Travel

Kyoto Day Trip from Osaka Our trip to Japan felt a bit like a tasting menu. We got a taste of so many incredible places, but there’s always one you wish you’d gone back to for seconds. Kyoto was that place for me, and next time we visit Japan, I’ll definitely be ordering the large portion of Kyoto! We organised a full-day trip to Kyoto while we were staying in Osaka, as it’s only about a 30-minute bullet train ride away. Even though we only had a day there, in true cousin connect travel style, we managed to pack quite a bit in. Breakfast at 7-Eleven Our first stop was 7-Eleven for something to eat. Oh my goodness, 7-Elevens in Japan are something else. The range of fresh food is amazing, and the prices are crazy cheap. teamLab Biovortex Kyoto After that, we spent over three hours at teamLab Biovortex, and as I said in the recap, I think it may have been the highlight of the trip. Heading to Arashiyama Then we stopped for burgers at Wagyu to Worldwide before heading out to Arashiyama to see the famous bamboo forest. We took the train from central Kyoto out to Saga-Arashiyama, and from there walked through the streets towards the bamboo grove. The whole area had such a peaceful, calm feel, and everything sounded almost muted. Maybe it was because we were surrounded by so much greenery and mountains. It gave the effect of being in a soundproof room. It’s kind of hard to explain, but that’s the closest I can describe it. Arashiyama Bamboo Grove When we got to the bamboo forest, Sam, who visited Kyoto in 2024, told me it was really short, and we’d be through it in no time. Either he remembered it differently, or my sense of distance was completely off, because it felt so much longer than I was expecting. I kept asking him how he thought it was short, but he couldn’t really remember. It’s a mystery. Anyway, the bamboo forest was incredible, with towering bamboo all along the path. I remember saying out loud, “I can’t believe I’m here.” I think I say that a lot when I’m overseas. It usually goes: “I can’t believe I survived the flight and landed,” and then, “I can’t believe I’m here,” whenever I see an amazing sight. Hehe. At the end of the bamboo forest, we came across a small temple tucked away just off the path. As we walked further through Arashiyama, we reached a small lookout where we could see the mountains rising around the area. So beautiful and peaceful. Almost Made It (But Didn’t) After the bamboo forest, we really wanted to visit the Tenryu-ji Temple gardens, which are right there next to the bamboo grove. But it was already too late, and even though we sprinted to try and make it before the gates closed at 5, we missed it. The famous red gates at Fushimi Inari Taisha are also in Kyoto, but we needed another day to explore those as well. So that’s two big reasons to go back to Kyoto one day. I think we did a great Kyoto day trip. It really was so beautiful and one of those days that felt like a lot, but still not quite enough at the same time. I hope to visit you again, Kyoto… you really stole my heart on this trip.

My family and I were chatting about the highlight of our trip to Japan, and even though we visited so many amazing places, the overall consensus was that teamLab Biovortex Kyoto came out on top. Which says a lot, because we are a die-hard Disney family. Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea are hard to beat in our world, so I never expected anything else to even be mentioned in the same breath. But teamLab Biovortex Kyoto is right up there for us, because yes, it was that good! What is teamLab? TeamLab is a Japanese art collective that creates immersive digital art experiences. Think giant interactive rooms full of light, colour, movement and sound. You step in and, bam, you become part of the artwork. It’s nothing like a traditional art gallery where you admire artworks from afar. Now, don’t let the word art put you off if art isn’t really your thing. That was the case for our youngest cousin in our travelling group. She wasn’t 100 per cent convinced she’d enjoy the visit when she heard it was an art experience. But two minutes in, she was completely won over. Just like the rest of us, she absolutely loved it. TeamLab experiences can be found in a few cities across Japan, including Tokyo and Osaka. Each location is different, with its own installations and themes, so it is never the same experience twice. I had such an incredible time at teamLab Biovortex Kyoto that I would genuinely love to experience the others as well. Maybe one day. What to expect at teamLab Biovortex Kyoto Once you walk in, you’re not really looking at separate “exhibits” in the usual sense. You move through a series of large immersive rooms where the whole space is part of the artwork. The floors and walls are covered in digital light and projections that shift and react as you move through them, so nothing seems to stay still. The room changes depending on where you are and what you’re doing. Some spaces feel really calm, with flowing light, colour and peaceful music. Others are more full-on, with layered visuals and interactive elements: You can play with foam… spin giant colour-changing blobs walk through metallic paint wearing gumboots jump on giant bouncy cushions while following a projected star (I couldn’t keep up with the star, but it was still so much fun!) play with giant inflatable balls, and we may have gotten carried away bouncing them off each other’s heads–lucky we’re a close family and walk through shallow water that changes colour and reacts to your steps I felt like a kid in a futuristic jungle gym and had a go at everything. Holiday Ruth came out to play! Is teamLab Biovortex Kyoto worth it? 1,500 per cent yes! TeamLab Biovortex Kyoto is an immersive, interactive feast for the senses, and unlike anything I have ever experienced before. We all absolutely loved it and would go again in a heartbeat. If you’re planning a visit, you can find more information on the official teamLab Biovortex Kyoto website.

