So when someone truly travels, there are different means of transportation. There is Grey Hound. Nice big grey hound buses like we have in the states with USB ports to charge your electronics. There is a campervan. These are minivans with a bed, kitchenette, and other amenities to act as your home. People that rent these out want to be on their own schedules, not pay for accommodation at hostels, search for places to shower, etc. They are pretty much accommodation on wheels. It's for some people and it's not for others. The last option is Loka. Loka is a company that began in November 2014. They wanted to provide a way to travel up the east coast, hitting the major cities, but adding a few places off the beaten path that most travelers miss when they take the grey hound or campervan. It is a bus that arrives and departs different cities up the east coast different days of the week. Similar to a grey hound but it is much more personal. We have different guides for different legs of the trip. The bus only fits about 12 people so it becomes a little community of people. Someone I start the trip with in Sydney may be on a different schedule than me, but I may run into them 5 cities later. It also included 29 nights accommodation, a few meals here and there, and the major excursions (Fraser Island, Whitsundays, etc.) Like I said in my previous post, this idea was proposed to my Ultimate Oz group the first week I was in Sydney and I knew I wanted to do the trip at some point, I just didn't realize it was going to happen so soon.

The day in Sydney when I was at a loss as what to do, I walked into the Ultimate Oz offices across the street from my hostel, sat down with Danny, and he highly advised me to travel now. He said that because it's winter, it's a slow season which will make traveling easier with booking trips, hostels, extra activities, etc. The weather in Sydney was getting pretty gross and the more north I got, the warmer it would be. He also said "Travel now while you have money. The worst that could happen is that you run out and have to go home" which made sense for a traveler like me. It also sounded like something my sister would say. With Sydney being SUCH an expensive place, it made sense to travel, check out different cities, head north where things are significantly cheaper, and hopefully find a place to settle down and get a job for a few months. I said OK and spent the most money I've ever spent on one thing in my life. I asked if I could store some luggage there and I was. The kicker was that the bus was leaving the following morning at 8 AM meaning Rachel needed to get her life sorted real quick because I had to have my luggage at the Ultimate Oz office before they closed that evening at 4:00 PM (it was about 1:00 at this point).

I quickly grabbed a lunch and went back to the hostel where I emptied everything I owned out of all of my bags and started picking and choosing the things I thought I'd need for at least a month. No pressure, right? Sure enough, I was sorted out by about 3:15 and took my smaller suitcase to the offices, full of things I can't even remember, and packed it away for a time that I still to this day don't know when it will be over.

Of COURSE the people in my room at that point had arrived the day before and I was really connecting with them. I broke the news to them about my departure and broke a few hearts. We all went out that night and had one last night together as room 102.

In normal Rachel fashion, the next morning was hectic. I was completely packed the night before but found a way to be rushing out the door at 7:55. Here I go stumbling out the front door of the hostel, half asleep, suitcase barreling down the steps, slams into this girls' legs, I apologize without even looking at her, and introduce myself to the guides Nick and Jarryd and then I hear "Oh my gosh! RACHEL?!?" I turned around and the little legs I just about took off with my massive suitcase belonged to a girl that was in my Thailand group, Fenella. I didn't even realize she was coming to Australia and sure enough, she was leaving on the Loka bus with me. Same day. Same time. I don't think I can emphasis how much of a coincidence it was. There were only 5 of us too. It was crazy.

(4/28) So we left Sydney. Scary, exciting, sad, relieved, clueless... tons of emotions going through my head leaving that big city. First Stop, Hunter Valley Winery. We arrived there at about 10 in the morning. It was a short stop but well worth it. Beautiful place. Clear skies. We did a small wine tasting, checked out a place where they make different types of cheeses. We got to taste a few of those. Then we ate lunch and hopped back on the road.

Our stop for that evening was Barrington Tops. It was an absolutely beautiful place. I can't even put it into words. There is a little "retreat" area in the middle of these mountains/hills covered in green grass with animals every where. There were horses, cows, chickens, wild kangaroos, and ducks. (The winery and Barrington Tops are 2 of the places that are "off the beaten path" that Loka takes people.) At Barrington Tops, we went tubing down the river. We had to wear wetsuits to keep us warm. I couldn't feel my fingers and toes by the end of it. It was like a mild white water rafting in a single inner tube. A few people fell out of theirs (Not me. whoop whoop!) When we returned, we immediately jumped in the hot tub to bring circulation back to our limbs. Then we had a little BBQ, played a few games, played with the chickens, and then slept in the most comfy bed I'd been in since I left the states.

(4/29) The next morning, we headed to the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie. Another short stop, but pretty interesting. These folks don't joke around about their koalas. Save all of them!! They've got some serious issues. One little fun fact... They don't drink water because there is so much water in the eucalyptus leaves they eat. They also sleep about 20 hours a day. They need this much sleep because their nutrition is so poor they aren't able to stay awake. #iknowthefeeling

After the hospital, we ate lunch in a small town on the beach and then headed to Spot X. This is where we slept in Teepees. Pretty nice teepees though. We were supposed to stay here for 2 nights. First night in a teepee, surf lesson on day 2, canoe up to a river camp, sleep in swags, BBQ, fish, etc. Well it decided to torrential rain for 3 days which left us with very little to do. Those days were a tad bit of a blur for me. Constantly trying to entertain ourselves. We weren't close to any cities. One of the days, I suggested we take a "field trip" to the bottle shop (liquor store) in which we did. The rest is history... :)

(5/1) SO excited to leave Spot X, we were on our way to Byron Bay. I had heard so much about this place. I had no idea what to expect, but little did I know, it was going to be my favorite place on the east coast.

