I have always loved traveling... everything about it appeals to me from the anticipation of planning the trip... to the packing and everything involved with getting there (I used to like flying a lot more... but maybe that's another subject for another day) I love traveling with others and  I have even had some some extraordinary trips by myself.... truth be told I would rather share the experience but sometimes meeting new people and experiencing  a destination and what it has to offer with a relative stranger can be just as illuminating and exciting... that being said I was once on a cruise ship alone and the other passengers for the most part compelled me to want to spend most of my time alone... I made Greta Garbo look like a cheerleader on that trip. From the first time I ever heard the word I have been happy to be a "gadabout"...

 

I've said over the last year that not having the freedom to travel has been one of the more difficult parts of the isolation that covid-19 brought... that being said... I also like being home doing the things that home offers that travel does not... one thing I learned a long time ago and it really has been a focus of my thoughts for the last year is that we really should not blame the circumstances from the outside world and how they effect our life but focus on that we have control of our thoughts and the environment we create in our homes ... but like most things in life a balance of both works best for me.... so someone asked me recently if when this is behind us and life returns to whatever normal is going to be again and we can travel and well gadabout..."Where would you like to go first?" I really had to think about it because there are numerous places I want to rediscover... Israel was on the list but sadly right now that seems out of the question... So I'm going to go with... (drum roll please)... Australia.  I just love Australia and everything about it from the landscapes to the people... their attitudes.... I could go on and on and on.... Whenever this trip is I plan to take it with my other half as he has not travelled as extensively as I have and I'm really looking forward to sharing some things with him looking at some of the vistas and views from his first time perspective...

 

 

One of my favorite things about new people in new places (or even sometimes when I'm eating alone in a restaurant)... is the fine art of people watching... you have to learn to not stare (sunglasses help a lot) but you have to have a decent imagination and finely tuned deduction skills to really be good at it... you can learn a great deal about people by how they present themselves to the world... but you have to take into consideration... where they came from... and who they miss the most... and what makes them happy and what they are sorry for... sometimes if you are lucky enough to speak and interact with new people it's possible to find out the real answers... and if you are really lucky you can touch someones life and vice versa... I once learned from a fellow traveller... if something or someone costs you your happiness and/or peace of mind... it's too expensive and probably not worth it... I've carried that with me since and it's made leaving bad jobs and people behind much, much easier... I'll share this other little gem this person shared with me shortly.

Australia is a big country and from most places it's a long flight to get there... so if you have never been I suggest you take  two weeks minimum to  enjoy yourself... so for our purposes now I would start in Sydney and spend some time there before heading to the next destination... my general rule with travel is start and end the trip in a city ( because that is where the international airports are) and spend the middle part someplace a little more off the beaten path. 

There is so much to see and do in Sydney that you could honestly spend two weeks there and not run out of places to go and things to do...One of my favorite places is Balmoral Beach because it's very pretty and one of my favorite restaurants in the world is there... 

 

 

 

The Bathers Pavillion restaurant features exciting cuisine and a fantastic view... and the people are among the nicest I've ever met...

 

You can have breakfast, lunch and dinner at The Bathers Pavilion and every mouthful has been a delicious and memorable imaginative gastronomic delight that is a blend of Asian and Mediterranean flavor. I have sometimes started and ended my day here... the beach nearby is beautiful... but if you know me I tend more toward the no tan line line experience so a hop, skip and a jump away is either Obelisik Beach or Cobblers Beach... if you are up for a drive Lady Bay Beach is a little bit further south.

 

 

I've learned a lot in my travels about myself and others... the most important being... "Be selective in every way about everything and everybody."

From this I've found a good roadmap for myself and what I expect from others...

 

• Don't respond to negativity
• Don't gossip about other people and their lives
• Be on time
• Give without expectations
• Be deliberately optimistic (not always easy)
• Don't nitpick
• Don't brag
• Don't judge anyone else unless you are perfect
• Show gratitude
• Have good manners
• Don't make excuses
• Discover the transformative beauty in random acts of kindness