Stepping off the bus to see my parents may have been one of the most exciting moments of my life. I have absolutely loved Australia and I was so grateful to have an opportunity to share the experience with the two of the most important people in my life, my parents. There was definitely a lot of “frothin” going on well they were here… Let me provide some examples.
Unfortunately the first day they arrived in “paradise,” I was busy spending my time in a classroom attempting two of the hardest finals of my life. But after finishing those brutal exams (Econometrics and Portfolio analysis and management), it was time to start having some fun. The next week on the Gold Coast involved some beautiful beaches, surfing, body boarding, pools, hottubbing, sauna, home cooking, movie nights, magic nights featuring good ole Scotty Flom (I think my friends changed their mind about who the coolest Flom was), and cliff jumping which unfortunately came with a trip to the hospital.
I was frothin off my chops the whole week because I had the opportunity to show my parents the amazing life I had built while living on the other side of the world. For the first time in my life, I was not able to rely on anyone. If I wanted food, I had to cook. If I wanted to make friends, it was my job to start the friendships. I was able to actually apply a lot of the knowledge my father has told me over the years. I was able to be whoever I wanted to be. It was an absolutely incredible feeling to see how proud my parents were of me. I learned how to live alone. Whether it was memorizing all of the buses and bus times or figuring out how to live in the Australian culture, I was the one who was able to inform my parents. For the first time in my life, my father looked and sounded like the “clueless outsider.” Lets just say this, when ordering food my father asked for a “chicken sandwich, a pop, and extra ketchup….” Aimee, one of my good Australian friends, did not even understand what he just asked for. Also, it took a while for Scotty to figure out that people in Australia do not say “no problems mate….” He is still working on his Aussie accent, but it has definitely improved. It all added to the fun of the trip.
Next, we decided to travel all around New Zealand for a week. Heaps of hours were spent driving. I was very proud of my dad for his ability to drive on the “wrong” side of the road. We were lucky enough to see some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen in my life. A few of the highlights were: Milford sound, Queenstown, bungy jumping, jet boating, Arthur’s pass, and hiking the ice glaciers. I think pop and I will always have a special bond considering the fact that we jumped 15 stories off a bridge together. I was proud to call him my father. I was also quite proud of my mom for her ability to adapt to every situation. Most women would not hop in a jet boat and risk their life, but my mom was more than willing to “take one for the team.” New Zealand was one of the most incredible and beautiful places I have ever seen in my life. Pictures will never do it justice. Just standing in the midst of some of the landscape made me so grateful for everything God has created and all the amazing opportunities that he has given me.
In the end, the past two weeks have majorly “filled my cup.” I will always remember what my parents did for me and I will always be grateful. It may sound stupid, but those were definitely two of the most memorable weeks of my life. (ignoring my little injury) To end this blog, I would be extremely grateful if you did me a favor, next time you see my father, ask him to say “no worries mate” in his incredible accent. THANKS!
No comments:
Post a Comment