After an action- packed week by the beach, I have learned a few things. 1) I really need to take advantage of all the ocean activities I have enjoyed here when I get home. I learned to surf, went ocean kayaking with dolphins, morning yoga on the sand, running on the shoreline, and even just reading my book while listening to the waves. All these things made me happy, but they are all at home and I never actually do them. 2) there are no pennies here. I'm no...

Getting up for a 7 am coach to the blue mountains was so incredibly worth it. The views were so gorgeous I don't have the words to describe them. Being in rainforest patches at the top of Wentworth Falls where you could see into the eucalyptus forest is surreal. Or skirting the edge of Lincoln Rock to see the car some drunk guys pushed off the edge down to the valley below was a terrifying sense of vertigo. Picnicking at the park below Leural Cascades is qui...

Staying in a cabin on land that rescues exotic birds and animals, I was awoken by the biggest rooster I've ever met for false dawn. I went to chill with Josie, the resident kangaroo, while drinking my coffee. After breakfast we hopped in the 4wd for travel to the local national park where we sand boarded down the dunes. Of course I was embarrassingly terrified ( think how I was my first time snowboarding). Next we cruised to the beach where we raced pippies...

I actually made it! Finally touching down in Australia was almost surreal. All that planning and I actually made it. The shuttle was easy to figure out and I was set up pretty easy. The hostel is better than I executed. There are 10 people in my room but I couldn't have asked for nicer roommates. They are super inclusive. Some of them have been here for a while. I have somehow made every mistake I was warned about before coming. My first day at the bea...