Austalia

             



  Last summer I had an experience that only comes around once in a blue moon. For my sixteenth birthday, my Aunt Deb took me to Sydney, Australia, a place I could only dream and hope of going to. While in Australia I learned a lot about my personality, fears, and culture.

                During our first day in Sydney, we walked around just to see everything from parks to store fronts. We took hundreds of pictures of our surroundings. After, we sat in one of the main squares down by the Warf and people watched. I really enjoy people watching because it can tell a lot about the area’s personality and the peoples’ interests. We soon discovered that Australians are laid back, but adventurous. Many were strolling through the area, with an attitude that screamed ‘I don’t have a care in the world’, while listening to the man playing the didgeridoo on the other end of the square. This point was pivotal for me, in a life changing way. Seeing these people helped me to realize the fact that I prefer the laid back, life is good vibe rather than the constantly go, never stop or you will get trampled feel of my life and my town.

                The next day, we decided to climb the harbor bridge. I love to try new things and go on exciting adventures so I was stoked! We got into the suits needed to stay safe on the bridge and went through a small practice course to prove our capabilities. Then, we headed out. As soon as we started climbing the first of what seemed like hundreds of stairs, reality hit me. The steps and ladders were so close together and small that my feet couldn’t fit. My mind started racing toward thoughts of, ‘What if I miss a step? Or slip and fall? I’ll break something for sure!’ Before this moment, I had no knowledge of my fear of heights. I had never been on a rollercoaster of on a scary ledge before. Needless to say, I was petrifies, 50 Feet up the never ending ladder that reached through the sky. I stood for a moment thinking to myself all the cruel endings that could have been. After about a minute, Aunt Deb asked if I was doing alright. This simple question snapped me back to reality. I was fine I told myself. Hundreds of people have climbed these very steps and not gotten hurt. I had convinced myself to forge ahead, to make it an adventure, to not listen to my fears because they will just hold me back, chain me down, keeping me from an exciting discovery. With each step I took my pounding heart slowed and quieted, my courage grew, and I was able to be. I will never forget the beauty at the top of the bridge. Being able to stand at the top and see an endless sea on one side and rolling land on the other. I was able to appreciate each moment to the fullest extent knowing I had almost turned back, knowing I had almost missed out all because of fear.

                I now have a necklace that I never take off that is a chunk of metal with the word fearless. This is a reminder of my Australia experience in overcoming my fears and to face new adventures and challenges. Knowing I can defeat anything I set my mind to.