When your best friend gets married...

It's a good time.

A real good time.

All photos courtesy of the amazing Paige Budde [fellow Houston blogger!]. Visit her site at Awake Photography!

 Yes, I was plotting to catch the bouquet [and failed].

Yes, those are Twelfth Man Towels [whoop!]

Yes, I have eight more weddings to attend this year.

When I learned that I am bad at water sports

My flight out of Perth didn't leave until late at night, so what better way to spend my last hours than on a boat?

The Swan River looks like a lake, but maybe I'm just bad at recognizing bodies of water.

Also, it's a salt water river. This Texan was confused.

However, this meant that we got to see dolphins!

This also means that sharks sometimes sneak into the river.

I cast aside my fears and tried my hand [or legs] at water skiing. 

Ehhhhh.

I am not the most naturally athletic person, but I am also pretty competitive and stubborn. I gave myself three tries to get up so that I would not spend too much time embarrassing myself.

Let's just say that after three tries I was back on the boat sunbathing.

Will says my effort was good and that I pretty much got up on my second try. I am determined to do better next time!

Wine and chocolate and cheese...oh my!

Our resort was in...wait for it...wine country.

Seriously, there were wineries every 5 kilometers. You could spend a week doing nothing but visiting wineries every day and still not see them all. Australian wine country is no joke!!

Since Will was our driver and it's no fun being wine tipsy alone, we settled for three wineries.

And a chocolate factory.

And a cheese shop.

I was a happy girl.

There was also frequent stopping at gorgeous beaches because that's what you do in Australia.

These cow statues were EVERYWHERE in a town called Cowaramup [where the cheese shop was]. Makes sense.

So I was obviously too busy drinking wine and eating to take pictures of actual wineries, aside from the last one we visited. It not only had stunning, perfectly manicured gardens and the second largest flag in Australia, but also amazing food. 

I can't wait to go back and perhaps do a full day wine tour on a party bus. Sounds dangerous and fun, hey??

That time I was convinced I'd be eaten by a shark

As a little treat, we decided to drive down south to stay at a resort for a couple of days.

Confession: I've never been to a resort.

It was all kinds of perfect, and probably not a typical resort. It was quiet, full of older people, and very nature-y. But our dwelling was called a villa and there were fancy fountains and an infinity pool, so that's resort enough in my book!

Oh, and there was free, DELICIOUS breakfast. Can I go to resorts all the time?

We lazed on the beach, snorkeled, and went fishing.

Let's talk about snorkeling in Australia.

Snorkeling is cool. You see fish, you breathe under water, and you feel like a fish.

In Australia, you do all that while feverishly looking out for great white sharks.

I was doing just fine until we decided to explore around some coral...where the water suddenly got deep.

Oh hell no.

I may have had a mild panic attack.

However, I was able to calm myself while Will pointed out some very cool tropical fish. Then I promptly got out of the water. 

Fishing was much safer, and we each caught two tropical fish friends! 

Fun fact: I later found out that there have been shark attacks in the exact area we were in.

If you find yourself in Western Australia and are looking for a gorgeous place to stay with good service, good food, clear clear clear watered beaches, and out of this world sunsets, I recommend the Pullman Resort at Bunker Bay. 

...but don't swim out too far.

PERTHect

Clever title, I know.

The majority of my trip was spent in the state of Western Australia. The Aussie boyfriend lives in Perth, though we spent a lot of our time exploring south of the city.

Simply put, I loved Perth. LOVED it. 

It's gorgeous, which is always a fine attribute for a city to have. 

Not only are there pristine beaches with the clearest water you'll ever see, there is also the Swan River that runs through the city. 

Though there are almost 1.5 million residents, it feels like a small town. This was something I could appreciate, hailing from a city with a similar feel.

Also, there are no freeways [at least not in the way my Houston-dwelling self is used to]. Shock horror!

I could easily live in a city like this and just be a beach bum for all time.

Saying it was hard to leave is an understatement.

Oh, and there were meat pies and cider everywhere. Win.

Meat pie + perfect weather = Alex's happy place

Did I mention one of my BFFs happened to be in Perth at the same time? Well, she was.

This doesn't do the sunsets justice.

On the [Aussie] Farm + a wedding

I got back from Australia on Sunday evening and am still jet lagged.

Ambien is my friend.

It was an incredible trip. I'm obviously a little biased, but I do love that country [continent...whatever].

The trip began with a visit back to the farm in Victoria for a wedding weekend.

Let me tell you, friends, Aussies know how to do weddings.

The reception was held in a giant tent in the garden, and it may or may not have ended at 5 am the next morning.

This American made it until about 3, though numerous cans of Bundaberg rum and coke prevent me from knowing the exact time.

I had  fabulous time and feel so lucky to be a part of all this.

 

A Kelpie puppy named Boots. Also, please note my authentic Aussie work shirt.

This is the hut. It's sole purpose is for parties. That's Australia for you!

One week...

And I'll be here

Excitement levels are getting out of hand.

Plans while Down Unda:

1. Attend a wedding and show what a fantastic wedding guest I am [i.e. show off my dance moves and ability to drink mass quantities of champagne]

2. Spend time on the beach and come back with a tan

3. Eat lots of meat pies and Cheezels

4. Not get eaten by a shark