Hey, everyone! I have spent the past ten days in Perth, Australia. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll know that Perth was sort of the inception of my longer term travel. It was my first home away from home. I found a job there, rented a room from my friend Kory, and formed a new, little life for myself. I love Perth. This trip was short but sweet and I was able to meet up with a lot of familiar faces.

A few housekeeping things:

1) I have started a podcast on Spotify called Rose Thorn Bouquet. Please check it out!
2) If you’re interested in my art, have a look at my merchandise on RedBubble!
3) I have recently finished the first draft of my latest novel, The Death of Duncan Lee. I’ve sent it out to some friends to get feedback and I’m really excited to have it done(ish) finally. If you haven’t read it already, the link to my first book, Eclipse Me can be found here.

Perth Reunion

I had to leave my Bali hostel around 3am in order to make my flight. I managed to take a cat nap on the plane and arrived in Perth around 11am. As soon as I got out of the gate, Kory, whom was waiting for me at the airport, leapt up from his seat. I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone waiting for me like that before haha. Usually, I’m just getting picked up.

We embraced and made our way back to Perth CBD. Immediately upon exiting the train station, I was grinning. The skies were blue with not a cloud in the sky. I was back!

I’ve mentioned it on this blog before, but I wasn’t 100% sure if I would be stopping in Australia during my tour around Asia. Originally, I was going to come back in July to head to Exmouth, where there are whale sharks, manta rays, and humpback whales at that time of year. However, since I saw both whale sharks and manta rays in the Philippines in one day (and I’ve seen humpbacks plenty of times), I figured I’d skip it. However, once Kory and I were together in Bali, I decided I would stop in Perth briefly, to at least visit. I’m very glad I did.

I tried to map out what my time would look like while in Perth. There were people I wanted to see, places I wanted to re-visit, and favorite restaurants I had been missing.

Kory and I arrived at the apartment complex. It was the same complex as where we’d lived before, but Kory was now living with our friends Yen and Candice in their apartment. It was bizarre to think I’d never see the inside of our old apartment again.

After dropping off my bags and getting situated, Kory told me he’d got me something. Dear Reader, do you remember when I bought that Majora’s Mask pin in Tokyo and then I lost it not 24hr after fixing it to my backpack? Well, I’d told Kory that story when we were in Bali and he ended up ordering a pin for me. It’s not the same one, but it’s also kind of better because it’s not as heavy and hopefully not as likely to actually fall off my bag. I couldn’t believe he got it for me. He said he’d ordered it right after I told him the tragedy of me losing the pin. Sweet Kory!!! Thank you. (He also had a jar of capsicum-stuffed green olives waiting for me. LOVE.)

From there, we took the bus into town. While I remembered that the transit system within the city is free, I’d forgotten that they were “cat” themed – they each have cats on the sides of the bus and the different bus lines are the Yellow CAT, Red CAT, Blue CAT, etc. (CAT = Central Area Transit)

I was thrilled to be back in Perth. I kept smiling, telling Kory how weird it was to be back. So many familiar places and yet, in many ways, they felt foreign. It had been so long since I’d been there. But I used to see these streets daily.

The reason we went into town so quickly after my arrival was that I wanted to get pastries from Breadtop. It was one of my favorite places to get cheap treats in Perth. I got a honey stick, a curry bun, and an almond custard croissant. YUM.

Afterwards, I got groceries from Woolworth’s (AKA Woolie’s… AKA Countdown if you kiwi) and we went back to the apartment where I took a much-needed nap.

Kory and I had a lazy afternoon, cuddling with the cats (I was certain Boston remembered me, but Kory refused to validate me). In the evening, he made us a tuna steak on a bed of mash, along with… a million other things. Note: if Kory is cooking for you… you will be FULL.

Then we went for a walk. I had wanted to go to Heirisson Island to see my kangaroo friends but it was already dark out. Instead, Kory showed me the new bridge that was built during my two year absence. We walked along it and then took a longer path to get home.

Along the way, I admired the views of Perth City across the Swan River. While walking near the river, we heard a thrashing in the water. We wondered at first if it was a shark, but then Kory decided it was a dolphin. There were two! I was surprised by the thrashing behavior, but then I figured it was some sort of hunting behavior. Maybe they kick up the dirt/sand with their tails and that makes their camouflaged prey more visible. What an exciting welcome back to Perth!

