After Sydney, I hopped a flight over to Melbourne and stayed with my aunt who lives just outside of the city. It had been a few years since I had seen her and in true family fashion, she fed me to death. Beyond her amazing cooking, she also fed me family stories and I was hungry for them. She showed me old photos (See my grandfather below who passed before I was born) and showed me family heirlooms, one of which was a tiger's tooth that I packed with me. It was some serious family bonding time. 
Before getting to Melbourne, another photographer who had seen my feature on Need Supply had reached out to me. He offered to give me a tour of the city, which I happily accepted. Thanks Zaldy! We museum hopped, graffiti gazed, nibbled on waffles, and window shopped. It was amazing. I've heard a few times that Melbourne has hints of Brooklyn and having lived in Brooklyn for six years, I have to say there were moments of feeling like home.
Thanks again to Zaldy who was the ultimate tour guide.
BLUE MOUNTAINS | Australia
The cousins and I packed up for a little getaway to the Blue Mountains. Where does the term Blue Mountains come from?
It is derived from the blue tinge the range takes on when viewed from a distance. The tinge is believed to be caused by mie scattering which occurs when incoming ultraviolet radiation is scattered by particles within the atmosphere creating a blue-greyish colour to any distant objects, including mountains and clouds. Volatile terpenoids emitted in large quantities by the abundant eucalyptus trees in the Blue Mountains may cause mie scattering and thus the blue haze for which the mountains were named. ~ Wikipedia
It is pretty incredible. We posted up in a nearby cabin after taking in the views and the following day we checked out the Jenolan Caves nearby which also blew my mind. Only 50 km outside Sydney, the Blue Mountains is a must see if you are passing through the capital.
In other news, the selfie rod is successful for family photos.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
So let's just say I'm running a little behind. It is nearly Thanksgiving and I was in Australia in September. Oops. Life has thankfully been really full the last few months but now it's time to play catch up!
I spent some time in Sydney to hang with my Aussie fam, but of course found some time to take some shots. I hadn't been to Australia since I was around 5 years old, so it felt very much like I was seeing the city for the first time.
While in Sydney, it was a real treat to be a guest on the Wanderlust segment of Bondi Beach Radio. The host Katie Mayors (@katiemayors) and I first collided over instagram and then invited me to the show when she heard I was heading her way. You can listen to the podcast here. (I come in around the 1:18 mark) Thanks Katie!
Next post?
Camping with the cousins.