Port Douglas Faves

1 | Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas - Beautiful, yet dangerous! Many jelly fish, string rays and other posinous sea creatures in these waters. You can see the roped off area in the water that was for swimming!

2 | Wallabies (the cutest things ever) - Loved feeding these little guys at all of the zoos we went to! Tried to sneak one home but security took it! JK

3 | Plant Life - The flowers, plants and trees in Port were just gorgeous! So many exotic types and they were beautiful. 

4 | Seafood - So many different types of fish, mussels, clams, etc. in Port. Loved these clams! 

5 | Cape Tribulation - Where the rainforest meets the reef, aka most beautiful sight ever!

6 | Great Barrier Reef - This was by far my favorite part of the trip. Pictures do not do justice to what my eyes saw. The most gorgeous coral and fish I have ever seen and probably ever will! 

7 | Coral - Breath taking coral on one of our dives.

8 | Port Douglas Market - This was on a Sunday. So many different booths selling handmade things from AUS! I went home with a bracelet, purse, earrings, and a wallet! I also bought some natural juice from the market that was so good! 

9 | Ziplining in the Rainforest - Pretty much the coolest zipline experience I've ever had. We were so high up in the air! The views were incredible and you could see Cape Tribulation from some of the zips. 

10 | Sunrise - Port is one of the few places on earth where you can watch the sunrise and sunset all in the same day. This is a picture of sunrise - so gorgeous by the beach! 

Smoky Mountain Getaway

Had a wonderful time last weekend in the Smoky Mountains with Inversion [young adult ministry at my church]. We stayed in really nice cabins on the edge of the mountains. The views were gorgeous. I love getting away from the everyday busyness of life and escaping into God's creation and just forgetting about everything that doesn't even matter! I had so much fun hiking and hanging out with wonderful friends and meeting new friends. I enjoyed hiking to some beautiful water falls and hiking up a rock cliff to get views over all of the Smokies. I definitely love living so close to the Smokies. I hope to go back a few times this fall with family and friends. We stayed at Black Bear Ridge Resort. Check it out here.

Sydney Favorites

Darling Harbour | Such a fun area of Sydney. Modern restaurants and shops line the bay. The red flags were lined up for Australia Day! 

The Gap | Just off the coast of Sydney. Feels like you are in Ireland or something. Gorgeous color of water.  Walking paths all around that you can use. 

Opera House | Who knew that there were restaurants all around the Opera House?? Had such a fun time eating dinner by the Opera House on Australia Day! Great people watching and lovely tasting food. 

Seafood Salad | Had this lovely salad at a restaurant near the Opera House. We ate here before we went to see our Opera. The food was fresh and tasted so so good. Paired it was a glass of white wine!
 

Lord Nelson Brewery | This place reminded me of Harry's Chocolate Shop at Purdue. There was memorabilia all over the walls. Wood floors and pictures everywhere. Loud atmosphere and fun! My family and I really enjoyed trying the different types of beers. I drank a pint of 3 Sheets (reminded me of a Blue Moon).

Darling Harbour Bridge | One evening my family and I walked across the bridge just to get pictures of the city. It was neat to see the city from the bridge. There were lots of runners and bikers on the bridge - people just getting off of work and heading home. It was neat to see how Aussie's commute to work.

Ferry Rides | It is relaxing just to sit on a ferry ride around the city and to gaze at the sites. I liked seeing all the different neighborhoods of Sydney and getting views of the city from the water. 

The Glenmore | Rooftop restaurant in the Rocks district of Sydney. Such a fun dinner spot. Sits right on the bay with great views of the city and bridge. It was so lively and full of young professionals.

3 Wise Monkeys | This lively little pub is near Darling Harbour and Chinatown. Such a great pub with three floors of bars and dancing. Matt and I had fun sipping beer here on Australia Day!

Sydney Siders

4 Mile Beach - Port Douglas, Queensland

I had the opportunity to vacation in Sydney, Australia about a month ago with my parents and brother. It was a wonderful vacation. We spent a week in Sydney and a week in Port Douglas. Sydney reminded me a lot of Chicago. It was a large city, but had different neighborhoods and was easy to navigate. The city was very clean and not too crowded. The Aussies drive their cars on the opposite side of the street and also walk on the opposite side of the sidewalk! I was not expecting that. Sydney has all sorts of transportation to get around. They have metros, buses, monorails and water taxis.

The Gap - Sydney, Australia

Sydney seems to be a very healthy city. Most people walk or bike to work. Others take the metro. I saw a lot of business men and women biking home or running home from work. They would go over the Harbour Bridge to the other side of the city to where they lived. The people of Sydney also seem to be very relaxed. When they are not on their way to work, they dress down. A lot of people wore beach wear and surf gear. Since there are beaches all over the place, they are always ready to hit the beach!

Sydney Opera House

Up north in Port Douglas it was mainly tourists. Port Douglas is a small tourist town. You can walk the entire town in about 20 minutes. We went to a market on Saturday downtown Port Douglas. There was a lot of jewelry and hand-made things for sale. It was a lot of fun looking around. There is a lot of seafood to choose from at the restaurants as well. Port Douglas was very hot compared to Sydney because it is closer to the equator.

