I had a little time this morning upon waking before we head out on our hiking and explorations today and thought I’d share a little summary of things experienced on my four days so far while it’s fresh and also since I won’t be doing a big trip blog at the end – wow it seems like so much longer, as it’s all been so rich. My three-flight-connection journey went well and synchronous, as I traveled to Australia on the Full Moon in Scorpio and I haven’t experienced any jet lag, oddness with being a day ahead, or challenges in any way including driving on the opposite side of the road than I’m used to. It’s all been seamless and comfortable – a very easy shift that likely is in part due to my mutability, but may also speak to a resonance of being here before beyond this life.

I’ve shared all of this via Instagram and reshared to Facebook, so this will be a bit of a repeat to anyone on those platforms, but I felt to share it here too for my blog community and for my own sort of travel journal memories, so it’s all in one place. I will only be sharing a few fav photos, however. The rest you can see at those social network links, if you haven’t already.

Upon arriving we spent the day in the city of Melbourne (which is beautiful in Autumn right now), walking everywhere and really feeling the culture here and enjoying the great vegan food and entertainment.

We visited the Eureka Skydeck 88, which is the highest viewing platform in the Southern Hemisphere, as well as sat in on one of the very old churches at evening mass with the choir singing, which was lovely.

Vegan restaurants are plentiful and the amount of options and quality of food rivals LA for sure. We enjoyed TONS of yums for lunch and dinner at Smith & Deli, as well as their sister restaurant, Smith & Daughters, and even got to enjoy local, live jazz music at the jazz place next door to the restaurant, where we secured a reservation for a table while waiting for our dinner spot to open.

Our next day was an exploration of the Melbourne’s countryside, which took us on a vortex drive through eucalyptus, gum trees, and ferns, having us spiral in the forests and parks, which was quite interesting and landing at a beautiful hike through the bush, which was just gorgeous.

And after it was family time, as I mentioned, I have family here I’ve never met.

So we got to spend the afternoon, evening, overnight, and morning with my family just outside of Melbourne. This is family whom we learned about in the early 90’s for the first time.

My dad’s family is from Sicily and they had spread out to several areas long ago. Some staying in Sicily, others settling on the East Coast of the U.S., Argentina, and Australia. Family members never having met including brothers and sisters. My Great Great Uncle and his family were who I got to meet for the first time and just days before his daughter’s 70th birthday – my third cousin who shares a birthday with Cosmo, my bunny – as well as his 102nd birthday. My uncle’s wife is 95.

He is the Uncle of my grand father who passed recently at almost 98 I believe. They were only 4 years apart. They all speak Italian and hold memories of life we can’t imagine. It’s incredible how much they have been blessed to experience.

My third cousin’s daughter and family were able to join too – she’s my fourth cousin, as well as my third cousin’s brother and wife. Her daughters were so very sweet and even invited me to join them in the living room to have a tea party and color with them, which I thought was adorable.

I can’t tell you how incredible it all was and how much I love these people, feeling I’ve known them forever. It was emotional to leave. Feeling like I’ve retrieved another part of my soul and expanded my heart with parts I didn’t know were missing. 

My third cousing, Nella, who will be 70 tomorrow (well tomorrow here) was just the best. She reminded me of my mom actually and I was so strongly heart connected to her immediately. We both said it was incredible how strong our connection was and picked up as if I saw her yesterday. We learned a lot about each other and shared a lot of intimate things in the short time together. We will definitely be keeping in touch and I’ve learned that my parents, because of my coming here, just like with our trip to Alaska, are now planning a trip to hopefully visit the family in October this year. I know they will have an amazing time and I feel my mom and Nella will be like two peas in a pod, like she and I were.

I learned that Nella has taken up painting and other arts and crafts, as well as volunteers a lot. So we have that in common. She gave me a pair of earrings she made, and I got to see all of her beautiful artwork she’s been making. She taught herself via Youtube videos. Her daughter Olivia loves gardening and has wanted a Garden Tower to add to hers, which I shared about having, and so we chatted about a lot of things we both enjoy and she and her husband, as well as the rest of the family were so interested in our being vegan, loved my tattoos, and everything I do. Such warm welcomes all around. Olivia and her husband Liam have actually watched films like Earthlings and it has shifted their own course of action with their food choices for them and their two little girls.

The whole family grows a lot of their own vegetables, as my Great Great Uncle has land four times the size of Nella’s and all vegetable and fruit garden. And Olivia has a garden as well where they grow much of their own vegetables.

My 3rd cousin Phil, Nella’s brother, actually attributed my Great Great Uncle, Carmelo’s being 102 to eating so many vegetables. Apparently, and I’m not sure if I’m remembering correctly who, but it may have been Carmelo’s Grandfather or Father who lived to 105.

