Daintree Rainforest

After a great few days in Sydney we flew up to Cairns, AU and drove an hour north into Port Douglas. Port Douglas in an amazing town with marina access out to the Great Barrier Reef, a seashore teaming with box jellyfish, and just a few minutes inland- a beautiful, lush rainforest. The town of Port Douglas itself is frequently visited by Bill Clinton and Steven Spielberg... and for a good reason. This town is your ideal small marina town filled with tons of cozy and yummy cafes, neat little shops, and a long beach backed by the mountains.

On our first day in Port Douglas we went into the Daintree rainforest. The rainforest is filled with all kinds of crazy shaped trees with roots above ground and a base that fans out into multiple directions.... streams, waterfalls, strange thorny plants. This rainforest hike was exceptionally beautiful and fun... but also very hot. It was great to finish up the hike and jump into the cool, fresh running water in the big swimming area.

Blue Mountains Climbing Excursion: NSW

Day 2 in New South Wales could not have possibly contrasted Day 1 more. We went from the Sydney city center and the coastal beaches to the Blue Mountains. Our mission: to climb the Dam Cliffs. On our way to the cliffs I was dancing along the trail, stomping in hopes of scaring away the poiseness snakes that were sure to try and attack us. 

Once we arrived at the cliffs we set up all of the climbing gear and started straight away like a wanna be pros! I was a little nervous and scared to to see him scale the wall but his confidence was unshakable. Once he set up the topline we each took a turn climbing to the top.

After a fun day on the rocks, we hiked back and stopped to eat a town called Mt. Victoria. I have to say, that I was a little disappointed with the dinner menu which stunk because I was starving. What did I expect? It was a dingy little hotel bar.

Well.... you can imagine my surprise when they brought out the freshest salad with the most amazing homemade honey-mustard vinigarette. It was by far the best salad I've ever had in my life. That's definitely something that Australia has over the rest of the world: The Food! No matter where you go, the nicest restaurant or the biggest dive, white table cloth or pub, you are quaranteed to have the best food of your life! It's amazing everywhere you go.

Circular Quay and Coastal Walk: Sydney, Australia

This will be my first post from the Asia Pacific Excursion! We began our 1 month journey in Sydney, Australia.

When the plane landed we hit the ground running. We started off in Circular Quay. Little did we know that we would immediately stumble on to a contortionist act and that Oliver would get picked out of the crowd to come and help! right in front of our eyes, this woman fit herself and a basketball into a tiny glass box! Welcome to Sydney.

After the sideshow spectacular we walked around to check out the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour bridge. All of which is located in Circular Quay. The Opera House is magnificent in its architecture and what makes this area particularly beautiful is the fact that the Opera House and Bridge are right next to each other to be seen in the same glance.

The action of the first day did not stop there. Next we went to Coogee beach and started the coastal walk from Coogee beach to Bronte Beach. The coastal walk was beautiful; rolling down along beaches and up along the cliff edge dropping into the ocean. Coogee beach is a fun beach with sand and grass, bath pools, and beautifully colored jagged rocks. Bronte Beach shares many of the same qualities including an awesome ocean pool next to the cliffs that the waves crash into.

Ice and Sand

 One of my new favorites to do here is trail running. I've tried it in the cold, when its warmer, and today in the slush. After today, I thought to myself, "this qualifies as a daring adventure." Slipping and sliding all over the trail while listening to Credence Clearwater and all the other good songs on the "Rusted Root" Pandora radio station. Loch Raven reservoir covered in snow is maybe one of the most beautiful places on earth and when it gets a little warmer like today the streams are raging with snow covered banks. I will absolutely never forget this great trail run! Enjoy the video! 

Post- Education

The definition of adventure is "To venture upon; undertake or try." To me adventure is not necessarily going on a trip or doing some kind of activity, adventure can also take place in your mind. To learn and explore new things, new concepts is an incredible adventure.
This is the view I had when I finished my undergrad. I had such a thirst for knowledge and an inquisitive nature. I needed more, I wanted to know more. I couldn't, however, decide what it was I wanted to know more about. After deliberarting for quite some time I decided that the most worthy pursuit was God. To learn more about my faith, who God is, what He (or she) means to me, and what God is to others. I enrolled in St. Mary's Seminary and University's Ecumenical Institute. I attended classes with pastors, Jews, atheists, and Christians from all kinds of demoninations from the inner-city, county, farmland. All kinds of people.
This education was incredible valuable to me. I spent the majority of the time learning about my Christian faith and all of the different facets of it- many dimensions that I didn't even know existed. History, spirituality, biblical study, ethics, Christian authors, Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew, etc. I even took classes in World religions and Islam and attended a Hindu temple and Mosque twice. It was an incredible experience to break down my barriers, stereotypes, and ignorance and replace it with understanding and education.
The world has so much to offer- travels, experiences, activities, and explorations of education and understanding. I can't wait to further pursue educatiuon and understanding in religions, differnet languages, cultures, and the many other topics open to exploration.

