Author: Michael Eaton

So much to catch up on! It’s been my intention to write but there’s just been so much happening these last few weeks that I really haven’t had a chance.

After Carter and Tobin left, my friends from Byron Bay ended up coming to Noosa. It was great to see them. But to be honest they frustrate me a little bit because they all over the place. It was difficult to make plans with them because they have no idea what they are doing at any given moment.

I don’t take it personally. It just would have been nice to spend more time with them. I understand it was difficult for them because Noosa is not the best place for people with vans to stay. It’s not nearly as camper van friendly as other places in Australia. So they had to stay about thirty minutes outside of town.

I made a few good Australian friends when I was staying at the hostel closer to the beach. We really connected the first few days we started hanging around each other. Really deep, insightful conversations and all that. They invited me to go to Fraser Island and I decided to join them on short notice.

It was something I was planning on doing and at least with them I would have a more intimate experience. My plan was always to do a tour through a company because in order to go to the island you need a car that is four-wheel drive capable. And I wasn’t going to rent a car myself.

So instead we decided to rent out a car between the four of us. It worked out really well. Fraser Island is the largest all sand island in the world. So you’re driving through the sand everywhere that you go.

It was a pretty awesome experience, driving off-road through the trails in the forest. I was a little bit nervous at first, I will admit. But by the second day, I felt comfortable with it.

We ended up spending four days on the island and I think that was the perfect amount of time. The eastern beach is pristine and we spent the first two days driving up and down it, stopping at certain points along the way. The only unfortunate thing is that you can’t swim in the ocean there. Too many sharks.

The last two days we spent within the interior of the island. There are plenty of lakes on Fraser and most of them have the whitest sand. From what I was told the sand is silicone based and it’s super good for your skin. So we took our baths in the lakes and my skin and beard had never been so soft.

Overall the experience will be one that I will remember for a long time.

That being said I am learning not to expect too much from people, especially backpackers. I don’t mean to toot my own horn here but I’m a pretty mindful person. When I make decisions I try to take into account how my actions and words will affect other people and the group dynamic.

Unfortunately, this isn’t always reciprocated and it’s a bit disappointing. I don’t take it personally but it can be a bit discouraging at times. I know who I am and what I want to be. Some people are givers and others takers. I owe it to myself to continue on this path. It’s the only way that I will be able to find my people. So I have no other choice. I have to keep at it.

Noosa has been absolutely brilliant. Just stunning. I can’t think of a week in which I had more fun than this last one.

We rented an AirBnB for the weekend and it worked out perfectly. We were able to negotiate the price down. So we were paying hostel prices for a three bedroom house with a balcony and a hot tub. Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

We were able to do the Coastal Walk around the cape in Byron and the scenes were pretty damn epic. I think Noosa has to be the most beautiful place I’ve been to in Australia. It makes Byron Bay look ehh if I’m being fair.

We were able to see dolphins, and I mean so many pods of them. They were jumping out of the water and just doing their thing. I’ve seen so much marine life in the last week it has been insane. It’s like I’m living in Sea World or something.

My friends from Byron Bay are going to be here on Friday and I’m excited to link up with them. They were going to surprise me in Noosa this past weekend but they ended up taking more stops along the way. So here I am, patiently waiting for them.

It’ll be especially good because Carter and Tobin left to go south today. I would have never imagined that I would have gotten so close to these guys but I did. They will be lifelong friends. It just goes to show you that you just never know who you’re going to meet. You have to be adaptable. You have to be water.

Brisbane ended on a good note. I was pleasantly surprised with the city. To be fair, I didn’t have a “normal” experience in Sydney but I think Brisbane is my favorite city in Australia.

The plan was to buy a car in Brisbane but I got a bit distracted. So I will probably head back down to Brisbane after my time in Noosa is done. Spend a few days looking for a car and then bounce back up north.

The final few nights in Brizzy were really fun. I linked up with a group of English and Dutch people and we painted the town red, so to say. The last night there we went to a drag show. I must say I was rather impressed. It wasn’t my first. But the performances were so spot on. I have to give credit to these people. They really committ to what they do.

The first few days in Noosa have been absolutely brilliant. We stayed at a chiller hostel because we needed some rest after the week in Brisbane. The hostel was great and we linked up with a few people that we stayed with in Byron. Not on purpose. Just randomly. The east coast of Australia is super small. You’re constantly running into people you’ve seen before. For better or worse.

