Sail Away (Whit)Sundays

This was one of the most fun and spontaneous weekends of my life. I deiced about 4 days before that I would be going to the Whitsunday Islands. I had to plan out all I wanted to do very quickly, but it turned out to be quite a success. The Whitsundays are a group of 74 islands and a favorite sailing destination. Whitehaven Beach is noted one of the most beautiful in the world. The sand is 100% pure white silica. I went on the trip with my friend, Adele, and 2 new girls I hadn’t previously met. We all ended up getting along very well and came to call ourselves ‘The Top Four’.

We arrived, picked up the car, and headed off to Airlie Beach. We searched for Conway National Park for some hiking and found Conway Beach. The sane stretched farther than any beach I had seen. I wasn’t even sure if it was a beach because the water was so far, you could barely see it. We frolicked around the beach and headed off to Mt. Looper walking track. We were having bad luck finding it and lost a lot of light, but we eventually found it. It was a night hike through the forests amongst the shimmering stars. There were many frogs that hopped about. At the end of the walk, we did some yoga below the beautiful stars.

The next morning was my cruise to Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island and Daydream Island. It was raining and windy at the start of the day. The waters were gorgeous and we all stood by the side of the boat and the wind whip our hair. We arrived on Whitsunday Island for a bit of exploring. I walked Whitsunday National Park as blue butterflies swam through the trees. I even saw a snake slither in front of me and slightly panicked, but all was well. I walked to a lookout over the beach. After swimming and walking the lovely beach we hopped back on the boat to go to Daydream Island. The theme of the island was mermaids; I couldn’t have been more excited about it. There was a Mermaid Beach with 3 mermaids on the shore.  Kangaroos hopped about and there was a rainforest walk and a life reef to see. It rained sporadically throughout the day. Adele and I walked through the rainforest to Lover’s Cove and climbed up some rocks to sit and look at the horizon for quite some time. Then we hurried back to the boat and watched the sunset over the ocean.

Jenny, Nishi and Adele left the next morning. We walked the Airlie Beach, saw the sunrise, and said our farewells. Once they left I continued down the beach on the bicentennial walk which went to Airlie Shute Harbor. I sat under a tree and took in the beach for about an hour before my sailing trip. I met up with the group and could tell that it would be a good time. Everyone was so nice. I automatically connected with a girl from Finland, Bambi. ‘Habibi’ set sail on the open ocean and we sailed the day away to arrive at Tongue Bay for the night. Sleeping on a ship was a new experience. I roomed with Bambi and 2 girls from England. We were in the room at the very front of the boat and we were rocked to sleep by the waves.

We woke up to explore Whitsunday Island. We crossed from one side to the other in a rain forest.

We arrived at Hill Inlet Lookout, one of the most photographed places in the world. I was in shock and it was easy to see why. The sand swirled below us with the tides, making swirls of sand bars and water. It was quite the sight to see. We walked down to the beach and walked out to a sandbar through the clear water. There were many stingrays swimming by us, the ones here were harmless but we still avoided them. Bambi and I swam around on the beach with mountains in the background. It was absolutely gorgeous. The rest of the day was about snorkeling and the Great Barrier Reef. We snorkeled Luncheon Bay and Manta Ray Bay. I got to swim with my favorite animal, a sea turtle, for about an hour. To conclude the long day at sea swimming in the waters we danced in Caves Bay as the sunset.

The next morning was my last day in the boat. I woke up bright and early for our last snorkel of the trip. There is nothing better to wake you up in the morning than a swim in the ocean; it was amazing to wake up to.  We sailed back to Abel Point Marina and I even got to participate in the sailing, I pulled some sails for the captain, which was awesome. When we got back we all said goodbye, we had bonded really well as a group and I knew I would miss them all and this weekend. I spent a couple of hours tanning at Airlie Beach Lagoon with Bambi before I caught the bus to the airport. I flew out of Proserpine Airport, the smallest I had ever seen with only 4 gates.

I loved getting to know new friends this weekend, sailing around the gorgeous islands, and making memories. It was my favorite trip in Australia so far and I feel blessed to have been where I was and experienced what I did. Another point for Australia. It’s winning. 

