Day 60 – Byron Bay, Australia – 10:55 PM

Byron Bay has certainly lived up to the hype.  As the bus pulled into town on December 30, I was immediately taken aback by the beachside atmosphere that inundated me from all directions.  Surf shops, clothing stores and unique restaurants lined the streets.  Beachgoers carrying surf boards, towels and coolers meandered in all directions.  This is certainly a town I would love to call home.

I disembarked the bus and walked to Backpacker’s Holiday Village, my accommodations until January 4.  The scenes I had just viewed through a bus window became the focal point of my senses as I covered the 10 minute walk.  I entered reception, checked in and received the key to my 4-person shared room.  I was joining a couple from my Whitsunday boat cruise along with one of their friends from home.  They awaited my arrival and welcomed me to Byron Bay.

I quickly changed into swim trunks and we proceeded to Main Beach.  During this walk, I truly got a sense of the atmosphere in Byron Bay.  Street musicians occupied side walks playing for tips.  Palm readers predicted futures. Hippie-looking individuals sauntered to nowhere in particular.  Stages were being erected for the upcoming New Year’s Eve festivities.

We arrived at the beach and soaked in the remaining rays of sunshine.  The beach was crowded with sunbathers and the ocean was busy with swimmers, body boarders, and surfers taking advantage of the uptick in swell pumping into the bay.  After a couple of hours we returned to our hostel and called it an early night after a light dinner.

After an entire day at the beach on New Year’s Eve, my friends and I returned to Backpacker’s Holiday Village.  We purchased $10 tickets to the New Year’s Eve BBQ sponsored by our hostel.  At 7 pm, the BBQ commenced and most residents were in attendance.  The mountains of burgers, hotdogs, salads and desserts enabled those who wished to fill their plates multiple times.  A little after 11 PM, we made our way down to the beach to ring in 2016 with the building crowds.  As the clock struck midnight, we toasted the arrival of 2016 and thought fondly of 2015.

2015 was truly a transformative year for me.  I became an uncle to another nephew, celebrated the marriage of close college friends and made the tough decision to leave my job, family and friends behind and embark on a yearlong, round-the-world journey.  I can only imagine what 2016 has in store and look forward to living each day to the fullest.