Sydney... AGAIN.

Last Thursday, I skipped my last lecture of the week and headed to Sydney to stay with Holli for the weekend!  It was SO great!!!  We had so much fun, as alwaysJ.  It was really nice too, because I got to see and do things that I didn’t have a chance to do or didn’t know about the first time I was there.  When I got into Sydney, it was so funny to take the train to Macquarie University and meet Holli – it brought back so many memories of my first moments in Australia and the overwhelming excitement and fear I had.  It’s so strange to think that was only a few months ago and now I’m so comfortable here.  I had been texting Holli all day and hadn’t heard back from her at all.  At first I thought she was sleeping and then I realized that she was probably out of credit on her phone.  I knew she could receive my texts, but couldn’t send any back.  I told her I was getting on the train and when I got to her stop she was there to meet me.  It was really funny because when Holli and I came to Australia, we flew in together, but had to split up because she had a shuttle that took her to her apartment and I had to take the train to my housing.  We didn’t know how to meet up because neither of us knew where we were going or had a phone to text the other.  It was super stressful and frustrating.  When Holli couldn’t text me back, it was super reminiscent of that first afternoon, except I wasn’t scared and overwhelmed – I just laughed at the irony of itJ.  After she met me at the station, we went to the mall that is right next-door and got a late lunch at this place called T2.  It is a teahouse and is an awesome restaurant too.  My food and tea was delicious!  After T2, we walked back to Holli’s apartment and just hung out for a little bit before going with her roommate Candace downtown to the Imax theater.  We had tickets for Pirates of the Caribbean 4.  It was awesome seeing it on the big screen and since Candace is SUCH a big fan, her enthusiasm was a little contagiousJ.  After the movie, we all walked to a restaurant called Max Brenner’s Chocolate Bar.  It is a chocolate restaurant!  It was SO good.  I got an Italian thick dark chocolate hot chocolate.  It was the consistency of cake batter, but hot and rich and DELICIOUS!  I also got a small waffle dessert with chocolate drizzle, fresh strawberries and bananas and vanilla ice cream.  SO GOOD!  After that we went back to Holli’s apartment and watched Boy Meets World and played cards before bed.  On Friday, we slept in a bit and then went to the University of Sydney just outside the Central Business District.  It is an incredible campus and looks just like Hogwarts from Harry Potter!  Holli and I took a picture of us duelingJ and then we found some lunch at a little café on campus.  It was such a beautiful day and just sitting in the sun was such a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.  Lina and Candace (two of Holli’s roommates) came with us to the university and it was such a fun afternoon getting to know them and laughing with them.  They are such fun girls.  We got back from the university in the late afternoon and then got ready and caught the shuttle bus to the main Hillsong Church campus for a special worship service for a conference that was going to happen Saturday.  It was cool to meet some of Holli’s church friends and to get to experience Hillsong Church again.  The pastor who spoke was brought in for the conference – he’s from Miami.  He had a very American sense of humor and it was funny laughing and listening to Holli laugh when no one else in the audience was – we were so confused.  We didn’t understand why no one else was laughing with usJ.  On Saturday, we woke up and caught the train to the Blue Mountains.  Holli went with her Mom when she visited and decided that I would LOVE it and needed to see it.  I was really excited.  It took a long time to get there, but it was SO worth it.  We talked the whole time anyway, so even though it was over 3 hours, it went fastJ.  We decided to take a different path than Holli had gone on with her Mom and hiked down the Giant Staircase (they aren’t kidding)… there are approximately 900 stairs that are carved out of a cliff and lead straight into the valley below.  It was scary at times, but the scenery was so incredible and a great distraction from my fear of heights.  We made it to the bottom and hiked through the Leura Forest.  This was the most beautiful hike – everything was so green and there were tons of cool waterfalls and things to look at and appreciate.  It is such a hidden gem!  We finished our hike in the town of Leura and got to walk through all the little shops on our way to the train station.  It was SUCH a beautiful, cute little town.  I would love to live there.  We caught the train back from Leura and it took a little less time.  We got off in the city and went to Pancakes on the Rocks for dinner.  I’d heard about this place from a few people.  They all agreed that it was the best pancakes they’d ever had… I had to try it outJ.  In Australia, they do pancakes differently – there is typically some sort of fruit or chocolate and then ice cream and whipped cream!  They’re SO good.  I got the Blueberry Heaven stack (fresh blueberries, blueberry sauce, whipped cream and vanilla ice cream over buttermilk pancakesJ).  After dinner, it was such a beautiful night on the harbor that we decided to just walk around before heading back to Holli’s apartment.  It was such a great day of nature and fresh air, good food, and GREAT conversation.  I LOVED it.  On Sunday, Holli and I got up and went to the Macquarie extension service for Hillsong Church.  This was a great service and I got to meet another one of Holli’s church friends, which was really fun.  After church, we got lunch at a delicious Thai place in the mall and then went home to rest.  Holli nappedJ.  When she woke up we played some cards and then got ready for Sunday night church at Hillsong’s main campus.  It was a HUGE service, but was really cool!  The speaker was the same guy from Miami that spoke on Friday night, but this time he spoke about taking risks.  I was super inspired.  After the service, we took the bus back to Macquarie and got some quick dinner before heading back to Holli’s apartment and just talking the rest of the night.  I woke up early Monday morning (5:20am to be exactJ) and caught the train to the airport.  I flew home and spent the rest of the day in class and getting caught up on life after being gone for a few days.  It was SUCH a great weekend in Sydney and with Holli!!  I’m so glad I was able to visit again.  When I got back and checked my facebook, I saw that my friend Kim had left me a message telling me that in one month, I would be home.  I thought about it and realized she was right!  I will be sleeping in my own bed in Ellensburg in less than one month… I can’t believe it.  Time flies.  But regardless of where I am… Life is goodJ.