Sydney Strolls

As time is quickly winding down, I have come to value each moment more. I am trying to get out and check more and more things off my list, yet stuff keeps getting added on. It is truly crazy how quickly time goes, I remember when I had 140 days here and now there is only 30 more! The common conversation among friends is how we feel about going home and what we are going to do (mostly eat) when we get there. What sounds good to me is some legit Mexican food, hiking the Hollywood sign with my best friend and then curling up on the couch with my family and watching movies. The common feeling is that we are ready and excited to go back, but we know we will miss this beautiful place where we have come to find ourselves and discover Australia. I have been strolling along the bustling streets of Sydney just taking it all in while it lasts. Every time I explore, I stumble upon something new. Sydney is an amazing city with things going on all the time and all around. I’m glad I chose to go here because it is so different from home and I have gained a new perspective of life.

I walked to Hyde Park and covered most of the area. It is a patch of green with some gardens, fountains, and walking paths in the large city surrounded by huge churches. I decided to go to a mass at St. Mary’s to experience religion here. It was interesting, I had no idea what to do or say, but it was fun. In Hyde Park there is an ANZAC memorial. It contains a statue of a man lying on a cross with a golden sun below him. There is also a ‘Dome of Memory’ consisting of a dome filled with golden stars to represent the lives of those who fought in the war. Then there is the Sydney Hospital with a bore statue you rub the nose of for good fortune. I visited St. Andrew’s, the country’s oldest cathedral. It was filled with beautiful stained glass. Next door is Town Hall. It is painted with light pink walls and intricate ceilings and a large chandelier in the center. There is the largest organ in the southern hemisphere in the building and I got to hear it played.  I wandered in Martin Place, which is a major pedestrian precinct. There is a building adorned with many Australian flags and a clock tower. I was handed a sunflower, which made my day. Later I walked around QVB, Queen Victoria Building. QVB is a 5 story shopping center filled with nice shops and fancy clothes. There is a one ton clock hanging the center of the building that performs a show about the Queen’s history.

The weather here has changed significantly. I thought that Australia would be a forever warm metropolis, but the seasons are recognized. As I am in the southern hemisphere, the seasons are opposite. It is summer at home, but here it is winter. It rains more than expected, but there are still warm days as well. It reminds me of a California winter. On a rainy day, my friend Carolyn and I went for a stroll to the bridge. I hadn’t walked across it so that is what we set out to do. We crossed the bridge in the rain and took in great views of the harbor and the opera house. Then we took the train back home. Later that night Carolyn, Sarah, Max, Andrew, Haley and I went to Max Brenner and then watched the new episode of Big Bang Theory. It was a fun night.

Then came the day I had been waiting for, the Bridge Climb! Climbing the bridge was amazing! I got to see the entire city in a whole new light. The weather was great that day, which was very lucky. It was overall a great day with my friend Brian, we even danced on top of the bridge. We went to Pancakes on the Rocks after for a celebratory meal of awesomeness. I went to Powerhouse Museum with another Brian. It is a science and engineering museum with interactive exhibits. One night, my roommate Max and I went to Orbit Lounge. It is a restaurant on the 47^th floor of a building in Australia Square. It is a revolving restaurant so we got to see the whole city in one rotation. The city sparkled with all its lights and Vivid was going on in the harbor, which was cool to see from above. We took in the view of the city and sipped coffee. It took about an hour and was totally worthwhile.

Vivid is a light show throughout the city. The most iconic place f Vivid is the Opera House. There is a 15 minute light show and I watched the whole thing. What makes Vivid so awesome is that I have seen the city for 4 months normally and now everything is sparkling. Max, Brain and I walked around the harbor for the night and walked the circumference of the Opera House. The walk back was interesting. I saw police on horses trotting along and enjoyed the city. There is a difference in being somewhere and actually being somewhere. There are different depths to which you can experience something and I seek the deepest; to not just be, but to belong and  use every sense to be able to make the simplest things memorable.

This week I completed all of my class work. All that is left is two finals on the 19^th and 24^th of June, then I am finally done with this semester and a senior!

