Dad

Dear Dad,

Unfortunately, my trip to Byron Bay was not nearly as sunny and relaxing as you predicted. Still, as it often happens, it turned out to be a whole different kind of adventure.

On Wednesday morning, Chrissy and I paused in packing (which entailed tossing all our bikinis, tank tops, flip flops and shorts into our bags—what more do you need for the beach?) to check the weather report. The 5-day forecast predicted clouds, low temperatures, and some showers. However, for some reason we remained optimistic—I guess we were in denial. We threw in a couple jackets and sweaters, I grudgingly brought my boots, but we figured we’d have these things just in case, believing the sun wouldn’t be so cruel as to abandon us on our beach holiday.

When we arrived Wednesday night, Byron Bay was moderately warm and drizzly. This isn’t so bad! we said. Then as the weather deteriorated over the next four days, we wished for it back!

So the weather wasn’t ideal, but it was a lovely trip anyway. Byron is a bubble of bliss, an insulated hippie town that attracts backpackers and diehard travelers from around the world. It’s full of healers and surfers, organic food and weird mystical stuff. Chrissy lived there for six months before coming to Sydney, so she wanted to go back to say goodbye before returning to Germany. We stayed on couches in the house she used to live in, where five kids (all of whom have been traveling the world for years) now live.

The town itself is basically one main road; you can walk from one end to the other. But the best part of Byron is its beaches and the rainforest around them. During short increments of good weather, we walked along the beaches and all the way to the lighthouse at the easternmost tip of Australia. From there we could see families of whales swimming south. They were so close and visible, it was incredible.

We were set to leave on Sunday at 7:30 PM out of the Gold Coast airport, which is about an hour bus ride from Byron. But on Sunday the weather was at its worst; the sky was pouring sheets of rain. When we arrived at the airport at 4:30, all the flights had been delayed. We sat at the gate for hours as flight after flight was cancelled (although some did depart at delayed times, so we hoped for the best). Finally at about 11:30 PM, when everyone in the small airport was gone except the people on our flight, they cancelled it. They bussed us an hour and twenty minutes to Brisbane (playing old Mr. Bean on the bus!), put us in a hotel there, and gave us a $100 flight voucher. The upside was, I ended up spending the night in a huge bed in my own hotel room and got a flight back in the morning. So it all worked out in the end.

Still, for me the most amazing part of the whole trip happened on Sunday, even before the whole ordeal with the flight happened. I’d had a great few days, but I was ready to go home. And home, I realized, was Sydney. My apartment, my neighborhood, my life here. It was really strange to realize that after three months here, that’s what this is. I don’t know what the future holds, but for right now, this is home.

I miss you guys and love you so much.

Love,

Peepers

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