HELLOOOOOOOO!

Wow, I didn't even realize the time that went by since my last post. With classes finishing up back home I'm sure everyone else is in the "My how time does fly" mode themselves, I wish you all the best on your tests.

Boy it is trippy to think that many of my friends won't be back next year with me, but at least I've still got a few little buggers to hang out with.

For the record, that last post was an entirely hypothetical situation. Nothing happened to me, although I appreciate the concern for those who were worried, or even simply just curious as to what inspired that babble. I did however find out that it would be waaaaaaaay more dangerous for me to dive (because of my good old previously collapsed lungs) than for many other people.

Which reminds me of one of my many simple pleasures in life. I actually do appreciate my lungs having collapsed. Aside from the spiritual implications of dealing with minor health issues as such, I at times am afforded to have the HUGEST smile on my face and best feeling in my body simply by taking a huge deep breath.

It goes like this: Ryan is sitting down staring at a wall. Ryan has an idea! Ryan takes a giant, deep, gigantor breath filling and stretching his lungs to the max. Ryan holds it for just a little bit, and then breaths out. Ryan gets a huge satisfying smile plastered on his face. Ryan is content while staring at the wall, and amused that he is so grateful he doesn't have to struggle to breath.

Yup, that's the good shit.

Ahm, so my life has still been rocking. I've been reading like CRAZY. I had the epiphany today that being here has revealed how much I absolutely love traveling, but it's revealed an even greater passion for making my dreams come true. I think a lot of people would say that I'm working too much, but the ways I spend my time couldn't be further from what others call 'work'. It's glorious.

I spent just over a week in Northern Australia exploring the rainforest with Kyle and that was crazy awesome. I think the funniest point for me was when we were walking along a trail (that I don' t think we should have been on, judging by the 'trail closed' signs and multiple washed out bridges we scurried across) when we came upon a Cassawary.

For those out of the know, a Cassawary is a large flightless, endangered species of bird. Some adults can grow up to six feet tall. They have vibrant colors of reds, purples, and blues (I think those are the colors) on their featherless heads and necks, and have a hard, helmet-like crest of bone on their heads. They are not Emus (I lost that bet).

It was friggen AWESOME. We just looked up and there it was, just calmly and casually eating away at the forest berries. Picking them from the bushes and tossing them down their throat. It was reminiscent of watching a bar patron tossing some peanuts down in between beers.

It start walking towards us - in complete control of it's domain, it had no fear of us what so ever. That's when I started getting a little nervous.

We were just kind of talking about the bird, going back and forth as it inched towards us.
Then Kyle said it, "Oh it's not that big. I'm pretty sure I could take a bird Ryan..."
Annnnnddddd I lost it. Especially when he started reasoning out some logic about how he would take it down.
"Are you kidding me, that thing could gut you like a pig!" as I struggled between breaths trying to calm myself from my uncontrollable laughter. "They've got really sharp claws and their legs are pure muscle, gooood luck buddy..."
"Ah I could take it," he would confidently reply.

Later back at the hostel we were told how the legend himself (not me) Steve Irwin (ie. the Crocodile Hunter, bless his soul) has commented that those birds scare him more than crocodiles. You see they run at you and jump out at you with their legs and claws (or are they talons?). You don't run away because they run ridiculously fast (to put it scientifically) somewhere around 30 tooooo 60 kilometers I believe. I can't remember how fast they can run, alls I know is it's much faster than any human that I've ever heard of. Granted this would generally only happen if they're defending their young. But they can be territorial, and wild animals are after all unpredicatble. I loved it.

We saw two more of those birds after that, got some great videos and pictures of them. The second bird kind of ran off and was huge. The third bird walked right up to us, within probably five feet or so (we decided to get out of it's way once it got too close for comfort). Kyle and I both made the comment that it felt like a Raptor (the dinosaur) was bearing down on us ready to pounce. It's movements, the stealth and confidence... I don't even know, just dinosaur like in some way. A wicked awesome experience to say the least.

After the third bird passed Kyle dropped a fist sized rock on the ground chuckling to himself, "I'm not really sure what I was planning on doing with that rock..." That was funny because we thought a rock might actually help to defend us against that massive bird, we also later found out that it was an endangered species. Both satisfied that we didn't have to stone the bird to death during our pleasant little 'walk through the woods' we headed back to camp.

We also did a little vine climbing and swinging. One almost broke on Kyle which was pretty funny.

Saw a few wild Koalas as well down on Magnetic island, and some rock wallabies. I just had the realization that I'm sure reading about animals I saw is just SOOO exciting. I'm reminded of one of my nicknames when younger...

I could write a novel, but shall restrain myself for now. Life is good hear, but how is yours? You know how I'm doing, let me hear how you're doing. Pleeeeaaaaasssseeee email me to let me know, I'd love to hear what your plans are!