Ordinary to Extraordinary: Through Child-Like Eyes

Although I get to experience an amazing country and am blessed with the chance to see all its beauty and experience the Aussie spirit of life, there are average days as well. I do go on fabulous trips to amazing places and meet awesome people, but I do also have days in the library being a student and getting my work done. I feel that being in Australia I have been better about avoiding procrastination. In the states, I would wait to do my work until it was absolutely necessary, but being here I want to get things done as soon as possible so that I can do all the amazing things that I do and still get good marks in school. University of Sydney is considered one of the top Unis in the country. It is a place where 50% is a pass because all professors mark so hard. I got a 70% on a case study in one of my business classes and was upset, but my friend only got 20%. An Australian told me that what I got was actually a good mark and to be happy with it, it was hard to wrap my head around. I feel that I always give everything I do my best effort, so that is all I can do. Going to a top university has been quite a challenge. School is cancelled often with strikes and in my opinion the quality of teaching is a bit lower yet the grading is extremely picky. The culture of stress is completely different. American life is very fast-paced and people define themselves with what they do in terms of work. Australians don’t ever or rarely stress about the everyday tasks of life. 

I feel that this escape from my actual reality of my American life has embedded me with the spirit of a place where work doesn’t define you. A place where there is no average or common. That is what traveling does, it makes everything spectacular. Everything is special and eye-opening. I don’t take anything for granted. This is a place where an average weekend is an amazing adventure. Traveling makes you a child again, free-spirited and wide-eyed with the belief that you can do anything. Everything you see and experience is thought-provoking and the world is once again enchanting. Your greatest wish is to open your arms to the world and experience it all, if you could hug the world, you would. Every sunset and sunrise is a celebration and a captivating moment in time. You appreciate the everyday every day. I have realized how much I love where I come from and how blessed I am to live in the United States of America in the beautiful state of California. I have realized that there is so much to do in my own country and so little I know about it. It is sad, but I feel like I know more and have seen more of Australia than my own country. I used to see home as such a boring place, when I go back I know I won't. There really is so much to see and do, and it took my going away to realize that. I feel like one of my best friends now, Kristin. She moved to CA from Chicago and appreciates every little thing about California. From the way the fruit tastes to the beautiful beaches, everything amazes her. She sees beauty all around her and I feel like when I go back, we will see the world through similar eyes. 

Yes, in life sometimes it is about being in the right place. People may think home is a place, but I think it is an atmosphere and a feeling. I have learned to internalize home. I carry it with me, wherever I go, it is the place that I am. My idea of the atmosphere of home is being with all the people I love. I had a conversation with my parents today. My mother and I sang the theme to “The Big Bang Theory”, one of the classic shows played in the confines of the Campbell TV room. My jolly father told me about my car, ‘Suzy’. I felt my mood change as I spoke with them. I was delirious as I had just awakened, but I became awake and laughed loudly once again. Sometimes all it takes is a reminder of where you come from and a laugh with people that you love. It is those little things in life that make it truly special, sure these adventures are amazing, but they all must come to an end (which is in about 50 days by the way). And in this end, I will be back in the arms of my family and friends, laughing once again with the reawakening of all the little things in life that make it so very ordinarily extraordinary. 

To all my friends and family, thanks for making my life so blessed.  I am so grateful for all the support and encouragement I have received throughout my journey. Love you all!

"Welcome to the real Australia", The Australian Outback: Road tripping through the Wild West Coast

Over Anzac weekend my two best friends and I decided to road trip throughout Western Australia. Our original plans changed a lot, but I feel satisfied with all that we accomplished over such a short amount of time. We drove a total of 3,500 kilometers (2,100 miles) from Perth to Coral Bay and then all the way back to Perth, stopping along the way to see everything we possibly could. Here is my journey through Western Australia.

We arrived in Perth on Wednesday the 24^th of April to pick up our rental car. There were some issues with actual renting it because in Australia you must be 21 and our 21 year-olds card wasn’t working, but we eventually got it all figured out and hope was redeemed. The car turned out to be the same exact model I have at home, a Toyota color sport, even down to the color. We named her ‘White Lightning’ and headed off for a week of adventure!

Our first stop was the pinnacles, which are these large limestone sand structures encompassing several miles in the middle of the desert. It’s quite majestic and somewhat overwhelming to be in the presence of. We walked along the orange-red sands and through the desert for a bit and then continued on the road. We saw some dead kangaroos on the side of the road very frequently. I couldn’t help but feel like this was the “real” Australia. We drove through the night and had a bit of a gas scare. There are no fill-up gas stations after about 8pm and we were in the  middle of nowhere. I was prepared to get out and push the car, but luckily we made it. We slept that night in the car by Shark Bay in the quaint town of Denham. I got some advice on whether to continue, but the locals thought it would be safe to stay there and wait for the gas station to open up in the morning. They said, “Welcome to the real Australia!” My friend and I sat by the bay and I realized this was my first time at an ocean other than the Pacific. I stood up and stepped into the Indian Ocean. We talked about all the travels we wanted to do and how much we wanted to see the world. Coming here I have found people just like me, we all have the commonality of a love and deep desire for travel, the wanderlust infection.

