Just go, C!
I'm Charity, a proud auntie, wine lover, semi-nerd, and dreamer who can't stay in one place for too long.
Wow, Australia. Just wow.
I've been spending the last hour or so going through ALL of the photos I took while traveling about this massive country. It's incredible how there are so many different landscapes, cities, climates, and even the people are different from place to place. That is what I have loved most about this country - there is truly never a dull moment. I have loads of praise to give, but let me just say this: This place is INSANE. There are many, many different ways one could die here that are uniquely Australian. Every day, something happens in nature that makes it to the evening news. A shark eats a human. A snake eats a kangaroo. A spider eats a snake. A human eats Vegemite and somehow survives. A cyclone floods everything in sight. A heat wave makes Hell look somewhat attractive. Even the freakin' JELLYFISH are out to get you. Good God, why would anyone want to live here? And that brings me to the people of Australia. The Ozzies are a unique breed of human. I am confident that if/when the zombie apocalypse occurs, the Australian people will be among the few who survive it. It takes a special kind of grit to live in a place like Australia. You would think that considering the environment(s), they'd be a little gruff or grumpy and in a constant state of defensive survival mode. But quite the opposite is true. I have met some of the most friendly, warm, down-to-earth people ever while here. I never once had an experience with someone who was rude in any way, except maybe for a few passive-aggressive drivers but they were probably tourists, anyway. I think living in a country that was built by convicts gives them a special kind of character. I absolutely LOVE the sense of humor Australians have. They are pretty sarcastic, "cheeky" people who love to poke fun at themselves and at each other as long as it's not overstepping any boundaries. I also love that they have a unique ability to either completely underestimate or completely blow anything out of proportion. When I was traveling through the Northern Territory, one of the hotel managers I stayed with made it sound as though I was on the verge of certain death by driving up to Darwin. "You know that you're going to drive straight into a cyclone, right?" Thanks for that. Turns out it wasn't a cyclone (yet) but it definitely rained a lot. Fortunately I lived to tell the tale. But tell an Ozzie that one of his close friends was just bitten by a poisonous snake, and you might get a response something to the effect of, "Ahhhh she'll be 'right, mate! No worries!" I just love it. For all of its danger, Australia is one of the most beautifully diverse areas on the planet. I am very happy that I chose to road trip my way through it. The long driving days were more than made up for with incredible scenery on every trip. Even the areas that had very little vegetation or land formations were beautiful to me. There were times when it felt like I was the only human being on Earth. You could drive for hours and see maybe 1-2 other cars. I got an adrenaline rush every time I'd see a sign telling me there wasn't going to be another fuel stop for hundreds of kilometers. It's a little intimidating, but there's something thrilling about it, too. I don't consider myself a "big city" person but I fell in love with Melbourne. It was where I stayed the longest out of every place I visited. It's a very eccentric city, but it has an energy unlike anywhere else I've visited and a strong heart. It kind of reminds me of a dysfunctional family where everyone is a little batshit crazy but they love each other to the core. I'm really going to miss it here. I'll miss the beaches, the rainforests, the adorable koalas, the people I had the pleasure of meeting, the accent, of course... But, I consider myself to be very fortunate to have "heaps" of fond memories and great stories to tell from my time here. And in case you ever come to visit, here is a miniature guide to Aussie abbreviations and sayings because they abbreviate EVERYTHING: McDonald's (restaurant) = "Macca's" mosquitoes = "mozzies" football = "footy" as in Rugby league Brisbane (city) = "Brissy" (said like "Brizzy") afternoon = "arvo" (no idea where that came from) avocado = "avo" breakfast = "brekky" cup of coffee or tea = "cuppa" Other things of note: They say, "How ya goin'?" instead of "How are you?" But you still say "fine" or "good" in response. A "bogan" is an unrefined sort of person, like a "hick" in the U.S. They never say "throw another shrimp on the Barbie" - I know, disappointing, right? First, the don't say "shrimp" - they say prawns. And they very rarely throw prawns on the Barbie. It's usually "snaggers" which are sausages or hot dogs. They say "Far out!" quite a bit which is sort of like, "Holy cow!" or "No way!" You'll often hear "too easy" when you thank someone after getting help or service. It basically means "no problem" but it threw me off when I first heard it. I just remember thinking, "I can make it harder for you next time, mate!" They also usually say "heaps" instead of "lots" or "loads", and if there is a lot to do or see in an area, then you are "spoilt for choice." They will say, "Good on ya!" or "Onya, mate" when they mean "well done" or "good for you!" Hopefully that will come in handy for whenever you decide to come visit. And, I hope you do, mates. G'day.
1 Comment
Bela
3/4/2017 06:18:13 pm
Hell's no to the spider.
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AuthorHi! I'm Charity. I'm from Omaha, Nebraska, USA. I quit my job in October 2016 to travel the world. Archives
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