A New Beginning, Down Under

After re-reading my last blog post, I noticed that I didn't write about the end of my six months in Southeast Asia! But it doesn't matter now because I'm starting a whole new chapter of my life, so that's what I'll be writing about. Learning instead of teaching, but still traveling! Hopefully there will be enough time for me to update you often, but I have no idea what to expect Down Under. Masters programs tend to be laborious, so we'll see how the Occupational Therapy is. But school doesn't start for another month, so there will be a ton going on between now and then. As of right now, I am in La Jolla, California for five days with my some of my extended family. My 90-year-old grandma rented a gorgeous beach house for two months (as she does every year), so my mom and I drove 24 hours down from Langley to take advantage of it before heading to Australia. The weather isn't as hot as Sydney will be, but the scenery is beautiful and it's great to get in some family-time before leaving for two years. We've enjoyed many cute cafes, strolled past magnificent multi-million dollar mansions and walked numerous beaches, all long and sandy. Southern California is definitely a great place to relax and enjoy the sunshine during our cold Canadian winters. Of course the locals think it's cold, but they have no idea how lucky they are to get only 8 inches of rain each year! That definitely makes it easy to be outdoors all year round, surfing, biking, hiking, golfing and even paragliding which is really popular here. It's the best way to see the coastline with a landscape so different from B.C., but still breathtaking to say the least...

Torrey Pines State Reserve

I'll be sad to leave but happy to get to my final destination (that bittersweet feeling I've had since the start of this journey). Next up is a twelve hour flight to Seoul, Korea and then a nine hour flight down to Sydney. Flying standby is always nerve-racking, but worth the free flight and a possible business/first class seat. So my next update will be from The Land Down Under... cheers 'til then!