My Life, in Photos: Photos from Sydney and....THE OUTBACK!!!

Pirate ship sitting in Darling Harbour - Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Sydney Central Train Station - Sydney, NSW, Australia.

A train car sitting at the Central Train Station - Sydney, NWS, Australia.

At a Rabbitoh's rugby game in the Olympic ANZ Stadium! - Sydney, NWS, Australia.

Does this need a caption??? The Sydney Opera House - Sydney, NSW, Australia.

A cute little zebra at the Taronga Zoo - Sydney, NSW, Australia.

NOW ON TO THE OUTBACK!!!
The Outback is such a wonderful place. At first I was seriously dreading going. The thought of sleeping in a sleeping bag in the middle of nowhere for what I thought would be 4 days scared me to death. The flight there was about 3 1/2 hours from Sydney. Just before we landed, I looked for a big building - an airport. To my dismay, I only saw a tiny little landing strip in the middle of a lot of red sand. My heart sank...I really am in the middle of nowhere. And what's even better? It's not 4 days that we're staying here...it's 6. We landed safely and got off the plane. It wasn't as cold as I was expecting! So everything was off to a great start. We met up with our awesome guides for the Outback, got in the nearly indestructible trucks and took off. Little did I know that this would be the start of one of the most amazing and life changing experiences of my life. Seeing Uluru was such an amazing experience. I can't tell you how long I always thought it was a big mound of sand - yet it's so much more than just a large rock sticking out of the ground. It's a sacred site that I quickly learned is often abused by visitors...climbing the rock, painting it, washing away the paintings, etc. I was appalled - why would someone do this? But then again, there are people in the world that we will never understand. The rock itself is massive! The colors - so vibrant. It was truly hard to believe that I was actually there! We then got to see Uluru at sunset. Wow! What an amazing experience! As the sun set, the rock just seemed to light up magically with beautiful colors and shadows. Then the moon rose form the opposite side just as the last rays of sun and warmth crept over the horizon. Darkness quickly fell and the cold set in. I believe the temperature dropped at 30 degrees Fahrenheit or lower that night...I wore so many layers! For dinner, what better food to have then kangaroo?! So delicious - yes mom and dad...delicious. The sleeping arrangements weren't too terrible either - we slept in swags. A new term for all my readers I'm guessing. A swag is basically a heavy duty sleeping bag. It's made of canvas, has a small mattress in the bottom, you can fit your own sleeping bag and pillow on the inside, and you zip up into a nice cocoon for the night! It's so toasty and warm, everyone should have a swag. The next day we drove deeper into the Outback and camped in a place so remote. I've never felt so isolated in my entire life. It was so great to be able to share this whole experience with great friends. The days to come in the Outback were filled with many beautiful, long, difficult yet rewarding hikes.The views were awe-inspiring, breathtaking and most of all magnificent. I can't quite put into words how amazing it all was - the experience is truly once in a lifetime. Being able to see the stars and the Milky Way every night was something that I thought I could see everyday at home - living on a farm. I was sorely mistaken. The views in the Outback made my backyard look like a joke. I've always enjoyed looking at the stars, but for some reason being able to stare at them until I can't keep my eyelids open anymore was one of the most entertaining things ever. Again, I can't even describe how beautiful it was. The Outback is definitely my new favorite place in the entire world. The sights, smells, animals, people, everything - truly stunning, wonderful and unforgettable. The day we left the Outback was so sad. I'm pretty sure that if I didn't really care what people thought of me, my leaders would've had to tear me away...kicking and screaming. I wouldn't have left it without a good fight. 6 days was truly not enough time after all the wonderful things that I experienced. I'm positive that I'll be back there someday. Not only to see my friends that I made there, but also to see the beautiful landscapes, animals and be able to learn a little bit more about the interesting Aboriginal culture that so much of the world has no inkling about.