Unemployment and my first 2 weeks back in Aussie Land

As of today I have been firmly footed on the Aussie soil for two incredible weeks. The time has flown by, yet I already feel like I’ve been here for years. My trip so far has included a mini-road trip up the East Coast as well as a lot of time settling myself in my home, the Byron Shire. Until Thursday I was unemployed, which allowed me to fully embrace my new town and all that it comes with. To jump right into describing Byron Bay would do my last 2 weeks injustice, for the first few days helped to set my new life in Australia to a perfect tune. So let’s start there….

My time in Sydney was cut a day short by my delay in Washington D.C. but I was still able to make the best of the 24 hours or so that I did still have. The plane arrived 40 minutes ahead of schedule, putting me into Sydney at 7:00am, roughly 45 hours after departing Greensboro. Customs was a breeze (the customs agent didn’t even say one word to me…) and before I knew it I was in Joel’s van driving through the familiar streets of Sydney. We drove straight to the beach and I spent my first 2 hours in Australia watching the ocean and thanking my lucky stars to be back in this place that I love. The rest of the day was basically spent catching up with the few friends of mine who still remain in Sydney. My day ended with a group dinner in Newtown at my favorite Indian restaurant followed by a cityscape stargaze from a secret spot above the Broadway parking deck that Sam showed Me and Joel. I was surprisingly unaffected by jet lag, but the long days of travel had weakened my immune system and by the end of my first day in Sydney I had the beginnings of what became full-on nasal and chest congestion.

Not even in Australia for 10 hours and I died in the streets of Sydney.
Overwhelming happiness brought me to my end...

The next morning we drove half of our long trip up the coast towards Byron and landed in Seal Rocks for the rest of the day. 1 night, a quick visit with Joel’s old friends and a few surfing sessions (for Joel) later, we were back on the road for day 2 of the road trip. My head was still pounding from the cold that I picked up, so I attempted to sleep for most of our trip up the coast but I still managed to pop my head up for some great sights along the way… one of which being a stop at the Big Banana in Coffs Harbor. The last time I was in Australia with Joel he took me to the Big Prawn in Ballina by my request, so he planned to surprise me with the big banana so that I could tick off one more of my Big Things in Australia list. The day was full of driving and once we finally made it into Byron I was relieved to finally take my bags out of the van and call someplace home again.

A pit stop on the side of the road soley to enjoy the view.

The BIG Banana: #3 on my Big Things list!
Joel begged to be absent from the photo, but I insisted on his presence.

My amazing driver/tour guide.

Almost home to Byron.

Peace Love & Blueberry Express

Once we landed in Byron I was instantly in love with the town and this new life that I was to take part in. My house is incredible, with a pool, spa (hot-tub), Bali hut, coyfish pond, and heaps of space for me to make it my own. I'll be sure to post some pictures to show off my mini-mansion. But, other than spending time aquainting myself with the house/Byron, my new roommates Joel, and I made a point to see Byron beyond our beautiful Mansion. We made a few excursions to quarrys for cliff jumping and relaxing, to secluded beaches to spear ourselves some fresh fish for dinner, and to the Byron beaches for surf lessons. It took me about a week to stop pinching myself and to realize that this was all a reality. Here are a photos from my dream world in Byron Bay...

The Island Quarry is maintained by the Byron Shire Community as a public gathering space.

The boys checking out the small drop.
Richy, Joel, Ben, and Theo.

Ben's leap!

Local creatives also use the Quarry as an open art/expression space.

My Joely!

Joel and I at the top.

Tandem Jump!

The trusty Blueberry Express.

Joel's hair was getting a bit too unruly for the summer's heat.
A buzz seemed necessary.

An afternoon stroll at the beach and I found some pretty neat patterns.
This one was from a crab making a hole for himself. He very neatly rolled each ball and carried it to a specific spot. These were scattered all along the entire beach...

The wind made these lines in the sand...

Joel shredding in the surf!

A day trip out of town and to the Quarry near Ballina...

Jurone and Lehia's dog Tommy.
Since my childhood I've only had hamsters and cats as pets, so Tommy is my first dog!

Tommy has been learning new tricks.
His most recent have been shake and roll over.

Joel wasn't enjoying himself in the slightest...

This gives a bit of perspective for one of the jumps.
There were 2 higher jump options.

It's hard not to be happy in this place.

In almost no time at all I was able to find a job at a local hostel as a travel agent. The hostel is called Nomads Byron Bay and it was voted the best hostel in New South Wales.... Check it out! (If you go to this link, check out the middle-bottom photo. The Mad Travel Desk is where I work!)

"When you have time to spare, Go by air" -Frank Palmieri

Greetings from the City of Angels!

