way home to buy supplies for our pumpkin pasta dinner and s'mores dessert. Both of them were pretty great. I especially liked roasting the marshmallows over our tiny tea light candle.
Monday was beach day...BONDI BEACH DAY! We started out at the best Japanese restaurant ever for a bento box then drove into the city and toward the sea. We had a splash in the water and a walk on the beach before starting the search for ice cream. We made a pit stop at Maccas for a toilet break, and since we were there, Phil obviously had to have a burger. Next stop was the most amazing ice cream shop in the world. Maddi, Steff, Phil, and I shared a bowl of ice cream that was easily the size of a small planet. It had fruit salad in the bottom, smothered by 6 giant scoops of ice cream, topped with whipped cream, raspberry & chocolate sauce...WOW! The whole place stopped because it took the one waitress so long to make it for us. The others all finished off their dairy meal with iced coffees and chocolates! Jane finally showed up after trying to meet up with us for about 5 hours just in time to get a cup of ice cream and jump in the car to go home. While the others went to rehearsal I met up with Abby for a final cup of tea. We had a lovely chat before I had to say yet another "see you soon." I took the kids some chips and lollies to rehearsal before we all went home and Phil made us some yum pumpkin/feta pasta. I had my first major break down that night. I cried and cried. Phil brought me tissues and hugs. Steffie sat with me and rubbed my back and talked me through the whole thing. It was the beginning of many tears, but I am happy it happened in the presence of my wonderful friends.
Tuesday was girls day! We started out at Mac Centre, enjoying my last T2 Tuesday with special guest HENRY! After we had finished Henry, Jane, Steff, and I all did a full cast shimmy for old times sake in the middle of the shopping centre. Phil drove us into the city since he was going to get his new tattoo finished. We walked to our hotel in King's Cross and Steff and I went to check in. We left Maddi and Jane outside since we only booked the room for 2 people. We had a whole story created about who we were and where we were from. We were both American, visiting friends in Melbourne, but we had decided to come to Sydney for the night. We ended up asking the guy for various directions and asking heaps of questions just to see if he'd get them right. He suggested that we go to the wildlife centre and pat a koala, Steff totally played up the excitement for that one. She held her American accent until she said "Harbour" but I don't think he noticed. Our first girly stop of the day was at a bowling alley in Darling Harbour where I kicked butt and took names! We did more dancing and laughing than actual bowling, but it was a blast. After we went to Yum Cha at my fav restaurant in Chinatown before heading back to the hotel for a facemask, foot massage, and napping party. After, we met Phil at a vegetarian restaurant that had amazing food. Then we went to WowCow for some awesome frozen yogurt before hitting up the Victoria room for cocktails and mocktails. Steff and Maddi fell in love with our bartender so we didn't leave until closing time. Afterwards we went back to the hotel and played Guess Who :-)
Steff, Phil, and I walked to the Opera House and sat on the steps for a while. It was there, tucked between the arms of two of my favorite people outside the site that still gives me goosebumps every time I look at it that I realized just how much I was leaving behind in the next few hours. This was about 3 am, and I don’t think the tears stopped after this moment until I fell asleep on the plane. Evan and Jane joined us for a moment before we walked toward Evan’s car. As we walked away, I tried to keep my spirits up, but all I wanted to do was run back and stand in that perfect place where there’s the best view of the Bridge and the Opera House one last time. We walked arm in arm to the car, and I glanced back just in time to catch one last look, one last chill went up my back. In that moment, it set in that this was really goodbye. Evan drove us all back to Steffie’s house. I was happily squished in between Phil and Jane in the backseat. They had both so totally wrapped themselves around my heart. I couldn’t imagine living a day without a Phil my Betts pun or listening to Jane ramble on about some silly boy; even more though, I couldn’t imagine a day without the immense kindness they both showed me from the very beginning. Jane was my first Aussie friend, and I will never forget her genuine want to get to know me. It meant the world then and it still does. After 25 minutes of tears and hugs in the backseat we got back to Steff’s. Reality had definitely hit. I had 3 real goodbyes to say, and these were big ones. I talked to each of my friends individually, and I didn’t really say goodbye because it isn’t forever; it is separation for now, yes, but I have faith that all these wonderful people will be in my life for a very long time. My favorite moment of the night was when Steff’s grandfather, Pop, came down the stairs around 4:30 am where Jane and I were saying our goodbye and said in his old man Aussie accent, “G’day loves.” It scared the living hell out of both of us, but gave