Magnetic Island, Australia

Magnetic Island 2019

Magnetic Island: The Gem of Townsville.

Since moving to Townsville, I have ventured to Magnetic Island 3 times, and it took all 3 times to truly see the island. In my opinion, Magnetic Island is the true "gem" of Townsville. The beaches, bays, and views are absolutely stunning and every area is different.

 Most people do the whole standard touristy "East Side" of the island when they visit. Don't get me wrong, the east side is beautiful but 1) It's too easy to access via the bus routes, and 2) There are always too many people for my liking (because it's easy to tour around). The real hidden beauty is the beach located at the end of the West Point hiking trail on the West side of the island.

My two friends (Michaela and Celia) and I, decided to go to the island and see the light at the end of the West Point tunnel. Honestly speaking, we probably should have taken a bus from the ferry terminal to the trail's starting point, but we decided to walk from Nelly Bay (terminal point) to Picnic Bay (the West Point starting point) and then hike the trail. That was undoubtedly not the smartest decision. It took a total of around 4 hours just to get to West Point, and that wasn't including the return trip.

After the very long and hot 4 hours, we finally got to the secluded beach at West Point. It was an incredible find and so worth the long walk up. The water was so blue and so clear and we had the whole beach to ourselves! We stayed for about an hour, eating lunch and walking the beachfront.

The journey itself was quite the adventure. We came across three snakes, a shitty cactus, and a car full of nice travelers. On our way back, we were about 35 minutes into our return when a group of English travelers pulled over and offered to give us a ride. It was all fun and games until we got pulled over by the owner of the car company and got yelled at for the "excessive amount of people" in the car. He was a bit of an odd duck but a big thanks goes out to those guys for sparing us the pain of walking all the way back.

Needless to say the adventure was a lot of fun but I had even more fun getting to bond and spend time with my friends. What's even better is that we are all roommates (by chance) so I am looking forward to all the crazy times we are going to have in the future. Living with these girls is like having a home away from home. Like I said before, traveling alone is cool but traveling in good company is ten times better!

~RMW

Gold Coast, Australia

Gold Coast & Byron Bay 2018

Beaches, Crystals, and Waterfalls...OH MY!

After spending some time in Indonesia, I headed over to the Gold Coast for about a week to visit a friend who I met during my first semester of grad school. It just so happened that we were roommates for a short while and really hit it off. Before I get started I'd like to give a little shout out to my friend, Lara, for hosting me: *You were so kind to open up your house to me and I will never forget all of the fun we had. Every moment was absolutely fantastic and I am thankful for everything you did for me! 💜*

Honestly speaking, the Gold Coast is exactly the type of scenery that most non-Australians think of when they hear the word Australia. I can honestly say that Coolangatta, Gold Coast, and Byron Bay are the very definition of paradise to me. I could literally pack up everything I own right now and move to one of those places. The city, the beaches, the water, the surf, literally everything was so beautiful.

During this trip, my friend took me to see a good portion of the Gold Coast which included Coolangatta, Byron Bay, Surfers Paradise, Crystal Castle, and Springbrook. Every single place was so different from the next, and honestly like nothing I've seen before, that it blew my mind. I loved all of it.

Surfers Paradise was one of the first big day trips that we took. We went to the top of the Q1 Tower (One of the world's tallest residential buildings) and you could literally see the whole span of the Gold Coast. It was such an amazing sight to see, I remember my mom calling when we were at the top and I insisted that we video chat so she could see it too! After that we took a walk around Surfers Paradise and I had my first bagel with cream cheese (courtesy of Starbucks) in 5 months, and it was so good it brought tears to my eyes (If you're American, you'll understand).

Next, we headed over to Byron Bay Lighthouse/Beach and Crystal Castle. First of all, the lighthouse was quite the sight to behold. Gazing out into the beautiful blue horizon had me speechless. There was something about that place that just really left an impression. The water was a radiant mix of  dark blue, light blue, and turquoise. Byron Bay beach was equally beautiful as well. I may not be much of a regular swimmer, but I really enjoyed sitting in the sand with Lara and chatting while we people-watched. It was incredibly peaceful.

Crystal Castle was our next stop and, wow, I've never been to any place like it. I feel like CC is one of those "hidden gem" places that you just happen to stumble upon and then it ends up being a psychedelic blast. For all of you out there that are hardcore healing crystal fans, this is the place for you. There were crystals and geodes everywhere, some of the largest I've ever seen. Not to mention it was farther inland so when you looked out into the rainforest it almost felt like you were in a fairy tale world. The air there also smelled very fresh and clean, as if you were to be smack dab in the middle of a flower patch. Nonetheless, I highly recommend checking this place out for anyone who has the chance.

Last but not least, we went to Springbrook National Park where I saw my first real life waterfall. It was breathtaking and now I am obsessed with waterfalls. Walking through various areas of the park was really cool because there were so many different views. From waterfalls to rainforests, this place gave a different and elegant view of Australia. Again, the air here was very crisp and clean, similar yet slightly different than at Crystal Castle. I can say with confidence that my first waterfall voyage was a success!

