“It was a biting cold… the kind that makes your bones ache…”
A good part of enjoying travel in my opinion (and living a happy life), is keeping things pretty light whenever possible. As the old saying goes, don’t sweat the small stuff. So even though I’d just smashed my finger in the door of our rental car, and it was throbbing fairly fiercely, I wasn’t going to let that put a damper on the weekend we’d planned. A few days’ getaway to the incredibly beautiful Blue Mountains! We booked a really quaint cottage through Airbnb, and with our hilarious Aussie friend Dan in tow, grabbed dinner in town, some snacks and drinks from the local grocery store, and made our way to the cabin.
Our lovely home away from home
It was the shoulder season between Autumn and Winter in Australia, and we’d not only flown half way around the world just a few days before, but had been going non-stop since we’d arrived in Sydney, including a half-day hike we’d done earlier that day. That night, as the sun set and we began to unwind, the temperature dropped to almost freezing. I made some dinner and baked fresh chocolate-chip cookies, and Jolene and Dan made a fire and took care of music. We sat together in this lovely little place in the mountains and talked, ate, laughed, and had one of the most relaxing nights either of us had known in some time.
The lovely couple who own the cottage have a guestbook there. After enjoying a couple of days in the Blue Mountains, Jolene said we should each take turns writing an entry about our experiences. However, as I mentioned, we like to keep things pretty fun, so she said we should write them in the style of the “olden days” of the American West.
After we were done writing, being the crazy artists we are, we went about finding some appropriate music and filmed one another reading our entries that same vein. Ladies and Gentleman, we present to you, Australia, 1716 style:
One of the main things I’ve learned traveling for so many years, is that as fun as it can be to pack a lot in, the best travel experiences come when you take the time to really immerse yourself in the places and cultures you’re visiting. Taking a break from the frantic pace of life to share some of life’s most important moments is what it’s all about. It’s an experience we wouldn’t have had if we hadn’t taken the time to just be together. For the rest of my life, I won’t forget the time we had in the Blue Mountains, the laughter, the friendship, and the lovely and romantic Panekiri Cottage.
And I also won’t ever forget smashing my finger in the car door, because long after the nail turned dark and went away… the strange numb sensation has not. 🙂
Dan at sunset
If you’d like to read more about the Blue Mountains in Australia, please check out this post all about our adventures there!
Moonbird’s Helpful Info:
The Blue Mountains
Website: The Blue Mountains, Australia
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Google Maps: Click here
Best time to visit: Anytime!
Australia’s seasons are: Spring: September, October and November, Summer: December, January and February, Autumn: March, April and May, Winter: June, July and August
