Bruises, bites and goodbyes.

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Just got into Sydney a couple of hours ago, checked into my hostel. I forgot what it was like to share a room with a bunch of strange people. Particularly topless Italian women. Hello tits in my face. Being back in a city has taken me back to when I first arrived in Australia and was in Melbourne for five days. It actually just occurs to me that I haven’t spent even one night in a city since then, apart from airports. Left Melbourne for Perth, spent one night in the airport then off to Merredin. From Merredin drove through Perth and onto Dunsborough all in the same day. Spent the next few weeks bumming around South Western Australia – Albany, Dunsie, Busso, Geographe – before Jesse took me back to Perth for my flight to Sydney, where I again stayed at the airport overnight before getting the train to Dubbo and then Narromine. And now here I am, almost four full months later and it’s hard to believe everything that’s happened since I got to Oz has all been real.

Had a great last night in Narromine. Drinks at the hotel, first XXXX at the bowling club (yuck), sculled a drink from Dylan at the courthouse, few more drinks at the Narromine. Hugs from Sarah and Tash and drinks with Ella, Emma, Liv, Andy, Jesse and Ray at the park. Emma gave me a card everyone from the pub signed. And a kangaroo bounced through the park while we were drinking. Hello 'Straya! Andy took me for breakfast the next morning before dropping me off back at the pub to finish packing. Got my last few things together and went downstairs to say goodbye to Liv and Glen before walking across the street to the bus stop.

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I ended up having such an amazing experience in Narromine. Saying goodbye to Liv, Emma, Andrew, Nathan, Ella, Sarah, Tash, Glen, Col, and Ray broke my heart. Andrew came to see me off on the bus; I didn’t want to let go of him and by the time that coach pulled out onto the highway I was in tears. I pulled myself together by the time we got into Dubbo and was fine until I got onto the bus going to Sydney. I read the card everyone had signed for me and basically broke down again. This is when I learned sunnies are a necessity for public goodbyes. Just thinking about it and writing about it now has me crying again in the hostel.