For Poppie "the Dude" on his 80th birthday

Dude, I'm missing ya so much but we'll celebrate when I return! Congrats!
A poem for my grandfather on his 80th birthday:
What is it to be 80?
A celebratory day it is.
You sure got a fine lady,
and of course loving grandkids.
80 years of hard earned growth,
and memories to live by,
travel, golf, and tons of food,
cooked in kitchens you designed!
A wizard with a pencil, a Shakespeare with words
a true Renaissance man (and great salesman, so I've heard)
Your love is felt by everyone,
A genuinely good man,
The spirit of your father lives in you,
(As you can tell I'm a big fan)
A clap of the hands and "lets go!"
signals ice cream for the dude
so on this day your 80th,
Remember, I LOVE YOU!

Nonnie: this one's for you!!

YAY! One - Eyed Jacks!! thanks so much for teaching me Nonnie!

Ya know what SUCKS!?

ALZHEIMER'S! I saw a presentation on the terrible disease and how hard it is on families, and it made me think (and realize I'm blessed to have a working mind!). here's what came out...

Here is a poem entitled (I think I'm John):

I've been told I have Alzheimer's.

But of course, I did not know.

It was a man that looked like me 

who came, like my memory, then goes.

I sit in the room i've spent my whole life

and see pictures of beautiful people.

I wonder where that sunset is from,

and who that couple is under the steeple.

A few times a day, the sun shines in my window, 

And I begin to hear the rhythm of music.

Suddenly, my feet start to tap

And memories, of all the fluzies, comes back.

but soon enough it fades away,

And I'm stuck wondering why I am here today.

But more importantly, what year is it?

And when again, will my mind mend,

and bring back that dancing light?

My name is Grover,

and I have...

WAIT! What is it called again?

I overhear the nuns in the other room, 

calling out to fellow slaves,

for their daily dose of life.

"Bernstein!? Where's John Bernstein!?"

There's a dire need for the King!

And then I notice that sun creep in, 

and right before it hits my face,

a knock fills my ears, and its place,

And I remember...

(in reflection to my poem)

"it is interesting writing from my perceived view as one with Alzheimer's. DAMN its a HEAVY situation! I cannot believe the impact it has on the family, let alone the man or woman. Dementia! Shit! My life's about..."

ya know what I miss?

BAGELS!!!!!

Rainy Day, Read Away!

Boy has it been raining! And I'm talking about non-stop, pouring rain for the past three days!  But don't worry... I'm floating along and having a good time. Since I am leaning towards my last month in Australia, and subsequently my final exams, I have been working on accomplishing my goals. Most of my time has been spent writing or playing music, or reading articles while doing research for my final papers. The rhythmic and calming sound of rain puts me to sleep at night and keeps in there in the mornings.  No travel-in for me over the two and half weeks...BUT I will be volunteering as a STAGE MANAGER at The Dreaming: Music and Aboriginal Culture Festival for three days in June. Oh, and after finals, and finishing up with my apartment lease, i'll be heading to New Zealand. So life right now is enjoyably monotonous, and anticipatory of a new adventure to come. My head is not as loose as it was a few days ago, and I'm feeling good about what I'm doing. But how are you? How is the world out there? You all know I don't read the news, or watch television right? It's not a proactive thing, I mean, I'm interested- I just dont have a tv here, and i guess I'm enjoying the simple life here in Australia. But, I'm not ignorant to the day when I return to the States. I know that I will be returning to a new, different America. And I hope my return brings successes in my future endeavors. But, I've many days till then, and much to do before I leave!

Write!

Ya know what I really cherish? FRIENDS. I am blessed to have wonderful friends who help ground me when I'm floating around too much in my head. Its these kinds of connections that really heighten the life experience. I am continually impressed with the different perspectives my friends give me- our brains truly are unique. One of the things I realized recently about my current path, is my tendency toward the medical field. YES Psychology involved biology, and sociology, and I really respect those that are knowledgeable about these fields. Theres SO much to learn, and I hope to continue learning more and more about how we function, and how that effects our interactions. I wish I had understood this notion earlier in my college career, although as they say, "better now than never!" So yea, today was a good day. Tomorrow i hope to actually DO something towards increasing my knowledge, and of course, continue to write....

