The world is a small place. No matter where you find yourself, it seems that someone you
know has been there, or knows someone who has. Traveling opens your eyes to new ways of living, new ways of
life, introduces you to new people, and makes you thankful for everything you
have. 
After Alex left, and I watched him rise to the second floor
on the escalator to make his final boarding call, I was picked up at the
airport by a girl I feel I’ve known for years. A girlfriend of mine that I have known for my whole life,
Erin Anweiler, is a figure skater.
She has skated nationally, and at world competitions. A few years ago, she was in Australia
and met and lived with a girl named Anne.
They became insta-friends, and are still in communication almost daily, regardless
of the distance! As soon as Erin
knew I was going to be in Australia, she connected Anne and I and we have been
in touch for a few weeks now! Anne
lives in the Brisbane area, and this worked perfectly for us to meet up and
hang out after Alex had left. 
Anne picked me up shortly after 5pm at the Brisbane Domestic
Airport, in a Mazda identical to the one I sold before my trip! It’s an Aussie Luda! (That’s what I
named my car!) Exact same colour,
tinted windows and everything. It
felt strange sitting on what was the driver’s side in my Luda, while Anne
escorted me around via the “passenger side!” We got lost in conversation immediately! It’s so great to feel like you just
walk in to a natural friendship! 
After putting ourselves into food comas, we did our best to
waddle back down where we’d come from, passing Kangaroo Point and worked off
some of our chocolate feast, since we had to make room for dinner! Dessert
before dinner? Why not? We walked along a huge rock face, where
there were heaps of people climbing and watching. The rocks were all lit up for the evening adventurists! We had to sprint quickly for a ways to
catch a free city hopper boat that took us across the river, and into Eagle
Street Pier, where we walked to Queen Street Mall to grabs some eats at an
Italian restaurant called Vapiano!
This restaurant was unlike any restaurant I’ve ever been to. When you walk in, you’re handed a small
two sided menu, with all different types of pizzas and pastas and salads and
drinks available. You’re also
handed a card, like a hotel room key, but this is your bill! You find a lineup for your desired
meal, and when it’s your turn to order, you tell the chef and then swipe your
card! The balance will carry for
the evening, and you pay upon exit!
All food is made at the restaurant, and is all so fresh! Each table even has planted herbs for
your usage if you so wish. Anne
and I split Rucola Raviolis, (ravioli with rocket at ricotta, cherry tomatoes
and pine nuts), and con espinache pizza! (oils and spinach and garlic,
tomatoes, basil, pesto, feta and prawns!) 
After dinner, we walked back and caught the hopper back across the
river. We walked back to the car,
and headed to Anne’s apartment. I
must add that the conversation hasn’t even paused until this point! We both have the gift of the gab, and
enjoyed each other’s company!
Anne’s little kitten Tilly was thrilled for us to be home. She was a rescue kitten, and was Anne’s
birthday present in mid-December.
Tilly is a gorgeous little kitten, with the most unique colouring I’ve
ever seen. She’s got a light brown
coat, with little stripes here and there of black, with a rusty brown that
zigzags all over her body, and consumes her back left leg. She’s beautiful, and is quite the
little lioness! Sleep was much
needed for both of us, and was eventually needed for Tilly after playing in the
shoes and clothes, and after hunting a few bugs. 
In the morning, Anne and I went out for breakfast together
at a restaurant called Vagelis, where Anne had some eggs benedict, and I had
some French toast with fresh fruit and loads of syrup, of course! Anne dropped me at the Central train
station so I was able to catch my train to Noosa, and headed to work. Anne is a Personal Trainer Manager at a
gym in Brisbane, and is so happy and motivated! Such a happy soul, and I understand why she and Erin clicked
so well. I had definitely met
another gem along my journey, and will undoubtedly be keeping in touch with
her. 
The train up to the Sunshine Coast isn’t as direct as
getting on in Brisbane and getting off in Noosa. Transfers are required, but are pretty straightforward…
until you think you’ll be wise to look up a “better” system. I figured I’d go a little further on
the train than what the “journey planner” had outlined for me, and get on the
bus I would have caught anyways, further along it’s route, saving me from some
too-windy roads on a coach bus.
Luckily, after sitting on a sidewalk under the protection of a big leafy
tree for a little over thirty minutes, the bus came! Matt was the lucky random recipient of a verbal diarrhea
phone chat, which he’s used to! It
was around 40 degrees, so by the time the bus arrived, I was pretty enthused to
get onto an air-conditioned bus. 
Finally arriving at the Noosa Junction stop, I pulled my bags up the
steepest hill ever. No
exaggerating, it’s a 45 degree angle, so pulling a wheely bag up the hill
backwards had my knuckles sore from holding on so tightly, in fear I’d let go
and it would end up back at the terminal.
But I made it! I found my
sleepy friend Lindsey having a nap!
