What does it feel like to go home?

I arrived in Australia October 28, 2009.

I depart Australia May 22, 2010.

Wow, I did it. Nearly seven months, I did it. I did it. I did it!

I am so proud of myself, I achieved respect, gained friendships, made life changing decisions daily and I'm coming home safe. (Well a couple scratches, a few bites, but only minor. Managed to stay away from the spiders and snakes!) So what does it feel like to go home? A relief.

Home

A bed guaranteed to be home, a real home, a home I can always go back to no matter what. Comfort, my family and friends, hugs. Not living out of a backpack. Not eating meals alone. I am so happy, so excited, that I am not getting much sleep in the night.

Home

To be honest, I have felt more alone the closer I get to going home. These last few days, anticipation lingers and utterly leaves you disappointed. In the sense that as you count down your time left in Oz, your still alone for that much longer.

Home

But conformity comes with traveling, and my travels have not ended. While I am sure to find myself content while in Atlanta, my venture continues nine days later. On June 1 I move to England with Matt (not to forget a small 4 day trip to Ireland with my girls Deborah and Trish to get the European party started). I will not technically be a backpacker anymore, we will be stationary in a town outside of London about 1.5 hrs Southwest of the city, then we will move into London come fall for him to start his MBA.

Home

What does this mean? I go home, then I start a life in a new home. My life adventure continues, and I could not be happier.

HOME

Promo video

And for some uber humiliation...

This was techinically my first job in the Whitsundays. As I was interested in scuba diving, I did a promo/sale video to go online on the clients website. Beware of the flying projecticles! And it only took one take.

My Vantage Domain

Some of my breathtaking glimpses of beautiful Australia.

Picture locale chronologically:

1. From speed boat looking onto mainland Australia, around the corner from Shute Harbor, Queensland.

2. Foreground - Sugarcane fields. Background - rolling hills of Queensland norte of Airlie Beach, sur of Bowen.

3. Off my back yard balcony Cannonvale, Airlie Beach, Queensland overlooking Whitsunday Islands and Able Point Marina.

4. Infamous Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, QLD

5. Shute Harbor tropcial bush walk vantage, Airlie Beach, QLD

6. Whitehave Beach

7. Whitehaven Beach with mid afternoon shower

8. Storm bruing on flatlands, south of Airlie

9. Abandoned tracks outside Airlie

10. Cloud blanketed sky, Plants Whitsunday, sunset

11. Summit of high hill, a National Park in Hurstbridge, north of Melbourne, Victoria. Suffered from massive bushfire Feb. 2009. Charred tree tops and vegetation regrowth are visible.

12. Sunrise, Proserpine, QLD.

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Great Ocean Road

The Great Ocean Road, honestly... is not that much of an ocean road. While you obtain spectacular views for, perhaps, half of the venture - the other half of the road is just slightly inland a couple hundred meters off the cliff/shore line, through some farm land or through small towns. But that makes since right? You can't have a road right on the 100+ meter cliffs... can you?

Yes you can.

The Great Ocean Road lives up to its name when you sit back, and take in its spectacular being. Going into it with trying not to preconceive any notions on what you think it may look like, the outcome is 'awe' rewarding.

Matt and I set out for the day from Melbourne, 1.5 hours south of the city, (and without getting lost) we traveled "the Road." Matt went in to race mode for a bit in our rental car pictured above, took the corners like a champ and even a bit quick on some. When a single guard rail stands 2ft. tall to protect you from a rocky cliff and a cold Pacific Ocean, you tend to focus more on the panoramic views ahead.

An hour plus later, we made it to the 12 Apostles which are stretched over kilometers of coastline- so you drive to each of the Apostles locations. You park in 'car parks' and take a nice walk to a scenic lookout which you saw in the videos. Only eight Apostles remain standing as tall rock and sediment formations that cascade along the breaking waves off the shore line, so we traveled to many different locations and pulled off the road to seek out all the Apostles we could find - upright. Upon looking on wind and waters combined efforts of erosion, one can see how a small base can only hold for so long until its 'Jenga like topple' will occur.

Another keen observation when gazing on the horizon... Antarctica seemed not so far away.

Never-the-less: The weather was great and we enjoyed our day trip. The cool part was taking in the views on the way back to the city as well from the other direction.

So what do you need when you go on the great ocean road...? Rent a car for the day to decide when and where you would like to stop (so you are not at the will of a bus tour and time limits), good music, snacks, a lot of memory card space on your camera, decent shoes, a sun shiny day, and a kick ass "G'day" in an Aussie accent.

So, will Matt and I go back and venture again on the Great Ocean Road... ?

OH YES... and on motor bikes too.

____

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