Aussie Aussie oy oy oy

After my first few months in Australia I have to admit I wasn't too impressed. It was winter in Melbourne (and you know how much I HATE the cold), and it was expensive. But that wasn't what I didn't like. It was how much Melbourne reminded me of Toronto. Only difference is now I was living in a city with no friends and my parents weren't just around the corner. I began to feel more and more confused. What was I doing in Australia? Why did I come here? More importantly, why was I still here if I was not happy? Here I was living in an amazing apartment downtown Melbourne, but feeling empty. How could this be so!? I was living in AUSTRALIA! But that's just it. Living for me doesn't consist of an apartment in the city, working, watching days go by. Traveling is my passion. And as much as Melbourne is a great city, it was the idea of settling that ultimately pushed me into a depressive state. I am not ready for a life like that. Where everyday just melts into the next. I need more excitement, more adventure!

Right when I needed it most I had a visit from a familiar face from Canada. (Michelle does not realize just how much her visit meant to me!) Together we explored the great red centre of Australia! It was my first real taste of what a diverse and exciting place Australia really was! And this was exactly the push I needed to get me out of my slump. It was on this trip that I realized just how important travel is to me. It is when I am traveling that I feel most like myself. 

After Michelle left I packed up my things and hit the road. Freedom once again. And what better way to start my crazy adventure then hitch hiking to Sydney!! Once in Sydney a friend and I went off on an even bigger adventure! Living out of a car, traveling to new and exciting places everyday, camping and enjoying life the way I wanted to. This was exactly what I needed. I finally felt like I was back on track. And with a visit from my dad I felt like everything was finally falling into place.

From the amazing Great Barrier Reef to beautiful beaches. From wine country to the red desert. Fields of kangaroos, forests of koalas, to an ocean of deadly creatures. Australia truly is an amazing place with so much to see and do! But it's amazing how much time can slip by without you realizing it! I've spent 10 months in Australia!!! And I've only scratched the surface of this massive continent...but I just didn't feel that same excitement anymore. Something was missing. I can't quite explain it, but I just reached a point where it was time for me to move on.

It's not that I was finished with Australia. There is so much I still want to see and do. I know I will return, but for now I need a change. These months I spent traveling along the coast of Australia were some of the best times! I will forever cherish these memories. And as always, the goodbyes are the hardest part.

I leave Australia with great memories, and even better friendships. As Jason Aldean puts it..."I'll see you when I see you, another place... another time."

Next stop…South America!:)