Ausome.

The fortnight is here again to report.

We've been in Newcastle for over a week now, and I still love it here. I being Marissa. It's a lovely town, and we're staying 2 blocks from the beach. Yesterday, my day consisted of laying at the beach, cat nap o'clock, didgeridoo lessons in a giant fig tree, and poker night.

One thing I've learned about myself on this trip is that I'm not good at being on holiday. I'm getting better, though. I'm just not good at not doing anything. I'm very planned, very organized, very goal oriented. And currently, my goals consist of learning to surf, and getting a tan. I've never done anything like this before. But it is really nice to be able to relax. And Robert and I have been able to spend a lot of good quality time with each other. We haven't really spent significant time with each other since high school, and I think we were both worried about getting along. But it's been wonderful. A lot of the people we've met have remarked that they could never travel with a sibling, yet here we are, having the time of our lives. I've gotten to know him a lot better, and I love him even more. I'm very blessed to have him as a brother. He's grown up a lot in the last two years, but he's still as goofy and hilarious as he's always been. We're having a great time, and still enjoying each others company.

The hostel we're staying in is the nicest one yet. We struck up a deal with the owner, so we clean in the mornings to pay for accommodation. We're saving a lot of money, and the work isn't hard at all. We're supposed to work for 2 hours, but we finish in under an hour every day, and we usually have a good time doing it, too. The kitchen is nice, and there's a set up with computers in the basement that are all ready to Skype, if anyone is interested. It's an excellent situation.

So, Newcastle. It reminds me of Logan, but by the beach instead of the mountains. People are very nice, the streets are clean, and there actually isn't much to do. But I really love it. The weather has generally been good, but our surfing lessons did get cancelled today because of the weather. What have we actually DONE in Newcastle? Not a lot. Just lots of walking, seeing some sights. Afternoons in the park, window shopping in boutiques, days on the beach. There's a beautiful cathedral here, and a random obelisk on a hill. No matter where you go, it's beautiful. It's either verdant streets with old buildings, a glimpse of the beach, or the bright blue sky with illuminated clouds. There's always a slight breeze, and the sand is always warm. And speaking of sand, I don't think I'll ever get rid of the sand in my clothes, shoes, bags, and hair. But before I know it, I'll have the same problem with snow, so I'm taking advantage of it while I can.

This Sunday, I braved the public transportation system, and found my way to church. I hadn't been in an actual church building in over a month, because the branch in Sydney meets in an office building. But the Newcastle ward was wonderful. Every single person that saw me said hello, and many came and introduced themselves, and showed a sincere interest in who I was, and what I was doing in their lovely town. They were all full of comments, advice, and kind words. The meetings were just as inviting, and I enjoyed it. Before the last block, I found myself invited to a fireside that evening. It was being held in Sydney, which is about two hours away. Although it was being broadcast, there was one young man driving down, and I accompanied him. We had a lovely time, and he was a lot of fun. So because of that, I ended up getting back to the hostel around 10:30 rather than 5, which Robert had expected. He said he was worried, but only a little bit. Both of us are very capable of taking care of ourselves, but I know he's willing to take care of me if I ever need him to. But I did make it home, and I had a lovely sabbath day.

So life right now isn't too exciting, but it's sublime. We're just on holiday.

So people say they read this blog, but since no one ever comments, it doesn't really seem like it. So if we felt like people were actually reading the blog, we'd post more often. Plus, we posted pictures on the Face from Sydney, so check them out.

Any questions you have would be appreciated, because it's hard to come up with things to write about. I don't want to bore y'all. So if there's anything you particularly want to know about, let us know, and we'll fill you in.

And we got a phone, and we have about a million minutes that we can use to call, including internationally. So if anyone really wants to chat with either of us, let us know.

We're still alive! We're leaving Newcastle next Monday, so we'll post when we get to our next location. Keep checking back for more adventures from down under!