Shady Travels: Live, Explore, Learn: Two years and counting...

Happy 2 Year Anniversary in Australia!

Today I woke up at 930am - pretty late for me, but these past few weeks have kicked me hard. May is a big events month and it just wrapped up. Now I'm doing all the post event stuff and preparing for the next season of events starting in August. The days meld together and the weeks are flying by. All I can think about is going home for the first time in 3 years, but that trip is in December.

The sun was shining and the air was crisp. It must have been around 15 degrees Celsius - perfect weather for playing soccer. It's been raining for the past few Sundays and I'm starting to think this season is never going to progress. Today would have been ideal, but alas, the soccer game was cancelled due to unplayable fields. Sydney should really think about building soccer fields on hills, not valleys or go synthetic.

After looking at the cancellation message, I went ahead and made scrambled eggs paired with a croissant and black tea. I don't usually eat before I game - nerves plus food and running are not a good mix for me.

All I had planned today was to Skype with my Dad for Father's day. The conversation was long - nearly two hours. It was nice though. We covered everything from his two new guns, expanding his business, his health and even a philosophical conversation on the practicality of pulling the plug. I guess when you're an adult, these things matter more now (my grandfather is in a vegetative state with failing internal organs due to a stroke). With all that has happened, living so far from home and rarely ever going home, I needed to know.

At about 1:30pm, I looked out the window and saw sunshine and blue skies. It was time to wrap up the conversation and not waste the day - a common attitude due to all the rain.

Dave and I decided to go on a scooter ride down to Maroubra. As residents of the Eastern Suburbs, we felt like we were taking the outskirts of Sydney for granted. Maroubra is only a few kilometers from Elizabeth Bay, plus it's where my soccer practice is every Tuesday. Yet we have never been to Maroubra Beach - these are the first things you hit up when you're in Sydney!

Saddle Up for a Cold Ride

The air was much colder than we thought. All the rain took away the humidity and left strong wind and chilly air. Armed with double layers, we drove through the wind tunnel between Centennial Park and Kensington, finally reaching Maroubra Beach around 2:15pm.

The beach looked just like Coogee Beach, but the backpackers were replaced with families and surfers. The waves were huge. Only a handful of riders actually ripped through the waves with the rest waiting for more manageable ones. It was impressive to see more than fifty riders out on a cold winters day.

We took a stroll (lasting about 20 minutes at a casual pace) from one end to the other. We sat down on the boardwalk where the sun was on our back and the wind was least fierce.

Beach Picnic

We laid out our spread of smoked salmon, capers, cream cheese, dill and crackers. We also brought an alternative cracker topping of pesto paired with either mozzarella, parmesan or romano.

Canapes at the Beach

We ate our delicious cracker concoctions and took in the beauty of the beach.

"I'm so glad we came out here today." - thinking back at how overslept I was and how easy it could have been to lounge inside all day.

"It's our two year anniversary date." - Dave's words hit me with no warning.

I immediately looked at my phone calendar. Our two year anniversary in Australia had come and gone just yesterday, 16th June.

On 16th June 2010, Dave and I arrived in Sydney with no jobs, no apartment and no connections - just each other. The biggest decision we had to make was whether to go to Melbourne or stay in Sydney for the next year.

And here we are. Two years later, living in Sydney and loving it. It took us a while, but we got jobs, a great apartment with stuff we actually own and a budding network of friends.

Sitting at the beach at that very moment reminded me of the first few days we were in Sydney two years ago when we had no ties and no responsibilities. We would never question a day out to venture and wander - perhaps because we didn't want to stay couped up in our hostel. Today, it took a little boredom and a bit of sunshine to bring us out of a very cozy apartment. We can't deny we're getting a little too cozy living in Sydney, but one thing hasn't changed - we still yearn for adventure together.