I have relatives on both sides of the family who have all reached mid to late nineties, and some 100’s, so I guess it runs in the genes. When Nella saw she me was floored I was 44. She said, “I thought you were no more than 25!” LOL! She, herself, looks in her 50’s like my parents, despite them all being in their 70’s and she said, “it’s in the genes.”

Nella’s husband, Vic, is an artist in the garden. They have a lovely large yard with bonsai trees, flowers, fruit trees, and more.

I was so amazed by the incredible bonsai collection he has. He took me to tour their garden sanctuary where I found hundreds of gorgeous, nurtured and cultivated bonsai. So amazingly beautiful! I have never seen anything like it anywhere. Some he’s loved and cared for for 40 years! They are so incredible that someone actually stole 4 of his most prized bonsai trees. Luckily his insurance company reimbursed him, but sad to put all those years of love into your babies and have someone take them.

I was so incredibly touched by my family we got to spend time with in every way including how welcome they made us in making all vegan food for everyone to enjoy, picking up all kinds of things for snacks, and trying new recipes. Nella was amazing with her culinary skills. We were so spoiled and had more food than we ever have.

She made things like sweet potato and squash patties, an eggplant, peppers and tomatoes dish, a chickpea and lentils dish, a vegan pot pie, fresh baked bread, (tons of sides), and a coffee chocolate cake. We also had huge spread of options for breakfast including cereals with rice milk, fruits, toast, jams, peanut butter, crumpets, coffee, juice, tea….my fav was the crumpets which I had about three of. One with avocado and walnuts, which she recommended as a tasty combo, and the others with peanut butter mostly and a little jam.

It was a fabulous time and celebration and so perfect that we were there for Mother’s Day with Nella, who reminded me a bit of my own mom, but such sweet timing to be with her to share the love.

It was challenging to leave. I just kept snuggling Nella as many times as I could. We will definitely be keeping in touch on Skype when I return home and I also got her daugher’s email to keep in touch with, as well as my Great Great Uncle’s phone number, as apparently he loves to talk on the phone. His accent is thick in Italian and Nella’s husband is thick in both Italian and Australian. So it really is both incredible and takes presence to listen, as it should be.

We are forever in each other’s hearts.

After visiting my family we had another wonderful experience visiting our kangaroo brothers and sisters. My family told us where we’d be able to experience them freely (not at a zoo) and they were right. It was such a magickal and incredible experience walking among them in the wild with cockatoos and other wild, beautiful birds flying around. What magnificent beings they are. And to be so close to them was such a gift. So human-like and powerful.

Until then we’d only seen dead kangaroo on the side of the road, as they are like deer who wander at dusk and cross the highways. So sad, but what amazing creatures they are.

I also love all of the wild, tropical birds here. The rainbow lorikeets, parrots, cockatoos, and the huge magpies. The songs in the morning are just beautiful and the cawing is such a nice feeling.

I’m sure locals might find some of this annoying, or simply the norm, but it is such a gift and I never tire of the wildlife anywhere, even in my own backyard. Everyday is a miracle and magickal whenever I see any animal, no matter how often. But to see new ones just adds to that magick for sure!

After our kangaroo introductions and connections, we set off up the coast, as our journey will be taking us to Brisbane. We’re taking the longer route along the coastline and stopping along the way. So far we spent time in Metung and are now in Tathra, with so many other seaside towns like Eden, in between.

All so gorgeous and we’ve just been booking places along the way, which has been incredible finding the most amazing Airbnb’s on the water.

Upon arrival in Metung, greeted by our Airbnb host, who was so sweet and helpful, we had the chance to explore the town and had an amazingly magickal sunset experience by the water surrounded by black swans.

It was surreal and they even gifted me 18 feathers, so I’m really feeling the enchantment and their medicine.

We also had a rare sighting of the ring-tailed possum on our way home, which is only seen at night, if at all. I think the animals are coming out to greet us, which I’m so touched by.

This current place in Tathra we’re staying in is stunning, reminding us of our place in Lake Tahoe with the expansive 270 degree view of the ocean all around. It sits atop a cafe and actually is for sale. Wheels turning…. 😉

We’ll be setting off for some hiking today, as we’re surrounded here by gorgeous beaches and National Parks…so we’ll have the best of both worlds here, exploring all day in this Heaven on Earth.

And that’s an update for now. Only four days so far, but all feels incredibly important and just as I suspected, a bit of soul retrieval going on here for sure, with heart and spirit nourishing, and definitely a lot of inspiration and heart expansion to infuse into my writing and life.

Feeling very grateful and blessed for sure.