Sweet Home Monkey Mia

As always there is more to write about than I can possibly express so I'll start from the beginning.  36 hours of travel was bit rough, especially with a headcold.  Mostly I just felt bad for everyone sitting next to me on the planes.  The Australian airline Qantas was very nice made the trip much more relaxing although i was far from relaxed knowing that i would soon be in Australia.  Once in Perth I met up with my coworker Adriana and we flew to Monkey Mia together.  She is so enthusiastic and happy all the time that it is completely contagious and even after all that travel I was so energized to be here.  I mean almost to the point of shaking from excitement.  I am quite sure the other people on that last flight must have thought we were completely bonkers.

We arrived at the resort with high expectations that were immediately confirmed and then vastly exceeded within minutes.  For most of that first day I was simply in shock of the raw beauty and incredibly foreign land.  Red sand covers the ground with an outrageously blue ocean extending into the horizon.  The beach is border between the two and it is composed of pure white crushed shells which only enhances the contrast between the land and water.  After a little tour around and meeting some of the folks who work here I went to bed with an aching face from the smile that had been plastered on me all day.

The next morning was like waking up to realize that its Christmas.  I shot out of bed busted open the door out my trailer, lovingly nicknamed "The Shitbox".  It's really not that bad, plus i get it to myself while the other assistants are in bunk beds together.  The last member of the team, Kirk, arrived around noon and we all hung out and got to know one another a little better.  I had met Jordy, Kirk and Adriana during my time in Miami but Fanny and AnnaRose were new.  They had both been here for a couple weeks already and helped to explain the ropes to us.  Fanny is from the French side of Switzerland and just about the sweetest girl you can imagine.  AnnaRose is from Ashland, Oregon and went to school at Oregon state. Naturally there was an immediately established and good humored  rivalry between us, Ducks vs Beavers. Of course the Ducks win.  All in all I could not ask for a better group to with.

That night we celebrated the beginning of the season at the Monkey Bar and what a celebration it was.  Many bottles of wine later we all went to bed happy as Turtles at high tide.  This morning was bit slower and also a bit too windy to do any work out on the water so we took it easy and hung out on the beach all day.  While Kirk, Adriana and I were all in the water throwing a ball around some starts shouting at us "Shark...Shark" as they point wildly to a spot out 100 meters from us.  We all turn to see a massive Tiger Shark Thrashing about just at the edge of the sea grass beds.  Adriana and I watched somewhat apprehensively while Kirk actually goes strolling out towards it. He got within 30 meters from it to watch  it devouring some unfortunate creature.  The Jaw theme was playing in my head the whole time.  This shark was no Great White but it was 3-3.5 meters long and that is damn big.

Today was also my birthday so tonight my team baked me a little cake and gave me one of the best birthday presents I have ever received, Which is just being here in this place and at this time with them.  I really could not ask for more.  At the moment my heart feels like the Grinch's when he carves up the roast beast.  It has swelled to over ten times its size.  True happiness may be fleeting but when you've got it there is nothing in this world that can bring you down.