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Preview and purchase Wanderings: Down Under below-

Wanderings: Down Under by Peter St. George | Make Your Own Book

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy it!

Peter

View and purchase Wanderings: Down Under below.

Wanderings: Down Under by Peter St. George | Make Your Own Book

“There you go,” the driver grunted, handing me my luggage. “Follow this pathway around the corner, take a left up the steps. Your doorway is the third on your right. Take the stairs to the top, apartment 61. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“No, I think I got it,” I muttered exhaustedly. I thanked him and he drove off.

I started rounding the pathway, stopped to look about and was hit with a 100-lb ball of reality to the chest. It was as though I was watching myself on a camera. It slowly began to zoom out, picking up speed. First a view of myself slumped over my luggage, then the apartment complex, the suburb of Marsfield, then city of Sydney, and finally Australia as a whole. I started to feel the 7500 miles of ocean between myself and those I loved-heck, those I knew.

Today was a good day, full of weighty goodbyes that set a slightly somber tone. I met Kel at the Mac Centre, as she was shopping for a few books for her trip to America. It was a most unceremonious goodbye; she rushed for the train, gave me a wonderful hug, too quick for emotion, and hopped on the carriage. She remarked that I would see her soon, and I believe her. I waved at her as the train lumbered out of the station, but she missed it, gazing at the floor as she rummaged through her things.

On the heels of her departure I caught a train to Epping, where I met up with Reese and his friend (now mine as well) Andy. They both ride trials, a bike riding sport that involves ‘navigating man-made and natural obstacles’ using only the tires of the bike. Reese wanted to get one last ride in before heading off to America tomorrow, and as time was running out for us to chill, invited me along.

He brought a bike along for me, and after departing the busy train station lugging that beast around, we road along the busy sidewalks, weaving in and out of business men and tourists alike. Over the Anzac Bridge, down into beautiful, clean Darling Harbour under a blazing sun, stupefying the notion that it was winter. The guys messed around on some concrete blocks, then proceeded to a wonderful area full of flowing water and fountains that they were promptly asked to vacate.

We ditched Darling Harbor for a park near Hyde Park, a ‘water garden’ beneath the spires of St. Mary’s Cathedral. Reese was determined to drop from a 15-foot rock fountain onto a metal electrical box, but due to the fact he was flying out to America the next day, smartly decided against it. We grabbed slurpees, then elbowed and pushed our way onto a train carriage at peak hour, bikes and all. I had a man pinned to the wall with my handle bars, it was quite the awkward experience.

The carriage began to thin out as we got further and further from the city. It was difficult to comprehend that this would be the last time I would be seeing Reese for an indefinite amount of time. As the train lumbered to a stop at the Eastwood Station, I knew I had less than five minutes remaining. Standing up, I reached out to Reese, shaking his hand. I thanked him for showing me around Sydney and all he had done for me. Then, reaching Epping, I gave a half-wave and disembarked, the train leaving me behind. And that’s my last memory of Reese Toase.

–ζ——δ——ζ–

These two people, Kel and Reese, were absolutely instrumental in my happiness and broad range of experiences in Australia. I met a multitude of friends through them both, and they led me on many wonderful escapades. They helped me achieve my true goal of this experience-assimilating with Australian culture.