28 September 2012

My Kinda Paradise

I fell in love with Surfers Paradise. Madly, deeply, in love. I seriously think Surfers Paradise is the long lost love of my life. So much so, that I had to force a temporary separation between myself and Surfers. I didn't want to, and it broke my heart, but in the name of love sometimes you have to do things you just don't want to do. 

I really only ever planned to spend four nights in Surfers Paradise. I figured I would spend a few days at the beach perfecting my Australian tan, have a few crazy nights out in the iconic nightlife Surfers is known for and then be on my way, hungover and tan. Obviously I hadn't been struck by the love bug when I made this plan.

The first best thing I did in Surfers Paradise was check in to the hostel Surf n Sun. After two amazing days as a guest at Surf n Sun I literally stumbled upon a job opportunity at the hostel. Stumbled upon meaning one of the managers offered me the job around 1:00am whilst we were in a nightclub. The next morning I shrugged the conversation off, thinking there was no way it could be legit, until I was woken up by that very same manager coming into my room and telling me to get dressed for work. And so work began.

In exchange for free accommodation, I was vacuuming the guest rooms each morning, six days a week. Living for free, becoming a part of the staff, enjoying heaps of discounts at the hostel and being able to extend my stay in Surfers? Not a bad deal at all! I started work at 9:30 each morning and by 11:30 the day was all mine. I spent my days worshipping the sun (first by the hostel pool and then down to the beach once the sun was blocked by the tall buildings surrounding Surf n Sun), exploring the town, going out for girly cocktail dates, bonding with my new Surf n Sun family and of course having some amazing nights out with the hostel. Surf n Sun became my home away from home and the people I worked with became my temporary Australian family. To say it in as little words as possible, I was having the time of my life.

But, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. My biggest concern about staying in Surfers Paradise too long was, unfortunately, money. While I was saving money by not paying rent, I was still spending money that was not being replenished. Surfers Paradise was only my second stop along the East Coast and I feared I would spend all my money in Surfers before making it any further. On that same note, when I decided to come back to Australia my biggest priority (and regret for not doing so last time) was to travel. As I have said before, I left Australia feeling unsatisfied with my trip and once I was home I could not shake the feeling of how badly I wanted to see the East Coast of Australia. So when I came back, my first and main goal was to travel. And while I was loving every single minute in Surfers Paradise, I was also getting itchy feet to travel again. Staying in Surfers any longer would mean settling down, finding a job that paid actual money and taking on some responsibility. And I just wasn't quite ready to do that. I still wanted to be a carefree backpacker.

So, against my own will, I booked myself a bus out of Surfers to continue on with my journey. I didn't want to leave Surfers Paradise,  and I already miss it terribly, but it is just what I had to do. My job at Surf n Sun will be waiting for me when I finish my East Coast trip, and at that point in time I can move into the hostel, find a proper job and embrace everything there is to love about Surfers Paradise. But for now my love affair is on a temporary hold while I discover more hidden gems in Australia.

But, oh Surfers, how I can't wait to come back to you and fall in love all over again! <3


12 September 2012

A No Shoe Wearing, Marijuana Smoking, Guitar Jamming Kinda Town

If you time warped Santa Cruz, CA back to its original form during the 60s and 70s, you would be in a replica of Byron Bay. A tiny little beach town almost 500 miles north of Sydney, Byron Bay is like no place I have ever been.

Really, it's the people that make this place what it is. A head full of dreadlocks, feet the color of the ground they walk on, and pants that look like they came from Aladdin's wardrobe, Byron Bay attracts hippies from all over the world. When I first got to Byron, I felt very out of place. Blow drying my hair in the communal bathroom, it felt as if every girl was staring at me like I was an alien from the 21st century. And what can I say, while I have no judgements towards people who choose the hippie lifestyle, it's  just not my cup of tea.

