Highs and lows

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On the road again... I appologize to everyone for my lack of updating lately. I suppose staying in one place for 8 weeks made me think I had not much to write about. Now I am sitting in a tiny flat in Athens eating a Greek salad (yes, I thought it fitting to order one, regardless if I was craving it or not) and realizing all the stories I haven't told about Australia yet. What an interesting country!!

First off, I used to say Australia was like Canada but with an accent (I would say this before actually being in the country). Silly me. Yes, it is comparable but you can't really compare apples to oranges (well, you can, but that is just dumb).

So, let me start with the city of Melbourne....my future home. Not even kidding, of all the cities I have been to, that is a top contender. It even rained the entire 3 days I was there, and I still loved it. The city planners started changing things up about 20 years ago, making rent in bad neighbourhoods absurdly cheap, so now there are districts with old, unique buildings housing tons of funky, eclectic shops. In the middle of the city there are outdoor cafe's sandwiched between huge skyscrapers. Overall just a great vibe and beautiful people.

I went to a show one evening and it was hilarious! Walked in and saw 11 men on stage, all with long hair and beards, playing their homemade instruments. One guy had a washboard slung around his neck while another band member was in the middle of the crowd with a huge pole decorated with bells and a boot taped to the bottom of it. Funniest sight, seeing him stomping the stick/boot for a hour amongst the crowd. I have a feeling anyone who is hippy enough and can carry a beat could join that band. It was a little unexpected taste of country redneck...made me miss Canada (ooh here I am, comparing Aus and Canada...contradicting myself).

Aside from that trip, I spent most of my time in Perth on the West Coast of Australia. This city is ripe for opportunity. So many people who live there work up in the mines and fly in and out (exactly like the oil fields in Alberta). Making Perth one of the most expensive cities in the world right now (I was told it is #3). (Oh and buying one avocado is $4.68...which is insane because they grow them there).

Beautiful thing about Perth is the scenery only several hours drive outside the city. Take a drive and you can go see some pretty unbelievable beaches, forests, outback, wineries, etc. I was lucky enough to get to go camping a couple times while I was there. OOH, and I finally saw my first Kangaroo on the side of the road. I actually saw five (4 were road kill). I didn't know this, but kangaroos are notorious for getting in the way of cars/trucks. I suppose so since the odds of seeing an alive kangaroo on the side of the road is only 1 in 5...

I will say I wasn't ready to leave Australia or start traveling again. Normally, I just go when I feel called but I had bought this ticket long ago, because I am meeting one of my best friends for 6 weeks through Greece, Turkey, and Israel. Being still in one place made me start thinking about what I wanted or where I would go after this crazy year adventure comes to an end. I know my life will never go back to what it was before (I expected as much). I still love change and challenges, because if you are not growing, you are dying. And lets be honest, growing is painful at times, but always worth it.

As I packed my bag up for the next leg of this journey, I realized this year of moving and following my heart/God's direction is not always easy. I know, it can look glamorous because I do get to see the most incredible sights in the world. But somedays, I just want to not live out of a backpack and as my friend Breanna said "it would be nice to have a nest". I certainly am not complaning, but I'd say after 7 1/2 months, it might be ok to have a few moments of being exhausted.

I guess that is me being honest and trying to keep you all up to date on my travels, the highs as well as the lows. Speaking of highs, I am about to go to the airport and pick up Lindsay! Wow, I am crying with gratitude that I get to share the experience of seeing this part of the world with her. I know it will be incredible! And it is still a journey of faith, and I have learned so much already, and know there is so much more to come!

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