Mt. Nebo and D'Aguilar National Park

Southeastern Queensland: Where there's at least 300 days of sunshine.

With all of the pristine weathe it's a sin to stay inside.

On Thursday, I awoke from the sun's glow through the cracks at the edge of the dark curtains. A crisp breeze tickled my nose, one of the most glorious feelings that arises from sleeping with the door open. After watching Queensland's sad loss against New South Wales on Wednesday night in the State of Origin footy game, today was a new day filled with unlimited possibilities. As we prayed for no surprise rain storms, my friend and I set out for a drive to the mountains outside Brisbane.

 Mt. Nebo was quiet and relaxing. Far above the towns below, the only noise pollution came from squawking crows, which, surprisingly enough, look the same but sound different from the crows at home. These crows make multiple noises, all equally annoying.

 After sunbathing on an outlook bench, we ventured further up the mountain range and stumbled upon national parks. As I entered the rainforest trail, I felt as though we'd just entered Jurassic Park. The gigantic trees with their mysterious twisting trunks made me wonder if a Dilophosaurus was around the other side.

The light and temperature gradually dropped, like springtime in the Appalachians, the further we hiked through this prehistoric forest. Then, we reached our destination...the falls. The water trickled and weaved through the worn crevices in the rainforest rock. It flowed haphazardly downward towards the drop off and the molecules that didn't make it to the edge collected into pools.

I slowly captured the damp air in my lungs and held it there for a couple seconds before exhaling it through my lips. It felt light and innocent, free from the waste that crowds the air at home in America. I stood silently, feeling my heart beat and listening to the quiet cooing of the birds that I could not see. In that moment, everything felt easier. Breathing, seeing, feeling, thinking...it all felt..

easy. 

People ask me how I like living in the land down under...

How could I not adore somewhere that is so easy to love?