Well, friends, we did return home safely - with brief goodbyes at the airport (hey, we'd just spent a month together!) we went our separate ways for sleep, time with friends and family, and Mexican food. We slowly but surely returned the routines of our lives - all the while knowing that we were somehow forever changed by this incredible experience.

Our first reunion came just about a month after our return, when GSE Chairman Bryon Harrington gave us our GSE pins. This was a moment we'd been waiting for since our training, when we were told we'd need to EARN those pins. We certainly did, and that first reunion brought lots of stories and laughter.


Then, just a few short weeks after that, we headed to our district's conference to present a small slice of our experiences. There was no way we could possibly share our entire story in 20, or 30, minutes, but we gave it our best shot - we're pretty sure our Aussie lifesaver shirts gave us magical words and plenty of self-confidence. (It COULD be the fact that we'd just practiced public speaking for a month straight. Or it could be the shirts. Hard to tell.)


Our host district gave an incredible gift to our team leader Dan - a Paul Harris fellowship. Tears came to our eyes as we watched him receive this well-deserved gift, and a special visit, via video, from Rob and Wendy back in Australia wrapped up a great experience. We are so fortunate to have been a part of this team!


Our time since that district conference has been busy with regular daily lives and not enough visits to each other. But we DID get a special visit from some of our Aussie friends, Des and Bronwyn. They were visiting the Grand Canyon, so Larry, Jennifer and Mariel headed up to visit with them for the day. Kristen wanted desperately to join them, but was starting her new job that very day. So, she sent the group off with her best wishes and made plans to meet the GSE team for dinner that night in Flagstaff. Surprise of surprises - the group brought Des and Bronwyn with them to Flagstaff!! A dinner filled with great Mexican food and good margaritas, and stories and laughter until our tummies hurt, was a perfect reunion.


We miss Australia every day - and our promise to everyone we met, to the beautiful coincidences that brought us together there, is that we continue to live the lessons we learned there. We've said it before and we'll say it again - THANK YOU!

Ballina/Yamba

Rob!!  We were all very excited to see Rob again...at the House With No Steps.  Rob was our coordinator and one of the people that greeted us when we landed in Australia. 

Crazy Girls; Rob & Raffle Jenn 

We had our presentation the first night in Ballina, our last club presentation.  The end really was just around the corner and we started to become a little emotional.  Kristen proudly served as sgt, while Jennifer helped to sell raffle tickets.  We were excited to share our experiences and enjoyed a wonderful meeting.

Team at Last Club Presentation, Ballina

The next morning we spent time at the Alstonville Flower Farm before heading off to Conference.  We learned a lot about the bulb and flower process and enjoyed a yummy morning tea.  The visit was very informational!

Flower Farm

Our roadtrip to Yamba was set to new music, Angus and Julia Stone, thanks to Rob.  We told stories and enjoyed the trip down.  Once we arrived, we were in awe of the scene across the street (the beautiful ocean)!  We settled in and dressed in our beachware for the evening, and then headed down the big hill to the Conference. 

Yamba and Ballina Beaches

Walking into the room was amazing!  Everywhere we looked we saw familiar faces and we had a difficult time knowing where to sit!  What do you do when your family fills the room?!!

Peter & Jayne Deane (raffle winners); GSE Meeting (with MO); Team; Jenn & Mariel

We enjoyed a wonderful evening with old friends!  We awoke early the next morning, ready to give our final presentation.  Wow, that's weird to say.  Our Conference presentation went well, with memories shared and many many thank you's.  Words will never be enough, but we could feel the love in the room!  We continued to enjoy the rest of the weekend, taking in presentations by other groups and speakers.  It was very inspirational!

Catching up with Coomera & Murwillumbah

After the Conference, it was time to head back to Ballina and the end of our adventure.  We enjoyed an evening with our host families, and began the task of packing and repacking.  Some of us also met Australia creatures up close and personal, including a spider the size of a hand!!

Australian Creatures

And the last day was upon us.  Our last day could not have been more perfect.  We spent the morning enjoying the absolutely beautiful Ballina beaches!  The weather tried to deter us, but we were determined to live up our last day.   

