Almost every Australian I’ve met here has informed me, Australia is big. I think because it’s so far from most other countries in the world, and because it suffers from how most maps are projected, people don’t realize how vast it really is.

Well it’s been immediately apparent here in Cairns. Sydney was a huge cosmopolitan city, and here it’s the tropics. Just on the flight up here you could get a sense of how big Australia is north-south. I mean Sydney is way down there. I’m currently closer to Papua New Guinea than the country’s largest city. And even with Sydney’s gorgeous harbour, the amount of nature here in Cairns simply doesn’t compare.

I almost feel like I’m in Swiss Family Robinson with all the exotic wildlife. Just today we saw both wallabies and a kangaroo from the road while cycling, as well as 5 different species of birds. There were signs for stingers and salties on the beach, and the lush vegetation, not to mention the humidity, makes it abundantly clear what part of the world you’re in.

I’m loving it. It’s amazing that what I’ve done in months used to take years, even lifetimes, in the not too distant past. When you travel you see how much there is to cherish on this planet. We’ve got Ahch-To, Ajan Kloss, and Alderaan all in one. It’s one big beautiful amazing world, and I’m grateful to be a part of it.