I've Been Slacking

So I forgot to post again from Vietnam or Australia completely.  Better late than never right?  The last few months were hectic to say the least, Vietnam ended, Australia came and went, Remote Year ended and I've been home for almost a month now.

How was it? Depends on what part.  The end of Vietnam was hectic.  We were there for their New Year which meant the whole city shut down. I mean the WHOLE city.  The only place open was a Mexican restaurant and it turns out there IS  a limit to how much cheese and tequila I can consume.  I'm now not ready to see Mexican or Asian food for quite some time.

Australia was my 2nd favorite place on earth (after Bali of course).  It was so nice to speak English to everyone and just know what I was eating. Also Australians are the nicest people on earth. And their animals are the meanest. Almost every critter tries to kill you - maybe not ALL, but they've got some real crazy stuff down there.  I saw some some friends from New York and even a few friends from my high school who have relocated to warmer climates.  I met up with some former Battutas and some Bali friends too and got in some much  needed beach time before heading home to a blizzard.  It was refreshing and a nice way to ease back into the first world.

Remote Year ending was one of the hardest things I've dealt with. I had 50 best friends I lived, traveled, worked, vacationed, laughed, cried and so much more with for a whole year split up.  We saw the world, grew and changed together and then it was just over.  That sucked. I can't really touch on how hard it was because I'm a Rabideau and we don't do feelings. I can say that in lieu of the traditional Rabideau handshake, there were a lot of hugs,sleepovers (turns out you CAN fit 3 best friends into a double bed) and a lot more tears.

And finally I came home to my parents meeting me at Newark airport and driving straight to eat pizza.  I've gone to my office for a week but really spent most of my time upstate just unpacking and unwinding.  Being home and seeing my family has been great - and much needed after this long. You have no idea how good your own bed feels or a home cooked meal (not cooked by you) feels after a year.  To answer some of the general questions I've gotten: next steps: trips to DC, Cuba, Boston, and Mexico are locked in between now and May.  No I'm not moving back to NYC. Ever. I don't have a plan on where I'll "settle" whatever that means.  I'm going to continue to work remote and travel but visit home a little more often than once a year.

On that note, Australia photos are below and there will be a more timely update on my east coast travels and Cuba trip coming soon!  These are in no particular order because I'm allowing myself to slack just one more time...

Lifelong dream of petting a koala occurred
out in the countryside in Gunnedah.  OK my
dream was to hold one but this was a close
second.

Noosa beach, possibly one of my favorite beaches we
visited in Australia.

Byron Bay - my other favorite beach in Australia.  We
woke up at 5am to watch the sunrise of the lighthouse
which is the eastern-most part of Australia.

Sunset on the grassy knolls with my friend Kat.

We caught a crazy storm out in the countryside and it
turned the sky this crazy color blue after

The famous Opera house!  That little ferry boat was my
way in and out of Sydney and it beats the hell out of the
NYC subway system. 

Just doing what I do best. Soaking in the sun, sipping rose and having RBF.

Country life = 2 dogs, a porch swing and a glass of wine.
Count me in. 

The famous Bondi beach, and this was considered a
quiet day! 

Surfing is hard but taking off a wet wet-suit is even harder. Shout out to my
girl Kat for the early morning surf sesh and board/suit rental.

The walk from Bondi Beach to Coogee beach stops at a bunch of smaller beaches along the way and offers views like this. It was beautiful and hot as hell. I recommend starting before the middle of the day.  Lesson learned! 

And a nice little view of our post-storm country side to wrap up.  I'll see ya'll after Cuba!