Happy Mothers Day!

Happy Happy Mother's Day! To all my mothers (and there sure are many of you)- I hope you all know how much I love you. Yall have made me the young, growing man I am (today) and I appreciate your love and support so much. Life here in Brisbane is good. I am realizing things about myself, and about my time here that are both empowering, and thought-provoking. I have both experienced things I never thought I'd experience, and, on the other hand, have missed things I wanted to do. There is no doubt in my mind that my time here has been spent well. My eyes have seen the most beautiful skies and landscapes, and I have truly felt each moment as it passed. Yet I still (honestly) WISH I could do more. SEE more. LIVE more. I guess thats life though- I gotta get comfortable with the notion that there's always something more that can be done. So how do we feel content? What are we to do with the goals that have not been met? (yet) I have not been writing enough, and thus, have not been reflecting enough on my time here, and THUS, have not stayed connected with you- my family and friends. So. With this little message I hope to start writing more, reflecting more, and connecting more. You WILL hear from me tomorrow. oh, and since I live in the future for most of you North Americans, Monday is going to be great!

~MAX~

Where in the world is Max Einsohn?

Well my lovely readers, I am back. I have been on a long and wonderful journey over the past 12 days, and arrived this morning, tired, mind-boggled, and DIRTY. But, since I've been a little bit out of the picture over the past few weeks, i'll cue yall in to my life's happenings, leading up to my recent trip. Brisbane has been hot, but great, as I spend my days skateboarding around town (going to class of course), and my nights studying and playing music. My University classes are getting harder and midterms are coming up, but so far I have been doing well. I've got a few papers and presentations left to do befoer the semester wraps up, WHICH, by the way, happens in 6 weeks! It is crazy to think that I have been here for so long, yet not written much at all about my experiences. So let me get on that.

About two weeks ago, I headed to Melbourne to celebrate Pesach with my friend Sharon's Auzzie family. It was a great night with great discussion and even better food. I got to meet up with one of my close friends from Israel who happens to be working in Australia at this time- what a small world it is! We stayed with Sharon's cousin, who warmly opened her reptile-infested home to us, and even allowed us to feed her many snakes, lizards, and dare i say.... baby crocodile!!!!!!!!! Yes thats right folks- after being bitten by a snake here in the glorious Land Down Unda, I consciously fed a snake and witness the feeding of a live croc. It was a rush of adrenaline as I wasn't sure if the croc would accept his shrimp as a justified meal, or if I appeared better to him. Luckily, the croc was trained well (thanks Ann and Maura) and I still have all my fingers and toes. The next day we explored Melbourne another time and prepared for 2nd night sedar. This was one of the more EPIC sedars of my life. It's theme- Gangsta Sedar. It was a hilariously festive gathering of Jews and non-jews to tell the story of G-Dawg (God) and the Cappin' of the Thugs (Story of Passover). We all helped read the story of Passover, re-written of course, to gangsta-fy the celebration of our freedom. It really was a fun night, and we passed out, ready for the adventure ahead of us.

The next morning we woke up, packed the car, and headed on the road to the Queenscliff Annual Seafood Feast. Maura, Sharon, Eran and I were all ready to eat our share of 400 tons of seafood, but were kept in line for hours waiting to get in. So we ended up turning around, and continued on the Great Ocean Road, having PB and J for lunch instead (for those who don't know, and i hope that is none of you, PB and J is the glorious gourmet delicassy of a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwhich). We ended up driving along the South Eastern coast of Australia for most of the day, stopping off to take pictures of the 12 Apostles, Koalas, and the many of faascinating things Australia has to offer. We camped that night on the beach, and woke up to the sound of the morning tide rushing out to ocean. A great day 1.