Beach Day Happiness

We had the opportunity to see Rescue boats up close (no, not in the water!!), and then continued on toward Byron Bay.  Our time there was quick, but just another wonderful part of our day.  Lunch took us back into Ballina, where Larry was up to his usual tricks. 

Coaster Tricks (including Larry staring them down prior to); JennTrying; Team Laughing

After lunch, we continued Beach Day with four wheeling on the beach, and a little play time.  It started so innocently, but then it was time for everyone to get wet!!

More Beach Day Good Times

It was then time to clean up and get ready for our last bbq goodbye dinner.  All these goodbye dinners, all these special moments.  And the final one was upon us!  Now that's a mouthful.

Ballina Goodbye; Jam Sessions

We wrapped up the evening with special gifts that were token reminders of our time in Australia.  Many "things" came home with us to remind us of our adventure, but what we carry in our hearts and souls is what will truly remind us of our once-in-a-lifetime experience.





Hope Island

We met for morning tea, ironically at a Lions park.  Another meeting, another new family.  And family we did become!  We enjoyed every moment we spent with our new hosts, including many many laughs.  Our first night allowed for time to get to know our individual hosts and to learn more about our upcoming days together.  We were all very excited about the new adventure.

Jenn & Sue

We began our mornings with vocational visits, once again learning about all the similarities and differences in our professions.  Very interesting!

Then we started our afternoon on top of the city!  Q1 brought breathtaking views, funny photo booth moments, and many memories.  We couldn't believe how quickly we reached the top and we spent a lot of time exploring the many different views from every window.  It is amazing to "just be" in those experiences.

Team at Q1

Gold Coast Bulletin awaited us later in the afternoon and we marveled at the newspaper process.  We were overwhelmed by all the machines!  It was truly a new experience to see how much it really takes to produce a newspaper.  Ear plugs were necessary and we enjoyed all the information provided by our tour guide.  Dan especially appreciated the experience, as it was a vocational visit for him.

Gold Coast Bulletin

We finished out our busy day with a lovely dinner with our many new friends.  Laughs were in abundance!  The next morning we had the unbelievable opportunity to visit the Performance Driving Centre.  This was a great time!!

Holden Performance Driving Centre

We enjoyed an afternoon at the winery, learning about the process of winemaking.  We have definitely learned that what we think might be simple to make can be quite the process.  The learning curve is huge!!

At the Winery

Sunday morning allowed for a variety of activities for our team, including paddle surfing.  We don't like to brag, but we might just be pros.  Ok, that is a lie, but we had a fantastic time!  A couple of us enjoyed an afternoon at the beach, including a quick beach nap.  Now that is the way to spend an afternoon!!  We all also decided that we LOVE lemon lime and bitters!

Lemon Lime and Bitters is YUMMY!!

The evening allowed for another goodbye bbq.  We were getting good at these, but they definitely didn't get any easier!  We had a casual presentation to share about us and our experiences.  The atmosphere allowed us to really "show" our true colors, and no one ventured to present poolside.  Our team likes to laugh and the possibility of someone going in the pool was a little too likely!

As our time came to an end, we also began to realize just how quickly the experience would all be over.  We started to really try to take in each and every moment (which we had already been doing, but the end was becoming a reality)!  The next morning called for another goodbye, but we were happy to know that some of our new friends would be at Conference!!

Team with our Hosts

Thanks, Hope Island!

WE HAVE RETURNED!

That's right, the team is home. Please be patient with us as we gather our wits (jet lag is BRUTAL, and we're very proud of Larry for starting back to work the day after our return), and we'll continue to post pictures and stories of our reflections. It seems that we haven't had any time to process the magnitude of our experience quite yet, and now that we're home, we'll continue to discover exactly what this trip has meant to us.

THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this trip possible - stay tuned!

subtle similarities

by Larry Horton

Australians drive on the wrong side of the road and talk funny but the subtle differences go far beyond the water draining the other way.

First let’s talk about the energy use. Here an electrical outlet is called a power point and each power point has a little switch above it. If you plug something in to the power point the electricity won’t begin to flow until you also switch the power point on. So for all the outlets not in use they are turned off.

And laundry is called washing. But don’t expect to have your clothes dried in a dryer. Sure, Aussies have dryers but every house I’ve stayed in along the coast or in the country uses clothes lines. I haven’t put my clothes on a line at any time in my life that I remember but it really does make so much sense especially in Arizona where it’s so dry and hot.

