Ringing in the New Year: Queensland, Australia

Scene of the crime: Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia

We had hoped to go up to Brisbane for New Years but the tickets for the party all of our friends were going to were already sold out.  Instead, Lance found a party for us at Alto. Lance, Owen, Tim, Bianca, Nat and I had a fun night of unlimited drinks, food and fireworks in Broadbeach.  At midnight, there were some pretty good fireworks over the water which closed off the evening nicely.  We ended up taking the free public bus home, which was very crowded, but in the end a lot easier than waiting in queue for a $50 maxicab.

Dress party!

Roommates!

Em and Bianca

Em, Bianca and Nat at midnight fireworks

First duck lip selfie of the new year!  Andy, this is for you!

Owen looks like he's having a good time despite getting faceraped by Lance

New Years Day, I was a total wasteoid.  We layed on the couch all day and watched the entire first season of American Horror Story and I was introduced to a horrible British television show called Geordie Shore.  It makes the cast of Jersey shore look classy, pretty and well behaved.  These idiots piss and shat themselves on the regular and they actually show them humping...its vile and I feel dumber having been exposed to it. (I was going to post a link, but I don't want to support this trash)

January 2 was my half birthday! We didn’t really celebrate it, but we were super active that day (which almost makes up for how sluggish we were on Jan 1). Nat, Bianca and I took a girls trip to Springbrook which was an amazing 5K hike through rain forest, caves and waterfalls.  On the way there, we stopped at a haunted house.  Since we had just finished American Horror Story, we had to go inside.

"Haunted House"

Springbrook National Park was super fun. It has 2 trails, a 5K and a 17k.  Fortunately, (because I am a fat, lazy American) the 17K trail was closed and we were forced to take the shorter hike.

The obligatory "jump" shot

The obligatory "missed jump" shot

Em and Bianca

Pretty girl, pretty view

Blue Tongued Lizard

Even the trees try to hurt you in Australia

Nat, getting her fitness on

Nice "waterfall" Bianca.  Not impressed :)

Em and Nat in a hollow tree…Don't worry, there's nothing in here but snakes...

and drop spiders….ah! 

When I run…. I run so fast I'm blurry.

Evidently, this waterfall is usually gushing…today, not so much.

Lance and I capped off the daylight with an hour of Stand-Up Paddle and then the four of us went to Justin Lane for Pizza.

It was a lovely way to cap off a great visit filled with slightly too much booze, but the perfect amount of laughter, friendship and family time.  Thank you for being such amazing hosts.  Can't wait to host you guys for an American road trip next November…. LA, Vegas, Nashville, Chicago, Detroit, New York….it will be epic.  We should consider a camper van!