The second day we woke up, packed our tent, and headed back down the Great Ocean Road to an old waterfall, that, since it hadn't rained in a while, was dry and thus EXPLORABLE! We hopped down the rocks and descovered a huge cave that was gorgeously eroded into a work of art. We spent time looking around the area, and were set on catching a sunset on the beach later that day. We arrived near Bells Beach, and the next morning, went to the Rip Curl Pro annual surf competition. The festival was full of surfers and family, and live music was being played as we watched the World's top surfers compete on wonderful swells. It was a nice way of topping of part 1 of the Great Australian Adventure, and later that day we headed back to Anns to get showered, and get to the aiport, in order to start part 2 of our great trip.

PART TWO: Exploring the Origins of Aboriginal Culture in Kakadu

We arrived in Darwin at 1 am, and jumped into our rental car. With nothing open and no place to sleep, we headed toward the Kakadu National Park in search of cave paintings, waterfalls, and of course, freshies (freshwater crocs). We arrived a few hours later, and grabbed a few Z's in the car until the heat of the morning woke us up. After stocking up on food and supplies, we ventured into the Outback to hike, camp, and view thousand year old Rock Art that explains much of Aboriginal culture. This area was fantastic. Amazing plains and plateaus spotted this wetland and although the mossies (mosquitos) feasted on our skin, we enjoyed the views our eyes saw, and the places our feet took us. We camped out one night and woke up to a car with a dead battery. Immediately, we flagged down a passing car, got a ride to the visitors center, and got the Park Ranger to give us a jump. I have to admit, i was scared for a moment of two that we would be stranded in the outback with little food and water, and worst of all... no cell service! But it ended up just being another aspect of the adventure, and we soon continued on to see the Aboriginal  spiritual sites. The Rock Art was amazing, and our last day was spent in freshwater pools created by waterfalls, high up on one of the plateaus. We ended up returning to Darwin early, checking out the botanical gardens and grabbing a few cold ones after roughing it in the bush. Dropping the car off at the airport, we lugged out backpacks into the domestic terminal, and slept (yes, we slept!) for 5 hours at gate 16. We woke up, boarded the plane, and headed to Perth, tired but ready for the west coast.

We arrived in the Perth airport mid day, and headed to Sharon's cousins home to coordinate dinner with her west coast family. Thank God Sharon has Auzzie family, or we would have spent a ton more money, and had a to have slept outside WAY MORE than we did. We were welcomed warmly, and after a little lunch, took a tour of the city and met up with all of Sharon's family for dinner. We had an authentic Barby (BBQ) that lasted 4 hours, and overwhelmed each other with stimulating conversation. The next day we went to the beach, which was wonderful as the majority of our trip prior to Perth was in a "Go! Go! Go!" fashion. We left the beach when the clouds covered the sun and it was too cold to stay, so we headed home and began to prepare for shabbat. This was no ordinary shabbat. We celebrated the Indian food-Skip Bo-Shabbat by cooking Indian food, playing a card game called Skip-Bo, and of course, it was Shabbat. It was a great end to a great day, and even better was the fact that the next day we would be rocking out for 14 hours. 

The rocking began at 8 am, when we dropped off the car, and rushed to the site of the West Coast Blues and Roots Festival, where we were volunteers for the day. We got our Green Team t-shirts, trashbags and were briefed, and headed out to keep the festival grounds clean. This experience was amazing, as Australians really do care about the environment. The entire day I received "Good onya Mate!" and "Thanks a lot for doing this" as I picked up cans and cups to be recycles. It was such a great experience, minus the one guy who drunkenly threw a can and hit me in the head (I promptly responded by giving him the death stare, which made him pick up the can and put in in my trashbag), and we got to see some great musicians and bands. The festival environment reflected the general vibe in Australia of celebrating life through supporting music and arts and everyone had contagious smiles on their faces. After our shift was over, we spent the rest of the night rocking out to Blues Traveler, Jason Mraz, John Butler Trip and Zappa Plays Zappa. These were STELLAR acts. AND I MEAN STELLAR. John Butler Trio changed my life and it was incredible to see Frank Zappa's music played live (and perfectly too!). It was the best "icing on the cake" I've had, and a wonderful end to a great adventure. The next day we went to the Perth Zoo, and packed up our stuff to return home. 