Noosa is so beautiful. I think I like the energy here a bit better than in Byron. There is definitely more of a party in Byron but here it is just so amazing. Thankfully the weather has held up so we’ve made it out to the beach the last few days.

Anyway, we got an AirBnB for the weekend and this place is seriously awesome. There aren’t many tourists around and I was able to negotiate the price down pretty significantly. It has a hot tub – need I say more?

So the plan is to just hit the town this weekend and meet some new people. Make use of this new place and have a good time. I think we might stay a bit longer in Noosa because it is raining today and tomorrow and we want to take advantage of the nature around town.

It’s been a pretty good few days in Brisbane. A lot to catch up on so let me just get right into it.

After the weekend in Surfers we decided to hang out at the YHA for a few nights. It’s a quieter hostel and we wanted to rest and get our energy back up. Nice place to be fair. It felt like more of a hotel than a hostel.

Our first full day here we didn’t get into an awful lot. We rented some scooters and cruised around the city. Just to get accustomed to where everything is. We took them into the Botanical Garden which was the best because we could just cruise without worrying about pedestrians and cars.

On Wednesday we went to North Stradbroke Island which is about an hour away from the city. We hopped on the ferry and spent a few hours walking around. The ocean walk was absolutely stunning. And within five minutes I saw my first kangaroo! After five months in Australia without seeing one I think I deserved it!

The best was yet to come though. As we approached the ocean we found a cliff face to sit on and just took in the scenes. The whales are still moving up the coast and they were out in numbers that day. They were jumping out of the water and slapping their tails on the surface. They were sticking their fins out and waving at us. We even saw a few pods of dolphins and a turtle.

The water was so clear even from where we were sitting we could see all the way through to the bootom. It was absolutely amazing. We moved on to the beach and took a quick dunk in the water before catching the bus back to the ferry. The waves were pretty rough here and I got knocked around quite a bit.

Yesterday we made a move to the Australia Zoo which is one of the best in the world. Steve Irwin found the zoo and through the success of his TV show he was able to build an amazing facility.

The zoo here is so intimate. There’s not many cages. Only for animals that can be potentially dangerous. You can get right up to the Giant Tortoises and pat them on the shell if you wanted.

The best part by far was the kangaroo enclosure. You grab a bag of kangaroo food and the roos just come hopping over. They are so docile and so soft. It really was an amazing experience. Something I won’t be forgetting any time soon.

I did manage to see my first koala too. Unfortunately they are susceptible to COVID so you couldn’t touch them or hold them. But under normal circumstances you’re able to feed them and cuddle them free of charge. 

The crocodile show was also amazing. These things are huge. Maybe ten feet long and seven hundred pounds. The show was well done and it was amazing to see one up close. I’ll have to be careful around the water once I move up to Crocodile Country (north Queensland).

Besides that, we’re just hanging out and going out a fair bit. The city seems kind of dead but the nightlife has been pretty solid so far. I’m feeling confident and that translates to the amount of fun that I’ve been having. Just meeting people and going with the flow. 

We’ll probably stay here for a few more days and then move on to Noosa. I think the plan is to take it easier there then we have been. It’s been go go go for more than a week now. We definitely could use a rest.

A few of my friends from Byron Bay ended up meeting me in Surfers Paradise on Friday. I was planning on traveling on my own for a while but I’m happy my plans changed. I decided to stay around for a few more days and travel up the coast with them.

Carter and Tobin are both Americans and they’re social butterflies, for lack of a better phrase.  Both of them are very focused on meeting new people, especially women. To be honest, it’s not always something that I am comfortable doing. Coming off my time in Byron Bay, my confidence was low and I was open with them concerning that. They took it upon themselves the last few days to push me to be more social. I’m very grateful for that.

I am definitely outside of my comfort zone and that’s a good thing. I’m definitely feeling more confident and sure of myself since I started traveling around with them. Sometimes it just takes surrounding yourself with a few people that are going to push you to do things that you wouldn’t normally do if you were on your own.

The last few days in Gold Coast were mostly party focused. I had a really good time though. I was staying at a quieter hostel than Carter and Tobin. It was nice to have the option of bouncing between the two depending on how we were feeling.

Yesterday was our last day in the Gold Coast so we took a drive down to Burleigh Heads. It’s about 30 minutes south of Surfers Paradise. This area is way more upscale than Surfers, which to be honest is a bit trashy. We took a small walk through Burleigh Heads National Park, the payoff being a great view of the Surfers skyline in the distance.

