Diving in Head First

Ok. I'm here. Sydney, Australia. I completely missed the 1st of January so happy new years me. It was worth it.

First of all I didn't even get to Australia yet before 2 addresses and phone numbers were shoved into my hands by fellow passengers on my flight from Oahu to here, that doesn't include the wonderful Kiwi family that was standing in line with me to check in who also offered me a spot in their home if I make it back over there. They truly made me miss New Zealand. I must go back one day.

THEN, I was wandering aimlessly around central station in Sydney, trying for the life of me to figure out how to get out of the damn station and I asked a woman for assistance and she promptly invited me to go to church with her and bought me a day pass with her special retirement rate, which they call 'pensioners' or some such more proper term.

So, off I go luggage laden, having given up on finding my way out of the train mazes to another station, called Bondi Junction, pronounced Bon-die I discovered much later in the game. On the train ride she begins to share her life story including the disagreement she just had with her son, as if we have been old time friends. Lovely really, I honestly am still waiting for the moment where I realize that I'm actually in a foreign country.

Once out of the station we realize that this church is a bit furthur than she remembers, as she is living in Byron Bay currently. So she grabs a shopping cart and instructs me to put all my luggage in it. Why not? So we shopping carted our way to church on a bright sunny morning in downtown Sydney. Those of you that know me, know that I'm not a religious person, but I sang along and listened to some people tell me about God and drank coffee and took a nap on the couch while kids ran around me playing swords with balloons. Not a bad way to spend your morning I think.

Then, just in case I didn't already have enough phone numbers and addresses, I collected 2 more at the church, again with more promises of visits and calls if I could possibly need ANYTHING at all. Then I got a ride to lunch and dropped off at my hostel, with full luggage service by this lovely couple from New Castle, a couple hours north of Sydney.

Phew. I haven't even caught up with myself yet.

Tonight I'm off with yet another extremely kind and generous sounding Aussie, who is taking me out on the town for dinner.

More adventures later. Plus some thoughts once I pick them up off the ground.