The trip was so great. It was exciting, fun, hard, and full of smelly moments that were forgotten by the amazing places we visited. I loved my Australian Adventure and am blessed to have seen so much of of this wonderful country.  I now am back in Brisbane, and back in school mode- as I have got to kick some arse on my upcoming midterms. Thanks again to my travel buddies and those who hosted us, and I'll be sure to keep yall posted on where in the world is Max Einsohn.

Much LOVE,

~MAX~

A lovely life...

Hello all! First let me apologize for not keeping you updated as frequently as I'd like. But a TON has been going on. Lets see. What to tell first? Let start off talking about Australia! This place is wonderful! The gorgeous natural habitats only reflect the gorgeous and wonderful people. Their saying "no worries" is more like a slogan than a lax response. Everyone lives here. I mean really LIVES. I think that Australians really do remember that you only live once, and go full-on every day, but don't work too hard. This work to live (instead of live to work) mindset is reflected in the store hours. MOST stores are open until 5 or 5:30. Malls close then, and some (not all) grocery stores stay open till 7:30. Banks are done (i mean lights out, locked door) by 4:30 each day. And then best part is... they start around 9 or 10 each morning!! So I believe we can generally say Aussies like to live, not work, and thus that is reflected in their relaxed culture. Plus, music and other arts are really celebrated and supported here, as I saw people dancing in the street the other day to the sweet sounds of a street musician. So cool!

OK. next part. FOOD.

Can I say that I have never been surrounded by so much ethnic food in my life? Argentina was quite a feast (a ton of bang for your buck), but Australia, well Australia has it all. When I walk home from school every afternoon my stomach is tempted with the savory smells of Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Greek, Deli, and Fusion restaurants.  And its not only one restaurant of each kind… its more like 4 of each kind! So, grandma, when you worry weather I am getting my healthy selection of fruits and veggies… WORRY NO MORE! Plus my tongue gets to go on a rollercoaster each night! I love cooking here- I recently have been trying to imitate the wonderful Indian and Thai dishes I tasted in my area.  (So far so good) I make a mean Chicken Vindaloo. Oh within the food-related sections… did I mention that they charge for condiments here?!!?! And if you know me, you know I’m all about the sauce baby. But recently I have been without my bbq, ranch, and even ketchup, as I am boycotting PAYING FOR CONDIMENTS. WHAT AND OUTRAGE!

So yea, Australia likes to get you with those kinds of restrictions. Another example is Internet. Here, they charge people by their usage, i.e. for 40 dollars a month I get 3 GB of Internet. Now I’m not the biggest downloader, and I’m not a youtube freak either…but come on! I can barely video-chat with my family with this low bandwith! So yea, they get you with Internet, phone and condiment usage- CUZ THEY KNOW WE NEED IT. I mean honestly. Who nowadays doesn’t use the Internet? And who can eat French fries without Ketchup?! I don’t want to live in a world without french-fries and ketchup. (minor tangent: ketchup is called tomato sauce here and pronounced with a think Aussie accent)

What else about this new place? One of the things I respect most about Australia is the fact that the oldest Indigenous humans in known history still practice their culture, in a reasonably preserved manor. It is fascinating to experience tradition that is 25,000 years old and still being continued today. But, Australia is a third world country, due to poverty and substance abuse issues, yet the whites still live in a Western world as if nothing was wrong. There is a lot of racism here, mostly toward the indigenous, which is WHACK because they were here before us!

 

Sorry to bring yall down, but I am currently learning about these social issues in my classes.

 

 

I love my courses. LOVE THEM.

they are challenging, high-level, no-longer-babying courses that analyze all

aspects of life. I am taking a biological psychology course that explains

the biological processes of everyday behavior and physiological actions. It

tries to explain that everything...

EVERYTHING is controlled by biological processes.

NOT TRUE.

I am also taking a Health Psychology course, which analyzes health behaviors

through psychological, social, and environmental factors.

This class is the complete opposite of my bio class as it suggests that

there are more factors involved than just biology when describing behavioral

situations. We are currently studying the mind-body connection, which is so

cool, as I continue to meditate, and be aware of what my body tells me. My

project is on pain management and hypnosis (or stress management and

meditation.... haven't chosen yet).

