Australia: the summary

Exactly 5 days until I leave Australia. I will have been here 6 months by the time I board that plane. Its currently the weekend at the Urquhart house in Werris Creek, the sun is shining, the mag pies coo and the geckos stare at me through the screen on the window. All these foreign to my home in the beautiful North West United States, but has somehow become natural. I believe I will have a bit of reserve culture shock when I finally immerse myself back into my own culture, certain words and what side of the road to drive on for starters.

I came to Australia for a few reasons, I bought my ticket on impulse and when I realized what I did a few months later I started organizing my trip which changed about 16 times. I finally set the date to September 3rd and had a plan for when I got there and when I was going to leave. Well that plan changed about 31 times and here I am, its middle of summer in February, my skin is a color that I didn’t know existed, an 8 year old is asking me what a “tortilla” is and I’m watching the Olympics in Australia. You can’t plan anything when you travel, and that’s just the first thing I learned..

I’m learning every day as a 22 year old in a foreign country with no college degree. To be honest I thought I had it all figured out. My summers were devoted to Northeast Maryland where I played capture the flag, sang the moose song and spending countless nights under the stars with people who got it. They understood why we were all there, spending our summers with 7-16 year olds rather then drinking beers at home. I was finishing my pre-reqs at PSU, snowboarding all the time in between class and saving up enough money to travel. Life doesn’t really care what your plan is, and there's nothing you can do to prepare otherwise.

I’m ok at 22 years old that I have realize that I don’t have it all figured out and what I wanted in life a year ago, may not really be what I want now. Damn I feel so naïve.

I thought that coming to Australia would do a lot of things that didn’t happen. I thought that magically ex-boyfriends would disappear from your mind completely, I thought my dad would learn to use the computer so we could keep in touch, and I thought I would obtain this power, a shield type that would protect me from the horrors of the world. Traveling over an ocean doesn’t cure uncertainties or lose ends unfortunately, but none the less my experiences have been amazing and the lessons from those unexpectedly priceless. So what did I get out of dropping out of school, my life and leaving my country for 6 months? A lot..

-I’m ok with loving someone that’s wrong for me
-I don’t like going to clubs as much as I thought: I hate yelling to talk, lack of clothes and cover charges. If I want to dance I’ll go to a bar with music
-I love traveling by myself: being on my own agenda is great. Somedays I was in the mood to find a corner of the beach and camp out with a book, not speaking a word all day. When I was feeling social, meeting friends was easy. Everyone else at the hostel is a backpacker too, and meeting new people is what we do.
-Americans proportions are outrageous: coffee sizes are much smaller, I’ve noticed my addiction has been cut in half because of this
-Chocolate milk can be considered a meal when youre on a budget
-I actually enjoy wine: Thanks to working at a Spanish restaurant that required me to “know” the wines.
-“mate” is my new favorite word of male affection
-It’s ok to be cautious with who you surround yourself with. For me I truly invest in my close friends and hurt when they hurt, I’ve learned that surrounding myself with people who have the same ideals isn’t being judgmental, its healthy.
-I stopped “fixing” people
-I rediscovered my love for reading: I’ve read 10 books while I was here
-Karma exists
-Being positive does wonders
-Rediscovering your childhood is a bizarre experience
-Everyone’s “happy” is different: whether that’s a boat driver for scuba divers or a hippie in Nimbin
-Living simply is humbling: I was forced to throw out a lot of my stuff once I started backpacking. I realized looking the best can be really draining, and actually not caring gave a new sense of freedom.
-There are children in this world that have never experienced the smore
-Someone I admire, admires me.
-There isn’t a single person in the world that doesn’t care what other people think.


I’m coming back to Portland after 10 months of absence. I’m starting over with a new look on things and excited for it. I don’t have it figured out and I’m also ok with that. I do know that I will be a nurse someday and snowboarding is one of the only things that clears my mind. That I have great friends in Portland and more around the world. And of all things that I listed above the most substantial lesson I learned what that everyones happy is different. My happy is most definitely different from others, but that doesn’t make right, or them. A lot of people get suck in their own beliefs and/ or what society tells us is the “right way” to think or live. I admit that I have been somewhat of a victim to that, its hard not to. You learn a lot when you travel and being inspired is up to the inspiree.

Australia: lucky placement

My trip is slowing coming to an end. I think it’s been a perfect amount a time. The smart thing would have been to go home just before Christmas and go back to school for winter term, but that didn’t line with my travel plans. So here I am..

When I needed it most, I somehow scored the most perfect job. My original plan was to traveling down the east coast, end up in Sydney and find a job there. I’d only need it a month before I went to Fiji, so I would have had to lie to employers and say I was staying longer, I hate doing that but I didn’t have a choice. I looked hard for a job and somehow scored one JUST for the month and February and that’s all I needed. I’m nannying for a family with three girls ages 5, 8, and 11. They live in Werris Creek in New South Wales about 40 minutes outside Tamworth. Its very country out here, the driveway is a dirt road that goes through cow country and about 3K’s alone. There’s literally nothing but horses, cows, plowed fields and mountains for miles. I couldn’t imagine having a more fitting job. I get up early and ride all morning, the land is all cow grazing so all the gates are open, there’s a bit of elevation lining the driveway and makes the most amazing view of this farmland, not to mention good trails. They have 5 horses.. one white horses named QC that has become my favorite. A chestnut horse named Bull’s-eye who has ran off on me twice, and in return has gotten his ass worked pretty hard. A black horse named Wasp, we had a bit of a disagreement in the beginning, but are becoming good friends now. A grey dapple named Mischief who I have yet to ride. Lastly a pony named Star-Maker that I’ve only ridden bareback, I can already tell he is a brat, but he’s too cute to get mad at.
My girls are great. Wilha the youngest and predictably attached herself to me. We play superheroes on the trampoline and I tell her stories about the tooth fairy and how she wears a rainbow dress and her favorite food is pumpkin soup.
Darcie is the middle aged one and very mischievous, she tries to get away with things with me because I’m not mom or dad, but I’m not dumb. I laugh at it, because I know I’d do the same. She loves her littlest pet shop toys, which I totally loved when I was her age. We talk pet shop and I let her get away with silly things like throwing noodles on the wall.
Maddie is the oldest being 11 and is extremely responsible for her age, she’s the school captain at her school and always talking about what she’s learning. I haven’t gotten very close to Maddie, but I’m a big fan of her.
Three girls all close in age, it’s an interesting afternoon when they come home from school, and I try to get an activity going before they start picking at each other. I’m usually pretty tried from riding horses and cleaning in the heat all day, it really reminds me of camp. At camp I woke up at 6:30am to feed and groom, then worked all day with them, only to get back to my girls around 5pm and had to get pumped for evening programs. Its not quite camp status at the Urquant house and the food is much better. But it is the same in the sense of being surrounded be things I love and keeping focused. Horses keep my mind clear, working the green horses until they finally pick up the correct lead is extremely rewarding and morning trail rides actually allow me to think about nothing, which is rare. The girls remind me of a time of simple happiness, the beauty of imagination and what I want to do with my life, help others.
Life is very simple out here in Werris Creek, but much needed. Almost two months of traveling the east coast I was always on the go not to mention drunk half the time. Words can’t describe what a phenomenal time I had trekking around beautiful east coast aus, but its good to detox and get ready to come back to reality.