A southern compass would theoretically have a needle that always pointed southward, right?
Or as my Grandy used to say, a toilet flush down south always swirls in the opposite direction.
What I'm trying to say is that my nomad needle seems to be ever-pointed towards the south. Yes, I'm from "The Deep South" but that's definitely NOT the kind of south I'm aiming for. In the past, I've traveled to Central and South America, both of which lie to the south of Alabama, the homeland. But this time, I'm headed even farther south than that. I'm talking the Southern HEMISPHERE. I'm talking.....
In late August, we will be crossing the equator AND international dateline to get to our new home in Brisbane, Queensland where I will be the AuPair for a lively, imaginative 5-year-old Aussie girl, Evie. Paco and I will live with her family in their nearly-bayfront home in the eastern suburbs of Brisbane. Evie's parents, Joanna and Cam, seem to share interests with Paco and I, such as cooking, enjoying good food and conversation, and traveling. Joanna's dad was even an Auburn University alum!! They still have family and friends in Alabama, and that is how we all got connected...My 5th grade teacher, Mrs. McWhorter(-now-Abernathy) saw a Facebook post shared by one of Joanna's Alabama friends requesting AuPair applications. Mrs. Abernathy messaged me on Facebook asking if I was interested since she knew I was a traveler. Many emails and Skype interviews later, here we are, narrowing down our packing list and preparing for a plane ride halfway around the globe.
Or as my Grandy used to say, a toilet flush down south always swirls in the opposite direction.
What I'm trying to say is that my nomad needle seems to be ever-pointed towards the south. Yes, I'm from "The Deep South" but that's definitely NOT the kind of south I'm aiming for. In the past, I've traveled to Central and South America, both of which lie to the south of Alabama, the homeland. But this time, I'm headed even farther south than that. I'm talking the Southern HEMISPHERE. I'm talking.....
AUSTRALIA!!
Before we hit Brisbane, Paco and I will meet in San Francisco for a short, mini-vacation and birthday celebration. (Paco's birthday falls on the day before we fly out to SF!) Believe it or not, stopping through Frisco saved us about $300 on airline tickets! We'll be staying with friends too, so why not have a little time together before taking a great leap of faith across the wide Pacific? Then, on August 28th, we will board the plane bound for New Zealand and then Australia. TWENTY hours later, yet 2 days ahead on the calendar, we will land in Brisbane, meet our new family, and begin life down under.
In preparation, I have begun my SCUBA certification....The Great Barrier Reef is a short plane ride to the north, so I've got to be prepared to check that off my bucket list. I'm doing to online class now, and I'm planning to do my pool work and open water checkout dives once I get there. To think that the Great Barrier Reef, the supposed Mecca of all diving, may be one of my very first dives as a certified diver is thrilling. Go big, or go home, right?
Paco and I are also keeping our eyes and ears out for good weekend jaunts or backpacking trips in the area. My hammock rain fly and sleeping pad are due on my front porch any day now, and I'm stocking up on comfy insoles and GoPro gear. I don't know about Paco's list, but my travel wishlist might be slightly out of hand. I have such a wanderlust to see it all, especially since this is a region I've had my sights set on for a while. Let's see how many of these places I can get to...Here they are listed in alphabetical order.
Australia (Cairns, GB Reef, Sydney, Melbourne, surfing all over...)
Bali (Gotta check out those schools I've been applying to!)
China (Specifically Yellow Mountains and Tibet)
Indonesia (It's a surfing dreamland. Gotta get barrelled.)
Fiji (Life-long dream.)
Laos (Oh the food...!!)
Malaysia (Why not?!)
Maldives (Before they disappear!)
New Zealand (A backpacker's dream.)
Tahiti (The beaches and diving!)
Thailand (Scouting trip for possible future home?)
Papua New Guinea (Tribal culture intrigues me.)
Philippines (I must see where Grandy always talked about!)
Samoa (A unique food culture of islanders.)
Vietnam (Scouting trip and the scenery looks AMAZING.)
That's 15 countries...I wish I could narrow it down to a more realistic Top 5, but for one, that's too hard, and for two, I'm going to see them all before I die one way or another, so might as well start checking them off now!
One month from today, we will be landing in Australia! Eeekkk! I'm ready to pack now/what am I getting myself into?! Haha!
In preparation, I have begun my SCUBA certification....The Great Barrier Reef is a short plane ride to the north, so I've got to be prepared to check that off my bucket list. I'm doing to online class now, and I'm planning to do my pool work and open water checkout dives once I get there. To think that the Great Barrier Reef, the supposed Mecca of all diving, may be one of my very first dives as a certified diver is thrilling. Go big, or go home, right?
Paco and I are also keeping our eyes and ears out for good weekend jaunts or backpacking trips in the area. My hammock rain fly and sleeping pad are due on my front porch any day now, and I'm stocking up on comfy insoles and GoPro gear. I don't know about Paco's list, but my travel wishlist might be slightly out of hand. I have such a wanderlust to see it all, especially since this is a region I've had my sights set on for a while. Let's see how many of these places I can get to...Here they are listed in alphabetical order.
Australia (Cairns, GB Reef, Sydney, Melbourne, surfing all over...)
Bali (Gotta check out those schools I've been applying to!)
China (Specifically Yellow Mountains and Tibet)
Indonesia (It's a surfing dreamland. Gotta get barrelled.)
Fiji (Life-long dream.)
Laos (Oh the food...!!)
Malaysia (Why not?!)
Maldives (Before they disappear!)
New Zealand (A backpacker's dream.)
Tahiti (The beaches and diving!)
Thailand (Scouting trip for possible future home?)
Papua New Guinea (Tribal culture intrigues me.)
Philippines (I must see where Grandy always talked about!)
Samoa (A unique food culture of islanders.)
Vietnam (Scouting trip and the scenery looks AMAZING.)
That's 15 countries...I wish I could narrow it down to a more realistic Top 5, but for one, that's too hard, and for two, I'm going to see them all before I die one way or another, so might as well start checking them off now!
One month from today, we will be landing in Australia! Eeekkk! I'm ready to pack now/what am I getting myself into?! Haha!