I'm taking a course called Cross Cultural History, which challenges the

accounts that make up our history by analyzing the contact zone.

i.e. who what when and where of the exchange between two or more cultures.

we are currently analyzing the colonization of the United States, and how

Indigenous Americas (Native Americans) were impacted (mostly by the death of

over 80% of the population due to the diseases the whities brought over).

This is a very interesting class because it encourages deep analyzation,

skepticism of our known history, and looking at a situation from multiple

perspectives. I love this kinda stuff.

My last class is called Group and Organizational Behavior. It is a business

class that analyzes groups and group behavior (to become more efficient),

which is great for me at this time, as I am trying to develop a team of

musicians. I say TEAM instead of BAND because (if we choose to) we will

consciously work towards success through music through a team lens... each

person giving their part to add to the group's success. Last night we

studied teams- did yall know we call the majority of groups teams because

(psychologically), the members will perform better because its a "team" not

just a "group." Interesting.

Hmm What else? Oh yea! I moved from my on campus accommodation to a better place. Ah the rollercoaster of life. I am finally settled in a wonderful apartment

in an area of Brisbane called West End. Think the drag in Austin meets

Greenwhich Village. TONS of cafe's, bars, funk shops and music venues, and i

can walk to anywhere i need to go. To get to class I walk to the Cultural

Center Bus Stop (15 minutes) and take a single bus to campus. I am so happy

to be in a better place.

West End has a small community feel, where you walk down the street waving

at people you see everyday, and street musicians (buskers) conjure up sounds

that make people dance in the street. Literally.

Attached are pictures of my place (not yet Fung-Shweyed). I have a living

room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, and my own little porch. I sit outside

every morning as the day (and I) awake and it is such a comfortable area to

play/write music, eat, converse, and host all my cool Ozzy friends! Last

week was our first shabbat.  we had Tacos!!!!

I look forward to creating a home-away-from home, in this lovely country.

 

Anywho life is great and I am working extremely hard until pesach, where I

head to Melbourne to celebrate. After that I continue to discover mainland Australia as I head to Darwin and Perth!

I love you all so very very much and will talk, video chat, or email soon,

~MAX~

 

 

And School Begins!

Back to the real world! Not to say I didn't work in Argentina... but my schooling will be quite different than that of last semester. I am taking post graduate courses!!! I am so excited about the challenge, and optimistic about my ability to compete at the graduate level. Brisbane is SUCH a cool place, with interesting, funky parts filled with cafe's, bars, and wonderful food. There is live music everywhere, and soon I will become a Brisbane Busker. A Busker is one who plays on the street for money, and from what I've seen, are supported greatly by Australians and other travelers. I am getting settled and accustomed to the Brisbane transport system-There are separate lanes for busses, making them incredibly efficient and on time. Although sometimes the bus drivers are not as accommodating to foreigners as they are trying to keep schedule (pronounced shed-ule here).  But i have to say I have never lived or experienced a place with people who are as courteous, happy, and helpful as those in Brisbane. Ever single person thanks the bus driver for bringing them to their destination. Ninety Nine percent of the people here would stop what they're doing just to help you with directions, or suggestions, and everyone loves that I came from Texas to the land down unda! This would NOT happen in the states...yet being the operative word. 

Music is going well, and I will be recording all my songs over the next few months, while continuing on the path of writing. Practice Practice Practice!

Well, I will update more once I find a place to lay my head permanently, and please know I am safe, happy, and enjoying my classes.

I miss you all so much and please please stay in contact!

~MAX~

When I say adventure... I mean it!

Well after a lovely month of travel through the Tasmanian south, blazing Melbourne, fly-infested Uluru, and gorgeous waterfall-clad Northern Queensland, I have arrived in Cairns. LIMPING, but ok and safe in Cairns a day before orientation. As you can see in the above photo, I was bitten by a snake while walking in the Bush on my tour through the Tablelands in Northern Queensland. Let me assure you that I am ok, and now after we all  have taken a deep breath... Let me tell you how I survived a snake bite in Australia (HOME OF THE 7 DEADLIEST SNAKES IN THE WORLD!)  

