Finding pieces of Tennessee 9,943 miles away

When I was discussing the beauty of Sydney, Australia with our fearless leader Dr. Miller, I mentioned that I missed the mountains. The Smokey Mountains are like secret paradises for my family. Almost every weekend we would make the winding drive up the steep slope and to the top of Hideaway mountain, where our perfect little cabin overlooked the vast valley. The mountains remind me of times spent with my family just laughing and enjoying each other while getting away from the business of everyday life and admiring creation. I think this is one of the reasons I was almost moved to tears by the sight of the Blue Mountains.

I have already talked about how beautiful Australia is many times, but nothing compared to the view of the Blue Mountains. I felt like what I was looking at was not real and instead was an amazing painting. I could so clearly see the hand of God in the creation of the miraculous scenery. Our first stop on the Blue Mountains trip was to see some wild kangaroos and joeys. Next, we hiked to Jamison Valley, which was an amazing lookout place. It was an astonishing clear day and we had a perfect view of all of the cliffs, valleys, and the Three Sisters. I was completely speechless and still feel like I am now while trying to describe it. After staring unbelieving at the view for a long while, we continued our hike to Pulpit Rock. The view was again breathtaking. The mountains seem to go on forever and we all tested this theory by yelling a classic southern “yeehaw” and having the echo clearly relayed back to us for several seconds. To fight the heat of the day, our next hike was to Wentworth falls where people were swimming and repelling through a waterfall. Our last stop was Lincoln rock, where we were all standing on a huge cliff that overlooked the whole canyon. There was a spectacular view every direction that we faced and there could not have been a better end to the day.

Being back in the mountains made me recognize small parts of Tennessee in Australia. The Blue Mountains trip helped me to feel connected to my home while living on the other side of the world. It has opened my eyes and helped me discover little pieces of Tennessee and myself all over Australia and I feel comforted in the closeness of it all. I know that my experiences here in Australia and the people I have met will impact my life and will be a part of the global village that I carry with me, always connecting me back to the experiences I have had and the interconnectedness I have achieved.

Cheers,
Victoria