We arrived in BB, checked into our hostel, Nomads, and for some reason wasn't put in a room with the group I was with. I wasn't going to complain. Everything happens for a reason. Sure enough, I walk into room 201 and I was the only one in there (for the time being). Y'all this doesn't just happen. Alone time doesn't exist when you're traveling. I was stoked. I claimed my bottom bunk, claimed my wall outlet, claimed my locker, put my suitcases close to my bed, and if I remember correctly, got on my bed in the peace and quiet and took a nap. Shocking. I know.

We did lots of things in BB. The weather was awesome majority of the time. We laid on the beach, BBQed, rented bikes and found a tea tree lake, kayaked in the ocean to see dolphins, and shopped. I put this on facebook, but when we arrived at the tea tree lake, a lady in her late 50's maybe 60's was all by herself walking out of the lake completely topless. She had no shame at all. I didn't know how to react. The city of BB has the reputation of being the most relaxed city. No one cares what you wear, what you do, how you talk, how you look, etc. Everything goes. Everyone is happy. Nothing to complain about. I just think the lady was embracing the BB culture. More power to you, ma'am. I think I'll keep my top on.

I'm only putting this on here because it was a significant part of my BB time. On the Friday that we arrived, it was raining. Everyone was at the hostel playing games and hanging out. I was tired of waiting on someone to make a decision as to where we were going that night so I decided to throw on my big pink rain jacket and run across the street to the bottle shop and grabs a few beers. They sold them by the can so I grabbed a few and headed back to the hostel.

As I was walking up the steps, I noticed 2 good looking guys waiting at the steps. I minded my own business and passed them up. Sure enough I hear "Hey! Where are you going?" I turn around and one of the guys was talking to me. I think I had a shocked look on my face. I probably looked behind me to see if he was meaning to be talking to someone else. I don't remember the exact conversation, but we got to talking. He invited me out with them. I said no multiple times but he was persistent. So I thought, YOLO and said "OK let me go tell my friends where I'm going, go to the bathroom, and I'll be back down." (They were waiting on a taxi). Before I went up I also asked him his full name so I could tell my friends in case anything happened to me. He laughed and gave it to me.

On the way upstairs, I was 99.9% sure he was going to leave. You can't have high expectations of guys around here. These definitely aren't your standard southern men. So I went to the restroom, found my group, told everyone his name, found my guides, told them who I was going with and where I was going, etc. I covered all my bases.

At this point I was 99.99% sure he would be gone. As I'm walking downstairs, he shows up at the bottom of the stairs, complaining that the meter on the taxi was running the whole time I was gone (in a joking manner of course), and I jumped in the taxi with them. We drove about 1/6 of a mile (we did not need a taxi) and jumped out at a place called the beach hotel (I don't even know if it was an actual hotel). It had a huge stage, bar, dance floor, outdoor seating on the beach... It was great.

His story... He's an Australian from the capital city, Canberra. He was at a bachelor party with about 20 of his mates. Why he chose me to bring along to a bachelor party, I'll never know. It was me and 20 other men aging 25-35. It was so nice to be outside the "travelers" setting at the hostel. I was surrounded by older australians that I could understand. Other than accents, there was no language barrier. They were all SO much fun and so sweet. I really thought I was living a movie. Who does that just happen to?

The next day, I was sure I'd never hear from him again. I was walking downstairs to head to the beach with a friend and there he was standing in the lobby. In normal Rachel fashion, I start stumbling over my words. I was nervous. I don't know what to say. I keep trying to end the conversation and he keeps asking questions. I'm trying to play it cool. I don't gauge the distance between me and the door very well and walk straight into the CLOSED sliding doors while talking to him.

Smooth, Rach.

I'm living a movie.

The bach party all had to dress up in costumes for the day (I'm telling you, these guys knew how to have fun). None of them skimped out either. They were all in full blown costumes. There were Ninja Turtles, Mario and Luigi, Cows, Super heros, KISS lead singer, and the bachelor himself wore a "king" outfit with a crown (very fitting). BB is a very small town. There are about 2 streets so these guys stood out and it was pretty hilarious. You could spot them from anywhere.

I didn't want to barge in on their bach party so I did my own thing that day, we hung out again that night, and then he left Sunday morning. A little smitten never hurt anyone :)

The night before we left Byron (4/5) I participated in open mic night at The Beach Hotel. I had a whole group of friends come to support. About 12 of them showered, got dressed up, and came out to support. I played "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain on the guitar and sang. That's the only song I've memorized on the guitar. It felt nice to be back behind the microphone. It had been awhile. So much fun to showcase my talents to my friends... Now all I hear is "Rach, can you sing me to sleep?" "Hey! There's karaoke tonight, let's sign you up!"

Needless to say, I had some seriously fun times in Byron. I keep telling everyone I left my heart there and won't have it back until I go back.

OK I have to get showered for dinner and the evening out with friends. I'm currently in Airlie Beach. This took quite some time. I will be caught up on my trip some day!

Much love to everyone xoxo