Sydney, Australia- How can you go far away?

Hi Players,

When I was a child, my favorite books were Adventure books.

It ignited my imagination reading about distant places, and I was fascinated with the stories of brave men who crossed the oceans, battled and overcame sea monsters, and found the desired gold treasure

From the comfort of my seat on the flight from San Francisco to Sydney, Australia (a 14-hour flight following a 5.5-hour flight from NY),

I thought about how lucky I am to live in a time when every imaginable destination is within reach.

Strangely, despite the freedom we have, we don’t always go as far as we imagine.

This journey made me wonder why

… but first, let me share my experience so you will be inspired to put Sydney on your travel bucket list.

Spend time in the City.

The Rocks area has an old colony harbor-style feel to it.

I could almost hear the songs of the sailors coming back from the sea.

There are local cafes, and during the weekend, there are merchandise stands selling everything from clothes to local memorabilia. A festive atmosphere.

If you have 3 hours (and full pocket), you can do the Bridge climb, but if you have only one hour, as we did, the skywalk on the Sydney Tower will also provide beautiful views of the city with a decent amount of wind for the adventurous type.

If you are playful, you can jump on a glass floor about 300 meters above the ground.

(I did it, of course, despite my fear of heights).

Enjoy the local art- Murals painted by locals. This form of art I enjoy the most.

Go to the local beaches- Only 30 minutes on a ferry from the Sydney harbor, you can get to Manly Beach with its wonderful natural ocean pools,

enjoy a beautiful cliff walk from Watson Bay to the most crowded Bondi Beach, and if your feet are still carrying you, you can walk until Coogee Beach.

When we got to Gordon’s Bay, our feet declared a quiet strike, so we ubered back to Sydney for a drink and a local “must-have” fish (barramundi) and chips

near the Opera House under the gorgeous fireworks.

If you are tired of the crowds or the buildings,

You can take a walk in the beautiful botanical gardens (free entrance),

and if you are a true nature fan, drive to the Blue Mountains within a short hour and a half drive from Sydney (remember, you have to drive on the right side)

The mountains have a vast eucalyptus forest.

They are called “Blue” for the blue haze from the eucalyptus oil mixed with the mist.

Don’t miss the Three Sisters, three giant rocks that overlook a green, luscious valley, beautiful waterfalls, and a gorgeous sunset (http://www.bluemts.com.au/info/thingstodo/threesisters/).

For the players, there are many options.

You can hike, bike, swim in the natural water pools, jump in the water fountains, climb up the trees, and zipline.

(http://www.bluemts.com.au/12854/trees-adventure/) or swing joyfully in one of the Sydney playgrounds.

I guarantee your time will be as joyful as this cute girl.

Although Sydney is amazing and it’s a great travel destination,a great travel destination, I must confess that the highlight of my trip was spending time with my brother, my sister-in-law I have to admit that the highlight of my trip was spending time with my brother, my sister in law and my AMAZING niece and nephew. Pure Joy.

It was the best reason to go so far away.

The best destinations we go to in life don’t require any explanations.The will to go comes from the heart.

What about you? How far will you go?

I know there are many reasons why we don’t go as far as we want (I call the reasons…excuses, and I have got good ones too…😉).

But what does it take to go there?

My trip has taught me this:

First - Know where you want to go. Know your “far away”.

“Cat: Where are you going?

Alice: Which way should I go?

Cat: That depends on where you are going.

Alice: I don’t know.

Cat: Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.” Lewis Carroll. Alice in Wonderland.

As Alice in Wonderland, you will get nowhere if you have no idea where you are going.

Well, you’ll probably get somewhere on someone else’s agenda.

Do you really belong there?

Knowing your “far away” is the most challenging part.

We are sometimes so caught up in the flow around us that we forget our path.

Stop and reflect- where am I going?

Question your reality- Am I at the right place for me?

Get clarity on your choices

and start knowing.

There is no such place as “far away.” Let your imagination take you as far away as possible.

As the famous title of Richard Bach’s book, There is no such place as far away.

Yet, I sometimes sabotage my “far away,” thinking I cannot go as far away as “this.”

I convince myself that I need to settle for something reasonable.

But then, great inventions or new places were never discovered through reason; they came about only when reason was removed from the equation, and curiosity and imagination stepped in.

Don’t sabotage your “far away.” It’s there, waiting for you to be discovered.

Second- Make a plan for how to get to the “far way.”

A “far way” place without a plan is just a fantasy.

If you want to fantasize, that’s great; enjoy, but if you really want to get there, you must set specific goals and timelines and act.

You may not need to battle sea monsters, but other obstacles are very probable.

Three- Surround yourself with “far away” travelers.

Ignore the critics and the judges; they only want to keep you in their comfort zone to justify their own choices. (they have a problem for every solution)

Instead, surround yourself with those who have already gone far away or others who, at least like yourself, would not settle for just ‘close enough’.

The “far away” travelers are everywhere, looking for their tribe. Join them.

They will cheer for you no matter what and be there with you when the big storm comes trying to crush your boat.

Four -Re-evaluate, Relax, Play, and Enjoy life’s journey.

From time to time, your “far away” may change entirely.

Don’t forget to Stop, Look around,Question, Get clarity.

Re-evaluate. It’s OK to take a different direction. It’s growth.

There is no point chasing something that is no longer true for you.

No matter what, the most important is to play with your life ,have fun, Enjoy.

After all, LIFE IS:

Learning, Be Inspired, Have Fun, and the big 3 E‘s- Exploration, Experience, and Excitement.

Start planning your far-away destination today.

Don’t waste a minute of your precious time.

Playfully yours,

Rina 🙂