Visiting the Osaka Aquarium in Japan was another standout moment of our trip. We walked through feeling completely mesmerised by the incredible sea life and beautifully designed exhibits, and it took us about two calm hours to cover everything. When you first walk into the Osaka Aquarium, you go through tunnel-like walkways where the water surrounds you. It feels like you are in the ocean because you can look up and see fish swimming above you. Another section of the aquarium is a spiral design that takes you gradually downward around a massive central tank. As you move through it, you can see marine life from different angles and depths. Then, just when you think you have seen it all, boom, another section appears with something completely new, like the whale sharks swimming through the enormous central tank. Seeing the Whale Sharks Up Close When we were lining up at the entrance to the aquarium, we saw whale sharks on a poster. Immediately, we all said there was no way they could be in an aquarium because whale sharks are just too huge. But they absolutely were, and boy, were they massive. We spent ages watching not one but three whale sharks swim around the tank. I must have taken so many photos and videos, but when I look back at them, they just do not capture the scale of what we were seeing in real life. No photo or video really does it justice. But here are a couple of the better ones. All I can say is that I felt quite small standing there watching the enormous and graceful whale sharks glide past. I was in complete awe of just how incredible the natural world is, even inside an aquarium. Our whole family group felt the same. Favourite Animals and Exhibits at the Osaka Aquarium The Osaka Aquarium also wowed us with so many other sea life exhibits. Jellyfish The jellyfish displays were in a darkened room, so all you could see were these almost alien-like jellyfish floating through the water. It was hypnotic to watch, and because the tanks were dimly lit, you could see so much detail in their delicate, never-ending tentacles that looked like fine trailing strings. I wondered if they ever got tangled up–fascinating! Seals and Otters The seals and otters were another favourite because they are so cute and playful. Penguins The penguins stood tall and happy in their cold enclosure… brrr! Giant Crabs These giant crabs were almost as big as the ones we saw in Dotonbori, well, maybe not quite, but they were huge! Stingrays The stingray was so calming to watch, gliding through the water. Colourful Fish Bright colourful fish darting in and out of the coral displays. Dory from Finding Nemo. Osaka Bay and the Lights Around the Aquarium When we finished visiting the aquarium, we walked outside and saw the giant Ferris wheel, with the lights along Osaka Bay starting to come on. There were also lit-up displays of sea creatures along the waterfront, like giant crabs and turtles. Seeing these displays and the pretty lights was a really nice way to end the visit before heading off. We had such a wonderful time at the Osaka Aquarium in Japan, and I would definitely recommend it if you are planning a trip. It was fantastic, and I am really glad we went. I am actually a bit sad I am not there right now.

