Australia

During the winter break of my freshman year of college, I set off on a trip across Asia before continuing on to Australia. I arrived in Melbourne from the Philippines just before New Year’s Eve. A friend I had met in Singapore, Seb, had recently moved back to Australia and invited me to celebrate with his family. Later that evening, we joined thousands of people along the Yarra River to watch the city’s spectacular fireworks display. It was an unforgettable way to begin my first visit to Australia.

From Melbourne, I continued to the Gold Coast, where I reunited with my friend Alex. We had met earlier that year while exploring Petra in Jordan and later spent several weeks traveling through South America together. It was great to see him again, especially in his hometown, whose beautiful beaches and laid-back lifestyle reminded me a lot of my own hometown of San Diego. I finished my trip in Sydney, a city that immediately became one of my favorites anywhere in the world. Between its stunning harbor, iconic beaches, vibrant neighborhoods, and endless opportunities to be outdoors, it’s hard to imagine many better places to live.

A few years later, I returned to Melbourne for the Australian Open, where I had the chance to cheer on several friends from my competitive tennis days. It was a fitting return to one of my favorite countries and another reminder of how many lifelong friendships tennis had given me around the world.