HI!

Cheers everyone!
Well it's come down to the last few weeks in Australia and I cannot believe it has gone by this fast! I have made the greatest of friends.. and the funny part being almost all are from the States! now I have connections to travel around America! It is a bittersweet thought of coming home, especially since at first I was double guessing myself for coming here. I've been 10000 miles away from everything I know and love and my original thought was why? Of course I wanted to see something different and experience a different culture but did I really have to go so dang far away? and now I know the answer is yes. I feel that I not only gained lifetime friendships here but I have had the privilege of experiencing things here in Australia that not even Australians themselves have. The Outback was an incredible sight! Of course the weather just reminded me of home and while some were devastated by the heat, I could not help but smile and be homesick. The sand was red and so fine, there was nothing for miles on end. I saw aboriginal prints on the faces of Uluru as I walked around it's base. I read the stories the Aboriginals have handed down for years about every crack, shadow and line on the surface of the monolith. I have scuba dived the most precious marine park in the world which unfortunately will not be there in the future. I saw nemo! :) I swam under a turtle and saw a shark resting before it's night stalk. I have petted a live and very old Mauri Wrasse by the name of Frank! I sailed the Whitsunday Islands and had sting rays swim by my feet (scariest part of the entire trip may I say.. more so than diving by a shark) I have exited a put put plane at 14,000 feet at however many miles an hour and did not pee in my pants! I have said goodbye to the first of the many friends I will be leaving behind. I watched the elections in suspense with my fellow American friends and see history be made in my lifetime! I will soon be packing my bags and saying thank you and farewell to Australia and it's wonderful times and I know I'll be leaving a little tougher because I braved the Outback, a little at peace for seeing a marvel of the world, a little sad because goodbyes always are, a little older, a little darker :) and hopefully a little wiser. I thank all of you for your letters, comments, email and above all LOVE.. above everything this has been a test of Love. A greater Love for my family, my friends, my boyfriend and myself. With that I leave with a favorite quote while away. " Absence to Love is like wind to fire. It extinguishes the weak and en kindles the strong" LOVE YOU! ~~Yvonne~~~

Great Barrier Reef Pics

The boat that takes us out to the Diving boat
Silje and I (pronounced Cilia) She's from Norway and my diving buddy

From left to right Heather, Sarah, Becky, me and Brittney before snorkeling!
On the Dive Boat

The Dive Boat!



Silje and I at 31 Flavors.. funny night!
The Lagoon across our hostel
Skydiving!

The Beach I landed on

Great Barrier Reef Pics!

the Beach
Brittney and I
Where we slept on the Broomstick (sailing boat)

one of our meals
reading away



it's a race against yellow shirt and his team!
But of course we won!