We travelled on the Shinkansen, Japan’s bullet train, from Tokyo to Osaka as part of our Japan trip. Yes, friends, it’s time for another Japan travel recap, and this is the first part of our time in Osaka, starting with Dotonbori in the day and night. I was excited about going on the bullet train because, you know… It’s a bullet train. I’m not usually a fan of anything fast, so I Googled it once we were on board and felt better reading that it had an excellent safety record. I like a bit of reassurance before fast things. Not sure what the point of that was, really, because it’s not like I was going to get off the train. I would probably have just started praying hard instead. Without the bullet train, getting from Tokyo to Osaka can take around 6 to 10 hours, depending on how you travel. On the bullet train, it’s only about 2.5 to 3 hours, which is a pretty big difference! Once the bullet train left the station, picked up speed, and my ears popped a little, it was a strange sensation that’s hard to describe. You kind of got used to how fast everything was moving, and it didn’t really feel fast at all. I felt really lucky to experience it, as I had heard a lot about these amazing trains. We booked seats on the Mount Fuji side, so we had an excellent view of the spectacular Mount Fuji as we zoomed past. I took about a thousand photos and videos. It was so beautiful. Arriving in Osaka After arriving in Osaka, we made our way to Nishinari Ward, where we were staying. It was such a huge contrast to Tokyo, and it felt much calmer because it was residential. That’s one of the great things about staying in an Airbnb: you get to experience a more local side of the city. At first, I thought it was so quiet because it was a Sunday, but it stayed quiet the whole time we were there. One of the highlights (there were so many!) was exploring Dotonbori, a lively district full of food, neon lights and canals. It was about a 10 to 15-minute train ride from where we were staying in Nishinari Ward. It felt like a completely different side of Osaka, with so much energy and buzz. Osaka: Dotonbori Day and Night Dotonbori During the Day We went during the day first, and it was busy, but nothing like Akihabara in Tokyo. That was next-level sensory overload! In Dotonbori, we saw the river, the bridges, and the famous Glico running man. Dotonbori is full of huge, incredible food signs and displays everywhere. I took so many photos of giant crabs, octopus signs and oversized food displays attached to buildings. I didn’t know where to look because there was so much going on everywhere. It was amazing and like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It almost felt like a food-themed amusement park, which is the best way I can describe it. Dotonbori at Night The next time we visited Dotonbori was at night. All the signs were lit up, and the streets were even busier than during the day. We saw delicious food being prepared everywhere, and the smells were incredible. People were lining up for the famous takoyaki (small octopus-filled savoury balls, a famous Osaka street food), and there was just so much happening all around us. We tried a selection of takoyaki, and the good news is that they were exactly as good as Instagram said they would be! We also wandered through the nearby shopping streets. Including Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Street. It felt like a long, covered street that just kept going and going, with shops everywhere and people moving constantly. It was a shopper’s dream, with every kind of brand you could think of. Dotonbori is full of energy at night. The good thing is that even with so many people, it didn’t feel overwhelming at all. In Osaka Dotonbori, both in the day and at night, it was incredibly busy. Like crazy busy! But even so, you could still walk freely, stop when you wanted, and just enjoy the moment. It was truly one of those “wow” places you have to experience.

Hi friends, happy Monday. It’s time for part two of our Japan trip recap, and today I’m covering our Tokyo itinerary. Our time in Tokyo included two days in the city on either side of DisneySea and Tokyo Disneyland (but I’ll share all about those two amazing days separately in upcoming posts). I thought I would recap our Japan trip mostly by city rather than by day. Hopefully, this way it will be easier to follow, since we moved around quite a bit, packed in so many sights and experiences, and didn’t stay in one single place for long. So, let’s go to Tokyo 😊 Tokyo Itinerary: City Highlights and Travel Recap Ueno Park First stop on our very flexible Tokyo itinerary was Ueno Park. What a perfect way to start, because it was calm and exactly what we needed. Oh boy, I didn’t know it at the time, but over the days we spent there, my senses got a major workout in colourful, bustling Tokyo! How lucky were we to be there and catch the end of cherry blossom season? This was the first week when we saw a few of them — so pretty, aren’t they? By the second week, the blooms were mostly floating away in the wind. After that calm start, Tokyo quickly shifted gears as we made our way into busier parts of the city, including Shibuya. Onitsuka Tiger Before our trip, I made a mental wishlist of places I would love to visit. If I saw them, it was a bonus, and if I didn’t, that was all ok too. Visiting Onitsuka Tiger was one of them, but I didn’t want to waste time hunting for the store, especially knowing how busy it got. When I did spot it (I couldn’t believe my eyes!) I cleared it with the group and went in. I love travelling with my cousins, and one of the reasons we work so well is that we give each other time and space. We mostly stayed together on this trip, but occasionally we split up to visit places or do things we were individually interested in. If one of us spotted a place or shop we liked, we went in while the others did their own thing, then