I stayed at The Arts Factory Hostel - a magnet for hard-core hippies promoting hostel camping. For non-hippies types such as myself there were standard dorm rooms to sleep in, but for those who want to become one with nature during their stay in Byron they can sleep in the Big Teepee (which is exactly what it sounds like) or pitch a tent and camp out on the hostel grounds. Aside from the varied sleeping arrangements the hostel is home to fearless roosters wandering the grounds who will steal your food the minute you are not looking as well as large dinosaur-looking Iguanas who like to stare you down while you eat your brekkie.

While the hippie lifestyle isn't really for me, being immersed in it was quite an experience that I am glad I had. In line with the culture of Byron Bay, the hostel hosted a "camper-wide" talent show one night during my stay. From accoustic singing with the guitar to a puppet show with dolls to the sound of the didgeridoo, any and all talent was welcome. While enjoying the show I met a group of people also staying at the hostel and we all bonded over listening to the music and drinking goon.

After the show was over my new friends and I decided to carry on. And as we sat around a table, drinking our goon, getting to know each other and jamming to the guitar, more people began to join us. From a German boy on the ground playing his drum in tune to the guitar, to the French man joining in on the ukulele to the ever growing group of hippies dancing around us, we all came together to enjoy the music and the company. And as I sat around watching this scene unfold around me, I thought "I'm here. I've finally made it back to Australia and I am sooo happy to be here."

One of the things I missed most about traveling was the people you meet. Not only do you have the chance to meet people from all over the world, but people who are traveling are so open and friendly to everyone they may cross paths with. Cliques don't exist, backstabbing and drama is a foreign concept and pre-conceived judgements are thrown out the window. Because no matter who I may meet along this trip, we all have one thing in common: the love for travel.

As all good things must come to an end, I decided 3 nights was plenty of time for me in Byron Bay. I have currently made it to Surfers Paradise, which is the beginning of the Gold Coast in Queensland. Time to put the shoes back on, leave nature outside and see what Surfer's Paradise has to offer!

08 September 2012

Traveling Blues

So I've arrived in Sydney. Getting here on the 15 hour flight was, again, not as bad as Anxious Abby pre-determined it would be. Shocking, I know.

When I planned my return to Sydney I decided I would stay at a different hostel than the one I spent so much time at last time around. I really wanted a fresh start, and thought a less familiar hostel would serve that purpose. In hundsight, maybe this was not the best idea ever as the hostel I found is quite a dud. Not very social or friendly and I haven't met anyone via the hostel. As hostels are the best way to meet people in Australia, it's quite unfortunate that this hostel didn't really give me what I needed.

I tried very hard not to let the lack of a good hostel situation set a negative tone for my trip. After all, Sydney was only ever supposed to be a place for me to kick the jet lag. But the hardest part about coming back to Sydney was how familiar it was. Being here doesn't really make me feel like I've started my adventure. I spent almost three months here last time, and I saw everything, if not more, of what I wanted to see in Sydney. There's nothing new and exciting about this city for me.

It has definitely been difficult to start my trip on such a lonely note. I am still a tad bit jet lagged and I think the exhaustion is definitely a key factor in my emotions getting the best of me. I wanted this trip to be a learning tool for me. An adventure that would not only be memorable, but that would teach me to be independent and self-reliant. Unfortunately, learning those lessons definitely comes with a few lonely days and nights.

I am trying very hard to confront my emotions head on and not let them determine my trip or my attitude. My emotions got the best of me last time and that definitely jaded my trip. I am constantly reminding myself that these feelings will not last forever, that I am capable of doing this, that I want to be here and most importantly to take the pressure off myself when things don't fall into place immediately. Because you know what? Getting through times like these is what's going to really make this trip a learning experience for me. And while I may fight with my emotions, in the end I am going to win this battle. This was my chance to hit the do-over button, which means not slipping back into the same patterns I succumbed to the first time around. Because as I saw, letting negative emotions take over was neither healthy nor productive. I am stronger then the hard times and I know I am capable of getting through them.

Today is my last day in Sydney, and tonight I hop on a 12-hour overnight Greyhound bus to Byron Bay. Can't believe four days ago I was on a 15-hour plane ride and here I am, barely un-jet lagged, and hopping on a miserable bus ride. I think I am in for quite a fun night!