Some random pics of friends. Enjoy.

Don't Fix What Isn't Broken

Well, to those of you
who have cared, been offended, or maybe even

quit your jobs to sit around the computer and wait for my next blog posting... I apologize for the delay. To tell you the truth, not much has happened since my last posting to write about. I'm still living in Byron Bay and have found a job at a cafe (30 seconds from the gorgeous beach) and a share house to live in. The job is great. Everyone I work with is fantastic and very friendly. The majority are Aussie, but we have a small mix of two Canadians (including me), an American (who really does no good in helping their horrible worldwide reputation, although he cooks a mean steamed mussels with Thai peanut sauce), and few Kiwis (people from New Zealand). It gets hectic and will only get more so, but everything usually runs smoothly and turns into a good time as the night flies by. My house is alright. It reminds me of a cottage or smaller shack sort of thing that is being called a house. But most people in Byron live in places such as these seeing as how everyone is always outside enjoying what we have here.

I've been doing the same thing everyday almost. Wake up, go for a run, then either go in the water if there's good surf or just hang out and enjoy the day. There are some places around to borrow a car and go for a road trip to. My favourite being a small town called Nimbin which has long been dubbed the "Hippy Capital of Australia". It is nestled up in the hills of northern New South Wales and was originally an escape for the dodge drafters in the late 60's. It has become something of an attraction for tourists but mostly remains the same old place with the same old hippies selling the same old cakes and cookies. Just a couple weeks ago on a walk up to the lighthouse (which can be seen in photos from previous blogs) we spotted three whales out in the sea. And almost weekly you can spot dolphins playing in the waves that crash into the cliff bottoms or if you're lucky, riding the same wave as an even luckier surfer.

I can't say for sure how long I'll be here. First reason being that I don't know how long it will take for me to save up and move on up the coast. Second being that even if I had the money right now I'm not sure that I would want to leave anytime soon. I feel very comfortable with the fact that I love Byron Bay. If there wasn't a constant clock ticking on my time of travels or everyone I love back home this would be the ideal place of nesting. But alas, there is a clock ticking somewhere and everyone I do love is thousands and thousands of miles away. So I am going to continue my stay here in Byron and everything and everyone that comes with it (more on them in another blog, perhaps when I get a new camera to show who I'm speaking of. My camera was stolen on the night out for my birthday that contained pictures of a weekend in Brisbane, a work BBQ, and my birthday night).

I'm sure by now it goes without saying, but everytime I see a sunset or sunrise (Byron is the first place in OZ to see it), everytime I see a dolphin swimming in a wave.....pretty much everytime I take a breath I hope that everyone's life at home is as wonderful and beautiful as the things I see here. Be happy, good and caring of yourselves and to eachother and everything will fall in place.

There’s a saying around here that says “You can leave Byron, but Byron never leaves you”. Well, I don’t want to leave Byron. And when I do, I certainly hope that the spirit and peaceful state that everyone’s in here follows me wherever I go.

I have had no luck finding a job yet. To be fair to myself, I have only been here for 4 days. But it seems like my account balance is disappearing quicker than the days are. Not to imply that it is expensive here, because it most certainly is not. Though spending only the bare essentials (which everyone in Byron really only needs to do) on food and accommodation is enough to get my mind wondering how long I can go until I find a means of income. Had I been in this situation back in Sydney I probably would have felt scared, nervous, worried, discouraged.....any and perhaps all of the above. Here I feel fine about it. If nothing pans out in the next week or so I may decide to move up the coast again to Surfer’s Paradise or Brisbane. They are larger cities and have much more money going through them which will hopefully lead to a job if need be. But whatever happens happens and at least I get to spend my time wondering what will come of my situation while in a beautiful place such as here. It really is just like everyone had told me. Captivating scenery, friendly people, peaceful vibe and great surf. Why would anyone want to leave here or have here leave them?

