Five months

May 31, 2017

I want to say time flew by, but it seems forever ago when I got off the plane at the Brisbane airport. And here’s a strong opinion I have to offer: Australians are quite possibly the worst drivers that I have ever experienced. This statement is true at least for the city of Gold Coast. These are the thoughts that must be going through their heads on a daily basis: “The speed limit just changed to 40, I better slow down to 20 just to be mega sure.”
“Oh look there’s a roundabout about 200m ahead and the closest car is parked next to a residential house, I better slow down to ensure the entry to the roundabout is not as smooth as it could be and quite possibly create a queue of cars behind me.” “Highway is a concept completely new to me, I will stay in the left lane even though the cars are entering, however I will slow down to minimum to make sure we don’t crash. I will definitely not change lanes to
allow them to enter.” “I want to go slow on the highway; I think the fastest line is indeed the right option for me.” “I want to turn left, I better speed up, get right in front of you, then slow down so I can comfortably turn and make sure you miss the green light.” “Oh look green light, I will slow down to make sure I am the last car that will make it.” Now imagine this in a bogan accent. This is just a fraction of it; slowness is the worst part of driving here, slow speed limits and slow drivers. The only time they are fast is when you actually do need to change lanes. I think my opinion is valid here as I managed to drive through Rome without anyone having to violently hand gesture at me.

Apart from daily road rage and having to spend excruciating amount of time in the car, I have just been working and making the most of my free time. Yoga has become my passion but the progress is much slower than I would like it to be. I have started swimming and the progress has actually been quicker than I ever imagined it would be. That, and my new bathing suit, is totally encouraging. Since the summer is over and the weather is pretty much perfect lately, I have started running again and it’s not all that bad. In the spirit of enjoying every moment alive and not just living from weekend to weekend, every single morning is a good morning for a wonderful breakfast, finishing coffee in the sun or having a cuddle before leaving for work.

We have also been on a road trip to Lamington National Park where we caught the most beautiful sunset on top of Moran’s falls and the sight was so beautiful. The light was soft and cheerful and it reflected on our faces like rays of positivity. We cooked dinner on a portable stove and slept in the car. It was cold and uncomfortable because we totally weren’t ready for camping, however we struggled through and had an early breakfast in the morning sun with the view of entire Gold Coast with specialty freshly ground coffee of course. Camping is no reason to accept anything less than perfect. We managed to do a solid hike despite the lack of sleep and again cooked lunch on the stove outside. Is there a better way to cook?

After that my good friend from elementary school Adel and her boyfriend came for a visit and they stayed for five days. If it were up to me, I would have them stay with us forever. We had the best time and we did it all. Sushi for dinner, live music at the Marketta, surfing, barbeque, road trips, chats. Meeting new people is great, finding connection with someone new is wonderful, being with the person you love the most is beyond any feeling of
comfort that I know. However having a good friend, a friend that you have known for years, around and within reach, damn that’s awesome. I miss that here a lot.

We also had a taco dinner with a lot of Australian red wine (Barossa valley hmm love it) and a brunch date with few of Lukas’ friends and apart from a few kangaroos that I have seen lately I have nothing else to report. This weekend we are flying to Sydney. I am excited like a child. I will see that famous opera house. It’s great that I can still get excited about new cities.