Joy is Unplanned

Sorry I haven't been keeping up with my Blog like I have been in the past, Internet wasn't available at my friends apartment, and well I have also been busy having an awesome time . . . too busy to blog.


I saw the phrase "Joy is Unplanned" on the side of a bus and I really liked it, and have spent the last few days thinking about "joyful" times in my life, and there are a lot. It is so easy to forget the Joy and so easy to reflect on the negative things in life, so easy to let the negative consume you. You really can't plan for something to bring you joy but when it happens it is a great unscheduled feeling of awesome. I am thinking of the experiences then there are things that happen out of the blue that just knocks you off your negative high and brings you a higher feeling of Joy. I have found my "joy" while traveling. After living in a third world country for 6 months I have had many moments of unplanned Joy . . . climbing a volcano and seeing one of the most amazing sunrises, meeting new people from all over the world who carry their own burdens and joys in life, having a kindergarten student come and give you a big hug after a stressful class, my favourite song coming on the radio, friends who live in Australia and have a couch :) and etc . . .


Onto other things . . .


My month in Australia is almost up, I can't believe how fast it has gone - actually the last 7 months away from home has FLOWN by, Indonesia already feels like it was a long time ago. I haven't really felt too much culture shock, it has been a little funny readjusting to a "western" way of life again. I think I will feel more of it when I am home because I am still in travel mode. It is really nice to be able to go into a store or a restaurant and be able to speak English and be understood, though sometimes I have a harder time understanding the Australians than the Indonesians. I spent the last two weeks in Surfers Paradise and had an AMAZING time, and met some amazing people. I stayed with my friend Jess who I met at MBC a few years ago. Her apartment is less than a block away from the ocean and you can see it from her balcony. I love being near water and being close by to a beach (an actual beach not a port dover type beach) I got the opportunity to go to Byron Bay, which was a lot of fun. It is one of the best surf spots in Australia, so obviously we had to go surfing, I suck - but unlike snowboarding, surfing is actually fun even when you suck. We went whale watching one day, and until you see whale's close up you can't truly understand their size, they are MASSIVE. Then we went to sea world and got to hang out with dolphins and stuff, then we just relaxed - it is nice to have NOTHING planned for the day.


This is me in Surfers (obviously)


I am currently in Sydney and will be here until Wednesday, I just got here today so I haven't done much, other than find McDonalds (Macca's as they call it here) and use their free wifi, so I will write about more of my "adventures" when they happen! Actually the next time I update my blog I will most likely be home - what a crazy thought!!


Love from Oz


Kim

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