So, I thought I would just give a quick update for anyone who cares about my move. I am happy and hope to stay here but will go wherever the current takes me. And as always, I hope everyone else is more than content. I hope you all have something, someone, or some place in your lives that you don’t want to leave. And if you do, never let it leave you.

Lord, I was born a ramblin man

Well. It's been swell, but it's time to say goodbye (hopefully "see you later"). I have made the decision to pack it up and move on. After a good 3 and a half months that I'll never forget in Sydney I have put on my walking shoes again and will be travelling up the coast. Sydney has been a lot of things to me. It has been a place that has made me feel more alive and well than I've felt in a long time (for many different reasons). It has been a place that has made me feel dead and depressed. And of course, I've been all of what's left in between. No matter what I feel or felt about this place though, I will always remember it for the good times I've had and especially the good people I've met. I came to a crossroads where it was time to find a new apartment (the lady I'm subletting from is coming home) and find a new job. I was stressing about being up in the air and not having my feet planted again. This past Wednesday I found a great apartment and got offered two new jobs that would all be perfect......if I was staying.

I woke up the next morning and realized the advantage of my currently "floating" status and decided (after much internal debate) to turn down the flat and jobs and head up the coast. If I was to take the jobs and apartment and continue living here, I would be making a commitment to stay for at least another couple months. By the time I put the money into the place to live and got the money to pick up and move, another 4 months would fly by quicker than the first. Not that Bondi would be a bad place to spend another 3-4 months, but I came here to see different things and meet different people. In a strange way I guess I came here to be uncomfortable. If comfort was what I wanted, I would have stayed at home where I am more comfortable with the place and people then I am in my own skin. I hate the thought of not having to meet new friends, because that's always cool, but to maybe say goodbye to the ones I have made here. Whether I ever see them again or not I'm not sure, I sure as hell hope so, but whether I do or not they will always be a part of this experience of a lifetime and will remain a bold and happy memory with me forever. And who knows, maybe I'll be back soon to check out Bondi in the summer, Clapton in January, or maybe I'll run out of money and have to clean carpets again.......oh god I hope not. Speaking of which, I am currently doing that again to grab some extra cash before I head out in a week and a half.

So, the place I've decided to call my next home is a place called Byron Bay. It has a population of only about 30,000 and apparently exceeds it's size in character. It is a small and warm community on the most eastern point of the continent that is praised for it's art community and laid back style. It is the host of many music and art festivals including the blues and roots festival. But most importantly it's something different. A very welcome change from Sydney. My only big concern about the move is the ability to find a job and accommodation being such a small place. But I didn't come here to be safe.

So wish me luck, keep on keeping on, and enjoy yourselves and each other as much as I miss all of you.

Hello Goodbye

It's been a while since I've posted one of these things. But to tell you the truth not too much has happened in that span of time. I mean, stuff has actually happened. Lots of stuff really. Just not the type of stuff that really inspired me to write a blog. I have been continually cleaning the dirty carpets of Sydney, Australia while trying to fit activities of pleasure in between to keep myself sane. One of those activities happened to be buying an amplifier for my guitar at a shop in the city. While I was there I asked the guy if he was hiring. I took in my resume the next day and set up a trial shift with them this coming week. It will be less money than the carpet gig but will obviously make my life a lot more enjoyable, which is why I came here in the first place. So I gave my boss more than a weeks notice before I leave, which he was very pleased with, so much to the point he told me I was more than welcome to come back if I ever get stuck and need the cash.

So I hope this guitar shop works out for me. If it doesn't though, I think I needed something like this to push me to quit the other job anyways. I really wasn't happy there and, if that is a 6 day a week thing, I'm wasting my time in a beautiful country being miserable. I have a cool little group of friends and aquaintances now that I feel comfortable with. I have become good mates with a guy named Scott from work. He's over here on his own as well from Scotland. Yes, Scott the Scot. He's been living with me for the past week but moves into a new place this weekend.

