Glenifer's Gypsy Trails: Stay off the Road, Australia!

I've been a little slow with my posting lately. I actually wrote this entry on Sunday, October 9, but took 24 hours to actually post it. - Jen

After 12 sunny days on the Gold Coast, we jumped on a plane to Sydney this past Wednesday, an easy hour and fifteen minute flight.

When we arrived we caught up with our friends Bevan and Celia. They were heading on vacation until the end of the month and asked if we would like to stay in their house while they're gone. Their house is absolutely incredible. I'm going to call one of those real estate shows and walk the camera man around the house while I show him all the rooms and explain the features.

When Celia was showing me around the house, showing me how everything works, she mentioned we're welcome to use her car. I asked her if I could drive it and told her I hadn't driven in Australia on this trip yet and she said 'sure!'

So today, Sunday morning, I drove for the first time since August 24. Years ago, when I had my learner's permit, my Dad used to take me driving on Sunday mornings, so this brought back a memory.

Keep in mind, we're dealing with a few things here:

Driving on the other side of the road: After being a passenger here for six weeks it's not as dis-orienting as you might think.

Driving on the other side of the car: This is actually pretty confusing (for me). I put the windshield wipers on instead of signaling. I drive pretty far over to the left, which Glen said is natural, just before calmly telling me I was going to hit the side wall of the tunnel we were in.

Driving in the city: Sadly, this was my biggest problem. Not surprisingly, driving in Breckenridge is not very aggressive. So today I had to do quick lane changes, drive in narrow lanes with cars all around me, pass cars that were doubled parked, etc.

Maybe you should stay off the road in the US too...just to be safe.

All in all, it was a successful drive and I'd like to keep on driving because it's the only way I'll become comfortable.

It's Springtime in Sydney, which feels like summer to me. We've been swimming and laying by the pool. We've been staying in Annandale, a fun, urban area, not a far walk from downtown Sydney, better known as the Central Business District or CBD. We've been exploring nearby boutiques and markets and on Saturday we went out for drinks and dinner with Zach and his girlfriend Nikki.

Stay tuned for our next big step - buying a car.