14/9/2017 You know those travel stories you hear about people living on board a boat out to sea, or job hiking in the Rainforest? Well I have my own adventure tale; I am living on a private island resort (Bedarra Island Resort), working as a waiter! I came over by boat on the 12th and started my first shift yesterday. The resort has no more than 20 guests at a time and can get here via boat or helicopter. It is a 15 minute boat ride from the mainland and is just across from Mission Beach in North Queensland. I am fortunate enough to have my own villa with bed/bath and kitchenette fully equipped. I am 50 feet from the beach and can hear the waves crashing at night. There are lizards, toads, geckos, birds and other small wildlife on the island. I will be working two shifts a day (breakfast, lunch dinner) and will have breaks in between. So far I have done yoga on the beach and have read a book in the staff gazebo. There are two main beaches, one for staff and other for guests. Although guests can come down to whatever beach they want. We know them all by name and what the special occasion is. I worked lunch and dinner yesterday. I learned every guests name, special occasion and dietary requirements. It is a pretty relaxed environment where I can chat with the guests and also assist them with what they need. The view from the restaurant is paradise with the blue water from the ocean down below and the breeze coming in through the front doors. There is the pool area below the terrace and private dining decks along the shelf of the beach. Each day the menu changes and the chef is great to work with. They want it to be all about the guest experience (considering they pay between $1,000 and $2,000 a night). Chris will be flying up to see me and I will be able to get a lift via boat or [herlicopter!] onto the mainland. I get 5 days on and 2 days off, really 3, considering I get off around lunch time and return around lunch time. Chris will have to rent a car to drive down to Mission Beach from Cairns which is about a 2 hour drive. The connection is patchy on the island and my phone service isn't the greatest. But with less screen time comes more explore time. There are several hikes on the island that takes you to different beaches and lookouts. There is one part that has private homes on it, but the rest is fair game. The staff are pretty close and they go on day excursions together, using kayaks and dinghys (small boat). I will plan to tag along as the "newbie" for awhile. 21/10/2017 - 1 month and 2 weeks on an island Waking up to waves crashing only feet from my little villa, tropical birds chirping in the lush green tree canopes, the sky reflecting off of the bluest waters of the ocean....this is the island life. I haven't gone crazy yet, as you might thing living on an island would do to you. I have gotten into my groove which consists of working my doubles, sometimes triples, then getting my mid afternoon breaks; I either eat lunch and do a quick workout in my villa, or eat lunch and do some reading down by the beach or the staff chapel. Most days are very humid with the bar fridges just dripping water off the glass windows. I mainly am in the shade, because the sun sneaks up and gives me a sunburn when I least expect it to. As far as work goes, I am getting into a nice flow of things and understand it all to a point where now I just focus on chatting with the guests and making sure they are taken care of. Coming into this journey onto the island I had this persona of a posh and high and mighty clientele, considering Bedarra is not only expensive, but a 5 star luxury resort. Well I can tell you now that the guests are more down to earth then even some travelers I have met in hostels. They want to know my story and how I ended up on an island. They are happy and relaxed and just wanting to enjoy their vaction, honeymoon, anniversary, etc. The best part of the job is interacting with the guests and welcoming new ones on the island almost every day. Today, I find myself in Mission beach, using a co-workers car to go shopping and of course, update my blog. The service is spotty on the island, so this is where I go to get some good screen time. I was on the mainland a little over a week ago with Chris. He flew to Cairns and rented a car to drive to Mission Beach. We had a lovely reunion, I missed him! He has supported me from day one and helps keep me thinking positive. I am working on this island to fulfill my second year visa requirements, in which I will have completed the required 88 days of work by mid November. Then I decide to either stay on the island until January, when they close for a couple months. Or I go back to Newcastle and settle down by finding a full time job, and this time not in hospitality. More along my career path of community Services or activity planning. Some big decisions coming, but for now I will sit in my summer sun dress and drink my vanilla latte, beach side, and will look forward to see my one and only in a week. :) Pictures can be found under the pictures tab. Trust me, they are not screen saver googled photos of the island; these are real people! Thanksgiving on the Island - 21/11/2017 I am the only American on the staff here at Bedarra, so basically there will be no Thanksgiving feast; no turkey in the oven, no hot cider and cold beers, no chatting around the veggie trays or hanging out by the fire in the