Alexis Down Under

So where have I been the past two months while I was missing in action? Melbourne to Perth to Albany to Brisbane and now Magnetic Island. If you look on a map of Australia the order of the locations I've travelled to is as orderly as a bouncy ball chucked at a wall and bouncing around the room. But that is life, we go into something with one plan (which was landing in Melbs and finding a job), and then suddenly everything is out the window. 

Melbourne, Victoria

I was here for two weeks and on the days it wasn't raining (which was few) I was laying in the sun in the park. I kept hearing what a cool city it was but I didn't really appreciate it at the time because I was horribly bitter about coming from the sun and warmth of Bali, and all I wanted to do was go back. 

Perth, Western Australia

Perth was a two day layover on my way to Albany. I only went to Kings Park which was massive, but I didn't find anything else too charming there. I've been told that I just wasn't in the right place and that there are some "epic" spots there. 

Albany, Western Australia

If you venture off the main road, Albany during winter is like a ghost town. There are houses everywhere but you have no idea where the people are that occupy them. I was working for accomodation at a lovely place that felt more like a home than a hostel. You definitely need a car here though to go see anything. 

Brisbane, Queensland 

I've heard a lot of people say they don't like Brisbane but I actually liked it. Granted I barely ventured out of the CBD (Central Business District), but the overall vibe of people was very relaxed which I liked. 

Magnetic Island, Queensland

Where I am now! I've only been here a couple of days so far, but I can't say the view is bad to wake up to. I'll be here for another week until heading back to Brisbane again. For now I have this pup CC to keep me company. 

Family

A common getting to know you question people ask when you're travelling is, "Do you have any brothers or sisters?" And my response is that no, not only am I an only child, im a lonely child, as I do not have any brothers or sisters, I do not have a single cousin either. That's right, enter my family and welcome to the hen house. My grandmother had three girls and out of three girls only one girl was born. My uncle has been the only male brave enough to handle us all and has been around since I started having memories. It's easy to see though how my family could have been very overprotective over the years, and why over my teens and 20s I sometimes got overwhelmed and shut them out. 

It was the worry about them being overprotective and the guilt that I may be disappointing them by not having the typical all American girl lifestyle, that prevented from regularly keeping in contact with them. I had already worked myself up that they disapproved of my nomad life and that I did not want to talk to anyone unsupportive. And like most people my age and younger, it turns out I had underestimated them. Yesterday for the first time in a long time I finally reached reached out to them and thanks to modern technology we did it via video chat. I waited for the judgements to roll in, and instead all I got was love and support. After all this time and all of my concerns about them, it turned out that all I needed to do to make them happy was for them to know that I was happy. 

Now that's not very hard at all is it?