Overall, my trip to the Gold Coast was a complete and utter success and I owe it all to my good friend, Lara. It's times like these that really make me appreciate the path that my life has taken. If I never left the US, if I never pursued my dream of being a marine biologist, I would have never of gone to the places I've been or met the people I've met. I am a lucky person and am truly blessed to have been given the opportunity to see so much of this beautiful earth.

~RMW

Indonesia

Indonesia 2018

PADI Certified: Professional Mermaid-Master, HERE I COME!

I am not afraid to admit that after I started graduate school, I lost a lot of the self-confidence I use to have back in undergraduate. One thing in particular was my confidence in scuba diving. At first I was really embarrassed about it and I struggled a lot because of it, but sometimes shit happens in life and you just gotta get yourself situated. Something I noticed about grad school was how unnecessarily "cut throat" competitive it was with a lot of people and being the hopelessly timid person I felt like was no good. I knew I had to shape up and so I decided that the best way to overcome this hurdle was to do something about it, thus the reason (or at least one of them) I choose to go to Indonesia to do the Divemaster scuba course.

I did my Divemaster course through Adventure Scuba Dive Bali and it was one of the best decisions I could have made. First of all, Indonesia is a really awesome place to see cultural diversity and it's pretty cheap (double win). Second of all, Never would I have thought that this course would be so much fun. I think part of the reason I enjoyed it so much was because of the people at ASDB. I met so many wonderful friends that made such a positive impact on my life. I couldn't have asked for a better group of instructors and fellow DMT's (divemaster trainees).

Throughout the duration of this 17 day DM course (yes I know it's short, it was an intensive) I learned so much more than I ever imagined. I think one of the best things about this experience was all of the diversity among the ASDB group. We had people from virtually everywhere in the world teaching and diving together. I found it incredibly fascinating (and entertaining) to hear about everyone's stories and past experiences. I made so many new friends and so many memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. The times we shared truly were some of the funnest that I have had and someday I hope to be able to meet up with everyone again. I don't usually get so attached to people but by the time those 17 days were over, I felt so close to everyone that I cried almost the whole plane ride back to Aus. Not to sound like a total crybaby, but I can't help the fact that this amazing group of people had made themselves a special place in my heart.

On a separate note, I learned a lot about diving and finally felt comfortable in my own skin (and gear). I gained my confidence back (plus some) and left Indonesia feeling like I could do just about anything. I think the DM course is an important step in someones diving career because it not only teaches you the in's and out's of the sport but it also teaches you to troubleshoot and take leadership in certain situations. For me, it was everything I needed to become a better diver. At the end of it, I ended up collecting my Divemaster AND Master Diver certifications!

Throughout my time in Bali, I went to Tulamben and dove the USAT Liberty, Nusa Penida island, and Padangbai. I would have to say that Padangbai was probably the prettiest on land, but Nusa Penida was the best to dive at. On my dives I saw some pretty exquisite marine life which included manta rays, black tip reef shark, beautiful coral colonies, cuttlefish, octopus, moral eels, parrotfish, sea turtles, and tons of reef fish. Not to mention some underwater statues and a submarine full of tourists (and in their case we were part of the underwater display).

I also reached a new max depth of 132 ft and collected over 30 dives on this trip. I did a few night dives (and found some money tucked into one of the coral colonies), a few deep water dives, and assisted in some beginner scuba courses. This trip definitely taught me a lot and made me step out of my comfort zone, but most importantly, it made me a stronger person.

One last side note, from an environmental perspective, there is something I would like to address. Even though Indonesia is very beautiful, there was so much trash absolutely everywhere. It physically made me ill to look at. I don't think I have ever seen so much on-land litter and marine debris in my life. I can honestly say that on every single dive I picked up at least a handful of trash, sometimes even more (enough to fill my BCD pockets). I am huge into anti-littering and cleaning up the environment so seeing that much shit everywhere really got to me. I mean we would be driving to Tulamben and on the way would just be riverbeds completely covered with garbage. Padangbai was probably the worst when it came to marine debris. One scenario that really stuck with me was at our safety stop in Padangbai, I looked around and saw a couple comb jellies and thought to myself "wow that's so cool, we are surrounded by these little guys", but then when I took a closer look I saw that half of the "comb jellies" around us were actually plastic bags. It was that moment when I realized how true the saying is that "sea animals can't tell the difference between food and plastic", I couldn't tell the difference at first glance either. The take away message from this is that human pollution has gotten so bad and something needs to be done about it. There is no more "out of sight out of mind" because it is ruining our beautiful planet. It's truly heartbreaking to see. If you see something in the water or on land, and it doesn't compromise your health, pick it up. Don't litter and try to clean up what you can. We're all stuck on this earth together so let's try to take better care of it!

~RMW

Townsville, Australia

Townsville 2018

A New Chapter in the Book of Life: Graduate School 

Deciding to go to graduate school was one of the biggest decisions of my life, yet at the same time it was my only option. In every way possible I think it was the right path for me to choose. Taking this big step was something I needed to do, not only for my career, but to grow as a person. After realizing that, I applied to James Cook University, got accepted, and then moved across the world with just two suitcases and myself. The initial journey to Australia was so long (about 30 hours nonstop), and honestly I thought I was going crazy from the lack of sleep, but when I finally arrived I knew it was going to be the start of something great.

