Chasing Amy-Lou

What can I say about Brisbane? Well, as my first stop off in Australia, and the first place I’ll be spending a considerable amount of time, I’ve got to say that it hasn’t really blown my mind. I came to Australia with a view that my time here was going to be some magnificent journey where everyday was different, where miraculous turns of events would occur that would help me become a whole, more rounded person, where all my dreams would come true and where I’d have that kind of epiphany you only read about in books; where suddenly everything would fall into place and I’d discover what it is I’m supposed to do with my life, where I’m supposed to be and what path or direction I should follow. I’ve only been here three weeks, and yes, I well know that impatience is a major flaw of mine and I can’t expect anything to happen straight away, so I should just be biding my time, waiting and seeing it out, as eventually everything will fall into place, but I can’t help feeling a little disappointed.

I’ve explored the city as much as I’ve felt is needed: I’ve meandered through the West End and taken walks through Fortitude Valley. I’ve sat at South Bank and been running along the River, I’ve visited Toowong Cemetery and taken a trip to Moreton Island, but there’s nothing I’ve done yet that has been truly life-changing or exhilarating. I still have to take a trip to New Farm and maybe see what’s on offer at Kangeroo Park and I really should visit the Queensland Museum, the Art Gallery and the Science Centre too, but they are all activities that can be done in an afternoon, of which I have plenty to choose from between now and Christmas.

All that said, Brisbane is a lovely city, with high rises, beautiful parks, great places to drink and dine, various alternative scenes on the outskirts of the city, and plenty of places to shop. It’s not as lively as I expected it to be and I don’t really feel any kind of buzz, a buzz that I’m hoping for from Sydney and Melbourne, but maybe it’s just me. I can’t help feeling a little let down by it all. I really set my expectations sky high for this trip and put a lot of pressure on myself to get the most out of it, and at the moment those expectations aren’t quite being fulfilled. Maybe it’s because I’m working; maybe it’s because I keep hearing stories from other backpackers about how they’ve travelled down the East Coast from Cairns and have taken in the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef; maybe I regret not doing that first; maybe it’s because I still have things that I want to do before I move on to Sydney (Fraser Island, Sky Dive, Surfers Paradise, Byron Bay)…I just don’t know.

That’s not to say I don’t feel comfortable in Brisbane. I think I do. I feel safe, I feel familiar with it and I feel I could stay here for as long as I need to work and save up for the next leg of my journey. There just appears to be something missing and I really have no idea what it is.

Anyway, I’ve compiled a few photos of places I’ve been in the last few weeks. They include the gorgeous purple jacarandas down at Southbank, the Brisbane eye by day and by night, Chinatown entrance, the Botanic Gardens, the Brisbane Skyline, the Gallery of Modern Art, Moreton Bay and many more.

I’m hoping over the next two months, with money coming in and with a more focused plan of action, I can begin to start enjoying the beautiful things on offer in this part of the country. I’m having fun, I am, well, at least I think I am, although I struggle with the lack of companionship sometimes and my hostel doesn’t seem to be as social as ones I’ve stayed in before; I have met some great people already and I have friends in Brisbane too; I know it’s only early days (three weeks out of a possible two years is not a long time) so I’ll try to put a positive spin on it as best I can; here’s to the things that are bound to come and the next set of adventures to be thrown my way…whatever they may be.