Sunday Singles & Dinner Parties

I had mentioned to Kory that I would really like to see his comedian friend Simone perform while I was in town. After asking if she had any shows, it turned out she was doing Sunday Singles – which is sort of a comedy game show. Simone was able to get us in for free, which was amazing. Thank you, Simone! We even got to sit in the green room before the show and during the break. I felt like I was with a celebrity. And really, I was, as Simone is a local celebrity. She has toured all around Australia and somewhat recently, she was even doing a comedy festival in L.A.

The show was a lot of fun. Simone killed it and had me cracking up throughout.

So… Sunday Singles is essentially this: Simone and her co-host invite an eligible bachelor/ette up to the stage and blindfold them. Then three contestants come up on stage and answer a variety of questions from the hosts. The blindfolded person then has to pick who they’d like to go on a date with. Basically… hilarity ensued. Especially considering some of these people were wasted.

There is a part of the show where they do a Never-Have-I-Ever segment, where everyone starts the game standing and then sits down if they haven’t tried certain things. I’m proud to say I was left standing by the end LOL (well, it was a tie with a few other people). Call me worldly.

After the show, Simone dropped Kory and I off at the apartment. We made plans to go hiking another day. While Simone is Kory’s best friend, I wasn’t able to spend much time with her when I lived in Perth because I was often working when she and Kory were hanging out. Which was a shame, because the times I did spend with her, I really enjoyed her company.

After the show, I had plans to meet up with Eiz and CJ, two of my coworkers from SeaLink. They had invited me over for dinner and said they would have some others from work there as well.

CJ met me downstairs and we went to grab ice from the store. With our task finished, we entered the apartment and gave Anna a big surprise. Eiz and CJ hadn’t told anyone I would be there, so it was really fun to surprise people as they started arriving. It ended up being Eiz, CJ, Anna, Putu, Jess, and a couple other new employees I hadn’t yet met. It was a really fun night. I arrived around 7am and don’t think I left until after midnight.

We all spent time catching up. They told me about various changes at SeaLink, like peoples’ roles. CJ is now an engineer, Putu is an Inventory Manager, etc. It is cool to hear about all these new developments, even though I’m not part of the company anymore.

Eiz and her sister had made a feast for us. Various Filipino foods which were… perfection. I especially loved the lumpia. I am always a sucker for spring rolls and fried appetizers like that (samosas, curry puffs, etc.).

I was also pleased to see that Eiz had framed one of the drawings I left at the office when I was leaving Perth. So sweet!

I spent a while on the balcony, chatting with Putu about Indonesia, America, etc. And also spent a lot of time chatting with Eiz and then CJ about my time in the Philippines and the differences between there and Australia. It was great to connect with these people outside of work. We were always working together so much, but because it was in a professional environment, we weren’t having the same sort of exchanges.

Eiz pulled out the karaoke machine and some of us took turns singing songs. At the end of the night, we played Uno. I won lol. My nephew would be proud.

Because it had gotten late and some people had work the next day, we parted ways. It was a busy evening, but one in which I was left feeling very happy to have made the decision to come back to Australia.

Lunch with Friends

A few days into being in Perth, I went to meet Jade for lunch. Like most of the people I know in Perth, Jade worked at SeaLink as well. More recently, she went to the UK to live and work for over a year. She traveled around Europe. It was really cool to talk about our experiences. We share a lot of similar perspectives on travel, what it’s like to come home, etc. Jade is 10 years younger than me but somehow despite the age difference, we have always vibed well. I’m glad we were able to meet.

Closer to the end of my trip, I met up with Ma for lunch. Ma was sort of my Work Mom, a sweet woman from Myanmar who trained me up on All Things Hospitality. I had no idea how to clear a plate prior to working at SeaLink. It was great to meet up with her again. She unexpectedly ordered me a chai latte and a little pastry. We sat along the river and chatted for a while – about SeaLink, about my travels. About how she initially ended up moving to Australia. Lots of conversation. When I originally was leaving Perth, she gave me a coin from Myanmar as well as a magnet. Very thoughtful!

Afterwards, I walked further along Elizabeth Quay to the Transperth ferries to catch up with Jess again. She was on lunch break. When she opened the door, I was surprised to see… Red Dog! Andrew was the skipper on the boats I used to work on. We spent a lot of time working together. Very nice to see him again.