Anna and I went to the koala sanctuary a few weeks ago. For the first time since I've been in Oz, I saw koalas, kangaroos, wallabees, wild dingoes, and many other native Aussie animals........

Wow, I haven't written a blog in over a month. (I know this is a strange writing format, but I just happened to look at my last blog) So, really nothing big has happened. I mean, I've met people and said hello. I've said goodbye a few times. And I've made friends that I wish could be around for a lot longer than they will be. My flatmate Anna has been great. You come to expect things to really get on your nerves when you live with someone. But really, I can't picture living with anyone more easy going and polite than she has been. It is really a shame that I have to leave and live somewhere else with someone else. But once again, I came here for experiences and living with new people in a new place is just another one of them.

My mate Marvin is still around. Not as much lately as I wish, but he got a new job which he loves so it's good for him. I really miss hanging out with him and playing music but we all have to make a living. He's from Brisbane (up north and tropical) though, so maybe it's just natural for him to hibernate during these frigid winter months (20-22 degrees everyday).

These are the three people who I am really thankful for knowing. I've met a lot of nice people since I've left, but none of them have felt solid to me. Whether these people know it or not, they are really important to me in many senses. They are who I have all of my good times with here and will remember forever, they are who I feel at home with even though I'm about as far away from home as I can be, and they are just great people to know wherever I am in the world.

(Also pictured is my friend Kristi, dark hair. She was actually born in Guelph but grew up here in Sydney. And, Erin is the blonde on the right. She is from Brisbane and just moved here a few weeks ago.)

I've got a ticket to ride, I've got a ticket to ri-i-ide

So this weekend Anna and I decided to finally get away from the city that we’ve come to grow quite bored of. It’s not that the city and beach are unenjoyable, but I think that during the couple winter months of the year the city somewhat dies. It’s still a hustling and bustling city, but the spirit and energy of the place gets further away than the sun does.

A couple weeks ago we were thinking of flying maybe to Perth or Tasmania, but came to the conclusion that these places would be more expensive, time consuming, and also lacking that "getaway" feeling that we both craved. Considering our options, we settled on going for the weekend to the Blue Mountains. This is a GIANT mountain range about a two hour train ride from the city (they are called the Blue Mountains because the large population of eucalyptus trees gives off a chemical that has a strong blue tinge from far away). It is as far away from a city atmosphere as you can get and has some of the most spectacular scenery you will ever see (I’m sure you can see for yourselves somewhere on the net). The Blue Mountains has over 2,500 plant species alone. That is 3 times more than all of Europe. The town of Katoomba, which is the center of the Mountains tourist area, has a population of maybe 1000 people. There was one main street about 1km long, and it was filled with little antique shops, used book stores, and tons of cafes and "mom and pop" restaurants. The temperature changed drastically in the mountains. The normal high of the days was about 9-10 degrees. Had we felt this climate on the beach it would have been hell, but out there it was quite refreshing. Also, it made it quite nice to come back from a day of hiking and climbing and relax with a hot chocolate in front of the fire place in a hostel full of travellers and people alike.

The Blue Mountains has a great history behind it with the convicts and everything. We drove down one of the oldest roads in Australia where they used to live in a cave, then go up this road to the Great Western Highway and rob all the trains coming back to Sydney with gold to send back to England. Our first day of hiking we saw "The Three Sisters". The three sisters are three enormous rock formations suspiciously over-looking the whole valley. The story behind this is that there were three girls in one tribe and three guys in another that were all equally attracted to each other but could not follow through due to tribal law. They rebelled and gave into temptations to have the women turned into stone for an unknown number of years. The only person who was known to be able to break the curse was killed by the three men who were so enraged with passion.

