G'day from down under!

Yes, ladies and gents, I'm in Australia! My internet time has been limited but I'm keeping a written account of what I'm doing so I can come back soon and write more in depth about all the awesome things to do in this country because of course after 3 weeks I will have done it all.
Ok kidding, but I will have done quite a bit that I want to share! So far I've spent a week in Sydney, and just arrived tonight in Brisbane where I'll be until Tuesday when we go to Cairns for hopefully much warmer weather. Despite missing my 100 degree Houston and having to layer up in jackets and sweaters, Sydney was gorgeous! I can't wait to show you all the pictures of the opera house, the bridge, and the cool animals. The food is nothing to write home about and the tum is protesting, the family can get stressful, but all that pales in comparison to the natural beauty of this country, and all the fun things there are to do and see.

In the meantime I had to check in because I've been given my first blogger award! Wooohooooooo!! I feel so special :)
Kaz has given me the sunshine award, which means I make her hiccup rainbows apparently. This means I have to pass on this award to 12 bloggers that bring sunshine into my life. Wow, what a hard task! There are so many blogs that I love reading. My google reader probably has well over 100 blogs on it by now and I look forward to perusing through it nightly. I may have to cheat a little since I have to share the internet time with everyone, but I'll try and pass this one to as many people as I can.

1) This is for sure cheating, but I really wanted to point out how awesome The Art of Kaztronomy is. This girl is hilarious. I love her writing style, her cute cat, her ability to make me want to go through the computer screen and steal her food, especially the weird things I get made fun of for. We'd probably also be bff's if we lived anywhere near each other.

2) Clare over at YogiClarebear is such a sweetheart! And her blog is packed full of really interesting information. I've learned a lot about medical issues I had no idea even existed and have found it really insightful and helpful in dealing with my own problems. She's also been a huge resource for yoga knowledge. As I study to start teaching yoga myself, I've been able to use a lot of the sequences she has posted as inspiration for my classes.

3) Just try and not fall out of your chair in fits of laughter when you read Mommy wants vodka. I don't even remember how I found Becky, but she's hilarious, and down to earth, or really not down to earth, hmmm....well, it doesn't matter. Whatever she is, her blog is an instant pick me up.

4) Kate and Maggie over at Eat the damn cake are fairly new but I love the idea behind their blog. I was already a big fan of Maggie's blog so of course I followed her here when she started this joint venture. It's all about positive body image, and not only body issues, but confidence in general. I can definitely use the self esteem boosts and think everyone could benefit from their insights. Kate is also a wonderful writer and sometimes links to her other articles on sites such as the Huffington Post.

5) Zen Habits provides a lot of good tips on how to simplify your life and feel more content and grateful for what we have. Our lives are so rushed and stressful, and  I know I get very caught up in the planning and forget the "living" part of life, so I need reminders to take a breather once in a while.

6) Rebecca is a friend of mine I've known since high school. She's had some amazing travel experiences including two summers in India, and recently spent 8 months working on farms in South America with another bestie of mine and documented her travels here. She has great photos and some crazy stories!

7)What do I know is just all around cool and makes me really jealous because I want to live in the UK so badly. She's done some extensive traveling and always has gorgeous photos and a wealth of information to share. I love the random posts on cows and sheep. And she is always so well informed on politics and world events. Plus she's vegan and has really good recipes. Can we say "well rounded"?

8) I've been reading Maggie's blog since before I started blogging and just love her. We have a lot in common and I'm really glad I've gotten to know her a little bit through email and blogging. She lives in NY now always reminds me how much I want to live there. She's given me a lot of good resources for yoga online and always goes out for good food (more reasons to live in NY!) AND she's getting married really really soon! Congratulations Maggie!

That's all I'm going to do for now because everyone is asleep here! Thanks again Kaz for the award! I'll post again soon with tips on how to entertain yourself during 21 hours of flying, insider tips on Sydney, and later on, all the things I'll be doing in Brisbane and Cairns.
Thanks for reading and goodnight!