Now we’re in Brisbane and we’re thinking of staying here for a week or so before we move on to Noosa Heads. Not really sure what there is to see around here but the weather should be really nice over the next week. We’re talking mid 70s and no clouds. So we’ll definitely take advantage.

Carter likes to play golf and I was looking into the possibility of getting a round in while we’re here. It’s actually pretty cheap. Only fifty or sixty dollars for both the round and the club rentals. Compared to what we pay back home that’s super cheap.

I’ve already played a round of golf in Asia and Europe. So if I play in Australia I will have played golf on four different continents. It never was on my radar but I think it would be cool to play some golf on each continent. Not sure if Antarctica is a possibility but if I can get the other two in I would be pretty pleased.

Anyone that knows me knows that I love to smoke marijuana. Sometimes I feel like it is a part of my identity. It’s something that has opened up my view on the world and it’s been a gateway to so many good friendships and experiences.

It’s been over ten years since I started smoking regularly. And slowly, over time, the benefits I used to accrue from it have faded away. It’s become more of a habit than something that is actually enjoyable to do. I’ve come to the conclusion that getting high no longer serves me as it once did.

In Byron Bay, I was smoking every day, multiple times a day. And it’s not a surprise that I was feeling down, socially awkward, and a lack of motivation. It wasn’t possible for me to be the best version of myself because I was high all the time. My confidence slowly diminished because I was not doing the things each day that gave me a sense of purpose.

It’s easy for me to rationalize and convince myself that marijuana doesn’t have a negative effect on me as a person, especially when I’m using it the way that I was. But it absolutely does. It’s become such a habit for me that it is difficult to admit that it no longer serves me.

I haven’t smoked marijuana in a few days and I can already tell the difference. I’m feeling sharper in my mind and more confident. I feel more motivated and self-assured. Of course, this isn’t the only factor but it definitely contributes to my overall feeling.

If I want to be the best version of myself it’s just not possible for me to smoke all the time. I’m not swearing off marijuana forever. I think there are benefits but it needs to be used sparingly. Like medicine that is taken at the right moment. If you take too much medicine it will start to lose its positive effects and might even turn into something that is negative. A poison of sorts.

Some people can smoke daily and that’s great for them. It might make them more creative, curious, and social. But everyone’s brains are wired differently. I used to push myself to be this type of person but it’s just not who I am.

No problem getting through the border into Queensland. There’s was barely a fuss made. The officer asked us a few questions and we were on our way.

Dana and her friend Michelle dropped me off right by the hostel in town. The place is nice but there’s barely anyone here. It seems like the combination of COVID and it being the winter has kept people away. I’d imagine there’s not much work around here and most of the people on working holiday are elsewhere in Queensland.

That’s not the worst thing in the world. It affords me a bit of time to get my ducks in a row. I wanted some breathing space and that’s what I got.

Surfers Paradise really reminds me of Florida. Fort Lauderdale area to be exact. It’s a long strip of beach with high rise buildings along the coast. The area is heavy on resorts and theme parks. I would imagine this place gets really lively when the weather is nice. But unfortunately, the weather will be overcast and rainy for the next few days.

I took a long walk along the boardwalk today and stopped in a little park along the beach. I just read there for a bit and then made my way back towards town on the beach. Besides that just chilled out and got some stuff done for myself.

I don’t think I’ll stay here very long. My friends Carter and Tobin are making their way up here tomorrow for the weekend. I’m tempted to stay around to link up with them but I’m not sure if I want to.

My other friend Jade will probably be in Brisbane this weekend so I might head up there to meet up with her. And then I can meet up with Carter and Tobin when they head up to Brisbane next week. I have some options.

Today is my last day in Byron Bay. It feels bittersweet, to be honest. I’ve had some incredible adventures here and I’ve met so many kinds of different people. I haven’t been at my happiest but I think I will look back at this experience with fond memories. I just need some space to digest this experience and learn from my time here.

It’s the right moment to leave. Right now I have the desire to make some changes, to build up some of my healthier habits and to correct some of my unhealthier ones. A change of scenery helps. It takes a greater amount of energy to enact the change when you develop a less than desirable routine and you’re surrounded by the same people all the time.

I think my desire to make some adjustments is the key. I’m excited about seeing something different and having that space to find balance again. I haven’t felt that excitement since I arrived in Byron Bay and it feels good to get that feeling back.

