"You Can Go Your Own Way......"

I have always believed that my life has a soundtrack.  And all the moments, however grand or minuet they might be, can be best summed up by a song.  You know when you hear a song and it brings you right back to a high school prom, a first date or your college hay-days.  Well most days my life is set to music, in my head at least, and today Stevie Nicks sang to me on my way into town to find work.

I am lucky enough to have some of the very best friends in the world and you all know who you are.  And when your not very close to your family and the ones you are close to live entirely too far away, you count on your friends to share your life with and for sound advice.  One of my best girls told me over the summer to stop worrying about what everyone else is doing in regards to getting married, having children, buying home and settling down.  And to just be OK with living my life and being me.  Truly when she told me this, although I of course thought this many times, I was freed from that feeling of not measuring up to everyone else I know.

Recently I saw the movie Eat Pray Love and think that Julia did a phenomenal job (much better than Liz herself) in the role of Liz Gilbert.  If you have been hiding under a rock for the past few years and haven't heard of the novel, the author or the blockbuster movie give Google a go for the background info.  Although my life does not mirror Liz' at all, I do feel like I am on my own little journey figuring out me and what I want out of life.  I always imagined that I would marry my high school sweetheart right out of college, have the picket fence and family to match.  And I always had my life planned.

I am a month away from my 30th birthday and I am not sure if I want the family and the picket fence.  I go back and forth all the time and I know when I meet the illusive Mr. Right that all of those thoughts will be thrown out the window.  Or maybe I will be single and I am OK with that too.  There are many things I don't know, but I do know that my dream is still to open a restaurant and I am optimistic that will be sooner than later.

I still have so many places in this world I want to see and experiences I need to have.  And I am just not one to be fenced in or tied down.  It's in my Sagittarius nature to be a bit restless and I am living up to that in no uncertain terms.  Everyone has "that single friend" and that just might be the role I play in your life.  Or maybe not, only God knows what's in store. 

I will leave you with my favorite quote from the book/movie Eat Pray Love as I go and enjoy a glass of delicious Marlborough sauvignon blanc (the only inexpensive item in Australia). 

"So now I have started living my own life.  Imperfect and clumsy as it may look, it is resembling me now, thoughly." Liz Gilbert, Eat Pray Love

What's your theme song today?

xx-

Cheryl

A Gecko You Say?

OK.  So I know I have said this before, but Australia is a very different country than the US.  I know we both speak our own versions of English and have many similarities and yet there are so many things I notice everyday that differentiate our countries.  Let me give you a little insight into what I am talking about.

While I was staying in Kawana with Fraser and Amanda on the Sunny Coast, I had an introduction to Australian wildlife aside from the beautifully colored lorikets and white cockatoo that are in nearly every tree. Amanda and I had rented a movie, the kids and Fraser were in bed and we were enjoying a glass of yummy Aussie wine when I heard a pretty loud noise from what I thought was outside the kitchen window.  So I nonchalantly asked Amanda what that noise was.  I thought it was a bird even though they aren't that noisy generally after dark.  Amanda very casually says back to me "Oh it's a gecko".  Then I said "Outside right?".  You see where this going by now, but she told me they live in the house.  One lives behind a sconce in the kitchen, another behind a photo in the hall and one in the A/C unit.  You should have seen me whip my head around to make sure she wasn't trying to trick me and she wasn't.  And these geckos straight up bark and it is very loud.  We watched him chill around the walls in the kitchen. 

Amanda is American and I couldn't believe how normal this was to her. I liken it to having a mouse in your home in the States and just when they come out being like  "Oh that's just the mouse that lives in the cupboard".  IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN.  Well in most homes I know at least.  I still cannot get over it and apparently they are in most homes and they just live there.  I am all for cultural differences, but that's just strange to me and when I return to the States I will be happy to know the only animals knowingly living in my house will be the ones that we own.

I am now in Brisbane staying with Katie and Ben and searching for work.  In Australia, you have to complete a course before you can work in an establishment that serves alcohol called RSA or Responsible Service of Alcohol.  Luckily the course is online and albeit extremely boring and seemingly silly you must know the laws here so as a server you don't get into any sort of legal trouble.  So I have completed that and put in a few resumes at some restaurants in the city. 