we met up again or dropped a location pin to find each other again. Inside the Store Experience It was crazy busy inside, with people trying on shoes and waiting to pay. The upstairs section, where they stocked the sneakers I wanted, had a queue for the cashier wrapped around about three times. It was nuts! Luckily, I already knew exactly what I wanted and in what size. Then the stars aligned, and I found a lovely sales assistant who helped me try them on and let me pay downstairs, where it wasn’t so busy. If that hadn’t happened, I would have had to wait well over an hour and probably wouldn’t have bought them. It was a total madhouse in there, full of tourists like me, all hoping to get their hands on a pair of iconic Onitsuka Tigers at a better price than I could ever find in Australia. I still can’t believe I got the pair I wanted — the same style Uma Thurman wore in Kill Bill. What a win! Shibuya Crossing Later, we ended up at the iconic Shibuya Crossing, one of the busiest intersections in the world. We crossed the crossing a couple of times while we were there. On one of them, I saw my husband trying to get a photo, so I ran right into the middle and struck a pose. Bucket list wish ticked! I’m more on the reserved side (less so as I get older), and my family have said they can clearly see my mum comes out in me when we are overseas. She wasn’t reserved, she was a riot! Akihabara On another day in our Tokyo itinerary, we visited Akihabara, the district known for everything to do with anime, consoles, retro gaming, and Pokémon cards. Oh my goodness, the streets were lined with endless shops going up so many levels, absolutely packed with it all. The gacha machines were everywhere, and the choice was incredible! We also came across a whole mix of animal cafés, from cat cafés and reptile cafés to owl cafés and even hedgehog cafés. There were also so many maid cafés, where staff dress in costumes and create a playful, fantasy-like, over-the-top experience for guests. Outside almost every one I saw, there was a maid standing out front waving and trying to encourage people to come in. I was so curious because I’d read about them when we were doing our Tokyo itinerary, and truly, where else in the world do you see anything like that? I really wanted to go in, but we ran out of time. Friends in Tokyo Sam is so friendly, and I’m not just saying that because he’s my son; he really is. He met some Japanese students when they were living in Sydney last year, and they had since returned to Japan, so he got in contact with them before our trip. They spent a couple of days with us and were such lovely guys. This is them with Sam when it was time to say goodbye. They had travelled three hours just to meet us in Tokyo. Even though I had only known them briefly, I felt sad watching them leave. Don Quixote In this building is a shop called Don Quixote,and again it was on my mental Wishlist as I had seen it on Instagram. So in we went but what I did not know was how overwhelming it was going to be! Inside, there are rows and rows of everything you can think of. Souvenirs, keychains, shoes, bags, clothes, food, sweets, games, you name it, it’s there. The lighting is also quite strong, and the music is loud and constant, including the Don Quijote jingle on

Hi friends, and happy Friday! Today I’m doing my first travel recap, and I thought I’d cover Singapore. We spent roughly 20 hours there on the way to Japan. And about 15 hours on the way back, I think that’s right. But I have to admit, the time difference and catching red-eye flights to and from our destinations had me all sorts of confused. Anyway, we definitely spent enough time to explore, discover and enjoy some amazing sights. We booked hotel rooms so we had somewhere to shower and leave our things, but sleep was not on our agenda. So, although we may have been walking zombies, we still made the most of every minute. So I thought today I would just share all about Singapore. Hope this makes sense. This is trip number two for our group of 7. Just like our USA trip, we travelled with my husband, younger son, and my cousin, her husband and their two teenage kids. The magnificent 7, haha. Singapore on the Way to Japan We “stayed” right near Changi Airport at YOTEL The room reminded me of a space capsule. Nice fluro lights, aye! We had a quick shower and changed into some cooler clothes because, oh my goodness, the humidity! I will never complain about the humidity we get here in Sydney again because Singapore is on a whole other level. Changi Airport sure is beautiful! It was bright and sunny, and our first stop was Gardens by the Bay. So far, so good, and my keratin-treated hair was working hard to stay relatively smooth in the overwhelming humidity. Then it got cloudier and cloudier. Until it started raining on and off for the rest of the day. We kept going and ended up in Chinatown street market. We actually met up with a friend of Sam’s who lives in Singapore but spent a year in Sydney, where he met Sam through mutual friends. He was a lovely guy and showed us around. I asked him if the humidity was always like this, and he said it felt pretty much like this all year round, which was one of the things he didn’t love about Singapore. He said he missed Australia. We had the most delicious Hainanese chicken rice right here at Tian Tian, where Anthony Bourdain also visited. After lunch, we kept exploring and found a shop dedicated to Tintin. I’m not quite sure how Tintin is associated with Singapore, but it was a great shop! Next stop–a visit to a temple. Then I found a shop that sold foldable rain hats, and I was very happy! That was a wrap on our first day in Singapore, and the next few photos are from our return trip after we had visited Japan. Singapore on Our Way Home We stayed at YOTEL, but this one was on Orchard Road, and in the foyer, there was a robot cleaner. I had to take a