Goodbye to my second home

Well, I cannot believe that my seven weeks in Australia are coming to an end. I suppose that you may all be wondering why I have only written three blog posts in the past seven weeks and the answer is quite simple: Australia truly is a second home. Just as I would have a hard time writing a blog about my occurrences in Boulder, the same is nearly true for Sydney. It is incredible to think that if I had never studied abroad in Sydney, I wouldn't have developed such an amazing relationship with my family down under! Now, I have my "Australian parents", Di and Geoff, and wonderful cousins in Sydney that I want to visit as much as possible! I guess it doesn't hurt that am able to stay in a gorgeous home with an amazing cook that just so happens to be a block away from the beach!

So then what have I been doing in Sydney? Well, these past few weeks I have been taking it easy. A couple weeks ago I went to hear the Dalai Lama speak in Sydney. When I had heard that he was coming I instantly knew that I wanted to go. I honestly knew nothing about the Dalai Lama, except that he was arguably the most important living figure for Buddhists. His talk was very interesting. He was such a humble man, warning us from the beginning that he didn't have the answers to the worlds problems, but rather, insight on how each person could better themselves. It was perfect timing to hear a talk like this just before continuing on my adventure.

Other than that, it has been many days of my favorite routine: beach, eat, sleep! Last weekend, we went to a monthly farmers market at the end of Darling Harbour and it was incredible! For all of you Boulderites, it was about five times as big as our farmers market with everything you could imagine. Afterwards, we went to the Sydney Fish Market to get some seafood for the weekend. The following day (Sunday), we all sat in Di and Geoffs back area, which feels like a tropical oasis, and had the most incredible meal. We had fresh mussels from the fish market in a delicious white wine and tomato sauce, and we even had shrimp on the barbie! This week, I did some last minute errands and got my final dose of Sydney! The weather was great, slightly better than the frigid cold temperatures I have been hearing about in Colorado, and I was able to do some beautiful scenic walks and admire all of the seasonal and Christmas festivities.

Sculptures by the Sea: Bondi

Christmas lights in the city

So, I hope you all understand that although I failed miserably at communicating my time in Sydney, it does not mean I think any less of the place. In fact, it is the opposite. I am so mesmerized by the city and the way it can capture your heart that I just cannot put it into words! But, please, if you have not spent time in Sydney, move that to the top of your to do list! I have already convinced my mom to come here. She is already planning a family vacation here for December 2010, so maybe if you play your cards right you can get an invite!

A goodbye hug from my adorable Aussie cousin!

With seven months left, expect to hear about all of the crazy adventures to come in the future! So long Australia, hello Asia!

Here is a quick look at whats ahead:

* On Monday, December 14, I leave for Thailand and will meet my sister at the airport at around midnight. Under normal circumstances, it would probably be a long, chaotic night, that may have consisted of sleeping in the airport. Given that our grandmother has a close friend that owns a hotel in Bangkok, we will be picked up and escorted to free accommodation at a beautiful hotel in the heart of the city! While this will do a poor job of preparing us for the dirt cheap lifestyle that we will have throughout our travels, I guess I can't complain!

* Two months of backpacking throughout Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. The only schedule we have is to get back to Bangkok on February 15 to catch our flight to India! We have an idea of all of the places we want to go, but we just need to figure out what will be the best route for us!

Have a wonderful holiday season and I will keep you posted!