I am writing from my second free hotel room, 3 hours after the time that I was supposed to have arrived in Sydney. The trip started out easy in Raleigh with little to no hiccups, but it all went downhill in Washington. My itinerary was RDU-IAD-LAX-SYD, all neatly aligned with 2 hour layovers so that I should have adequate enough time to maneuver through the airports, but also not so much time that I would be stuck twiddling my thumbs in boredom. But, in this case nobody can plan for a canceled flight due to airplane maintenance. Because my flight from Dulles to LAX was the last with open seats, United was gracious enough to give me accommodation nearby, a meal voucher for $15, and a seat on the first morning flight out. My hotel was exquisite: a 5-star resort equipped with every amenity possible. It's just too bad that I had to wake up at 4:30am and get on a shuttle at 5am, otherwise I might have tried to enjoy my mini-vacation a little more. So travel day #1 did not end with me getting onto a 15 hour flight, but rather waiting in line, after line, after line just so I could wake up before the sun and do it all again today.

In the Raleigh Airport, bags checked and ready to go.

Last farewell with mum & pop.

Free hotel #1- Landsdowne Resort in Washington D.C.

Delayed in luxury.

The five hour flight put me into Los Angeles at 9:30 PST and instead of accepting my 13-hour LAX layover fate, I went to customer service and inquired about other flights that could be possible on other carriers. Unable to move me, being that my flight was the one and only flight to Sydney, they gave me another hotel and meal voucher so that I might spend my day in privacy and relaxation before the long flight. I graciously took their offer and now here I am surfing the web via free wifi, munching on a seared ahi-tuna salad, and watching the LA traffic from my seventh story hotel window. But I must say, this being my only visit to LA, I am not impressed with the suburban sprawl of this massive city. Sure, the 65 degree weather in November is a perk, but certainly not enough to make me want to move here. I think I've found a better place to spend Novembers in warmth...


Despite my travel woes, I've taken this opportunity to rise above and see the great in all of this!
• First, and most importantly, I am on my way to a new and exciting life... It is only fitting that my new life begins with the flight. Adventure is what I am searching for in Australia, so why not start now? It's trite but true: Life is not the destination, but the journey.
• Second- I've met some really interesting people that I otherwise would not have, but why is it that we only begin conversations with strangers when we are sharing in misery? Why can't we pause for a second, put down our ipods/computers/phones and have a conversation without needing a reason to? On my first flight I met a retired NCIS agent on his way to vacation in Italy, where he was once stationed while on duty. He and his wife will be on a cruise of the Mediterranean and along the way they plan to visit a number of archaeological digs with hopes of getting their hands dirty. Cool, huh?
I met a bloke who is in the air force and lives in LA but must fly into DC as regularly as twice a week to go to work in the Pentagon. I thought my 20 minute drive to work was a pain...
On the bus I met a young professional in the film business who is self-employed and successfully dodging the real-world by doing what he loves to do, minus the desk and big scary boss. His story was inspiring and made me look forward to finding that one thing that makes me insanely happy, and then making it my career. I'm certainly not ready for that career right now, but someday I will be. I know I'm doing what I need to do for me, for right now.
I also met this 19 year old who is a Professional gamer, sponsored and making thousands of dollars while traveling the country to compete in video games. I have to be honest, I had no idea that a major league of gamers existed, but I'm certainly not surprised. I can't identify with the video games or the lifestyle that he lives, but I can identify with his passion and his drive. I know I will never go pro at anything, but if I can live passionately doing the things I love then I don't need a title to validate my life.
• And third, United has treated me very very very well. The first 3/4 of my life was spent flying standby and at the mercy of an airline's available seating, so this experience has only strengthened my satisfaction in the purchase of my ticket. In such a circumstance as a standby passenger I would not only have been left to sleep in the airport, but probably would've never made it out of RDU in the first place. The purchase was well worth it, despite its hefty price tag.






But to take a step back, I must briefly recall my final months in the USA that have been filled with work, friends, goodbyes, music, and books. Of the four books that I am currently reading, Into The Wild has struck rather close to home. For you who have not read it or seen the movie, it is a true story about a boy my age who leaves his life entirely behind for an adventure on his own. He hitch-hiked to and around the Western United States and then finally to his ultimate destination: Alaska.

"The trip was to be an odyssey in the fullest sense of the word, an epic journey that would change everything. He had spent the previous four years, as he saw it, preparing to fulfill an absurd and onerous duty: to graduate from college. At long last he was unencumbered, emancipated from the stifling world of his parents and peers, a world of abstraction and security and material excess, a world in which he felt grievously cut off from the raw throb of existence. "
-Jon Krakaur on Christopher McCandless in Into The Wild

So here I am: on my own epic journey. Australia is my version of Christopher McCandless' Alaska. My West. My Wilderness. A journey into the unknown places of my heart and mind. Some days this 12 month adventure sounds like an eternity and other days it seems way too short. If it weren't for the amazing people that I have left behind in the US, I think I would leave forever. The goodbyes were definitely the hardest part of this process (although packing might tie for first), but I have to remind myself that there is no period in this story, just a comma. Life goes on and I will return sooner or later. I trust that my friends will be awaiting my arrival as much as I will be awaiting their welcoming hugs.


And now I leave you with a quote from Neal Cassidy to Jack Kerouac in one of my favorite books, On The Road.

"Now Jack we're leaving everything behind us and entering a new and unknown phase of things. All the years and troubles and kicks-- and now this! So that we can safely think of nothing else and just go on ahead with our faces stuck out like this, you see, and understand the world as, really and genuinely speaking, other Americans haven't done before us..."