Nearly 25 years of living, I've beginning to learn about taking up a journey with God in mind, and I didn't really mean it in the religious sense of doing things in the parable of His words. What I meant is charting my own course with a free spirit in mind, knowing at best if anything happens - God alone judges me whether I've made my race or not.
After Lanchang, the first time I discovered the beauty of unlayering God's mysterious works in my decision - Australia is my journey to find where I stand before God, my country, and two people who conceived me. A journey to break free, a journey to let go of the pain which binds me to the past, a journey to discover what's real and beautiful in the world. In doing so, I hope the following 18 things help me:
- Swim in the Australian ocean
- Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge
- Volunteer with the locals. I guest blogged at the Live Futures 2020 last year, which was an awesome experience of getting to know magnificent people working as futurists. I was also introduced to the World Future Society, which I plan to become a member of once I started earning. I've also volunteered for the Australian Youth Climate Coalition by calling 80 people to get them registered for Power Shift. The highlight of the call? One guy had his answering machine answered the phone because he was in Pakistan. Magnifique, magnifique people.
- Attend a concert in Sydney Opera House. In the first and the only concert I attended so far, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova's performance grew to become a spiritual experience for me. Having watched the movie ONCE when I was in Malaysia, and loved it entirely - the concert gave a real finishing touch to my experience. To me, it signifies how magic is real and how magic is something we all can find within us. I made it real, I made it happen before my very eyes, and it was Glen and Marketa who did it for me.
- Visit Australian cities. Apart from Sydney, I made it to Canberra and Melbourne. Although the trip is short, I am content to find I've covered the essentials for both cities. The itinerary for 48-hour trip in Canberra was immensely useful, and the presence of merry companies in Melbourne made the trip memorable.
- Camp in the bush. Firstly, we camped at the Basin in the Kuringai Chase National Park, which was inherently natural. The beach was secluded and amazingly picturesque, we bushwalked to trace the Indigenous arts etched on the rocks, and it was freezing. Then I went camping by the beach with a family friend. It was revolutionary as I get to ride a bike along the coastline and get along with local communities. Finally, we camped at the Cockatoo Island, which was entirely a novelty. Imagine setting up the tent by the water facing the Sydney skyline? It was wicked.
- Explore Sydney like a local.
- Take the Great Ocean Road Tour
- Complete the Classic Bush Walks around Sydney and New South Wales
- Row in a boat
- Experience local customs. Australian BBQ? Check. Australian pub? Check. Australian movie? Check. Australian horse race? Check. Australian church? Check. Australian camping? Check. What else?
- Learn many new things
- Take the overland trip. I traveled to Canberra and Melbourne by bus and train, even though I had to cringe with determination when I watched my money flew. Apparently, it's a lot cheaper to go anywhere in Australia by flight. Nevertheless, it was an awesome experience. In addition to saving myself from the guilt of piling my carbon emissions, the overland trip was an irreplaceable joy. Stopping by at the local bus and train stations, eating sandwich and coffee alongside the elderly and rejoicing in their admiration of my differences are definitely something I don't mind repeating again.
- Eat local and home-made foods. I think a large part of what is going to remind me of Sydney is the amount of time I spent with friends cooking, eating and sharing our stories together in our homes. The food was nothing extravagant, sometimes they are simply a concoction of whatever we can find in our fridge. But sitting together, feeling safe and secure and grateful for the roof over our head, the food on the table, and the warm companies is something we enjoy beyond relief.
- Find myself a kindred spirit
- Watch a footy game
- Buy an opal. I wanted something simple for myself which I've never had. Seeing as opal is my birth stone, and I've never bought myself a jewelery even when I was able to afford one, I thought an opal ring is befitting as the souvenir for myself when I visited Melbourne. It was also a mark of myself embracing my womanhood.
- Do something unique which reminds me of Sydney
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