What we would commonly refer to as a restroom is preferably called a toilet here. The toilets are another opportunity to save water. Each actual toilet has two flushes: a low water flush and a normal water flush. So if you’re just going to urinate, you only need to use the low water flush. Anything else you want to do... well there’s the normal water flush. We have these in the US as well but here there is not a toilet that has only a single flush whereas in the states, a dual flush is the exception, not the rule.

When people eat here, they simply turn their forks over and there is no complicated unnecessary hand utensil switching. Where koozies where a fad back in the states, they are a staple here. A stubbie holder or stubbie cooler is standard with a nicely chilled bottle of brew.

It’s strange how both countries speak English yet sometimes we’re not speaking the same language. I slowly began to notice themes like Australians are Aussies, breakfast is brekky, a biscuit is a bikky, rugby football is footy, sunglasses are sunnies, and Tazmania is simply Tazzy. Then there are the words that are the same but mean something totally different. The trunk of a car is a boot. As a police officer I go on radio calls, here constables go on jobs. A power outlet is a power point. Laundry is washing. Restrooms are toilets. A bottle of beer is a stubbie. Men’s speedo briefs are budgie smugglers. Any truck is a ute. Then there are terms that have no US alternative like smoko which is morning tea. I hope my teammates comment further and contribute to the other terms I've missed.

But at the end of the day these differences are purely pedestrian. If I was a Boston Southie I might feel the same about the way a person from New Orleans Bayou and they way they talk. I struggle to remember all of the terms and little differences but it is easy for me to recall the fellowship and hospitality. Good people are good no matter where they come from, North or South of the Equator. I’ve recently discovered that Rotary has this amazing power to shrink the size of our planet and it is comforting to know that what I read in the world news section might not be the best representation of Earth. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to share my part of the world with the new friends I’ve made from Down Under.

Lismore


We are starting to realize our trip is quickly coming to an end. Lismore is one of our final stops before we have to say our final sad goodbyes and rejoin the real world were we will go back to our jobs, family, and friends.

Lismore has been another fabulous experience. We were meet by the Lismore Rotary team at the Salt Bar Resort. We traveled to Lismore to see more of the lush green countryside.

Tuesday we had another vocational day, which everyone enjoyed. The rest of the day we enjoyed local cultural at the Mecca cafe and then walking through the town of Nimbin. Nimbin was very different then any other part of Australia we have seen. It is a hippie town, very colorful and quiet. We enjoyed shopping in the little shops then having a cup of tea.

One of the best parts of the trip is our fantastic BBQs we have in every town. This is the time where we are able to mingle with other rotarians and create the friendships we all value.

Our last full day in Lismore, we had the chance to see a Cattle sale. Unlike anything we have ever done before. In Glenn Innes we went to the cattle sale after it was over. This morning in the misting rain we saw the ranchers working hard to get the best cattle for their buck. We also enjoyed traditional Aborignal food at GunnaWannaBe. We were taught about the Aborignal cultural and ate kangaroo and fish.


One more stop... Next up... Ballina/Yamba!

Warwick Welcome

by Larry Horton

If I recall correctly, none of the team has ever sold cattle. Farming might have made a brief cameo in some of our pasts but when Dutchy introduced us to his brother who made a li

ving in the sale of cattle, many of us w

ere seeing country life in a whole new way. The nuances of the process of sorting cattle,

weighing them, auctioning them

, and delivering them to the buyers can be a bit overwhelming for city folks. But everyone working at the cattle auction had the operation running

smoothly.

As we left Glenn Innes, we were given the opportunity to see how their club has improved their community. Several years ago, before the popularity of efforts such as Susan G Komen Race For the Cure, the Glen Innes Rotary Club

pooled their resources and unified surrounding clubs in District 964

0 to provide the first ever mobile Breast Cancer Screening Unit to the district and surrounding areas. The project is a testament to what several clubs coming together can do to save lives.

