21!!!!!

The big 21!

First and foremost....happy fucking birthday to myself. hah I'm finally 21 and I couldn't be much happier spending my b day in Aussie. The tight and bright party was out of control...plenty of neon and glow-sticks everywhere. Needless to say, I got pretty drunk last night and got plenty of birthday wishes and promises of drinks and shots for tonight's extravaganza.  I ended my night early (probably like 130) because some locals i met promised me a morning surf sesh.

So, i started off my first day as a twenty one year old at 7am local time....to a sunny, 85 degree day. I went surfing at Snapper Rocks and no other than Dean Morrison (pro surfer for those who don't know who that is) rolls up to the parking lot. So with Dean "The Dingo," prolly 100 other local Aussie rippers, Derek, and my two new mates, Greg and Will, I experienced my first Gold Coast surf sesh. It was pretty insane. Fairly big and kinda gnarly, but super fun...that point is jagged rock with waves raging up against it and the current ripping past....no training wheels for my first Aussie surf encounter, but the waves here are so fun, and reel down the point. I'm stoked to spend my next 4 months in the water here.

Its weird turning 21 in a country where the drinking age is only 18, like I said...but i honestly love it here and wouldn't really wanna be anywhere else. It would have been nice to spend it with my friends and family, and you are all missed....on that note, you all owe me a drink when I get home....much love.

As for the rest of my birthday, well....we shall see what happens. Theres no doubt that there will be plenty of drinks consumed....go big or go home.


Peep some pics.

Snapper Rocks.

LG1 to District Chief...Snappa's all set. 

Snapper....doing its thing. 

Home Base. 

Surf PDE, Gold Coast.

Broadie high rise. 

Broadie beach deck.

Broadbeach...aka my backyard. 

Later homeslice.

Tight and Bright.

Sunset over the Goldie. Tomorrows gonna be a good one. 

Burleigh Heads, Surfers and Broadie on the horizon. Life is good.

My view looks good with some sunshine. 

So today was prolly the best day yet. Surfed Burleigh with a bunch of buds, got some dank food and watched people get shacked in some reeling barrels in sunny 85 degree aussie weather...beat that. Next thing, we went down to Salvos (Aussie savers) and for $10 got primal outfits for the tight and bright rager tonight. The next two nights are going to be wild. BIRTHDAY TOMORROW. God damn i love this place.

This is my last post as a 20 year old, weird to say, but its been a great 20 years. Doesn't really matter that I'm turning 21 here...the legal drinking age is 18+...but fuck it. Not many people can say they turned 21 on another continent, let alone in OZ. As for my 20 years I've logged so far...I have no regrets, and am extremely happy to be who I am, be where I am, and have the friends that I do. Thank you to everyone who has had a positive influence in my life and been there for me when needed. I love you all and will raise a toast to you tonight, but definately will raise a few more to myself.

Tight and Bright....doing it right!

Cheers, talk to you when I'm legal in the states. SO STOKED!

Day 3....Goldie.

Fresh stick. 

Sideways 5'9 x 19 x 2 1/4.

Gold Coast Highway. 

Jupiter Casino from our balcony. 

Day three on the gold coast....pouring rain still. WTF is that shit....I thought it was supposed to be paradise here, but the weather man is calling for some sun at the end of the week....sickkkk.

Yesterday was day numero uno at Bond. After fucking around with some more bus routes (something i know i am going to have to get used to this shit), i arrived at campus, which is very aesthetically pleasing...a lake with water fountains and real nice buildings surrounding it. Another plus of this campus is that its crawling with sexy chicks, no joke, they are everywhere. I can definitely get used to going to school here. Once i got my classes squared away, with the exception of that god damn human resource management class, a few of us headed towards Surfers Paradise where i finally got to do what i'd been stoked on since i first hopped on that plane....copped a new surfboard. A little fresh nugget, 5'10" x 19" x 2 1/4. Its gonna be primo for whatever this coast throws, with the exception of those pumping swells....probably going to be making another board purchase when that time comes. Still yet to get in the water here...needs to happen soon though, can't wait for this rain to be gone.

Last night the school threw a party at a bar on campus called Don's. Toga rager. Pregamed at a little bar called 360 in varsity towers. Pretty wild that theres just little bars scattered about campus. Nothing like URI campus.  Drank plenty of $7 pitchers at Don's, and at 12 they kicked us out and shuttled us down to Surfers, where in some sort of blackout fashion, managed to rage out, and ball out and then walk home some lengthy number of kilometers in the pouring rain at 5 am....i had a GREAT time.


As for today, the only productive thing i've got done was go spend $140 at the grocery store with Derek. Life here ain't cheap. Still hung over writing this, but i bet i end up going out tonight....fuck it, you only live once.

Enjoy todays pictures. I'll have the whole lot of them up on Flickr once i get my shit together and get my album going.

New Home...Gold Coast Australia. Howzit??

View from plane leaving Sydney. 

Sky's the limit.

On my way to the best 4 months of my life. 

My new living arrangement

Little Roo.

Straight Chillen...

Blue Mountain Cave. 

Hanging about 100 feet above the ground, my view of a Blue Mountain Valley. 

Bondi Beach.

View from floor 67 (my room) of the Meriton World Towers, Sydney. 

Hyde Park, Sydney. 

Flowers in the Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney.

View of the Opera House and Harbor Bridge, Sydney.

Harbor Bridge, Sydney. 

The Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 

So I've finally arrived at my final destination on the Gold Coast...Broadbeach. After some 25 or so hours of flights, more time on a bus then I'd ever wanted to spend, and a shit ton of sitting around just waiting, I'm finally here. I spent my first 4 days in Sydney, living large up 67th floor of the Meriton World Towers,  and where the whole lot of the Study OZ group drank enough Toohey's and Red Bull Vodkas to last a month (major credit to Derek, Chris and myself) and lost 3 years of hearing thanks to the dubstep playlists supplied by Chris...all in good fun.

Some good touring from Russ and Matt (Study OZ orientation leaders) allowed me to see a good portion of the city of Sydney, took prolly 600 pictures and even got to head out to the bush for some good old Aussie Ab-Sailing (a.k.a repelling), face first, 3 times,  over a 60 meter cliff (roughly 196 feet)...i don't care how tough you are, its enough to make your heart jump outta your chest...but I mean come on, when else am I going to be able do something like that?

Our apartment here in Broadbeach, once again a Meriton complex, is super nice...pretty much living in a hotel on the beach for the next 4 months on the Goldie....enough said.

And as far as the next 4 months go...there's no telling whats next....surfing, chillen, and loving life. Cant really ask for much more then that.

Enjoy the pictures...Plenty more to come.

...sky's the limit.

Cheers.