It is a short and easy train ride to the city center and there is no shortage of people here.  I was a little overwhelmed when I hoped off the train yesterday by the moving crowds of people on the streets.  And although I lived for years in Raleigh, we don't have the business district like Brisbane does.  So keep your fingers crossed that I will have a post tomorrow about my new job or jobs!

The weather here is just perfect and I am ready to start planning my next travel adventure, but want to secure an income before I get too crazy.

Good day from Oz!

Coolum, Moreton Island and now Kawana.....

Hey everyone.  I hope you are all doing fantastic and again I apologize for being slack on posting, but it's difficult when I haven't even unpacked my bags just yet.  I am hoping next week I will be settled and starting work so keep your fingers crossed.

I have had an amazing last two weeks and have been able to see some really beautiful parts of Australia.  I stayed with my friend Patrick in Coolum which is about 2 hours north of Brisbane and just a really cool surf town.  It's close to Noosa, where I stayed a few days and many other beaches up here on the Sunny coast.  Patrick is lucky enough to have a boat and offered to take us out to Moreton Island for a few days.  If you are my friends on FB then you have seen the pictures that I took, but it was hands down the most beautiful water I have ever seen.  We put the boat out in a town called Cooloundra and had her loaded with food, drinks and supplies for a few days. 

We were fortunate to have the most spectacular weather on the way across the Pumice Stone Passage which takes you from Bribie Island across the bay to Moreton Island.  The scenery was stunning with the Glass House Mountains, where Katie and Ben and I hiked a few weeks ago, in the background, crystal blue waters and dolphins playing in the waves.

We arrived at Moreton Island around noon dropped anchor, poured drinks and made some lunch.  After a long day of doing absolutely nothing (FAB) we called it a night.  I have found it hard to stay awake past 10pm since I have arrived and being on the boat made it even more difficult.  During the night we awoken by the boat smacking back and forth on the water.  Oh don't you worry, there was no storm or high sees; the tide had just gone out and left us on our hull.  It seems our Captain didn't really find bringing a tidal chart and important part of our boating adventure.  So we waited until the tide came in to continue exploring the Island. 

At the tip of the Island is a surf break that Patrick wanted to check out.  I was of course game to relax on the boat while he got a surf in, why wouldn't I be right?  Well we headed towards the point and we suddenly spotted a whale splashing in the waters!  It was so awesome to see, but he moved out to deeper water too quickly for me to grab a shot.  Apparently seeing whales is very common especially at Moreton Island.  So we continued out to the point and the swell continued to get bigger and bigger.  Now granted I am from the beach and love deep sea fishing and have never been sea sick, but the swells we were in seriously scared the life out of me.  I eventually had to go into the cabin as I couldn't stand to watch the boat jump into the massive waves any longer.  And I have no pictures of this since I couldn't bring myself to move from the cabin.

Finally after many prayers and the certainty that I was going to die, we turned around and made it back to calm waters.  We docked up for the night next to the man-made shipwrecks close to the stunning Tangalooma Resort.  The dolphins head into the resort nightly to "put on a show" aka get fed for the guests and we watched them play on their way.  We cooked up a delicious dinner and called it a night. 

The next day we headed back towards where we put the boat out as Patrick's cell wasn't working and we couldn't call for our ride to come scoop us and the boat.   We pulled the boat in on the beach and went in search of an elusive car charger.  When he came back the boat needed a bit more water to push out so he told me I could go for a walk around Bribie Island "while the tide came in".  Well wouldn't you know when I returned from my much needed walk around town, the boat was completely shipwrecked on the beach.   Interesting hey?

 

After the 8 hour wait for enough tide to float the boat, it was around 6pm and dark, we moved to a much deeper spot in the Passage a few hundred yards away.  This was by far the calmest and most beautiful night on the boat and after a few glasses of wine I was out.  The next morning Patrick navigated back through the Passage and back to the water boarding Cooloundra.  He found an awesome surf spot while I watched the boat and made sure we didn't ship wreck again.  We spent the day just checking out the different beaches and coves and headed in around 4pm to meet his friend Jason to pick us up. 

It really was an amazing trip despite occasional shipwreck and I got to see some of the beauty Australia's waters have to offer!  After arriving home at Patrick's we unloaded the boat and settled in for a weekend filled with movies and drinking as the rain came down pretty hard until Monday.  Monday morning our friend Amanda who is an American and met her Australian husband Fraser years ago at the Down Under Restaurant where we all worked.  They live in a town called Kawana which is still on the Sunshine Coast and north of Brisbane.  They have two little boys and we have been hanging out and enjoying the sun that has decided to come out.  I am going to stay for a few more days and head back to Brisbane to find/start working hopefully as soon as next week and FINALLY unpack my suitcase! 