On the way to Warwick, Queensland, your GSE 5510 team took a little diversion to Italy by way of the Angelo & Mary Puglisi Winery in Stanthorpe. Angelo is an Italian in Australia who takes advantage of the wonderful climate and elevation of the valleys on the way to Warwick by continuing his family's tradition of making wonderful wines. Today, the fields within the

vineyards are home to an annual Opera in the Park. It was at this location, the team met their new host club, Warick Sunrise Rotary Club, for

the first time. A good illustration of the jovial reception could be seen when Jenn worked her magic on Angelo with her impression of an

Italian accent. The educational wine tour was full of information and notable quotes. The tour finished with a delicious lunch and a sampling of five different fine wines from the Estate. Angelo and Mary, thank you for your hospitality and generosity.

As we all got in our various cars to head towards Warwick we stopped for a quick afternoon coffee, or smoko, and waited out the rain. The team was delivered to their various

host families and the evening closed.

The following morning the team embarked on vocational visits. Kristen headed out to an Australian wildlife careers property where she

was hugged by several wallabies and kangaroos

which were being rehabilitated. Jennifer and Mariel visited Warwick West State School and I spent some time with the Queensland Police. My stay included attending a team meeting or briefing with the general duties (patrol) constables followed by some road time with the highway section.

The team met back up for fish and chips downtown for lunch and then went on a walking tour of the city of Warwick. Once again, Bruce and John lead the way and highlighted the beautiful sandstone that is Warwick's signature within its architecture. The sunny warm weather eventually lead us to a break for smoothies and a little sit down before heading back to the host families to prepare for the evening's meeting.

Typically, Warwick Sunrise has their meeting on Thursday morning. On this humid Tuesday evening the GSE team had a special dinner arranged and were fortunate enough to share not only with other nearby clubs but also with Matt, the Brazilian Rotary exchange

student who would be heading home in only a few days. After a tasty dinner to some guitar music in the club house of a local golf course we

laughed as a young 12 year old recited humorous poetry from memory before we gave our GSE presentation. He was certainly a hard act to follow but once again I was so proud to be part of this team as we presented. There were a lot of laughs in the question and answer session immediately following. At the end of the meeting, Matt joined our team in a cake cutting ceremony commemorating the GSE visit and the farewell to Matt.

The team was able to see a little bit of the rebellious side of Warwick Sunrise on Wednesday when we all piled into to various off road vehicles and went 4x4 driving up the Condamine Gorge near Killarney. I'm not sure about the rest of the team but even though the Nissan ute (pronounced yoot, another word for SUV) was very capable, I couldn't help but get a little nervous through some of the river crossings as the water crept up and over the running boards. But we were all safe and dry as we negotiated mud and elevation to get some

spectacular views of the lush, green, Australian countryside. As we finished a wonderful lunch delivered to us at a park at the top of Queen Mary Falls we took a short hike to see the water fall. The hike back up reminded me of how well I've been eating on this adventure as well as how long it's been since I've done any real exercise. It seems as though every day brings new experiences and amazing sites to see. In a conversation I had with, Dan, we talked about how neither of us had been off-roading before even though it happens all the time throughout Arizona. If it's as fun as it was this time, I will definitely be looking for more off-road trips back home.

After look out points and Lorikeets, we returned to Warwick and club president, Kieran Doherty, was gracious enough to invite those who wished to attend to a BBQ at his house. It was a great way to unwind the day and laugh with new friends. The sky was clear and we pointed to the Southern Cross constellation hanging in the sky for only the second time since

we've been here. Another one of the night's highlights was explaining the differences between policing in Australia and policing in the USA, specifically how to field sobriety tests are administered.

We just got here and it's already time to go. The team attended the weekly Rotary meeting for Warwick Sunrise and had brekky (breakfast). The meeting was a great way for us to close our time here and as you would expect was filled with laughs followed closely by fines. Once again, we moved luggage from one car to the next and were off to our next club. The exchange was to happen in Boonah. After a morning coffee at the small bakery along the way we eventually met the Hope Island club at the Lions Park. Yup, you read that right and to prove it we made sure to have photographic evidence. Both clubs had a good laugh about the meeting spot, especially since there was a Rotary Park in Boonah. The GSE 5510 team would like to thank Warwick Sunrise club for a wonderfully unforgettable time. We look forward to seeing you at the district conference in Yamba.

In the photo from left to right, me, President Kieran Doherty, Kristen, Phil Strang, Mariel, Bruce, Dan, Donna Stephens, and Jenn.