backyard. It makes me sad, but I have chose my path of travelling alone and this is one of the repercussions of that very decision. I have filed my application for my second year visa, and while I wait for the approval to come through on that, I will work and live on the island. It will be my one year anniversary of saying bye to my family and my comfortable surroundings on December 3rd. I have already been looking back at my journey over the course of the year and have nothing but awesome memories. There were times that I wish I could share this experience with one or all of my close friends and family and be able to talk about memories made in Australia with them from back home. But I find myself fortunate to not only have been able to take this leap of faith on the other side of the world, but also find a new partner for my future travels. Most of my memories over this year have been made with Chris, my love. He has made it fun, exciting and willing to go on these crazy excursions with me. I can say I did not see love in my year here in AUS, but now that I have found it, I don't want to ever let it go! There is still lots to see and do here down under, and with Chris. We plan to travel after my island time and go to Thailand. Soon enough, he will be coming home with me for a visit; in order for me to feel completely whole in this cross countries relationship, I will need to show him what makes me, me. The island resort closes Jan 22nd and I plan to be back with Chris in the Central Coast then. But first a Christmas visit and one trip up to Cairns for Chris. It has been rewarding to work here and some of the guests have made an impression on my heart, but long distance relationships are hard and I can say I wont be living on an island again, unless Chris and I both get jobs :) Happy Thanksgiving to my friends in Jackson Hole, I will miss the pre season powder skiing. And Happy Holidays to my family and friends back home, I am missing you ever more during this time of year. I love you! _____One Year in Australia 5/12/2017_____ Wow, a year! 365 days in another country. As you would expect, I can't believe it has already been a year! Time flies when your surroundings are new and the variety of activities are endless. Ask me a year ago if I would miss home. Yes! Ask me a year ago if I will be coming home in one year. Yes! Ask me if I planned on falling in love....Um, don't think so. My plans have changed for the better and am so happy to be able to have the flexibility to make those changes. The highlights from my year in Australia: * Living in one of the world's most beautiful cities: Sydney * Being a part of a different culture and growing accustom to every day living styles * Having the option to see and do whatever I wanted to do, every day of my time here * Meeting Chris and being able to share laughs and hugs with a truly caring person * Seeing a whole different group of animals then where I am from, especially feeding kagaroos * Meeting people from all over the world, in pursuit of the same travel dreams as me * Living under the warm sunshine for an entire year without needing a fireplace to stay warm, or really ever a jacket! * Seeing my sister in Fiji, much needed family time! * Spending my birthday snowboarding...in July! * Making memories over 9 months with Chris and so many more to come! I couldn't have made the leap down here without the support from my friends and family, including everyone in Jackson that sent me off with an excellent going away party. I think of everyone very often and have so many good memories that make me smile all the time. I am still undecided on if I will continue my blog from this point forward. I know I will keep adding photos throughout the year. This has helped me express my feelings with travelling solo, missing important people in my life, and hopefully inspiring people back home to do what they love; I love travel and to be able to look in magazines and point to a picture and say, hey I've been there! As for my plans into the new year; Chris and I going to Thailand in February and Bali in July for a wedding. I will be making plans to visit home with him, hopefully over Thanksgiving. I am waiting on approval for my second year visa still. Once that comes through, I will be good to stay here for the year and then after that....we shall see! Wrapping Up the Island Life - Jan. 26, 2018 Where do I start? I mean, I lived and worked on an island for 4 months of my life. Something that I never imagined I would do. I can just picture a kid in college be like, "Ya, I think I want to spend some time on an island, see how we go..." Well this was not a Gilligan's Island, Island. This had working water, electricity and spotty cell service and wifi. So it's not like I was Tom Hanks in Cast Away, foraging off the land and sending SOS signals from the beach. I had it pretty good out there, with my own studio in the trees with TV and a kitchenette, and full time work with a decent wage. I can break down my experience down in the best parts about island life and the parts I most likely will not be missing: Some wonderful things I am taking away from the this experience include the guests; real down to earth people and actually wanting to get to know me, I really enjoyed most of their company. We only had a handful of bad apples, people with a chip on their shoulder or super cynical about everything. I will