Byron Bay Baby!

HIIIIIIIIIIIIII!

Pictures for you!
#1- Theresa, Me, and Kim

#2-Awesome Beatles Van we found!

#3-Jumping off the cliff

#4-Surfer Girl (hehe me!)

#5- Brandy on a Surfboard!

I honestly just had the best weekend of my life! I wish you all could have been there with me but I'll try to put everything into the best set of words that I can (it's going to be hard). I went to Byron Bay this past weekend with some of the girls and it was the coolest place! We stayed at this awesome hostel called Nomad's and met the best people ever! Everyone in the hostel called our room Team America because it was literallly all Americans staying in one room together. (The name stuck with us all weekend, which was hilarious!) We met this couple (Erin and Jesse) who just graduated from University of Pittsburgh and decided to backpack through Australia and we met this guy (Derrick) from Hawaii who was the biggest surfer ever! We all had so much fun together! Anywho about my adventures!

Friday--> It was kinda a cloudy day so we spent the day adventuring through Byron Bay. We walked the beach, looked through shops and bought groceries. Later that night we went out to this dance club called Cheeky Monkeys and had a GREAT night. People are just so genuine and fun down here, it's honestly impossible not to have a good time and i love it!

Saturday--> We got up early and went on this tour called the Grasshopper Tour. It takes you to all these different towns surrounding Byron and we got to stop at each one for like an hour and check it out. We stopped at this one town called Nimbin- totally a HUGE hippie town. I LOOOOOOOOOOOVED IT! We had soo much fun looking around and seeing all this tye-dye and oldies stuff. It was a cute little town. After we were done adventuring all the towns, the tour bus took us to this Rainforest Area where there were all these pretty waterfalls and such. We were able to jump off the cliffs surrounding the waterfalls into the water! It was sooooooooo cool! I have some pics of me MID AIR! (I'll post one!) Later that day we had a barbeque and did some sight seeing from the tops of mountains down on the city of Byron...overall great day!

Sunday--> Probably the best day of my life so far! Like honestly, this day is sooo hard to put into words. I completed two things on my "List of Things to do in my Life". We woke up super early and went SKYDIVING! It was honestly the most incredible experience of my life. I thought I was going to be super scared but there wasn't even time to be scared. They teach you how your technique has to be for both falling out of the plane, while falling and landing. After that they suited us up in our gear (I looked sweet haha!) The plane ride was soo pretty. They take you out over the ocean and we saw dolphins and sea turtles swimming below us (so cute!) and then we start going up and at a certain point (at which we were SUPER high) my instructor goes, "Guess what Amanda, we are only halfway up", I was like ohhh jeeeeeeeze! After about a 15 minute plane ride, they FLING the door open and this huge gush of wind comes blazing into the plane! I was like OHHH CRAPPP HERE WE GO!!! I watched my two friends go before me and all you do is see them fall head first out of a plane! I got really nervous at this point. The scariest part for me was when I had to hang me feet over the side of the plane and just like sway 1,2,3, over the edge and then you just fall! You will all see on my video the fear in my eyes as I'm waiting for my instructor to just push us out of the plane (haha it's funny!) Then it's just amazing time...you are just soaaaaaaring through the air...it doesnt even feel like you are freefalling but you are! I was able to freefall for 70 seconds! Best 70 seconds of my life! I was just yelling the whole time and smiling and screaming and smiling!! AHHHHHHHH! After about 70 seconds, the instructor pulls the cord and you get like flown backwards as the parachute comes out! When the parachute is finally out you can take your goggles off and experience the beautiful view of Byron Bay and the Ocean. We glided through a rainbow and tasted a cloud (hehe!) After about 3 or so minutes you get ready for your landing. They tell you to lift your legs and you just kinda slide into the ground on your butt. Perfect Landing! The adrenaline is seriously crazy after this and it sticks with you for honestly the whole day! I thought I was invincible! LOOOOOOOOOVED THIS! Another dream of mine was to go surfing! We took surf lessons later Sunday afternoon. It was so awesome to learn. Our surf instructors were so chill and I honestly do have the technique down now (I'm alittle weak in the knees but I'm perfecting it). I will definitely be a pro by the time I get home and can teach all of you (haha!) The place we went through for lessons is called Black Dog Surf and they own a black lab named George that actually knows how to surf!! I took pictures of him. The creepy thing is that he looks JUST LIKE BRANDY! It was soo cute. Fun fun fun day! I had a smile on my face the ENTIRE day and just loved the idea of being in Australia with awesome friends and doing things I was questioning I would ever do in my life just a few months earlier! It's a great feeling! I loved Byron Bay and would give anything to go back there another time! I wish I could put it into better words but this is the best I have right now, stories will come when I get back home! :)

St. Patty's Day--> Australians DO celebrate St Patricks Day...HARDCORE down here. We decided to get festive and cook our own fancy dinner. We bought CornBeef, Cabbage, Red Potatoes, Carrots and Wine. We all got dressed up in our green and enjoyed a yummy meal all together (just a family dinner away from home). We had a good time! Hope you all have a great St. Patty's Day!! Love you all!

Cheers-

Amanda