BRIS-VEGAS!!

Day 5 (Thursday)

A late night didn’t hold us back. By 10am we were in the waters surfing again. The paddle out seemed like miles, but hey, it was a good workout. Once we were past the break, I realized I was the only girl. Cha ching, props to me! Though, I will admit, I couldn’t keep up with the boys. All the guys were tearing it up and I was tired, a bit hung over, and am really just not that great of a surfer. Even with all that, I was having a blast. It’s always fun being in the water even if you don’t catch a wave all day. It’s very peaceful to sit on your board bobbing up and down and gazing off into the never ending blue. The ocean looks like it goes on forever. There are always a few small chats with the surfers around you, but really it’s all about the connection between you and nature.

Around one we headed south searching for more waves. We checked out a few beaches, but nothing was breaking well so we settled with an hour nap on the beach. After being well rested we hit the road and Bris-vegas here we come!! We rolled into the city looking fly in our hippie-mobile. A few U-turns later we found ourselves outside Rhyannon’s apartment. Meeting Rhyannon is a cool, but goofy story. I met her in the airport in Cairo. We chatted for awhile and were on the same flight from Cairo to Bangkok and then Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur. We exchanged facebook information on the slight chance we’d cross paths again. Sure enough she was our connection in Brissy. It was amazing hanging out with her! We both were still in awe that we were together again. Rhyannon is a very generous, great sheila. She grew up in a small town a few hours north of Brisbane and now is going to school in the city. Her apartment was gorgeous! It had an amazing view of the skyline. We chatted it up and then grabbed some grub.

That night we met some of her friends and pre-gamed in the apartment. Not long after, we were strutting down the streets of Brisbane. We had walked out of reality and into a 90’s movie. I felt as if I was an extra on “10 Things I Hate About You” or “SLC Punks”. The east cost style is separated into three categories. You have the hipsters of Melbourne, the classy and stylish Sydney, and the 90’s grunge of Brisbane. The bars were even playing to 90’s music too! Rhyannon said it was just the bar, but I’m a tad bit skeptical of that idea;  I thought it was most of the city. We danced and danced until sweat covered our faces and then continued to dance. After awhile we popped in a taxi ready to pass out. The next morning was a short goodbye and Cole and I were off to Bryon Bay.

NOOOOSAAA

I apologize for the delay, but here's some more of EAR... and there will still be more to come!

Day 4 (Wednesday)

We woke in the morning with a delightful surprise of not being ticketed for overnight parking in the park. We drove into the town of Agnes and had our first surf sess. SO MUCH FUN! No wetty, nothing; Just us, our boards, and the waves. I loved it! I named my board (6’ 10”) Bernice. She was a lot of fun and the perfect size… not a long board but a long short board. By noon we were back on the road Noosa Heads bound.

Just before sunset, we drove into  the town of Noosa. Cole was driving like a mad man in a hurry to get to the beach. I thought it was because he was so excited to surf, but really he just had to pee very badly. We pulled up in the parking lot, dropped our clothes, grabbed the boards and hit the waters. We only had about 45 minutes of surfing, but it was so worth it! Sunset surfing is hands down the best. It’s absolutely beautiful!

After checking out our options of hostels (we camped in their parking lots), we settled with the  one closest to the beach. Cole was exhausted so he hit the sack pretty early. I, on the other hand, met some friends at the hostel and then hit a bar. I trampled in with a crew of about 10. The bar wasn’t packed at all… actually pretty empty, but it was filled with fun people. We danced the night away. After dancing was over, myself, a friend, and the bar tender continued our adventures at the beach working on our moon tans. We frolicked with the waves and then went pool hopping through all the beach front hotels. It wasn’t until 5 am when I scrambled back into the camper.

Wow. Sometimes you just have to stop and take a deep breath, look around, and say damnnn am I lucky or what?!  One must always remember how lucky they are. No matter who you are, you always have something to be thankful for. Count your blessings for one day you may not have them. Look around at the people you surround yourself with. Be thankful for the wonderful family you have and the great friends and how all these people together make a magnificent support group. Bad things happen to everyone. Don’t get hung up on them. Life goes on. Though, it’s important to learn from these things. I believe you should take something from every experience. It’s always worth learning a lesson and growing. The bad days make the good day that much better. Being sick reminds you of how good you feel when you’re healthy.

Thanks mom and dad for opening my eyes to traveling! Thank you for the support! I’ve learned so much about the world and about myself. I have become addicted to traveling and now don’t want to stop : ) There are always places to see and people to meet. One day I’ll settle down, but for now the world is my backyard!

The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones that do.

~Steve Jobs

The one and only Frosty Mango!

Day 3 (Tuesday)

Somehow, not even the gods know why, but I was up and at’em by 7:30 am and surprisingly Cole hadn’t killed me for waking up so early and making him move to the front seat so I could drive. We were on the road by 8 am for this day we sacrificed to driving. From Airlie Beach to Seventeen Seven Beach/Agnes Waters we only stopped to get petrol and for the FROSTY MANGO. 

The Frosty Mango was a little souvenir shop/café on the side of the road in the middle of absolutely nowhere! We originally only joked about going, but when we saw the mango trees right next to the restaurant there was no other option other than stopping. I had the most delicious ice cream I’ve ever had. It was so fresh that it even had mango fibers in it… now, THAT’S FRESH!

We cruised into 1770 at dusk and immediately drove to the highest point for an ocean view. We spent the rest of the night at the park eating dinner and sipping on brews with another traveling crew. Stories, advice, and life views were all shared until we hit the hay.