Tuesday 7 January 2014

Knapsack

One of the things I've always wanted to do is to live near the typical American woods with woodland creatures bouncing around and hearing the slow current of a nearby creek and a woodpecker hidden in the trees while I stroll down a worn path. Like just imagine all the animals you'd come across - Squirrels, bunnies, raccoons, deers, foxes, hedgehogs, owls and beavers... I AM EXCITED JUST THINKING ABOUT IT. I don't know if these kind of places exists, but it seems to in kids' cartoon shows. I will even become an animated character if I have to just to experience this.

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We woke up still undecided of whether to Orange or Blue Mountains. In the car, we still had no idea where to go. Then finally at the last turn, we decided to head off to Blue Mountains. I guess the Australian bush is the closest thing to the American woods.

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We stopped by Knapsack Bridge because we've never been and was curious of what's there. The area is now an abandoned railway station with a bushwalking track. The first thing you'd notice when you get out of the car is the cacophony of birds and insects constantly screaming. At one point it got so loud that it reminded me of mockingjays from The Hunger Games trilogy.

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My fitness level is shamefully nonexistent so I was panting and crawling up the stairs after less than a minute of walking. Apart from the constant fear of getting an asthma attack, which I don't have asthma in the first place, I had to also worry about my camera, my bag and the uneven steps with no handrails with the constant unsettling thought of falling over the edge and deep into the forest floor. I kept telling myself I would start going to the gym, but I think my need to sit in front of my laptop, watching British YouTubers all day, overpowers every other need.

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Wentworth Falls was our next stop. Another walking track meant another lot of unfulfilled goals made to myself. "I can't breathe. I think I need to go to the gym. But wait, how much does the gym cost? What? I'm not paying for that. Why would I go pay to sit and touch and run on other people's sweat? Isn't that unhygienic? Will people judge me if I lie on the floor after thirty seconds on the treadmill?"

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Last stop was The Three Sisters at Blue Mountains. We didn't do much because by the time we got there, the tourist activities were closing. It was still a really fun family road trip though and worth the long drive!

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