Blue Mountains, New South Wales

Port Douglas and Sydney were very different places. It is like comparing Chicago with Maui. You just can't compare the two because they are so different! Port was a gorgeous place. When I picture Australia, Port is what I picture... palm trees, beaches, lush mountains, and exotic animals! Hope you enjoyed the post! I will try to write more about specific things I enjoyed in each city.

Darling Harbour - Sydney, Australia

Moonshine Hill Inn

A couple months ago (October) was my parents anniversary (Congrats Mom & Dad!). They came down to Nashville to celebrate their many years together. My parents love trying out new inns and bed & breakfast places. They stayed at a place called Moonshine Hill Inn. Check it out here. I got to stay with them for one of the nights they were there for. The house was so nice and cozy! Every corner of the house had an antique or little nic nac in it. There were chocolates and waters on the beds. There was a full bed on the main floor in a little room off of the family room. There was a king bed and twin bed upstairs. My parents stayed upstairs and I took the full bed on the main floor. Breakfast was included with the stay at Country Boy Restaurant in Leiper's Fork. You could pick anything off the menu you wanted! I got to enjoy the breakfast after the night I stayed. I had the french toast and it was delish! I would try the pancakes next time. I had a lovely stay and would recommend this little inn to anyone trying to escape the hustle and bustle of life! The entire inn is on a beautiful property with smaller cabins behind the main house and a small pond to the side. There is even a paddle boat you can use. I would love to get married here someday! Enjoy the pics!

Give Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone was able to spend some time with loved ones and eat a delicious meal together. I enjoyed spending the day with family. My parents and brother came down to visit today. We were able to spend Thanksgiving at my cousin's house. There were 15 people total. I haven't had a big Thanksgiving in awhile so it was quite fun! I have taken some time to think about what I am truly thankful for...

1. Family :: I have grown up with a loving family all my life. I recently moved to Nashville and was blessed to be surrounded by extended family. It is fun being able to hang out with my cousins more often and still get to see my parents and brother! 

2. Friends :: After moving to Nashville, I had to make new friends. It was hard to make new friends. I only knew a couple of people in the area. I was blessed with a wonderful small group at my new church down here. I have grown closer to several of the girls in my small group and enjoy spending time with them. 

3. My Job :: Being able to take a supervisor position right out of college for the company I wanted to work for and in the exact location I wanted to work for was a dream come true. I absolutely love my new life down in Nashville and do not want to leave! I love meeting new people and hearing their stories. 

4. My Apartment :: Recently moved into a town house with a girl in my small group. So blessed to have met someone so nice and passionate for the Lord. My roomie is wonderful! My apartment is close by to my friends and family down here. I love living on my own and being able to support myself. What a wonderful feeling! 

5. Opportunity :: I am thankful for the many opportunities that my family and I receive. My brother has been accepted to study abroad in Australia and my family and I get the opportunity to visit him next semester. I am super excited to visit Australia and it still hasn't sunk in yet! 

6. My Church :: I am truly thankful for the church I have connected to. I have met so many people through my church and have become closer to a lot of them. I feel connected to people in my community and enjoy spending time with them. 

7. Spare Time :: I work about 45 hours a week and get a lot of spare time to do things I enjoy. I recently joined the public library down here. I love taking walks/running around my neighborhood. I also find time to scrapbook, knit, and of course blog! 

8. Education :: I am thankful for my college education. Boiler Up! I miss college so very much, but I am also loving post-college life just as much. I was blessed with funds for a 4 year college degree in hospitality and tourism. 

9. Travels :: I am thankful for all the many many places I have gotten to travel to. Studying abroad in Florence, Italy for a semester and going to all sorts of places in Europe while I was there. For the many trips across the United States with my family (48 states total!). For my mission trip to Guatemala and for the international family trips to Greece, Italy, Switzerland, and Canada (soon Australia!). 

10. Freedom :: I am thankful that I live in a country where we are free to worship and live how we want. I praise God for all that he has provided me with and I want to use what he has given me to give back to others to further his kingdom. 

What are you thankful for? 

Hello Franklin!

I moved down to Franklin, Tennessee yesterday. I absolutely love it so far! I have a job at the new Drury Plaza Hotel in Franklin. I am looking forward to being a part of the opening team. Franklin has a lot of history and great little boutiques. There are also some neat pubs and restaurants. I can't wait to try some of them out! 

Traveling Obsession

One of my favorite things to do is travel. I have been blessed with a family that loves traveling and takes trips as much as possible. I love planning trips and thinking about where I could go next. 

My brother is planning on studying abroad in Nagoya, Japan. I would love to go to Japan and see him so that is one trip I have started planning for. 

Another trip I would like to take is with Compassion International down to Haiti. I sponsor a girl that lives there. I have always wanted to visit her and see her face to face. 

A trip I would like to take for fun would be next to Argentina. It sounds like such an adventurous place. I would want to go ziplining through the rainforest and hike to waterfalls. I love being outside. These pictures make me just want to book a plane ticket! 

Where do you want to travel next? Please share!