My Awesome Australian Adventure

Dean Bunker
Las Vegas, NV

Continued from the previous page

So, on that note (or rest), let us make our way from Sydney to Cairns, and from description to recollection, as I recall quite vividly, the smile that stretched upon my face when I was removing my sweatshirt and looking up at the sun outside the airport. Warmth at last! Another reason to smile was that by then I had made some friends, and I thought Cairns would be a place where I could continue to learn and make friends. Nothing could have been closer to the truth. Cairns was a blast. The wildlife, at times, would make me burst into fits of laughter. The scenery itself would have me losing my breath. The walks through the forest seemed like some sort of epic journey, taken slowly, enjoying the company of whoever happened to be around. The scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef could have been a trip in itself. My sensory perceptions on overload, I was both overwhelmed, and ecstatic−physically drained, but mentally more active than I had been in years. The nights I wouldn't sleep. I would find others, and we would stay up until the next morning, playing card games, and conversing.

It wasn't just those still in school that had captivated my attention though. Accompanying us on the trip, were a mix of college students, Australian natives, staff members of NSHSS and Claes Nobel, one of the most eloquent men I have had the privilege to speak to, and more importantly, to listen to. The more mature members of our group proved to be as alive and exciting as the youth. The one thing which amazed me the most, was their patience, understanding, and insight into the world.

As the trip came to a close, members of the group began to exchange contact information. To my amazement I would find a Facebook account with my name and email attached to it waiting for me at home. To me this was the last testament to the fact that those people I met in Australia, the young, the old, the visitors, and the natives, were something I had rarely, if ever experienced before. I was both humbled and awed by the experience. Now I find myself gazing out the window, deep in my reverie, letting my mind give way to dreams of Australia and those who accompanied me along the way.

So, if you out there are debating whether or not you have the available time to sacrifice ten days of your life to the unknown, my advice would be to go for it. Life is about risk. The more you risk (the more intelligent your risk) the greater your reward. There is nothing in my mind I can think of that scares me more than going to the grave with regrets.

That being said I do have one (and only one) regret thinking back on this trip−that I slept at all. It still haunts me.

For information on next summer's Australia trip, contact Member Services Manager Gloria Smith.

Photos from our trip can be seen here.