Sharon and I had spent the past few days making our way through the waterfall circuit, a series of waterfalls sprinkled within 150Km of Cairns. We had seen 12 of the 17 waterfalls and were continuing along in our adventure when we realized we passed 13 and 14. Determined to catch them all, we returned with more keen eyes and scoped out the 750m walking path to the two waterfalls. Excited, we jumped out of the car to walk the short distance to the falls, only about a 10 minute hike through the Australia bush. About 8 minutes into their walk, Max felt a crushing pain in his right foot, and thinking he accidently kicked a sharp piece of wood, continued (limping) toward the waterfall. Quickly he realized, from the immediate lightheadedness, feelings of intoxication, and two pin sized blood marks on his foot, that he had been bitten by a snake...in Australia. Trying not to panic, he turned to his travel buddy and sternly told Sharon, "Sharon, I think I have been bitten by a snake and we need to return to the car immediately and get help." Haha. When I think about that situation from Sharon's perspective, I realize she must have been freaking out. I mean I could've died and she would've had to watch, and be all alone in the Australian Bush....Crazy thing this life is. Anyway, we (STUPIDLY) walked the 500m back to the car and headed to the nearest town to call the ambulance. The ride took about 20 minutes, and Max began to realize that if he wasn't dead 30 minutes after a snake bite, he'd probably live and be ok. Usually if its a poisonous snake one has 3 to 15 minutes until their body shut down. Arriving into town and going straight to the CLOSED medical center, Max called the emergency line (000 here in Australia) and got an ambulance to come make sure he would survive this crazy turn in his Australian Adventures. As it turns out Max was ok, but after that scare, he decided to return from the bush and lie low for a few days prior to beginning school. 

I have spent the last two days resting and trying to be as conscious of my body as I can be (MOTHER). I am feeling fine, and in a way excited that I survived a snake bite in Australia. Makes for a cool story. I have learned to always hike with hiking boots and not sandals (Although I love my Chacos, so I may not ALWAYS hike with boots...) and to make a lot of noise when bushwalking to scare any asshole snakes away from me as I cross this great land. 

Australia is amazing. Incredible. Phenomenal. The people here are so wonderful and the landscape is gorgeous. I am loving being outside, exploring all that Australia has to offer, and letting snakes suck on my feet. Thank God I was not seriously hurt, and let the adventure continue. 

DID I NOT TELL YOU I WAS GOING ON AN ADVENTURE!!!

Tassy Adventures by Sharon & Max

It was 7:28pm when Max picked Sharon up at the tiny Hobart airport. Max had rented a car and shopped for all the essentials before Sharon arrived, so they began their adventures stocked up and on the right foot. Leaving the airport they met Martin who was playing his drums on the side of the road. Max pulled out his guitar and they whipped out a funky jam while the sun set behind the mountains. After checking into their hostel, they enjoyed dinner with calamari and salmon, topping it off with a bottle of wine. They roamed around the streets of Hobart and after some minor shoe drama, they celebrated the beginning of their adventures at Irish Murpheys Pub. The next afternoon, they met Kat and Claire and made their way to St Imre Vineyards in Dover. Max and Sharon are working for Kat and Paul in exchange for free room and board in their lovely home. Claire is another helper staying from Taiwan- she's super cool.

(Alright now we are tired of talking in 3rd person. The following is recorded at 3:49 pm on Monday, February 2nd, 2009. We just learned of the Steelers 35 second touchdown to take down the Cardinals! It's too bad no one cares about the Super Bowl in Australia because it wasn't playing on any channels! Now back to our adventures...)

