Notebook of a Nomad

12/29/24

My first day is in the books. On my flight, I was accompanied by Frodo Baggins. Man, he has a lot going on. Clearly suffering from addiction but it’s understandable considering his plight. After watching the first two LOTR movies, I was able to get some rest and sleep for about 8 hours. Once me and my crew checked into the hotel we walked around Sydney Harbour and found ourselves a watering hole named Fortune of War.

The oldest pub in Sydney (if you believe their sign). After that it was time to meet the Australian Bergan’s for lunch. We had a nice time catching up with my 84 year old great uncle Jim and him sharing a few stories of his old adventures. He’s had an interesting life. He started working as a professor for the University of Illinois, my alma mater (I-L-L). Then, after a short stint at the University of Rhode Island, he moved to Sydney in the early 80’s to work at the university here. His son, Paul, drove him to lunch and back. Paul is my age and he’s hopping back onto my trip in Melbourne before we venture off to New Zealand.

After lunch it was time for the day’s big adventure, climbing the Sydney Bridge. I’m not a fan of heights so I was a little nervous about it but told myself that I’ve done a lot of scarier challenges. My heart was racing a bit when we were walking the narrow pathway below the road but relatively high above the park below us, not because of that experience but the fear of what was to come. My heart raced a bit more when we were climbing the steep stairs that aren’t much different than ladders. Then I got to the portion where we started climbing the arch… and everything was fine. It wasn’t scary at all. I could quit telling myself things to calm myself like “you’re an engineer, you trust the engineering of the bridge” or “this bridge has been here for almost a hundred years and nothing has ever happened” or “you’re strapped in by cable, you can’t fall and nothing bad is going to happen.” I’m glad I overcame my fear because it was a really cool experience. Overcoming fear doesn’t just come w a sense of accomplishment. It bleeds over into conquering other fears and makes you more confident in your abilities to handle challenging situations. Climbing a bridge may seem like a silly endeavor but it comes with a mindset that tells you that you are strong and can do more than you think. 

After the bridge climb, it was obviously time for some celebratory brews. Me and my uncle found a pub nearby called The Glenmore and shared a picnic table with some fellows from Germany. We chatted a bit but it was hard to understand them. Originally I wondered if it was because they were drunk but it might have just been more of a language barrier. Of course, it can always be both. Lol.

For dinner we went to Sydney’s oldest hotel (if you believe their sign), Lord Nelson Brewery and Hotel. I had some meat pie and we decided to call it a night after a long day of traveling and adventuring.