It’s 11:30 AM and man, I am tired. But excited. But nervous. But ready.
After a 14 ½ hour plane ride from San Fran to Sydney, I am ready to crash into a comfy bed. I can’t though, because I am now in Brissie, and have a city to explore! I check into my hostel and realize how truthful my guidebook is. Base Central Hostel is:
- Cleanliness – somewhat clean
- Furnishings – bed, broken safe
- Bathrooms – somewhat tolerable
- Location – PARTY CENTRAL
The hostel happens to be located right above Bar XXXX (a type of weak Australia ale, like a bud light), and is just about in the dead center of downtown Brisbane. Perfect. Walking through the hallway is like being in an International Dorm, except that instead of high fiving your fellow friend and floormate, you avert eye contact when the greasy Slovanian kid gives you the eyebrow raise as you clutch your towel tighter to your chest, pretending you haven’t seen the previews of Hostel. I went on a tour bus around the city. A bit lame, but it was a great way to get oriented and be able to find my way around the city. The city is beautiful, an unusual mix between skyscrapers and tropical trees, lining a wide river that cuts right through the center of town. I met a kiwi girl, Robyn, on the bus and she invited me to eat dinner with her and her friends! We took the ferry up and down the river and then walked along ‘South Bank,’ a nighttime open-air market before dinner. Robyn and her friends were nice, funny, and had hilarious accents. By the time I made it back to my hostel, it was 7:30 PM. (I guess that's 19:30). I don’t think I have ever been more exhausted in my whole life. I passed out instantly.
Today felt a bit like the first time I moved away from home. Alone in an unfamiliar city, having no obligations, no plans, and no one to know when you come or go—an experience of freedom so new, yet almost incapacitating. I had a great day, and met some new friends. I'm getting my bearings as a lone traveler, but I am constantly reminding myself to push the boundaries of my comfort zone, to really experience another culture, country, continent.
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