Yesterday, I was playing a game with my sisters and cousins which involved asking ourselves questions. Well, actually we weren't playing the game anymore. We gave up and were just using the cards to spark conversation.
When we came to the question of where's the most beautiful place you've ever been, I felt a bit lost. I felt it should be Australia, but I wasn't sure where in Australia. And the beauty that's really in my heart currently is Arizona, because we just got back from there. But I felt wrong saying Arizona, because I'm supposed to be the weird American who's obsessed with Australia.
I ended up saying Sydney Harbour...and Arizona.
It's true in some ways. At the time that we first went to Australia, it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my whole life. I was so in love with it. And that love lasted through out the first trip and also through the majority of our second trip there.
Then things happened. And I have a hard time admitting this to others and an even harder time admitting this to myself, but my feelings for Sydney soured. I had hoped that these feelings would be reversed when we returned in 2013, but it didn't really happen. Sydney Harbour sadly doesn't have the same magic for me that it had in the past.
I felt like a failure being only able to come up with Sydney Harbour. And my sister Melissa who is NOT known as the weird American who's obsessed with Australia, picked the Australian outback! She's been to many beautiful places, but she picks somewhere in Australia. And that gave me doubts about my tentative itinerary for our way-in-the-future next Australia trip. Is it awful that I haven't been to the outback yet, and I don't have plans to go? And am I questioning all this because I really want to go to the outback, or am I feeling some kind of competitiveness with Melissa?
Anyway, this morning I thought about things and totally had a true and good answer to the question. I thought of announcing it to my sisters and cousins today but imagined they'd look at me weird, thinking, Dina...we are totally done with that conversation.
So then I decided I'd write a blog post about it instead.
The most beautiful place I've ever been (so far) is Halls Gap. I loved the seeing the mountains and all the trees. I loved the wild kangaroos just hanging around. I loved the sulfur-crested cockatoos, magpies and other birds that came to visit us. I loved seeing the group of emus walking by.
I don't know why I forgot Halls Gap when the question was asked. It kind of sucks.
The other thing I'm thinking is, I should make sure we visit a place that's like Halls Gap when we return to Australia. I think some of the places in Tasmania will be like that. Hopefully. And maybe there will be something near Byron Bay?
If anyone has any suggestions, PLEASE share them with me. I'm looking for places in the Brisbane area...or anywhere in Tasmania. I want to be somewhere where I can wake up early in the morning, go outside, and see wonderful Aussie animals.
When we came to the question of where's the most beautiful place you've ever been, I felt a bit lost. I felt it should be Australia, but I wasn't sure where in Australia. And the beauty that's really in my heart currently is Arizona, because we just got back from there. But I felt wrong saying Arizona, because I'm supposed to be the weird American who's obsessed with Australia.
I ended up saying Sydney Harbour...and Arizona.
It's true in some ways. At the time that we first went to Australia, it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my whole life. I was so in love with it. And that love lasted through out the first trip and also through the majority of our second trip there.
Then things happened. And I have a hard time admitting this to others and an even harder time admitting this to myself, but my feelings for Sydney soured. I had hoped that these feelings would be reversed when we returned in 2013, but it didn't really happen. Sydney Harbour sadly doesn't have the same magic for me that it had in the past.
I felt like a failure being only able to come up with Sydney Harbour. And my sister Melissa who is NOT known as the weird American who's obsessed with Australia, picked the Australian outback! She's been to many beautiful places, but she picks somewhere in Australia. And that gave me doubts about my tentative itinerary for our way-in-the-future next Australia trip. Is it awful that I haven't been to the outback yet, and I don't have plans to go? And am I questioning all this because I really want to go to the outback, or am I feeling some kind of competitiveness with Melissa?
Anyway, this morning I thought about things and totally had a true and good answer to the question. I thought of announcing it to my sisters and cousins today but imagined they'd look at me weird, thinking, Dina...we are totally done with that conversation.
So then I decided I'd write a blog post about it instead.
The most beautiful place I've ever been (so far) is Halls Gap. I loved the seeing the mountains and all the trees. I loved the wild kangaroos just hanging around. I loved the sulfur-crested cockatoos, magpies and other birds that came to visit us. I loved seeing the group of emus walking by.
I don't know why I forgot Halls Gap when the question was asked. It kind of sucks.
The other thing I'm thinking is, I should make sure we visit a place that's like Halls Gap when we return to Australia. I think some of the places in Tasmania will be like that. Hopefully. And maybe there will be something near Byron Bay?
If anyone has any suggestions, PLEASE share them with me. I'm looking for places in the Brisbane area...or anywhere in Tasmania. I want to be somewhere where I can wake up early in the morning, go outside, and see wonderful Aussie animals.
I won't say it was the most beautiful place I have ever been but I remember it well. We stayed in a motel right on the sea in Swansea, Tasmania. Views of the placid ocean and the sound of waves to send us to sleep.
ReplyDeleteAndrew,
ReplyDeleteI'm looking at Swansea on Google Maps now. Maybe I'll have to add that to my list of places to go.
It looks nice.
Where else have you visited in Tasmania?