We caught up for a bit, before her boyfriend Mitch got home. We accompanied Mitch to a local tattoo
shop here, where he got some new ink dedicated to his grandparents. It’s a really beautifully done Bonsai
tree, with anniversaries of their passing. Lindsey and Mitch both eventually had to go to work that
evening, so I spent part of the evening relaxing and reading, and
Ended up passing out around 10:30pm.
On Thursday morning, Mitch was up and out the door for an
early shift, leaving Linds and I to sleep in a bit! When we got up, we had some breakfast together on the deck
then got ourselves together for a fantastic hike through Noosa National
Park. It was breathtaking! The paths rim the sea, and we stopped
along the way to snap some pictures and take in the scenery. The sky was cloudless, and the breeze
kept us cool while we walked. We
walked the blue trail you can see on the map, stopping at Tea Tree Bay, Dolphin
Point, and turning around at Hell’s Gate, which gave us a perfect view of
Alexandria Bay. Around where it
says Picnic Cove, there are the neatest Fairy Pools that you can climb down to
and swim in when the tide is out.
When the tide is in, the wide and deep cuts in the rocks are covered by
the surface of the water, and are full, but exposed when the tide is out. I explained it to Mama like this: it would be like filling a bowl with water, then setting it on the bottom of the sink, then filling the sink. When you pull the plug in the sink, the bowl will still be full of water. :) Since the pools are always full of
water, algae and some ocean vegetation exists, and clings to the rocks. The wind was a little strong, rippling
the water, which prevented us from a clear view down into the pool through a
calm water’s surface. Regardless,
I went for a swim, and the water level hugged my shoulders and earlobes. It was a slippery climb out, but I
managed! We were joined by a
friend of Mitch and Lindsey’s named Mic, who visited with us for a while before
continuing his run back to the parking lot. 
We ended up meeting back up with him once we’d made our way
back, and he brought our attention to a huge Guana that was being fed by a
picnic table where we had parked the car!
This beast was huge, and isn’t someone you snuggle with. Mitch got pictures of one that was
similar in size devouring a possum just over a week ago near the house. Mic treated Lindsey and I to lunch and a
few drinks at the Noosa Surf Club (which you can also see on my little cute
map!) The food was incredible, and
the company was great. Lots of
laughs. We had to get back to the
house so Linds could get ready for work, and I headed to Big W (Aussie Walmart)
for a few things, and to print the lovely pictures of “Allison’s Trip to the
Zoo!” When I got back, the boys
offered me a Corona, which I obviously accepted, and we got into a game of Uno
and had a few drinks together.
Lindsey brought home some pizza, and we called it a night!
Like myself, Lindsey loves to write. On Friday morning, we met up on the
balcony, had a tea, and caught up on our writing. Unlike myself, Lindsey keeps the most amazing journals! They have everything pasted into them
from receipts and old tickets to pictures and even shells! Amazing. I finished organizing the pictures I was mailing home amongst
a few other things, and we had some breakfast before getting ourselves
beach-ready and made our way down to Sunshine Beach for a few hours, stopping
in at the Post Office quickly. The
beach was great! The breeze kept
us cool, and was such a nice relief from the humidity in town and in the
house. We did a grocery shop, then
headed home. I made one of my
favourite dishes: One Dish Taco!
Lindsey approved, but Mitch was at work, so he definitely missed
out. Lindsey and I watched The
Fighter, killed a bag of popcorn, and went to bed shortly after Mitch got home.
The times I find myself sitting alone on a balcony,
listening to the choir of birds, cicadas, and breezes blowing through the
leaves of the surrounding trees are the nights I enjoy the most. They allow me time to think, reflect,
remember and most importantly, organize my mind. It’s a machine in motion at all times, and that makes me who
I am. Always thinking, processing
my days had and days to come.
Today, Lindsey and I were down at Sunshine Beach for a few hours
together. She’s definitely a
friend that understands conversation, and the simplicity and beauty of
silence. She is an extremely
admirable person, who volunteers while she travels the world – something many
backpackers can’t factor into their travels either based on time, or
money. But Lindsey has got time
management down to an art, and through her travels, really changes lives,
whether directly or indirectly. I
should take a few leafs out of her life notebook of values and morals. Even though she and I think very
similarly, and share several personality traits, I truly admire and respect the
amount of volunteering she does while she travels. She spent eight weeks in South Africa volunteering and
teaching kids to surf! She has helped
at a women’s shelter. She’s currently volunteering weekly at a second hand
store that raises money for a suicide hotline. Those examples only scratch the surface. Her heart is huge, and I’m really
fortunate to know such a determined, ambitious person, with such a love of life
and desire to learn.
Next chapter for me starts now! The family that I met through Alex, the Girlder family, has
invited me to live with them and live with them while I find some work in
Toowoomba! Talk about a
blessing! They are the sweetest
family, and the kids are so well raised and polite. Dave and Rachel are lovely, and are such a dynamic and
lovely couple. I’m really excited
for their company! I will find
some work in Toowoomba, likely regional work of some sort. I will have some updates by next week!
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!
A shout out to my little martian! I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!
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