Biking Below Zero

My heart and my head occassionally go in two different directions. The other day my heart was saying "let's go on a fun road bike, you haven't been out in a while, it would feel so good." My head was saying, "Hey crazy girl, it's 35 degrees out." Five layers of clothing I was driving up to Shawan road to go on a winter adventure on the bike.

It's amazing how much beauty you pass behind the wheel of a car and how aware of it you become on a bike. The different bike routes off of Shawan road are really wonderful to bike. It is a nice blend of rolling hills and the occasional flats. While I enjoy riding around the beach, the flat rides can often become monotonous while the rolling hills add a little more adventure. I would be willing to wager that more than half of Baltimore has no idea we have such beautiful farm land only a few minutes away from town.

The winter ride was tough. The cold air added an entirely new dimension to the biking challenge. When you are on a flat or climbing a hill you feel good, nice and toasty. When you are going downhill you feel like you are repeatedly getting hit in the face with snowballs. The ride would have been a lot more pleasant if I had a cover over my face. It's a funny feeling to not feel relieved by a downhill. I've never breaked so much coming down to cut down on the wind on my face.

I felt so happy at the end of the ride that I made it through. It felt great to be back on the bike and although the cold zapped about 100% of our energy, we had a great time and saw the most beautiful sunset. 

Loch Raven Reservoir, MD

Loch Raven Reservoir is one of Maryland's hidden treasures. Well known to some of the local residents and overlooked by most, this is one of the most beautiful spots in God's great creation. Not only does this location have astonishing scenery but it is also has a depth of history. This man-made reservoir was once the town of Warren, now flooded in to provide Baltimore County with its drinking water.

Home to trail runners, mountain-bikers, hikers, dog walkers, fisherman, etc. this site offers everything for the outdoor adventurer. I just bought a pair of trail running shoes to expand my Loch Raven horizons but my primary love is dog-walking. The sunsets are beautiful, the dogs love to explore and swim, and its great exercise.

I could spend a couple of hours on the trail every day of the week and love it.

Ravens vs. Steelers, M&T Bank Stadium

When someone says "tailgait" I think of the back of a truck open and a case of beer, some snacks, and music. What I did not expect was hundreds of cars, tents, speaker systems. This was more than a tailgait, this was a giant rager. People were carrying around mini-kegs from tailgait to tailgait and others had giant club speakers set up on top of their cars blaring techno or country or rock or rap music- all depending on the crowd- old, young, city, country. I've  never seen a place with such diversity united by beer, music, and football. If it doesn't appear obvious yet, you should know that this was my first tailgait and Ravens game!

It was so cold outside that I dressed in my snowboarding gear and then put on my Dad's XXL Ravens jersey over my jacket. I felt part of the experience in my purple. People around was were cursing, a Steelers fan got kicked out of the game for egging Ravens fans on and a Ravens fan got kicked out for disorderly conduct! That was all in the first quarter! It's easy to join in on the fun. It only took me a few minutes to warm up until I was screaming "GO BACK TO PITSBURGH!!!"

I'm disappointed to say that the Ravens lost at the end of the 4th to the Steelers. My opinion, we should have run the ball, could have won. I wasn't the only one disappointed. But hey, we're in the playoffs now, first game against the chiefs, then back to Pitsburgh for redemption!

Coff's Harbour, NSW, AU

Coff's Harbour was not only the most beautiful place I visited in Australia but one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. The weather is quite unpredictable but if you catch it on a good hour it is absolutely gorgeous. It is sunny and perfect until about 1:00 or 2:00 in the afternoon and then the clouds descend from over the mountains and it rains for a couple of hours and then it dries up for the evening.

From where I stand in this picture you can see the main Harbour enclosed by high rock walls. The beach extends out to the left and right with a beautiful view of the ocean and the backdrop of lush green mountains. I'm standing on top of an island that is connected to the mainland by a long pier. Although it is hard to tell from this vantage point, the island is quite high but small. You could probably walk around the base of it in 20 minutes (if there was a path to walk on).

While one side of the island overlooks Coff's Harbour, the other side looks out into the ocean where, especially on windy, choppy days, you can see whales flopping around and blowing out their spouts.

 I was so excited about the whales that I decided I wanted to see them closer up and so on our second day in Coff's Harbour I took a whale watching cruise. Not only did I get to see whales but also saw schools of dolphins. I've seen dolphins in the aquarium and from the beach at home but I've never seen them jumping and swimming along the boat. They glide through the water with such ease and frolic through the boat wake like its the most fun they've had all day. Beautiful creatures.

The beach in Coff's Harbour is not one long stretch of beach. It is separated by grassy and rocky cliffs and river outlets. After laying out on the beach for an hour reading, I decided to go for a run down the beach. The run was cut in half by a river outlet. I had to swim across to continue on. This was a little scary knowing all of the dangerous creatures lurking in the Australian ocean. I made it through and continued on the run until I reached a cliff. I walked up onto the cliff, enjoyed a great view and then made my way back.

