This past week my rents came to visit!! They arrived on the 2nd and I met them in Sydney to start our travels. We spent two days exploring Sydney, seeing the harbor and as many beaches as we could squeeze in. We then flew up to Cairns to start our east coast road trip. We spent two days in Cairns, one exploring the area and driving up to Port Douglas and the next day doing a boat tour out to the Great Barrier Reef. The boat for the tour we booked wasn't the shiniest in the lot, but it had a lot of character and was perfect for the day. We spent the day riding out to the reef and snorkeling in different spots. The next day we drove down to Townsville, stopping at waterfalls and bakeries for some authentic Aussie meat pies along the way. We then drove down to Airlie Beach where we took a tour out to Whitehaven beach and spent the day on the sand exploring and learning about the Whitsunday Islands. The sand was insanely soft and the water was a whole new shade of blue. Finally we headed down to Melbourne so I could show them around the place I have been lucky enough to call home for 4 months. We explored the Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island and all my favorite places in the city. It was a perfect trip with two of my favorite people and I am so grateful for them coming to see me and getting lost amongst the koalas and kangaroos with me.
Side blurb: This week I celebrated my 21st birthday. 21 for me marks a new era, a new chapter to grow and learn, a coming and ending of times. I have come so far and learnt so much in 21 years. About self love and respect and how following your heart and passions can lead you on some pretty amazing adventures. I've learnt of family and kindness, of friendships and empathy and of what happens if you take a chance. I've learnt that time goes by way to fast and that no matter how much I love planning, I can't plan every second of my life. Some of my favorite memories are of the moments where I did something wildly spontaneous and got completely caught in the moment, where I let go of control and just trusted. I've learnt that positivity and joy are a choice, that mountain tops offer a whole new sense of clarity, and that there is so many amazing places and people to meet in the world. Most importantly I have learnt how insanely lucky I am to be living the life I am. So here's to many more years of laughing way to much, making mistakes, exploring the world, letting go and enjoying the crazy ride.
5 meat pies, 3 dance jams, 1 stinger suit, 2 bags of chicken chips, 1 snorkel, 2 boats, 3 waterfalls, 1 epic road trip, 3 rad Canadians, 10 koalas, 1 Great Ocean Road, 5 cities, 15 beaches, 20 long blacks, 2 cars, 4 checked bags, 1 boom netting ride and several car jams later I am filled with so much love for my rents. Them coming to visit and letting me show them the place I have fallen in love with was the greatest gift. They are a huge reason why I am not afraid to go on new adventures and move to new cities. They teach me every day to give it my all and not be afraid to jump into the unknown. Also they are the stinking' cutest couple there is. Love you both so insanely much.
Cheers - keleniak
p.s. Before this experience I promised myself I would do one new/possibly scary thing a week: This week that was snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef - so freaking cool!