Grace's Great Voyage Down Under, Week 3: mostly chilling, and some city time.

In case you missed my first post in this little series - and the second one - I'll reiterate the key point made in it: I am not a travel blogger. 

However, I really want to share some things about my recent travels. 

I’ve decided to write posts in the future about my trips to various Other Places – but not necessarily the way a seasoned traveller and blogger might. I’m just going to write about specific things, moments, and some will exist in a big compilation post while others may stand alone. For instance, if I had an especially magical dinner date, or discovered a secret spot nobody had told me about, or even just had a conversation with a native (of which I have already had many, in Australia!), then that might exist in its own post.

Right, now we're all caught up I'd say it's time to get into my third week out here, half a world away.

Wanting to throw my adorable little laptop across the living room when I see the end of Broadchurch, S2 E7. Then, as though it felt my rage, the laptop commences an hour of vital update processing before I can watch the series finale. 
(Overall review of S2: excellent, if a little too dramatic in places. And certain actors need to pipe down and stop hamming it up...now, is it worth watching S3?!)

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Heart-to-hearts with Nana, out on her patio. Hammering in and hanging silky Chinese lanterns we found in an Op Shop, in amongst the dusty wind chimes.

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My 5- and 7-year-old cousins sitting quietly, utterly transfixed, watching 'Miracle on 34th Street' for the first time in their lives. And being transfixed myself - on Mara Wilson, who I now know as a brilliant Twitter fiend rather than an adorable child star...and a little bit by the young Dylan McDermott, cor blimey. 

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Finally reading the books I'd been inexplicably saving (/ignoring) for at least 2 years. Falling a little bit in love with Jim Taylor, the reluctant lawyer and wannabe artist who reads Penguin classics. 

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'The less you do, the less you want to do.' This is true. It's also true of being depressed - you just feel uninspired to do anything, to be anywhere but the comfort of your own home. I won't lie, my MH had been a little wobbly recently. Let's hope the building Christmas hype and my immediate family's imminent arrival help.

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Constantly being perplexed and irritated by Australians saying 'chips' when they mean 'crisps' and 'hot chips' when they mean actual chips. Surely saying two words is way too much effort, and it's confusing at times to differentiate?!

I've learned not to argue this, though...

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Telling my cousins about cool things to do and places to go back home, saying over and over 'We'll do that when you visit next year!' - hoping my optimism pays off. Having visitors in the home town makes me ridiculously happy. 

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Seeing the city of Brisbane, from the inside, for the first time. For years all it's been to me is the city we fly into when we visit the family on the coast. Turns out there's much more to it. They have their own South Bank, and craft markets, and badass breakfast spots. I also got to visit my long-time Instagram cafe crush, Death Before Decaf. It was quite modest in size, the walls were covered in art and local gig posters, the coffee machine with defaced political figurines, and heavy screaming metal rang through the whole room so the 'bearded truckies' tattoo parlour vibe' was strong. 

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Week 1 of this adventure is HERE. 

Week 2, my Melbourne times, HERE. 

I must remember: this is a holiday, NOT A PROJECT.