Stepping Out!

Selamat Siang Followers!

I write to you from a lovely cafe on Gootama St in Ubud, Bali...no matter where I am in the world I still require a proper daily caffeine. (I would love to share a lovely photo with you but after trying to upload the photo 1,000 times I am forced to give up. Please forgive me as I can be technologically cursed).

I promise to give a full recount of my Balinese adventures, but today is about the motivation to step out into the world and stay out! As westeners we have a hard time just relaxing, and enjoying the small things in life. Not the finer things, but the small things - like a smile from a friendly stranger in a new city when you're horribly lost. While I'd like to think I am getting better at separating myself from my previous desires like getting that next promotion or pay raise, I still catch myself defining my worth by a job title or lack thereof.

My time thus far in Bali and even Australia, has re-opened my eyes to the bigger picture of life. The big picture that I personally imagine: we are all here to serve a higher purpose, and experience as many blessings as the world can offer.  The past few days though, I have to admitt, have been a struggle. After this month of yoga, adventure and meditation I will return to Australia to begin the work portion of my Australian Work Holiday Visa. Because of certain limitations with my visa, I will not be working a traditional job that would be a conversation opener at say a Southern wedding rehearsal dinner.  It will instead be something in the hospitality field, or if I am lucky, on a contract basis. This is a very different career choice than I am accustomed to, so I have to remind myself of one of the lessons the world is teaching me: we are more than our jobs. Shocking concept I know, but you and I are more than marketers, bankers, entrepreneurers and even event managers!

As a fun little reminder of this lesson I recieved this article link from a good friend of mine today: 9 Reasons to Quit Your Job and Travel the World.   I am not encouraging a mass exodus from the corporate world, but I would like to encourage all my lovely friends to look up from your desk every now and then and step out into the world.

(For those of you reading this, be sure to click "follow". Thanks for the support!)

Just a Tip

Get your mind out of the gutter! Were talking travel tips here, sheesh. 

As most of you know, I decided to go on up to Indonesia for a month of yoga, meditation and exploration.  Tomorrow night I will arrive in a new place, with new faces and new experiences.  What an amazing feeling to know how life can drastically change in just a few hours!  While I am filled with curious excitement for the next chapter of my Hobbs Nobbin' adventure, my time at the Gold Coast is coming to a bitter sweet end. As you can decipher from my last post, the decision to continue onto Indo was a difficult one.  The Gold Coast embraced me with it's warm comforting sun shine, and tonight's sunset is making for a nostalgic good bye. During my month here, I was reminded friends, romance and that "at-home" feeling can be found all around the world; you just have to sit still and welcome the people and the moments who create that atmosphere. 

Sunset over The Hinterlands

Enough about me though, here are my top five tips if you ever find yourself on a walk-about in Gold Coast:

1. Hit the beach...every day in some fashion.  The endless beach makes for a great run, the endless summers make for a great excuse to work on your tan, and the sea foam colored water makes for great swimming and surfing. 



Broad Beach, Gold Coast

2. Leave the beach, and travel 30 minutes inland to the beautiful Hinterlands. Go for a hike in the Tamborine National Park, aka rainforest, then treat yourself to local offerings the town of Tamborine.  Be sure to check out Witches Chase Cheese Company for a flight of local brews and cheeses. 



View from the Hinterlands

3. Paint the town! After all it is the Gold Coast, and the night life is it's claim to fame. Surfers Paradise is the most notorious area, but if you're looking for a dignified drunk visit Broad Beach.
4. Check out Brisbane's city life.  Just an hour travel by train. Explore the plethora of museums, Botanical Gardens and Town Hall.  



Brisbane Botanical Gardens

5. Surf World Gold Coast in Currumbin. A great documentation of Australia's surf history, and only $5 (AUD)!   

Oh...did you catch that romance reference earlier? As it turns out my time in the Gold Coast is not yet complete, so this sunny story is to be continued after I find my third eye (or something like that) in Indo.... 

Should I Stay or Should I Go Now?

I have caught myself at a fork in the road, and can’t decide the best direction.  Why can’t Google Maps help with these directional issues? 

After my dirty Douggie Backpacker Resort experience, I escaped to the luxurious Gold Coast.  What has truly made this experience so luxurious is my good friend Ben.  He has opened up his beach front home and beautiful Australian life to me for a month.  Initially I came here to recharge my batteries, and have now found this place comfortably addicting.  The Gold Coast vibe is surprisingly similar to San Diego. Before coming here, Gold Coast was described to me as similar to Miami, FL.  While there is a decent dwelling of older snow birds, the strong surf culture and never ending summers remind me of my home in San Diego mostly.  I have too easily blended in, and find the guilty American in me searching for the challenge.  Being content is not often a phrase used to describe me.  While itching for the next adventure may end up becoming my achilles heel, for now it is the what fuels my year Down Unda. I share all of this with you, so you can better understand my fork in the road...this blog is about sharing after all.

• Option one: Post up in Gold Coast until October.
• Option two: Discover Indonesia, and obviously kick-off the discoveries in Bali.

Option one would consist of me trying to get involved with a research project on the 2018 Common Wealth Games, spending too much money, surfing, running on the beach, sunning and smiling easy. 

Option two would consist of yoga, paying $0.50 for a beer, soul searching, exploring ancient temples, sunning and smiling because I pushed myself out of my comfort zone. 

You can see my reason for my inner debate, right?  Yes, I realize you are cursing my name because my current primary conflict in life is  deciding between two paradises, but you can come join me in either paradise if you like:) I am leaning towards Indonesia, because I think I am eager to experience life with a challenge out of my comfort zone.  However, Gold Coast has presented a happy little bubble with beautiful people warming my spirit me at every corner. So I ask you, where would Google Maps tell me to go now?