So if you've learned anything from today's entry take this away my friends.........

Although life is best enjoyed without the pressure of a definitive plan, it is a good idea to pay attention to the  changing tides so you don't end up stranded on your hull!

The Sunshine Coast.....

I know I know, I am awful and haven't blogged or taken a single photo while I have been here.  But my sweet Mom has mailed one from the States and will hopefully get it in the next few days and catch you up on the beauty that the Sunny Coast offers!

After a few wonderful days in Nundah, Brissy area, Katie and Ben drove me up to Noosa as they were heading to the States for a few weeks and I have some friends living on the coast.  On the way up we went hiking (good news Katie has photos) in the Glass House Mountains.  What a stunning delivery of flora and fauna God has put together in those forests and mountains.  If any of you have ever seen the Lord of the Rings movies, you could almost bet that part of it was filmed along our hike.  Rock pools, water falls, greenery as far as you can and some pretty amazing views of the surrounding towns.  We were also able to see a few of the very common animals that are founds in Queensland too. 

Ben and Katie then dropped me at the Noosa Backpackers in Noosaville.  When you think backpackers or hostel I am sure visions of dirty dorms and horror movies fill your head, but this was a really cute place.  I had my own room and only had to share a bathroom with 3 other rooms, not much different than sorority house living, but only one of the other rooms was occupied and that was only for the first night.  Check out the website at  http://noosabackpackers.com/  and I have a pic below of the entrance.

Katie and Ben gave me some advice on what to do while I was there and everyone who worked there was amazing too.  They headed on their way and I showered up and took the public bus into to town to check out the shops and have some dinner.  The town is a perfect beach town with all the clothing, pharmacies or chemists as they call them here, restaurants and bars.  After a browse around, I stopped into the Surf Club.  All beach towns have these here and they have the primo location in each one as well.  Situated on the beach front and serving foods, drinks and gambling to members and the public.  It was a rainy night so I just had a beer and then headed to find some dinner.  I stopped at an Italian restaurant called Lindoni's and had another phenom meal.  Started with a garlicky homemade bruschetta and a nice cold beer and for my meal delicious Gorgonzola gnocchi.  Seriously the best I have ever eaten.  Headed home for a rest and then on day two walked down from the backpackers for a coffee and some breakfast.  This country really does food so well and I am in love with poached eggs and flat whites.  With a full belly I decided to try my hand at solo kayaking and let's just say it was a short stint and I prefer the company i.e help of someone else.  There was a bit of wind and that only made matters worse so I turned in the free kayak at the backpackers and resorted to something I know I am fantastic at.....reading on the beach.

Later that afternoon after hanging out at the beach and a scenic run along the beach path, I had a light dinner and hung out at the bar inside the resort and talked to some of the locals for a bit.  It really is funny how we all essentially speak the same language, but they have such a different "slang" if you will that I find myself having to listen very well and ask at the end of a convo what certain terms mean.  I plan do a whole blog on slang here soon so stay tuned.  The next day my friend Patrick from the old Down Under Restaurant picked me up and we headed about 20 minutes south to his house in Coolum.  I have since taken some pictures of Coolum and will post after we return from our boating excurison which we are leaving for in about an hour. 
It is Monday at 6:30 am here and he is busy packing the boat while I blog :).  I have been in Coolum since Tuesday morning and have had a blast so far.  We have gone to the Australia Zoo which is just so freaking cool!  They have an open area where kangaroos and wallaby's hop around and love for you to pet and feed them, koalas that you can hold and pet, crocs, native birds, tigers, elephants, Tasmanian devils and so much more.  It really is a necessary stop for anyone who visits of lives here.  I have also been hiking in Coolum and Noosa and spent some good time with Frazier, Amanda and their sweet children Ryder and Zephyr.  I worked with both of them at Down Under too and plan to spend more time with them while I am here. 

Heading out on the boat soon so I will update again when we return possibly Wednesday or Thursday.  Let's see how I do without a proper shower for a few days and we might make an early return :).  Off to get packed and ready.  Love everyone and hope that you are working on saving to visit Australia right now!

xx- Cheryl