The Sunshine State..

Hey there!

- Australia -

Part 2: Sunshine Coast

Since last Thursday I have been staying at the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. This is where I used to go to school as an international student so I wanted to return to see my old host family and the surroundings.

As I arrived at Mooloolaba with my friend who had driven up to the Coast as well, I was completely taken aback by the familarity of the place I had lived at for nearly 10 months.
Everything kind of looked the same and I managed to find my way around without opening up a map just once.
I remembered all the shops that I used to go to and where to get the best sushi right next to the beach. It sort of felt like I had never left the place, since it hadn't changed a tiny bit.

Of course what did change is that many of my friends had moved away. Also because I had spent a lot of time with my fellow international students, I couldn't meet up with them, as they had all returned to their home country many years ago.

Anyway, I pushed myself to get out of the house every day to take in the beautiful beach and nature which would not present itself to me in Germany in the exact same way. I went for long walks and runs on the beach, because it is practically my host family's "backyard". In these past days I probably learnt to spend time alone and to make this time valuable.

I have to say, I had missed the friendliness that you will recognize around Australia if you come from Germany. It is completely normal to smile at a stranger passing by or to ask a check out worker at a supermarket "how are you going?"
In addition to this most people around here wouldn't get off a bus without saying thank you to the bus driver. We could learn a few things about communication from the Aussies, that's for sure.

Next up: Noosa

Greetings from Steph