Australia

By Chelsea Swenson | Australia The lights of Sydney Harbor made my heart beat faster as I knew that an exciting adventure was upon me.  This would be a 3 week excursion spending two weeks in Sydney, Australia and then one week on the North Island of New Zealand. While staying in Sydney with friends, we had the chance to experience the city from the local’s perspective instead of the tourists’ view.  We embraced the charming hole-in-the-wall Thai food restaurant that we couldn’t get enough of and made it a point to try Panang curry everywhere we could. From the majestic Blue Mountains, to the coastal walkway on Bondi Beach, to the excitement in Sydney while the World Cup played on, everything about Australia was fascinating.  Including their accents, I knew they were speaking English, but it was unlike any English I had heard in awhile.  When I wasn’t in public, I would secretly try to speak as they do, unfortunately it never seemed to be quite right. Continuing our journey in New Zealand, my husband and I rented a car planned a few choice destinations and let the rest of the trip unfold during the in-betweens.   Once we hopped into [...]