Day 1 | WARNBRO– Tired, hardly what you could call “clean” anymore, and achy, we were met by smiling faces and warm hearts full of jokes. We quickly left the airport, and we carted home. I unpacked quickly so my bed would be uninhibited for sleep later. I’m not sure how, but we even made it to the beach by their house! Isaac’s parents welcomed a flood of guests that night from Isaac’s brothers & their ladies, to friends & their little ones. Although we accidentally fell asleep. while stretching out and talking about how happy we were, our poor manners were thankfully dismissed by our perfect company.

Day 2 | GOLDEN BAY– Waking up at 4:30 am seemed like it would lead to a very unappealing day, but it was surprisingly productive! We got a little work done before heading to Isaac’s brothers house in Golden Bay to see his nephew, marvel at his brother’s extensive gadget collection (paragliding motors, kite surfing gear, and more!), and visit the beach. Though we had the goat-like calls of the crows to mock along our walk, within 10 minutes we were right at the beach! The waters weren’t near calm enough for paddling the over-sized surf boards we brought along, so the boys thought it was best to try just riding them (semi-successfully?). Like the wimp that I am, it took a few good minutes for me to brave the waters and submit to lessons by my foot taller comrades, who beckoned me out further that I would have initially gone. I can say that, though I am stubbornly confident in my swimming abilities, the asthmatic in me gets a little freaked out when water irritates my airways. So, as soon as I swallowed a bit too much water, I was happily ashore. I didn’t of course retreat until I could be proud of the successful failing I was able to muster on their surfboard-of-sorts. Later was when that dreaded call came from home about our house. Other than that and a sunburn on the back of my legs, I escaped my first encounter with my adrenaline-junky Aussie counterparts pretty well! Not to mention Isaac’s brother & wife treated us to some very yummy Australian Meat Pies!

Day 3 | PERTH– It seems like the beaches here EVERYWHERE are magical. The colors from the native brush, beige sand, and turquoise water are inspiration enough for any designer. Not to mention, nearly EVERYWHERE you go is clean, bright, and cared for it really inspires you to adopt it as your new home (who doesn’t envy a spectacularly clean & well kept home?). Perth was no exception to this. In fact the train we took to get there ($12 AUD for a day pass) was immaculate, smooth, and quick. Isaac informed me it was pretty new (his guess was about 10 years ago the one in Warnbro was built), but the care and upkeep was obviously not neglected like many public transits are in the US. Even more refreshing was the sheer lack of debris, cigarette butts, or trash of any kind along the streets of Perth. While in Perth, we had the pleasure of meeting Isaac’s mom for lunch, along with his Dad, before we got the chance to shop for some needed essentials (wireless router, international sim card, etc.). After lunch, his mom happily sent us on our way for coffee and cake. We stopped at Bocelli Espresso, which had the perfect vantage point to people watch, and enjoy the architecture & art installations/sculpture. It was surreal seeing giant Christmas trees, large ornaments, giant angels, stars, reindeer, bows, and evergreens hazy from summer heat. Luckily there was a breeze that day, so between the shade of the Cafe’s white umbrellas and the cool wind, we were able to lazily enjoy the trio of flat whites and decadent cakes that crowded our table.

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** A few notes on the art & general splendor of Perth. Perth has the architecture, culinary mastery, appreciation for art, and culture that you would find in Chicago, but it is a little smaller, 50x cleaner, warmer, and safer than trekking around the windy city. I’m partial as I was there on a windy day, but the heat and the breeze we had that day made me fall in love with that city a little. Just don’t tell my parents or they will mark me a traitor.