Living the Life I've Dreamed Of: I've Never Seen a Kangaroo, but I've Eaten One... AUSTRALIA!

After Fiji, I headed to my next destination, which happened to be my #2 travel destination: Sydney!

That was a special trip because it was the first time I had ever traveled solo. I didn't know what to expect. I remember thinking that I was so used to living out in the sticks, in the middle of nowhere, and being alone in a big city (Sydney) was a scary thought... That single thought caused me to start feeling the effects of reverse culture. But I survived, met some great people, and had such a wonderful time!

Below you will find photos from my trip... Enjoy!

Photo 1: Bounce Sydney which is the hostel I stayed at in Sydney. Private rooms are also available. It is spotless, in a great location, directly across from Central Station, and has several facilities, including communal areas that hosts nightly events such as: hamburger night, movie night, goon night, etc. If you're ever in Sydney, I recommend this place. Note: It is probably the most expensive hostel in Sydney, being quite posh, but so worth it. You can find more information on their website: http://www.bouncehostel.com.au

Photo 2: Bounce Sydney's rooftop terrance. Photo source: tripadvisor.com

Photo 3: Indoor lounge. Photo source: tripadvisor.com

Photo 1: Dining room. The kitchen is to the right. Photo source: tripadvisor.com

Photo 2: My bed was the bottom bunk. I shared the room with 7 other females. This was my first experience traveling alone, so I was a bit disappointed that my dorm mates didn't seem too interested in mingling. Could've been that I arrived later in the evening. I ended up connecting with one dorm mate, a really nice Dutch girl named Stephanie. And of course, I made friends with fellow backpackers who were staying in other rooms.

Photo 3: I appreciated that the dorm had outlets in every locker. This was nice because the Fiji dorms had limited outlets that were out in the open for all guests. Additionally, our room had a private bathroom across the hall, along with a communal shower and toilet area on the floor.

Photo 1: I was so excited that there was a Pizza Hut! Stuffed crust pizza after 2.5 years!

Photo 2: This entire setup was made out of legos! Incredible!

Photo 3: Giant shopping center. A bit intimidating at first, and then... I went on a shopping spree!

It was very much needed after being aware that I looked like a hobo in Fiji, with all my heavily-worn and secondhand clothing.

Photo 1: ANZAC War Memorial, Hyde Park.

Photo 2: Sydney streets

Photo 3: At the Blue Mountains. I was a bit worried that I would freeze to death there, but once the hike really started, I warmed up rather quickly and shed most of the clothing in this photo.

Note: Usually the train is quite expensive to get from Sydney to the Blue Mountains, unless you go on a Sunday. It is a special rate of around $2 AUD, with the use of an Opal card.

Photo 1: Three Sisters.

Photo 2: The group I went to the Blue Mountains with. My dorm mate Stephanie is the one in the back middle. The others were fellow backpackers from Bounce Sydney. If I'm remembering correctly, they're all from around various European countries.

Photo 3: The entire time I was on the lookout for wild kangaroos. Sadly, I didn't see any, but enjoyed the beautiful scenery regardless.

Photo 2: Bondi Beach

Photo 3: A fun afternoon and night out with these guys... dance off!

Photo 1: I'd say that I was doing a pretty good job of re-adjusting to live after Peace Corps service!

Photo 2: Since I didn't see a wild kangaroo, eating kangaroo is the next best thing.

Photo 3: With Greg, who is now my boyfriend and an amazing one at that! We met in Fiji and the rest is history! I'll go into more detail in my final blog post.

Photo 1: The memorial site for the unfortunate Sydney siege/hostage crisis that took place the day before. Special thanks to all my family and friends who contacted me to make sure I was safe!

Photo 2: The Royal Botanic Garden

Photo 3: I was so happy to finally be in Australia!