Journeys in Iceland

OK, so perhaps Iceland is a bit harsh, but Gippsland is close enough to the real thing. This is where I spent last weekend, and it was a good trip all round: apart from the ice factor of course.

I took a few pictures from the relative warmth of the train, and then enjoyed the scenery, which in Gippsland is quite beautiful at this time of the year.

Gippsland is where I was born, and who knows? I might end up going back there one day. But for now, I'll enjoy the warmer parts of Victoria. One month to go until spring!

I shall return...

I have returned! The three weeks I just spent in the Philippines was awesome to say the least, one of my best trips so far. I got some really good photos too, which I might post for you.

So here I am, back here, adjusting to Australian life again. I really miss my Filipino friends (saying goodbye gets harder every time). I also miss the balmy weather of the Philippines (oh my gosh, it is so freezing here!), and I miss the close-knit community-culture of the islands. I miss the food (cereal is really bland after you've eaten fish for breakfast every morning), and I think my body is struggling to adjust to the lack of rice. I miss beautiful Philippines, and everything that happens when we go there.

However, I am getting used to this adjustment time - I know that fairly soon I'll be back into the swing of things here, and I will begin to anticipate my next journey to the Phils (yes, 'I shall return').

For now I am focusing on reaching out and really loving my friends and family here. I have some great people in my life, and after being in the Philippines I have realised how much many of my relationships lack true expression of love, the kind that is so readily expressed by my friends in the Philippines. I know I'm blessed to have experienced another culture, because all cultures have weaknesses, and I can take and use the strengths of another to enhance my own.

So bear with me over the next few weeks - I will return to regular blogging very soon (probably not long after I start studying. Haha...).

Chance Meetings II

I have posted previously about the interesting blogs you can find by hitting the "Next Blog>>" button. Here are some more.

~Dreams is written by a Malaysian girl studying in Perth. I like this blog because of its design and the pictures taken during dissection classes.

Jeep trips from Coast to Costa follows a road trip of an American couple from Miami to Costa Rica. They just picked up and went! Wouldn't we all like to do that...

In Photography by Nuya, take your own round the world trip through the pictures of Nuya, who travels to all sorts of places and posts great-quality photos on this blog.

Wishes & Heros interests me because although it is in another language, the author posts photographs of some amazing crafts (teddies, cushions and so on) she has completed. You don't see crafts of this quality every day.

More coming soon!

The Wide Brown Land For Me

Now I know what I am going to do in the six months after I've finished my course! What a great opportunity it would be to travel around Australia before going overseas! There is so much of our land that I haven't seen: Queensland, Uluru, the Great Ocean Road, Adelaide, Perth... the list goes on and on. So what I'm going to do (and I will do it), is find a friend who wants to come with me, and do a massive 2-3 month road trip! I'll stay in el cheapo accommodation, take my cheap-to-run little laser, and blog about it every single day. The photos are going to be awesome.

I can't wait! What a thing to look forward to, and to motivate me to study hard! All I need to do now is to find someone to go with me... and start planning!

P.S. It's rather funny to look at myself getting excited like this. Most people don't get itchy feet until they're fifty, where as I'm doing everything backwards, it seems...