A Visit with Liam and Liam

Like Kory, Liam was one of my first friends in Perth. We had connected prior to my arrival and he helped me navigate my early days in an unfamiliar country.

Liam had been on holiday during my first few days in Perth but we were able to sync up about halfway through my trip. He picked me up from the city and we drove back to his place further north.

Despite hanging out many times while I lived in Perth, it was the first time I was at Liam’s house, which was lovely. Once we arrived, we were greeted by Liam’s partner… also named Liam. Haha. They showed me to my room where I’d be staying overnight and then went to the patio to drink tea and chat. I had only met the other Liam once before but it was easy for the three of us to converse.

Before too long, we were on the couch, watching a three-part true crime series haha. Liam 2 made Liam 1 and I pasta and garlic bread for dinner. I LOVE GARLIC BREAD! Because Liam 2 had work in the morning, he ended up going to sleep while Liam 1 and I chatted for a while longer.

In the morning, Liam and I went to the mall to get cinnamon rolls. Cinnamon rolls were a shared love and also a point of contention between Liam and I. Liam called them cinnamon SCROLLS. And he never had them warm. Because I’ve been to Ann Sather’s a number of times, I know just how important it is to have warm cinnamon rolls. Well, luckily for Liam, a Cinnabon shop had recently opened up at the mall. So that’s what we did. And Liam agreed… they are meant to be warm.

(Liam still has a drawing I made for him of his favorite animal: emu)

Once we’d finished our healthy Cinnabon breakfast, we drove to nearby Neil Hawkins Park. We had only been once before but it was a memorable place for me because it’s the first time I saw a snake in Australia. It was a dugite, an extremely venomous snake. No snakes this time, since it’s winter (damn!) but we did see kangaroos (which had beautiful, unique white patterns on their faces – I’d never seen that before), plenty of birds, and… a kookaburra! I’d heard kookaburras since I’d been back in Australia but hadn’t yet seen one. Despite its distance, I was pleased to see one. Kookaburra are sort of the quintessential Australian bird in my eyes, so I would have been slightly gutted had I not spotted it.

After our adventure, Liam drove me to the train station where I ventured back to the city. We shared a hug and wished for another future reunion. Thanks for letting me stay with you, Liam!

Adventures with Simone

One morning, Simone, Kory, and I drove out near Mundy Regional Park to go on a hike. It was nice to be in the hills again – on an Australian bush (kinda) walk.

There was a waterfall that cascaded down next to the hiking trail at various points. When I lived in Perth, it was mostly summertime and wherever I went that had a waterfall, the water was dried up to a trickle.

It wasn’t an incredibly challenging walk, which was perfect for conversation. Lots of laughs were had.

On another day, we went to Kings Park – which was actually my very first activity when I arrived in Perth. Kings Park is the largest inner city park in the world, with tons of intersecting trails. While some areas are more popular, it’s easy to escape down another path and feel like you have the place to yourself. We had our eyes peeled for kookaburras but no such luck. Despite that, it was a really enjoyable time. I’m glad I was able to visit Kings Park before leaving.

Afterwards, we went for lunch at a restaurant called Dome. The food was pretty great! I got bangers & mash, which was in a bowl of bread. Needless to say, I was pretty full after that. (I can’t believe I forgot to take a picture – the presentation of the meal was so cool.)

I’m happy I got to spend time with Simone once more before leaving. Thanks for taking us on these adventures, Simone!

Lounging Around Town

Aside from reunions with friends, there were a lot of pleasant, quiet moments throughout my ten short days in Perth.

Kory and I went to the gym a couple of times. We also spent lots of time hanging at the apartment, watching goofy YouTube clips.

In the evening, I would often join Candice in the living room and watch Sex and the City.

I went to Queens Gardens for a walk one day – a park located only a couple of blocks from the apartment, where I used to do yoga and meditate. So many birds were there, just like before.

Kory and I went to Heirisson Island one afternoon to visit with the kangaroos.

We saw a few of them, and I got a nice picture of a kangaroo with Swan River and Perth CBD in the background. I love my kangaroos!

We went riding around town on scooters, which was scary at first but then fun.

