Sunrise over Kangaroo Island, South Australia
‘Hey Nick- just saw this online- thought you might want to check it out…’
That’s the email I got from my brother-in-law on March 15th, an understated note that turned out to be the spark that set all of the craziness of these past 3 months ablaze.
This journey has been one wild ride the ENTIRE way through- from a fun day with my family making the initial application videos, to the whirlwind media and publicity craze of the Referee Challenge, to the preparation and anticipation of coming to Australia for the final round of this extensive interview, all capped off with an INCREDIBLE 2 weeks DownUnder. It has been amazing, exhilarating, electrifying, and exhausting…
Throughout the process, there have been moments of joy and happiness, times of stress and strain, long hours spent creating content and networking, and countless coffees to push through late nights. It has been a 24/7 social media firestorm, a non-stop sprint for self-promotion, and a daily challenge to bring the absolute best of yourself to the surface, despite the lack of sleep and an absence of energy. Yes, it is a ‘competition’, and yes, there are two others vying for the same job, but in the end, THAT is the challenge- shutting out all the peripherals, ignoring all the distractions, blocking out all the white noise, and bringing the very best of yourself to the table- EVERY.DAY.
Through it all, I have tried to maintain a bit of perspective, remembering that I am very fortunate to have made it this far in this competition, and that the best thing I can do is just be myself, embrace the moment, and enjoy every second of the experience. Those moments are what make the experience worthwhile- what make this crazy life I’ve adopted worth living…
I had one of those moments while standing out on the jetty in the tiny town of Penneshaw, watching the sun rise over Kangaroo Island. It was quiet, peaceful. There weren’t any cameras in my face, no microphones hovering over my head. It was just me, the rising sun, the seagulls, and Australia. It was in that moment that I was reminded-
THIS is why I love Australia. THIS is what drew me to the country to begin with, and THIS is what keeps me coming back for more…
It’s the grandeur; it’s the spectacle; it’s the sheer power and brilliance of nature- that is what draws me to this place. It is something that is uniquely Australian- a rugged beauty; a sense of a wide-open wilderness stretched out for miles under a massively blue sky. In my mind, that IS ‘Australia’.
My time on Kangaroo Island also reminded me how much I love Australia because of its wildlife. There really is something special about seeing a mob of kangaroos bound across the countryside, a sense of awe when spotting a wild koala munching eucalyptus high up in a tree. Sea lions and seals, white sharks and wallabies- Australia is in a league of its own when it comes to wildlife, and 36 hours on Kangaroo Island was more than enough time to remind me of that…
Most importantly, I was reminded that it’s not only the raw, powerful beauty, nor the extremely unique wildlife, but it’s also the people that make this country so special- people like Craig Wickham, Dr. Peggy Rismiller, and Captain Matt from Adventure Bay- people who love their jobs, and love sharing their passion for Australia with others. Somehow, these people have already found their own versions of ‘The Best Job in the World’, right here in Australia. In a way, it makes me envious… Envious, and anxious. Anxious, and hopeful…
Hopeful. That brings me to tomorrow- the final day of this indescribable experience. To be honest, there are no favorites- it all will be determined by what Tourism Australia and the partnering state tourism boards are looking for- and after 3+ months of working, scheming, planning, and pressing, we still don’t know exactly what that is. It will be an interesting day, to say the least…
In the end, I feel I’ve done my best, and that I’ve represented myself well. I have fought off fatigue and exhaustion, have found vast resources of untapped energy, and have brought the very best of myself each and every day. That’s all I really wanted in this competition- to be able to block everything else out, and just be myself. I have done that. Of course, I want to win, and feel that I have a good chance to do so, but again, I don’t know exactly what they are looking for- if it turns out the best of me isn’t ‘it’, I will be okay with that. It won’t be anything personal. It has been a remarkable experience, one that I have learned SO MUCH through, and regardless of the outcome, I STILL cannot WAIT to see what happens next…
Thanks for the awesome ride, Tourism Australia and the South Australian Tourism Commission- it has been an epic adventure…
If you missed my post about how I fell in love with Australia to begin with, check it out HERE.
To learn how you can plan your own EPIC adventure through Australia, click HERE.
