26 days in the South Pacific

I guess I should play a bit of catch up. It's been a few months since september 4th. Austin is still absolutely fabulous! I love it here, and I am so glad to be home. You see, I just went on a 26 day vacation  to the south pacific. I visited east coast Australia (unfortunately not all of it) as well as northern (Auckland) New Zealand. Now, being home is a little bitter sweet. You never realize how spoiled you are, until you leave all the pleasantries behind, and hope to god the next hostel has a bottom bunk open in the mixed dorm room they have available. Now, I'm certainly not complaining, it's just funny what you are secretly hoping for when your are traveling like that. I mean, it was awesome when someone left shampoo in the shower so I didn't have to worry about rationing mine for the day, or if we were lucky enough to find spices on the free shelf in the kitchen, so I could make my meal a little more enjoyable. Spaghetti doesn't have to be too exciting, but it was nice to alter the flavor once in awhile. However, being home, and thinking back about all the good times, it was nice to not work, or even drive on a daily basis. To wake up, shower, and realize that no matter what decisions are made today, there is no pressure, and no restraint to what can be accomplished. Split second mind changes or invitations were always an option. Even though people, pets, and a big bed were missed, the peace of mind with knowing they would be here when we made it home was enough to make the trip extremely care free. 

My roommate, Tori, and I started out flying into Sydney, taking a train to Melbourne, then working our way back up the coast, hitting Brisbane, and Byron Bay, before ending the last 6 days in Sydney, then traveling to New Zealand for 10 more days. Specifically Rotorua, Waiheke Island, and Auckland. Now, I'm going to let everyone have their own opinion about which country is better. Personally I think I need to see more before I can make an educated decision because I ran out of time to see it all way too fast, but from what I did experience, Australia is in the lead. I really enjoyed the cities, the beaches, and the people. that's not saying I didn't enjoy the same things in New Zealand, but I don't think I saw the best parts. Like I said, I think i just may have to go back! Their histories were fascinating, and their landscape was beautiful. I highly recommend this as a vacation place for anyone. As the travel agencies would advertise...go walkabout. It really is amazing. 

I'm only going to post a few pics. I'll post a link if you want to see more.

Cheers!

More pics--  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43911&l=1bb5d&id=704237269

Freitag

Many people should know by now that I am going to Australia this November. My roommate Tori and I are going to explore and play Australia and New Zealand for 4 weeks. To prepare for this adventure, I have been needing a Freitag backpack. Most likely I will have to order one online from their website. However, through Tori I discovered that there is one store in Austin that carries these wonderful swiss made waterproof bags of various sizes, each individually unique created from recycled tarps, seatbelts, airbags, and bicycle inner tubes. This south congress store, Service Menswear, did in fact have 5 bags left in stock, never to carry anymore. They did not have any backpacks, however with the 40% off clearance price I could not resist the temptation to pick up one in an available style. Be sure to check out FREITAG, so you can get hooked too!

BIKRAM YOGA

My newest venture here in Austin is Bikram yoga. This particular type of yoga is extremely intense due to the fact that it is practiced in a 110 degree room. I have never practiced yoga, so going straight to this type of yoga may seem a little crazy, but honestly I see an improvement in my execution of the poses greatly improved after only 3 sessions. It's believed that the 26 poses and 2 breathing exercises combined with the heat, are not only extremely detoxifying, but very healing to the body. Each pose is done twice, with using a base pose in between to reset the body. The first hour includes standing poses, and the last 30 minutes are done lying, or kneeling. They include both compression and extension moves. So far, every muscle in my body has felt sore after attending Bikram yoga, I'm just hoping this means my flexibility and strength are increasing.