Our second day we decided to be a bit more adventurous and try abseiling. For those who don’t know, this is the opposite of rock climbing. We were wearing harnesses and anchored in at the top of the 60m cliff to repel ourselves down. This was definately the highlight of our weekend (aside from just getting away). The group consisted of a Danish guy who had done this and other crazy shite many times, 2 girls from Toronto, an Irish couple, and Anna and I. We started off on a 6-7m cliff to get the hang of it, then we hiked a bit further to see what certainly looked like our death. I don’t know what 60m sounds like to everyone else, but when you are standing at the top of a cliff and the wind is howling in your ears, you don’t really care how much weight your instructor promises the ropes can hold. But, we were all there for an experience and that is definately what we got. Once the feeling of certain death passes it starts to become a real adrenaline rush and incredibly fun. Something to smack you in the face and remind you that you are alive.

Apart from the obvious getting away from the city and just having a little vacation, I think the best part of this trip was that it reminded me of why I came here. I didn’t travel to the other side of the world just to get a job and settle into a life like I had at home because, let’s face it, I couldn’t do any better than the life I had at home. What I came here for was an experience I will never have again and will remember forever. I got on that plane and left everything I love so dearly behind me to see new places, taste new things, meet new people, and most of all just to have fun. I will now go to work everyday for the next few months with a sense of reason to do it. As it stands right now I will not be spending nearly as long in Sydney as planned. I need to see as much as I can while I am abroad and take what I can get while I am here because I may never come back. I need to take as much as I can from every person I play pool with in the pub because I may never meet them again. I need to enjoy every little part of my travels, friends, and my life as much as I possibly because I will only live today once.......until I fly home across the international date line, because then I will technically be going back in time. Anyways, I had an amazing time this weekend and I feel excited again about travelling...........now if I could only figure out a way to do this time travelling business to 3 months from now when I will have a bank account full of thousands and a plane ticket to Thailand.

As usual and everyday I wake up, I hope that everyone who deserves it is living as wonderfully and as happily as possible. Take care of yourselves and each other and squeeze every ounce out of every tiny little thing you experience. You will never live today again.

Call me the breeze

Well, it's been a while since the last update. The only thing that has really happened is my whole job situation. So, last you all heard I was about to start at the new cafe job on the beach which has started off quite nicely. Most of the staff is really friendly, I get to interact with people all day, and even at the busy times it really isn't that hard. I had worked my first week there thinking that all was going smoothly and that this was going to be my place of employment for a while. Then Teresa called me.......

Teresa is another Canadian girl who works at the Lamrock. She informed me that her and her boyfriend Bryn are travelling up the coast soon. He's been working at a carpet cleaning business for the past 4 months and absolutely loved it. Since he is leaving, his boss is in desperate need of a new employee and apparently loves Canadians. So here is the proposition I am left with.......

The Lamrock cafe: (good stuff) on the beach, lots of people to meet, not too many hours.
(bad stuff) unsteady hours and work load, not great pay, stressful at times, and I have been told by some staff that the owners are very shady.


Carpet Cleaning Gig: (good stuff) Amazing pay (better than Dofasco!), company vehicle, easy job, steady hours, different location everyday, and again...amazing pay.
(bad stuff) lots of hours, learning to drive on the left hand side.

I think I have worked out the best situation possible to deal with this. I have told a little "white" lie to my boss to free up some of my weekday shifts. This way, I can do training at the carpet cleaning thing to see how I like it while I can keep my job at the cafe. This way, if I like the carpet thing, I can finish my shifts for the week at the cafe and then start full-time cleaning carpets next week. And if I don't like what I see during the training I can say no thank you and go back to the cafe.

Although I am here for fun and a sort of vacation, it probably won't seem like that while I'm working full-time cleaning carpets. But I have weighed out the options. If I work cleaning carpets I should be able to save enough money through the next few months to travel for at least 3-4 months without working. At least. And even though the winter weather here really isn't bad (21 and sunny today), there just really isn't much happening. I would much rather work as much as I can now so when it picks up here I can work minimum hours and have the option to pick up and travel as well as enjoy the Aussie summer.

I hope everyone's doing great and enjoying your summer enough to make up for me missing it!
Take care. Talk to you soon.