On the Sunshine Coast

On Wednesday morning, I packed up the last few items and checked out of my AirBnb. It was a nice stay, and if anyone is in the Brisbane area and needs something small, affordable and within easy walking distance from the ferry, I'd highly recommend it.

The Rivers family generously offered to show me the route to the Feast site, so I drove next to a cafe named Nodo. Tucked into a little shopping center, this cafe is quite a gem, serving very artistic food and beverages. I tried a blueberry matcha tea, a healthy sandwich and shared a blueberry matcha donut.

After lunch, I followed the Rivers on the 1.5 hour drive north to the Feast site. The route wasn't quite as daunting as I had feared, since we mostly took the same motorway and there were only a few turns and roundabouts to navigate at the beginning and end of the route. I parked by the beach and enjoyed the beautiful scenery, then proceeded to my new AirBnb.

The new place is called Alex Seaside Resort. Within this resort, I'm renting a privately owned room through AirBnb. The owner has a flair for decorating in a way that is light, airy and appealing. I love how the sunlight floods into the room, and even though trees and road cover much of the view, I can still see a sliver of the ocean from my balcony.

One item I didn't pack and regretted not having was a swimsuit, so I walked to a store across the street and purchased one for what was probably an exorbitant price. Yet, it was a really nice swimsuit, nicer and more modest than anything I've seen in stores in the U.S. recently, and conveniently, one of the last ones in my size.

After getting mostly unpacked, running a load of laundry and showering, I rode with the Rivers to the opening night service. Since it was in a different location than services will be for the rest of the Feast, I thought that the safest option, given these are all new places. Mrs. Rivers pointed out the place to turn off for the main meeting place, so I was able to get an idea for the directions the following day.

Opening night was special as always, and I made the acquaintance of several more people. I was worried that it would take me a while to remember everyone's names, especially since I know so few people in Australia to begin with, but I think I'm slowly building up my memory skills. I was also happy to see the Iiams family, and Stephanie Tomes, so it was a mini ABC reunion of sorts.

The following day, Thursday, I slept in, watched part of a documentary about Moses over breakfast, and left early for services. As this was my first time taking that route, and there was a young adult meet and greet scheduled, I was glad for the extra time.

At the young adult event, I made some more friends, then had just enough time to find a seat as services began. Of particular interest was a sermon given by Mr. Joe Rivers making connections through scripture between palm trees and the Feast and showing some fascinating pictures and videos of the amazing and surprisingly useful plant.

After services, I stayed to practice the piano for a while. Afterwards, I stopped by my place to grab some food, then drove to the Iiams' rental house for dinner. We enjoyed catching up and talking about our experiences in Australia so far.

After a long and exciting day, I took an hour or so to wind down at my place and plan for the next day. It's going to go by so quickly, but I'm glad for all I've accomplished so far!