Vacation Down Under!

Today was the bittersweet day where we had to say goodbye to our wonderful host families and hello to the Marriott. We feel like real adults, out on our own with all of Sydney at our beck and call. Well, not really, because the Hillsong conference will take up almost all of our time over the next few days. But today was basically a free day.

Debby, more than almost anyone, knows how to work employees and walk out with the best deal possible. We were able to check into our rooms hours before actual check-in time, get free wi-fi for all of our computers, and even ended up in three rooms instead of two. Around noon, I went out with Allie, Lisa, and Brittany to find some food and explore the area immediately surrounding our hotel. We're located right next to Hyde Park, giving us an area to come outside and read and relax. Today, though, we walked downtown a few blocks to a mall with a Coles, where we stocked up on muffins for breakfast and some other munchies. On the walk back, we stopped at a place that sold delicious chicken and chips. There was actually some sort of fire across the street, so we spent most of our lunch watching the firemen drag hoses across the busy street. 

After arriving back at the hotel and taking a quick nap, Aaron and I left for the Opera House. We had tickets to see Flinders String Quartet with Karin Schaupp, guest guitarist. It was easier than we thought it would be to get there; the harbour is just two train stops away. We picked up our tickets and then walked around for a bit to find some dinner. We decided to go the safe and cheap route and go to Maccas, but instead of eating inside, we found a spot by the water. Just a side note - it is incredibly beautiful there at night. Then, we were off to the opera house. Rather than the main concert hall, our performance was in the Utzon Room; it was much smaller than we expected and had no assigned seats. The room was amazing though, with windows behind the stage overlooking the water and the ceiling was the raw curved stone of the building. And then the quartet. Oh my GOODNESS. Words cannot express how beautiful that music was, so I won't even begin to try. But I can tell you the chocolate gelato we ate afterwards was beyond delicious, and that the cute little animal we saw in Hyde Park on our way back was absolutely adorable. We googled it; it was a brush tail possum. We were hoping for a more exciting name, but that'll have to do.

Anyway, today has been a long but wonderful day. It's the first July 4 in a long time that I haven't watched fireworks or eaten hamburgers, but I'll gladly swap for a fantastic cellist and a bowl full of gelato. Happy Independence Day, America. I'll see you again in five days!