What drives us, we nomadic types? What causes us to leave stable jobs, lovely homes, friends and family, to throw ourselves out into the world? To force discomfort upon ourselves by the mere act of having no home base, no tribe to reach to for comfort? To live a life outside our comfort zone, both mentally and literally?
Time is always surprising; It seems like just yesterday, not nearly 27 years ago, that I first locked eyes with Jim, in Ken’s living room. Jim, full-bearded and scruffy, just off the boat from Alaska. Myself, fully focused on going to school for international law and moving to Paris. An unlikely pair? Apparently not~ Six days after our first date Jim asked me to marry him, and the rest, as they say, is history. Astonishingly, June 2nd we will be celebrating our 25th anniversary. 25 years… it seems unreal, and presents a very literal example of how fast time moves by.
Wikipedia describes overlanding as such: Overlanding is self-reliant travel to remote destinations where the journey is the principal goal. Typically, but not exclusively, it is accomplished with mechanized off-road capable transport, where the principal form of lodging is camping, often lasting for extended lengths of time (months to years), and spanning international borders.
Only 40 days to go until we attend our first Overland Expo! To say we are beyond excited is an understatement. Started in 2009 by Jonathan and Roseann Hanson, Expo has become THE event to attend each year in the United States. Jonathan was formerly with Overland Journal but now works full time, with Roseann, to make Expo the premier event that it is. The largest meeting of overlanders in the US, perhaps the world, Expo has become so popular that 2014 marks the first year it will be offered on both the west and east coast.
Before we left on our round-the-world, Australia was high on our list of must-see spots. However, four weeks into our East coast road-trip from Byron Bay towards Cairns, we just weren’t feeling it. Tired of long days of driving and exorbitant prices, we were heading North to see friends in Port Douglas, but still searching for the magic we had been hoping for. 
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Australia, that enchanting land down under, where everyone has a great accent, looks like Hugh Jackman, and life is a beach. Or is it? I only recently realized in the 190-plus blogs I have posted on Next Big Adventure, only one has been about Australia, and that was simply a foto-Friday of Whitehaven Beach. Why, after spending over six weeks driving the East Coast of the country, did I feel compelled to write nothing???~
Fancy a deserted beach? With the onset of fall here in the Pacific Northwest, my mind has been drifting to all of the amazing beaches we have spent time at in our travels. This one, in Northeast Australia, was empty and serene.
Although I must admit Australia was not our favorite country to travel in, they have got a lot of kick ass cool animals! Here a cuddly, nearly catatonic, Koala bear and baby!
While camping in the Carnia Gorge area of Australia, we got the chance to help feed these amazingly colorful birds.
I love flowers and, much to Jim’s dismay, stop often along a hike to snap pictures. This beauty was seen at the botanical gardens in Sydney, Australia