When every American thinks of Australia, the first things that pop into our heads are beaches, sunshine, and absolute beauty (maybe even the Sydney opera house if your into architecture). However, what people don't tell you is that not every part of Australia is the spitting image of a good surf day. I was surprised when I got to Townsville and saw that it was a more rural-type location with very little to do. It's not an awful place to be (like, there could be worse), it's just not what I expected. There are definitely a few good things about T-ville including Magnetic Island, The Strand, Billabong Sanctuary, AIMS, and of course James Cook University. However, sometimes I can't understand why such fantastic academic universities place their campuses in 1) the ghetto/dangerous areas or 2) in the middle of nowhere. In my opinion, Townsville wouldn't be the first place I'd think to put a school.

Despite my lack of enthusiasm for Townsville, I will say that I have had so many great opportunities since coming to this school. I have been able to volunteer with The Global FinPrint Project, do an internship with TropEco, go to the Orpheus Island Research Station, and dive the Great Barrier Reef (including the S.S Yongala). Plus, I am being taught by some of the best, world renown, scientists in their field! JCU really does give an excellent education and I don't think I would have gotten a better teaching anywhere else in the world.

Last but not least, being on this side of the world has given me the chance to explore parts Asia and more of Australia. If you go down south you can find some amazing cities (like the Gold Coast) and typical places that you think of when you hear the word "Australia". Not to mention, I am thankful to have been able to see koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, cockatoos, kookaburras, and so many other exotic animals that you can't find anywhere else in the world. Overall, even though I am not too thrilled about Townsville itself, I am thrilled at all of the opportunities I have while being here. I have only just started my Masters degree but I am super excited to go out and learn more, see more, and meet more people on this crazy ride called "Graduate School".

~RMW

South Africa

South Africa 2017

The magic that IS Africa! ✨

When I told my family I was going to Africa by myself they nearly shit themselves. I'm no stranger to the world of travel and most of the time I go alone, so I didn't think anything of it. I was on a mission to go and nothing was going to stop me.

My whole reason for going to South Africa was to do volunteer  work at the SANCCOB organization with injured African Penguins (Spheniscus demersus) on a rehabilitation and conservation project. To be honest, the whole trip was one of the best experiences of my life. I think everyone should get the chance to work with an endangered species because it allows you to see the value of life AND appreciate the diversity of animals in the world. Those little birds stole my heart and I learned a lot about working with wild animals. For me, being able to be apart of something that helps the "greater good" was extremely fulfilling. The African Penguin is a truly beautiful species and knowing that I was able to help, hands on, in conservation efforts really puts things into perspective.

Besides working with the penguins, I was able to do a lot of other activities such a sight seeing, climbing Table Mountain (which was the first time I ever climbed a mountain), shopping around for souvenirs, and even doing the Cape of Good Hope tour. Each different part of SA that I had the opportunity to experience had such a different aura to it. It was like being in a dream seeing all of the absolutely breathtaking sights.

Table Mountain was phenomenal and the view from the top was unbelievable. Much to my surprise, once you make it up you can relax at a cafe and visit a souvenir/post office. I think my favorite part of that whole climb was being able to mail out postcards from the very top of the mountain (it even had its own postcode!). In total I climbed TM twice, once with my friends and once with my Aunt Jenny, and both times were amazing.

Another favorite part of my trip was going to the Cape of Good Hope with my friend, Audrey, who I met at SANCCOB. One good thing about traveling is the fact that you get to meet so many amazing people. Hearing about her previous trips really inspired me to see more of the world and to participate in more conservation projects like she did.

At the end of my time at SANCCOB, I participated in a "penguin release" which is when you take the rehabilitated penguins and release them back into the wild. That moment was such a magical experience for me because I got to see the "fruits of my labor" in action. Getting to see the penguins go back home was so great that I almost cried tears of joy. Our efforts were making a positive impact on the wild population of African Penguins.

One last tidbit that I feel is important to mention is in regards to the people I met. The friends I made at SANCCOB and the friends I made at my accommodation are some of the most wonderful people I have ever met. Home is where the heart is, right? I did a "home stay" type deal for my trip and I really got lucky with my "roommates". They are part of the reason why this trip was so enjoyable. In the short 6 weeks that I was there we become somewhat of a family and it was a really special experience.

**I want to give a big shout out to my amazing friends for making my time in Africa such an enjoyable one. Audrey, Sabiya, Josh, and Hannah, I MISS YOU GUYS! **

Meeting them and making the memories we share will always be a special thing to me. I hope that one day we have the chance to meet again someday and, if we are lucky, maybe even work on another project together!

Overall, this was a life changing experience for me. Working with wild animals, going to Africa, and meeting the people that I did really had such an overall positive impact on my life. I would HIGHLY recommend doing this African Penguin conservation project to anyone who is interested!

~RMW