Dear Mom,

Oh my God, this beach is incredible! You would love it here. The water is so wonderful and the sky so clear. I can't even describe it and my pictures don't do it justice. I can't remember the last time I felt so peaceful and relaxed. Just so content and happy.

We took the train from Brisbane and had a great scenic trip up. I have no idea why anyone would travel another way. We could relax and look around and it only took about an hour and a half. The Glass House Mountains were on the way. Trent needs to come here and we could climb them. They are so cool looking! I couldn't get a good picture, but here is a link: http://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/discover.aspx?id=2460.

Our condo is very close to the beach and the shops. We've done a bit of both in the last two days. And even more of nothing at all. We walked along the beaches yesterday and just got a feel for the place. I took a lot of pictures, in fact Ken called me Japanese all day! We had lunch on the beach, fish and chips and my first prawns. It was so good! For dinner, he went to the market and picked up some cheese, fruit, and bread. I broiled (grilled here in Oz) the nectarines and plums, and they were amazing with the Camembert and the blue cheese on the bread. We simply gorged ourselves. And with the Monkey Bay Pinot Grigio it was perfect beach food!

It stormed for a bit last night. Nothing like we have in Indiana, but neat to watch from the balcony. The wind was fairly strong and the lightning lit up the sky over the water. Beautiful!

This morning dawned bright and clear. We were up early and enjoyed some coffee and bananas on the balcony. After we got ready, we walked into town for more groceries and tried to find me a hat. No success on that, but Ken did buy some Mango-Macadamia Nut ice cream bars that are unbelievable! I had that in the middle of the street while he went to the bakery for bread.

We unpacked the groceries and had some hot tea. Then down to the beach! I laid out the towels and just collapsed in the sun. It was the best feeling in the world. Ken walked around and explored while I just soaked in the sun and the sounds and smells. I finally went in the water and it's just special. The beach drops off quite suddenly and so it's nice and deep really close to shore. The beach I was at is protected so the waves aren't overwhelming and you can actually just float a bit like in a pool or something. FANTASTIC!

After a few refreshing moments in the water, I got back out and put on more sunscreen. Ken came by to check on me and we decided another hour would be enough for me. He's scared to death I'll burn and be miserable the rest of the week.

So now we're taking siesta and hanging out in the condo until later in the afternoon. The sky is blue and the temp is about 82. Pretty perfect for me. We've been talking and laughing pretty continuously. It's a good life.

I love you.
Courtney