A week of firsts.....

Well, since my last post, I have completed my work assignment with Uncle Price in Australia and began my holiday. What does this mean? I am officially off the Uncle Price radar. It's a rather lovely feeling, really.

In the last couple weeks of time in Sydney, Karalee (my roommate) and I enjoyed a visit from a friend of her's from Chicago - Tiffany Westfall - who also, coincidentally, is someone who went to my high school as well. It really is a small world. We also enjoyed the arrival of Karalee's husband, Brian. Our last day of work was filled with little work really, and much more socializing. Our team gave each of us the Australian version of Monopoly as a parting gift. The interesting thing about this version of the game is that it doesn't include any money. Everything is via credit cards and a little electronic computer thing that keeps track of how much each player has. While I suppose this is only the logical next step for this game, I wonder how children will learn to count money without Monopoly money.

Later that evening, KL and I and 8 others boarded a somewhat dodgey looking boat for a harbour dinner cruise with an ABBA tribute group for the entertainment. A great time was had by all, and it was a wonderful opportunity for us have one last memorable time together.

The following day, KL, Tiffany, Brian and I boarded a plane to Cairns, Queensland. This is where the holiday began, as well as the week of firsts.

• First time snorkeling (at the Great Barrier Reef)
• First live encounter with a shark
• First time driving in over 3 months
• First time driving on the left side of the road
• First time driving along a seaside road that hugs cliffs on one side and mountains on the other
• First vacation by myself (KL, Tiffany and Brian left on Monday and I proceeded north in my car to Port Douglas)
• First time in a rain forest (northern Queensland is basically one rain forest after another - this week's news here is that two scientists have found a chemical in some tree's fruit in the QLD rain forest that shrinks cancer tumors overnight)
• First hot air balloon ride
• First time on a beach where there is no development for as far as the eye can see

To view some pics from this week, go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2038619&id=1054940637&l=e5ab669482

I've been in Queensland for about a week now and am boarding a plane later today to head down to Victoria to continue my holiday.

I'm becoming quite sentimental about my impending departure from this amazing place. When I was preparing to come to Australia, I was anticipating that once I arrived in South Africa, I'd be an emotional mess because it would be the first time I'd be seeing some great friends from home. However, I'm now beginning to think that I may be an emotional mess in South Africa because of what I will have just left in Australia. I have met some incredible people here and have had the absolute time of my life in the last 3 months. I am going to tremendously miss these people and this country and hope that it won't be too long before I am back.

Well, I'm off to get a skinny flat white and some breaky. More later....