After a night not so comfortably straddling the wheel to sleep, we woke up and got gas and breakfast. I saw the sunrise over the bay and walked the sand among white shells and boats sprawled on the shore and anchored closely. Our destination for the day was to reach Monkey Mia. We got there at 8AM to see the dolphins just in time. Monkey Mia is the only place on Earth that dolphins come into shore so closely that you can take two steps out and feed them. We watched the dolphins swim by and then headed out to Coral Bay, crossing the Tropic of Capricorn on the way. We got a room at a backpackers and I concluded the night with a swim in Coral Bay.

I woke up to the day that was the whole purpose of the trip, swimming with whale sharks. Whale sharks are gentle giants; they don’t eat people, just plankton. They are the biggest fish in the sea and I could finally check off swimming with sharks from my bucket list. They are only in Australia from mid-April to June so it was necessary to do. My friends opted out because of the cost, but it was a once in a lifetime experience that I just had to do. The boat took off at 8am. We started out with a quick test dive. I saw a sea turtle and 3 reef sharks, so it was a great start. The sharks even posed vertically over a cabbage reef for a casual teeth cleaning. We hoped back on the boat and spotted a sea snake in the waters. It zipped across the top of the waters. Then it was time for my first dive with the whale sharks!! The waters were gorgeous and it was a glorious day. Planes hunted down the sharks for us from overhead to give us the coordinates. We sat off the back of the boat waiting for a signal from our guide. I sprinted off towards her and was the first one there. I saw the whale shark and swam alongside it for a bit. Some people didn’t see it; this is where 15 years of competitive swimming came in handy. In between swims a whale shark came right up to the boat, putting its head up to investigate. They are like curious little puppies, so playful and sweet. They like bubbles and will follow them out of curiosity. My next swim I got to swim alongside the whale shark for a good 2 minutes. It was so peaceful and I was in awe staring at its grace and beauty. They have white spots all over them in unique patterns. They dive up and down as they filter plankton and search for food. After those blissful 2 minutes, I watched it dive down into the blue abyss. My third swim with them I jumped off the back and it was right there, a foot away. I was in shock for a bit and then I realized how big they actually are. I was the size of its tail. The day was complete with one last snorkel on Ningaloo Reef and a yummy feast. I made friends with a couple who were both teachers and we talked about the difference between education in America and Australia and I asked them about all their travel. I love how friendly Australians are! The cruise was completed with some crabs and then a finale of a pod of dolphins to see swim alongside the boat. What a perfect day! I finished off the day with a walk on the beach collecting shells and watching the sunset. It was beautiful to see my first sunset from the west coast of Australia. The sky turned into a yellow, pink, and purple haze and then faded into darkness. The clouds were a bright pink color all across the sky; it was perfect, coral clouds in Coral Bay!

We started the return trip back early and I saw the sunrise once again. The first stop on the trip was Stromatolites. They are the world’s oldest living fossil and are the reason oxygen was created o Earth. The water was so clear as we viewed the peculiar rocks from the boardwalk. It was so beautiful.  Then we walked Eagle Bluff Boardwalk and stood on top of the cliffs edge. We got beautiful views of a bay below and Eagle Island just off the coast. Then we turned back and saw the road we were driving on amongst the Australian outback. It put everything into perspective. The next stop was Shell Beach. The entire shoreline of the beach consists of tiny, white shells, no sand. We soaked up some sun and laid out on the shells. I hadn’t brought my swimsuit down to I hopped in with my bra and undies, hey I’m only here once so I had to! It easily slipped into my heart and became my favorite beach. We eventually arrived in Monkey Mia and spent the night there. We got dinner and watched the sunset playing around on the beach. We then danced the night away in the Monkey Bar and met a 10-year-old Boy, Elvin, how we played pool and foosball with. He was quite the character. Once it was night we ventured back to the beach and looked up at the stars. We shared a chat and some laughs to conclude the night. I fell asleep to the wondrous sound of a fan, I miss falling asleep every night with one at home so this was a luxury.