miss that warm ocean water, it was so easy to get in, feels like bath water. The views were breath taking, the bluest water on the some days and the panoramic views of the nearby islands from the lookout points, amazing!. Napping! Honestly, I can say I took a nap almost every day, and it was midday with no place to be other than sleeping on my couch, beach or bed. It was lovely. The things that I am so relieved to be leaving include the feelings of stuck on an island; every where you turn and walk to there's water! No escaping, feeling a bit anxious at times and stir crazy, just wanting to go back to civilization. I won't miss the bugs! So many little sugar ants, and the loud sikatas at all parts of the day. Not just bugs, but the reptiles as well; tree frogs were that bright green color and beautiful, but man they are loud at night. And sometimes running into big snakes crossing the tracks. They were mostly pythons but there were some venomous ones that luckily I never encountered. And the spider webs! So many I have walked through, ugh! One last thing that I will not miss is the lack of cell service. For me wanting to keep in contact with the outside world, it was hard to call home or Chris. I had to walk down to the beach or to a lookout and even that sometimes wasn't enough. If the wind was blowing the wrong way that day, no service. It was freeing for a while to be off my phone, but that faded away and I just wanted to connect! Bedarra Island Resort is every persons tropical dream and a piece of heaven to escape to for a relaxing holiday. I have learned a lot from the hospitality side of things and am so proud to have it on my resume. I take away the lesson of making time to slow down in this hectic world and look at your surroundings; finding beauty in simplicity....and it helps to have a view from an island also :) "Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow" - Lao Tzu
7 Comments
Denise Euell
16/9/2017 05:48:54
Omgosh!!!!You are one lucky girl,I really hope you can work there forever and I can come stay with you...???You are now definitely living the dream🦎🌞I can't wait to see more pictures,I love you,God Bless your adventurous soul and Keep you safe❤
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Becky Zaist
25/9/2017 03:42:52
So great to hear of your adventures Bettie. The Aussies are lucky to have you! I'm confident that you'll get that 2nd year visa. We think of you often here in Jackson and hope you know that you remain in our hearts!
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Bettie
25/9/2017 18:31:09
Thank you Becky! It really has been quite an adventure. I am so happy to extend my stay for another year, now that I found myself an Aussie man to settle down with. Thanks for the warm wishes and thoughts. I think the only thing I am missing are the Tetons and my wonderful crew from the Senior Center! Let's just ship you all over here! Haha
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john and mom
27/9/2017 13:54:14
good golly miss molly living the dream on or very own island doesn't get any better.
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Denise Euell
25/10/2017 14:33:44
Hello sister, boy I am sure proud of you and I can just imagine all the people you get to interact with what a beautiful thing! I'm really excited for you and above all else I'm so happy for you that you are getting to experience such a wonderful life over there, I wonder if you'll ever return to the states? But wherever you go my sweet little tiny baby sister I will always make it a point to come to see you. You're always in my heart, and my prayers, and then so many joyful memories I've had with you throughout all 30 years of your life. I love you I miss you and I'm so very happy for you💙💙💙
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Denise Euell
8/12/2017 09:50:58
Wow! I am excited to see you again soon, wherever you may be... I really wanted to go to Thailand! It looks amazing there and I heard it wasn't too expensive to visit there. I bet it is tough being away from home during the holidays what you've grown up with your whole life the Traditions the smells The Sounds the people the snow. Honestly though so exciting all the new things you have gotten to experience over the last 365 days! I am so excited to travel more in my life now that my girls are basically grown and taking care of themselves... For the most part! Hahaha I remember watching planet Earth and thinking how cool it would be to go all over the place and see new things swim in warm water now it seems more of a reality than it ever has. I used to tell myself that if I never got to travel in this life Heaven would be enough, I still feel that heaven will be enough but I want to see more of this beautiful world God created! I love you and I miss you more now than I think I ever have in my entire life💙🌏
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Bettie Ann
11/12/2017 13:24:41
Awww, sis. This makes my heart happy. You are not only one of my biggest role models but I am so proud to be your sister. You give me the support I need to achieve what I want and I know you always have my back. Lots of love, and I miss your crazy beautiful face!
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Blissful BettieAusI want to see, do, explore, wander, and live to the fullest. I hope to inspire the next generation travelers to journey on. |