I’m not sure what awaits me in Queensland. But I know that I have the ability and the creativity to direct my path in the way that I want it to go. It’s kind of like making a pot out of clay. I didn’t create exactly what I wanted to while I was in Byron. But now I’ll have a new lump of clay. I can start from scratch again, learning from my previous methods and mistakes.

My first stop is the Gold Coast, not awfully far from Byron Bay. It’s about an hour and a half drive from where I am now. I’m not sure how long I will stay. But I want to take some time to collect myself. Afterward, I’ll visit Brisbane and then head up to Noosa Heads, which, from what I hear, is similar to Byron.

I know I want to end up in Cairns which is a lot further north. I have more time than I was ever expecting so l can take my time and make some more stops along the way. I’m open to staying in places for a while if I feel comfortable and it promotes a healthier lifestyle.

A part of me wants to buy a car or a van to use for the next 3 months. I’m not totally sure if that is a great idea, seeing as I don’t know much about cars. But I can definitely see myself renting a car at some point. It’ll be fun to have the freedom to explore on my own time and in my own way.

I’ve spent the last few afternoons by myself and it feels good. After getting a few things done in the morning I’ve walked fifteen minutes down the beach to a small clearing right by a creek. The people from the hostel usually have parties here during the night. But it’s an excellent place to hang out during the day.

I bring a bit of marijuana with me, along with some snacks, and I read and meditate in the sunlight. It’s usually a place you can count on being alone. But today someone stopped by and meditated for a little while.

We chatted only for a bit but for the most part we just sat there in silence together. I enjoy the silence. That’s why I wanted to get away from the hostel the last few days. There’s always someone to talk to. There’s very little opportunity for some alone time and quiet.

I really enjoy the different people that are staying here with me. But I am constantly socializing. All the time. It gets exhausting.

I understand this is what I signed up for. I decided to travel around and live in a hostel. But I need to find a better balance for myself. When I begin to burn out I need to listen to my mind and my body and step away. I think I kept partying and socializing here because it seemed (to me at least) that’s what was expected of me. I kept at it because I wanted to make new friends. But it wasn’t what I needed at that moment in time.

I’m beginning to understand that I am more of an introvert than I thought. I experience waves when I am super social but on the whole, I get my energy from being alone and doing things like reading and meditating and taking walks.

I’ve pushed myself too far and that’s why I’m feeling the way that I am feeling. I have to act in a way that aligns with what I know is good for me, with my nature. I’ve been a walking contradiction of sorts and it’s funny to be honest. It will take some time but I am looking forward to untangling the knots I’ve created.

If I’m learning anything it’s that I have a lot to learn. I’d like to experiment a bit more in all aspects of my life. This trip is as much about discovering new places as it is about learning new skills and understanding who I am as a person.

I met a man here at the hostel the other night and we meditated together. His name is Kristian and he has experience guiding meditation sessions. He created a very open space for everyone that was there. We were able to talk openly with each other and that felt refreshing.

At first, I will admit, I was a bit jealous. Usually, I’m the person that helps other people learn about meditation. It makes me feel important. And I felt a bit usurped by this guy. But I noticed I was feeling this way and I decided it was a silly way to react. I don’t want to let my pride getting in the way of me learning new things from other people.

To be honest you could feel this man’s energy and it was very calming. I could tell this guy knew what he was talking about and the meditation session went extremely well for me. It was what I needed at that moment.

He introduced us to something I have never done before called holotropic breathing. It’s a breathing technique that is used for emotional healing and wellness. You breathe very deeply into your stomach, then your chest, and finally you expunge all of the air. You build up a quick rhythm for a few minutes until you’re finally asked to hold your breath for a time.

By doing this you alter the oxygen levels in your body. You start to feel tingling in your body, especially in the limbs. It feels similar to when your foot or your hand falls asleep. Breathing in this way produces an altered state of consciousness. I would compare it to your mental state when you go for a long run. You’re better able to focus on the body and the breath.

It was difficult and after a certain period of time, I started to believe that I couldn’t continue to breathe like this any longer. But you are encouraged to continue. The breath is very powerful and it can overcome the limits that the brain puts on it.

I would like to continue doing this type of breathwork because I want to experiment more. I know how to do various types of meditations but I really haven’t challeneged myself much over the last few years to learn anything new. I’ve been doing the same types of meditations each day and it’s a bit easy to get bored and to feel stagnant.