For the past week, we have been waking up for breaky (breakfast) at 9 followed by 4 hours of various tasks around the vineyard/farm. These include picking and planting potatoes, picking fruit, cleaning the house, and tending to the grapevines. After a late lunch, we spend the afternoon hiking and exploring the town. We were even lucky enough to get time off to discover Hartz Peak, Hastings Caves and "Thermal Springs," and the most magnificent.. Cockle Creek (the furthest south you can drive on Tasmanian roads). From there, we had to walk 2 hours to the southernmost tip of Australia. It can only be reached by foot and you can stand facing Antarctica with only the Great Southern Ocean between. So gorgeous. We ended the day with a nice Australia barby (BBQ to you septos.. Australians call Americans septos because it comes from septic tank which rhymes with yank as in yankie). We worked hard today cleaning the house and unfortunately only have 3 days left with Kat and Paul.We've been enjoying their food, conversation, intelligence, and company so much it will be hard to leave such wonderful people. Luckily Claire will be living and studying in Brisbane too, so we can still see her when we return in late February.

After Tassy we will continue to Melbourne (to catch a few shows) for the weekend and then visit Alice Springs. Alice Springs is in the center of Australia and is a sacred area to aboriginal communities. It's also one of the best places for stargazing in the world because it is so far from any city lights. We are so blessed and excited to see a completely different view of the universe! After a hopefully spectacular sunrise at Uluru Rock, we plan to head to Cairns for more adventures. We will be meeting the rest of the students from our study abroad program in Cairns, February 15th to begin Orientation and the school part of our Australian experience.

We are both healthy, well and loving hiking and being outside in this incredibly gorgeous part of the world. We are blessed to have this opportunity of exploration and growth and are taking every advantage to connect with the land, culture and wonderful people of Australia. More to come over the next 5 months,
~Max and Sharon~
P.S. Sharon will be setting up a travel blog as soon as she reunites with her computer when school begins... so this is really Max's Travel Blog, but currently being used to let both of our family and friends "in the know" with our adventures. Dont worry grandmas, we are wearing bug spray and suntan lotion!
All the love!

AUSTRALIA!!

Oh my gosh. After having such an incredible time with my Aunt in Cairns, and a terrible beginning to my time in Melbourne, things are starting to shape up. IT IS CRAZY HOW LIFE CAN TAKE YOU ON A ROLLERCOASTER- its all about the ebb and flow. This morning I had problems with my baggage and had to check my guitar... NOT COOL in my book, as my guitar is as precious to me as well, you know. Then, when i arrived in Melbourne, I found that there were no spaces in ANY hostels! Luckily I found a space and after dropping off my stuff, walked around with my guitar strapped to my back. Smiles passed me on the street (did i mention this is the happiest place i've ever been to??!!) and i ended up going to the Melbourne Observation tower, a lookout point overlooking the entire city. It was sunset, so I took my guitar out, and played two songs. Then, people started listening, and asked for more, so I ended up playing 6 songs, with people's video cameras rolling, and a gorgeous Australian sunset as my background...in the highest point in the city. IMAGINE THAT!!! It was a great experience and it really really encouraged me to continue playing ALL THE TIME. The experience also made me realize how much potential there is here, as it is an English-speaking country, with many international travelers (all good things). Anyway, I'm on a lovely high right now and am hoping to grab a beer at one of the hundreds of pubs in town. All is well here as the adventure continues.
P.S. the videos from the observation deck will be on youtube in a few weeks, and will be titled "Katilin's Melly Lookout Jam."

~MAX~

WOW how time flies!

Well, it has been a month. And already I am starting to say goodbye to home, friends and family as I begin part two of this school year's journey. I can't believe what I have done, and what I am about to do. I am so grateful for my time in Argentina. I learned so much about travel, life, and what kinda life I want to live, and now I will exercise what I learned in Australia. I am taking with me less STUFF, but more tools to be more successful. I have been given the gift of mediation, a gift I hope to use as I grow and become more balanced. I also have been developing my musical career, and will be recording and writing over the next 6 months- Stay tuned. I also have been given 100,000 miles to get to the other side of the world. With that comes 1,000,000 opportunities for growth as I strive to reach 10,000 hours of practice. I don't yet feel like I have expectations or goals, as I am taking each day as it comes. I hope to stay healthy as i explore, and hope to be aware of the world as it changes and impacts me. Who are the Aussies? Who am I? only time and experience will tell. Estoy listo! Vamos a ver!!!!

till next time, place, and realization,

~Max Jared Einsohn~