Is there an Aussie word for overwhelmed???

P.A.N.I.C.   I totally lost it last night. I couldn't breathe, couldn't sit still, and had anxiety overload.  I write this because I don't want to sugarcoat the whole experience.  Even though this trip may sound like all fun all the time, sometimes traveling is just not glamorous and can be stressful.  And it finally hit me that I'm in a new country and leaving my comfortable city lifestyle in a few days.  I mean really, I've lived in a big city for almost 7 years now, Chicago to DC to Sydney.  I was over thinking, as us ladies tend to do, about moving out of my comfort zone and going into the unknown.  On Tuesday, we have to head to a new place and figure out where we will be next.  It's totally natural I know to be overwhelmed, but I have to remember why I came here - to experience new things and to challenge myself.  

So after huddling in the fetal position for a few hours and several Moscow Mules later, we came up with a plan to head north to Newcastle next Tuesday which is a 2 hour train ride away.  Which 2 hours probably really means 6 hours because everything here takes longer.  Like today for example, a 2 hour day trip today turned into 8 hours on public transportation.  No joke.  What was supposed to be an easy hop on the train to the Blue Mountains ended up including HOURS on public transport.  I have absolutely nothing to say about Sydney's public transportation system that I can actually write on this blog... bad, bad words come to mind.

The Blue Mountains were really breathtaking. Worth the trip, but I would recommend keeping your sanity and staying overnight at least.  Fun fact  - the mountains are blue because of a vapor haze from all the eucalyptus trees.  

Three Sisters Rocks behind us

Katoomba waterfall

Eucalyptus tree

Finish the day with a coldie

I always believe in ending on a positive note, so here are some of my new fave Aussie words. "Brekky" is breakfast - e.g.  Let's grab a brekky wrap.   Love it.  And  "bushwalker."  "Bushwalkers" are those who walk in the bush obviously.  Well, Katoomba was a cool little town and Pam's comparison is Elkins, WV meets Portland, Oregon.  Mountain town and quirky awesomeness smooshed into one.  Hoping for a day without a bus tomorrow.   Cheers.