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This past summer I had the opportunity to visit Sydney, Australia. During this trip, I had the chance to visit many iconic landmarks, the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbor Bridge, Blue Mountains, WildLife Parks, museums, and gardens to name a few. We also had the pleasure of meeting many new friends (human and animal). One of my favorite places in Australia is the Blue Mountain. I had the chance to hike parts of the Blue Mountain and it was one of the most beautiful places. We were able to see the blueness of the Mountain and learned that the reason the mountain looks blue from afar, is because of the eucalyptus oil emitted from the forests of eucalyptus trees combined with dust and water vapor that creates the blue color.
Another unforgettable experience was when I visited the Featherdale WildLife Park where I had the opportunity to touch a koala. I have loved koalas for many years and to touch one was a dream come true. They are such gentle animals who sleep 20+ hours a day. I saw so many koalas there and they looked so cute when they were sleeping. Another memorable part of my trip was all the wonderful people we met. We had the pleasure of meeting Carol Ladd, Geoffrey’s mom, and Harold, his uncle. During our time together we shared stories of my adventures in Australia and we learned more in depth of their lives in Australia and the history of Geoffrey.
We also enjoyed the famous Australian dessert, the Lamington, which was delicious! Last, but not least, I was honored to be able to spend a day at Tara Anglican School for Girls. It is so interesting to see what school is like outside of the United States and that they are just like us and go through the same subjects as us. Their uniform is also very unique; they wear a hat! The students there were so nice and welcoming and I am now friends with a few of them and will continue to keep in touch with them.
These are just a few of my experiences in Australia and there are many more! I am so grateful to the Ladd Family for this unforgettable trip. Without Geoffrey and his family, I would have never had the opportunity to have some of these experiences, like being a TARA girl for a day. I definitely recommend traveling to Australia if you get the chance and I assure you it will be a memorable experience!