I was able to see so many birds. Rainbow lorikeet, pink&grey cockatoos, white cockatoos, shags, evil crows, bin chickens, black swans, etc. And when walking along the Swan River one day, I was surprised to see both brown and moon jellyfish. It’s not yet the season for them, so I was shocked by that. I also saw pufferfish which was cute because I saw them more than any other fish while snorkeling in Perth. Basically, I saw all the wildlife I used to see in Perth with the exception of snakes.

Kory and I typically went out for food in the evenings. A return to Arirang was a must for me, a Korean restaurant I frequented when I lived in Perth.

We went for kebabs, for sushi, for Indian… and also I got delicious donut holes from Donut Worry, which I had somehow forgotten existed.

When Yen was home from her FIFO swing, the four of us watched music videos and then played games one evening. It felt like old times.

And otherwise, just Kory and me, cuddling with the cats.

As the days went on, I was very aware of my time left in Perth dwindling. I didn’t want to go. I wanted to stay longer. But the days would go by, almost in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, Kory and I were taking the train to the airport. I vaped outside as we shared our last moments of conversation. We talked about how the farewell this time felt different. We lived together before, so it was harder back then to be parting ways after six months. BUT we also had tentative plans for Bali (which came to fruition!). This time, though… when we will see each other next is less predictable. After Asia, I will have to make money again. It could easily be five years before we’re reunited. Maybe ten. Or maybe I’ll do a study visa in Australia sooner than that, but I’m not sure. It’s expensive and I’m getting older. I have to figure out what I want to do.

Kory told me how I always have a room if/when I come back to Australia. We hugged and said our goodbyes. My eyes watered up as the elevator doors closed behind him.

My time in Perth was a wonderful walk down memory lane. But that time was up.

I checked in to my flight and began my journey back to Bali. This next leg of the trip feels odd because Kory was the last person I really had plans to meet up with while traveling. While there’s potential to see Jasper at some point, it is seeming less likely due to some changes in his plans. So, I will likely be solo for the rest of my trip aside from making some new friends along the way. Weird. But I also like to be alone.

Miscellaneous

I don’t have much to report in Miscellaneous since a lot of it was covered above. However, I should say that it was really nice to have a mini-break from Asia. There are certain things in Western countries that are just… comfortable. In Australia, everyone understands English… the water is clean, the air is clean, etc. Small luxuries. It’s more organized, less chaotic. Less people hassling you.

I was on the phone with my parents one evening and it was kind of funny because they told me how they were saying to one another “uh-oh… Steve really likes Australia” as if they’re concerned I’ll be wanting to live here sooner than later. Haha. Yes, I do really like Australia!!!

I wasn’t sure where to put this, so I decided to put it in Miscellaneous. While the two of us are very different people, Kory is… Kory. He is who he is, and he doesn’t try to hide it or tone it down. I’m really grateful to have met him. While we both can drive one another a little crazy at times, he’s a really great friend.

Art of the Week

While I don’t have any drawings to share with you all, I have just uploaded a new episode of my podcast. I interviewed my friend Liam, whom I mentioned a few sections above, about his time living in Australia, a recent trip to Darwin, and what it was like to live for two years in England.

I’d love it if you could have a listen and if you enjoy it, leave a rating on the podcast!

Reflections

What to reflect on? I don’t know. I feel like I did a bit of reflecting in the earlier sections.

I mentioned I was feeling a little out of sorts before heading to Perth, but that cleared up almost immediately upon my arrival. But still, while in Perth, I was thinking about my future some. Because I love Australia so much, I looked into what it would take to get residency in Australia one day. Essentially, I would come here on a study visa, then transition into a job that would lead to residency. More complicated than that, but that’s the gist.

I think that while I have all these potential plans, the main thing I need to accept is that once I’m done traveling around Asia, I have to go back to the States somewhere to make money for a while. The only exception to that would be if I were to teach English in Korea.

I think it’s good that I’m narrowing it down. I still have time, but I do have to figure out my future, too. Or at least what next steps are.

But right now I’m in Bali. I’m in Kuta for another night and then tomorrow I leave for Amed, where I’ll spend a few days snorkeling and diving. I haven’t fully figured out my plan of attack in Indonesia this time around. I have four main places I want to go to, but I haven’t yet sorted the itinerary. I’ll iron it out more in Amed.

Until next time, sending you all my love. x