I Made It

Wow, the trip is over. I am writing this from my own computer, in my own room, and with all the comforts of home. It has been a crazy experience over the past few months, but God has been good, and now I get to start a new chapter.

For those of you who have been following along in my adventure, I'll catch you up through the end of the trip:

After spending a great week in Manly Beach, I hesitantly left the comforts of staying in a nice place with people I know, and took a flight up the coast to Ballina airport, where I caught a short bus ride to my destination, Byron Bay. I had been told that I had a place to stay with a friend of a friend, and that I didnt need to book a place to sleep, but it never materialized. I found the only room in town for only one night. I was a little discouraged running around by myself carrying my backpack, and ended up wandering down to the beach to compose myself after the day of traveling. I realize this may not sound like much of a trial, and it really wasnt bad, but it was a stern realization that I was traveling alone, and had to make things happen for myself.


The whole experience turned out to be a great time. I found a much nicer hostel down the road for the next couple nights and met some fun people. I even managed to rent a surfboard and surfed at "the pass" which is the main point at Byron. At this point, my experience with Byron really turned around for the better, as I surfed for hours at a sandy bottom, Rincon-esq wave in trunks talking to everyone out in the water who seemed to all get along perfectly despite the chaos of different surfing abilities. Those of you reading this who surf can definitely appreciate this phenomenon of harmony. It was a few fun days of surf, good hostel conversations, and some town exploring before taking the bus up to the Gold Coast.

I met another friend of a friend who showed me the epitome of good Australian hospitality, giving me a free place to sleep, buying meals and drinks, and extending my stay. It was a relief to feel so welcome, and a treat to be staying 100 yards from a really fun beachbreak... I also walked around a little in the Gold Coast, strolling through the infamous Surfer's Paradise, which is an overly touristy stretch of town where the surf out front actually isnt good at all. This was really the end of my trip, and it was a great spot to relax and reflect on the past few months. I wrote alot in my journal, prayed about my next steps, and just enjoyed the feeling of being away. Although this was an easy place to want to stay for a long time (air= 90, water=82, sunrise=5am, sunset=9pm, beautiful) I had already booked tickets home, and felt ready to make the return journey.

I stopped for a night to visit my friend Christian's parents in the slower paced Sunshine Coast, where I caught a flight back to Sydney, and from there over to Hawaii. Go figure I actually saved a couple hundred dollars on a return ticket by stopping over in Hawaii, as compared to flying direct to California... I stayed with cousins and other extended family, and had a blast sharing stories of the past few months, and enjoying some of the familiar luxuries such as BBQ's and modern transportation on the right side of the road. It was a great chance to unwind some more and shake off the jet lag.

I came back to the states feeling relaxed. I think the transition period was a big help in dealing with the inevitable culture shock. The reunions with family and some friends already have been a blessing. I am excited to share more of my stories and hopefully bring many of you closer to the rest of the world through my experiences.

Thanks to all of you who read/replied/ acknowledged/ complimented this blog!!! Your prayers and emails and phone calls have all given me perseverance and a sense of connection while I was traveling. I am flattered that you have taken the time to read about my adventures, and eagerly await swapping stories with many of you about the past 4 months!