us a great laugh. As I watched the door shut behind Evan, Phil, and Jane, I lost it again. Steff stood in the hallway hugging me until I pulled it together enough to take a shower. I got ready and threw my 4 bags in the car. I said goodbye to Pop and Cherry and my lovely Australian home before we pulled out just before 6 am and headed toward the International Airport. It was all I could do to stay awake during the car ride. We made it with plenty of time. After I finally got my bags under the weight limit – as I refused to pay any extra money – we stopped at Starbucks for breakfast. Steff and I were silent, we didn’t know how to deal with what was about to come, so Mum tried to make us smile, bless. The time came for us to walk towards customs, but even here we put off the inevitable. I finally said goodbye to my wonderful Aussie Mummy and thanked her as much as I possibly could for the amazing kindness and love she’d shown to me. She stepped away and gave Steff and me our time. All the composure that we had been holding in for the past few days was gone. We both saw the tears in the others eyes and reached out. We must have hugged for 10 whole minutes. We both said the words the other needed to hear despite choking through our tears. After about 15 minutes of goodbye, we had to make it real. I picked up my bags, gave her one last hug and walked away. As the automatic doors through to customs opened for me to pass through, I looked back at my family – my mummy and my soul mate – threw them one last kiss and watched the doors close to separate us. It was the saddest moment I have yet faced, for in the moment, I was alone. I had just said goodbye to the best friend I have ever known. From the moment I met Stephanie Merriman, we understood eachother. We were finishing the other’s sentences within a week. We were realizing that we were practically the same person within two. We couldn’t be together and not laugh hysterically. We knew just how to calm the other one down or make her laugh when she had a bad day. We could have fun doing the most boring things. I was at a loss as to how I would survive without her connected to my hip. My emotions were running wild. I was leaving home, to return home? I couldn’t comprehend it. Customs and security are a blur to me. I simply remember tears. As I settled into my seat on the plane, every little thing that went wrong broke me down. I discovered I left my driver’s license at Steff’s house, more tears. I thought I had lost my American cell phone (which I later found), WAY more tears. The poor woman beside me had to deal with my sniffles all throughout takeoff too, when I decided to read the lovely notes many of my friends had given me. It was a bad time to read those! I stayed awake until my eyes couldn’t stay open any longer and from there on out, I became a champion plane sleeper. I slept 4 hours, ate, and repeated until we landed in Los Angeles.
To sum up the past 7 months of my life seems like the hardest task imaginable. I have been dreading the question “How was it?” more that you can possibly imagine! How can I explain what happened to me as a person while I was abroad? How can I explain the sense of home I felt there almost immediately? How can I explain the incredible bonds I formed? How can I explain the inside jokes and all the ridiculous things that happened? I still haven’t figured that out. There’s just too much to be told. My journey throughout Australia was an incredibly personal one. I learned about surviving on my own. I learned about being open and excited about all the possibilities that life offers me, even if they scare me. I learned a lot about having fun. I learned to laugh every single day. I learned to cook. I learned about real friendship. I learned about love. I learned about myself. I learned that I can be an independent and successful person. The list goes on and on. I can safely say that going to Australia was the best decision that I have ever made. It opened my eyes to a whole new world. I found a home while I was there. I can’t put into words the way my heart melts when I think of the time I spent there, or see a picture of one of my friends, or even say the world Australia. There is something so magical about it for me. I feel very lucky to have found something in this world that means so very much to me. So, I may not be able to write about Australia in the descriptive way I want, but I hope you can see the love and appreciation that comes with every single world. I guess that the best way I can put it is to say…I HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE.
"I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within." ~Lillian Smith
To all my Aussies, THANK YOU! Thank you for the laughs, the lessons, the hugs, the smiles, the understanding, the acceptance, the endless fun. Thank you for sharing your world and your hearts with me. You have forever affected my world within. I love you all.
Thank you, also, to everyone who read this blog, your support along this journey has meant the world to me.
"You can fall in love at first sight with a place as with a person." ~Alec Waugh
My final thank you is to the whole of Australia. It truly was love at first sight.
Love Always,
Anna
TO BE CONTINUED...
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