EX2 Adventure Race, Lump's Pond Duathlon, Rocky Gap, MD

I was so motivated watching my friends compete in an adventure race that I decided to enter in my first duathlon. A great experience and something that I hope to continue through the future.  Lump's Pond Duathlon was everything I hoped for. A rush of adrenaline. You find a place inside of yourself that pushes you past where you thought you could go. In this environment you don't feel like you are pushing past the threshold, it just feels exciting and fun! There were all kinds of competetors in the race. Not everyone is a olympic bred athlete. There are plenty of people who are overweight and joining something that is not only fun and encouraging, but also something they can be proud of. It's great to be a part of...

Seacrets, Ocean City, MD

A nice relaxing day at the beach... we were enjoying card games, ocean breeze, good music, and good company during the morning and early afternoon of the day. One text message and we relocated. Hard to believe that just across the street from this calm and peaceful morning we were headed into one of the biggest parties on the east coast.

If you've never been to seacrets (shame on you) then you have to experience it at least once. The music is blaring and the base has the beach bouncing. The action isn't in the sandy club, but rather out in the water! The water is filled with inner tubes and high bar tables and American hormones are at their height.
We wouldn't have it any other way... a good time guaranteed. If you aren't involved in the debauchery then you are sure to find it entertaining at the very least. From cougars in skimpy bikinis to uber-steroid "situations" this is a scene you will surely not forget.

Jenolan Caves, Blue Mountains, NSW, AU

Located in the Blue Mountains only a couple of hours outside of Sydney, Australia are the Jenolan caves. Never been caving before, had no idea what caving was like and I was not prepared for the enormity and beautiful rock formations that we would see.

The caves were a complex maze of rock formations and paths. The tour guides warned that if you were to get separated from the group there was a good chance that you might get very lost in the caves. There were several caves and they were all intertwined. The limestone formation changes slowly over hundreds of years. It actually appears to be wet and you can see it changing right in front of your eyes! (even though you know that there will not be an actual noticable difference for hundreds of years)

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There was only one hotel, or resort, I suppose you would call it. The building structure seemed very old and outdated but it really added to the atmosphere of the experience. One evening I went on a "haunted" tour of the caves where we heard all kinds of ghost stories and I could swear that I actually saw and maybe even heard a couple of ghosts.

Hunter Valley, NSW, AU

For my 21st birthday I wanted to do something different. I'd never been to a vineyard, but loved the atmosphere and vibe. I wanted to do a wine-tasting to celebrate my coming-of-drinking-age. Wishful thinking. I ended up at the bar like every other 21-year-old American.

It was a real treat when I finally did tour my wine valley. I had no idea what to expect but I was thoroughly dismayed to hear that there was a strict "0" tolerance policy on tasting and driving. No worries, as it turns out your not really supposed to drink all of the wine... your supposed to spit some of it out! I put on my wine hat and my wine dress. I rented a car and headed up the coast and into the wine valley of New South Wales, Australia.

The vineyards were beautiful and I was shocked at the wide variety of wines. First you have to decide if you would like Red or White... then do you like it sparkling? Do you like a champagne wine? How old do you like it? What year has the best grapes? Wow. What an experience.

And, by the way, did you know know that "there's an app for that"... "Wine Guru," check it out...

The Three Sisters, Katoomba, NSW, AU

 The Three Sisters are located right outside Katoomba. These three rock structures are located in the middle of mountainous land of New South Wales. When I think of Australia I think of beaches and kangaroos. I don't think of mountainous land like you would see out in the mid-west. This location is a major tourist spot and has a huge viewing area. Tourist or not, it was amazing. The view was unreal. If it weren't for the floating clouds moving across the sky and casting shadows across the mountains, I would have thought it was a painting.

Right next to the viewing area is a hiking area where you can actually walk over to where the Three Sisters are located. The stairs leading you to the Three Sisters and down the mountain are called the "Giant Stairway" and let me tell you, the name does not mislead. These are the steapest, scariest steps I've ever walked. Once false step and you would go tumbling down the mountain. I held the railing for dear life as I scaled down towards the walking bridge that led to the Three Sister lookout.

Once I reached the walking bridge I was absolutely terrified as heights are one of my worst fears. I was sure that the bridge would either fall apart or a huge gust of wind would sweep across and blow me off. Although you cannot see it in this picture, the drop off under this bridge must be at least 1,000 feet. Even when I made it to the small viewing area I could not let go of whatever solid, sturdy structure I could find. 

Coogee Beach, Sydney, NSW, AU

When I arrived in Coogee for the first time, I was immediately drawn to the many unique qualities of this beach. On one side there is a grassy hill leading up to beautiful cliffs that overlook the rocky coastline and the crystal clear, turqoise sea. The beach is quaint. Busy enough  but not nearly as crowded as the more frequented Bondi beach. On the side opposite the grassy park, there is an ocean-pool built into the cliff. Waves crash over the side of the pool creating a natural, fun wave pool. The water is quite cold so only venture in on a hot day...

Coogee was one of my 2 favorite beaches in Australia. I love how the town is enclosed by the beach. The beach here does not complement the town, it blends together. Bondi is so big and city-like. Bronte is beautiful but enclosed by homes and apartments (would be great to live there). Coogee is the full package- small town, good restaurants, and enclosed by one of the most beautiful beaches in Australia.