photo of it because its name was Yolanda. My cousin and I are related to an aunt called Yolanda, who was very strict, clean and tidy, so we thought it was funny. This time our group split up — some went to the pool, others had a business meeting, and Steve, Sam and I went to tick off Steve’s bucket list wish of eating Singapore chilli crab. According to Google, The Fullerton Hotel in Singapore served up one of the best chilli crab spots. Well, the crab was delicious, but I can’t say the staff were very friendly; they were a bit on the snobby side. But oh well, we had a lovely time. Now this was our first time eating a whole crab, and when they served it up, it looked amazing but very daunting. All I could think was how on earth we were going to eat this and not look like cave people. I started googling and searching YouTube frantically, and it confirmed what I suspected. You just had to go for it with your hands, sauce and all. Luckily, we were given aprons. But they failed to tell us about the gloves. When we arrived at the restaurant as eager beavers, we were the first customers. After a while, other diners came in, and we overheard the nicer waiter explaining to the couple next to us that they could use the gloves the restaurant supplied. Well, it was too late by then. We had sauce all over us, and Steve was tucking in like there was no tomorrow. And oh my goodness, we looked down and saw the gloves on our table still neatly in their packets. We had all assumed they were wet wipes. So messy, and look at the tablecloth! I felt better when I looked around, and everyone’s tablecloth looked the same. Phew! After lunch, we stopped to look at the view outside the restaurant. There was a dragon spouting water nearby, and it must have been famous because it was so crowded, with people filming themselves doing unusual things. I’m not sure what that was all about, so we moved a bit further away from the chaos and took some photos. Then we walked about 20 minutes to a waffle place. We went back to the hotel, where Steve had a nap, Sam went to the pool, and although I could have easily curled up and fallen asleep, I thought no way! Sleeping is for the plane; Singapore is for shopping. I raced out to find the nearest shopping centre. The shopping centre was called ION, and I had Google Maps guiding me. My sense of direction, even with Google Maps, is interesting. I was looking for Zara as I had seen a few people carrying Zara bags. Then I turned a corner and gasped out loud when I saw a Massimo Dutti shop! We don’t have them over here, and I’ve seen so many of their clothes on Instagram that I love. I had actually looked up the

Hey there, friends! I hope you’re having an amazing Tuesday. I wanted to pop in and share our exciting travel plans! On Sunday, my travelling cousins and our family got together and booked our flights. Once we made that financial commitment, I thought, “Yep, we’re locked in,” and now I can finally share. Our next Cousin Connect adventure will be in April, and we are off to… Singapore and Japan for 11 days! Eeek!! It’s the same crew as our USA trip—my cousin, her husband and two kids, plus our family of three. Yay! Up until our last trip, overseas travel wasn’t really on my radar. I’d been to North and South America when I was younger, and that felt like enough for me at the time. I was happy to live on those fun memories. But ever since my travelling cousins opened our eyes to overseas adventures, I think we may have caught the travel bug. Nobody is more surprised about this than me, because I was totally happy to leave flying for the birds—they’re made for it! But here’s the thing: post-holiday blues are a real thing. As soon as we landed back in Sydney after our last trip, the excitement of being safely home lasted about five minutes. Then I started missing everyone. The adventure was over, life would go back to normal, and I wouldn’t have anything to look forward to. Dramatic much? I thought it was just me, but nope, we were all feeling it. Then, not long after, my cousins said, “We need to plan another trip,” and just like that, I was cured. Our Trip Plans So Far On the way to and from Japan, we will have roughly a day in Singapore each way. That should give us just enough time to stretch our legs and explore Jewel at Changi Airport, a huge mall with an indoor waterfall, a rainforest, and plenty of shops. It is all inside the airport, can you believe it? I think we also talked about maybe visiting Marina Bay Sands. And it should come as no surprise that this Disney-loving family is planning to visit both Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea. Universal Studios Japan is also locked in. That’s about all we have planned so far. It’s still early days, and our mission now is to work out what we can squeeze into the time we are there. Planning is so much fun! Places On Our List These are the places we’re currently talking about. Some are locked in, others are still a maybe. Singapore Tokyo Kyoto Osaka Some Places We’re Thinking About Here’s a mix of places and experiences that have caught our eye so far. Tokyo Tower or Skytree (views) Shibuya Crossing (famous busy street) Ueno Park/Shinjuku Gyoen (pretty cherry blossoms) Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (tall bamboo) Fushimi Inari Shrine (red gates) Dotonbori (street food) Osaka Castle (castle) Shinkansen (bullet train) I’m sure we’ll have a few planning meetings in the next couple of weeks, and my cousin J and I have already been sending each other some ideas we’ve spotted on Instagram Reels. Apparently, there’s a trend of running through the busy Shibuya Crossing solo and striking a pose. Haha, I wonder if the seven of us will be brave enough to try that one! The travel YouTube videos I’ve been watching say it’s a good idea to learn a few handy Japanese words. So far, all I know is ohayou gozaimasu (good morning) and arigatou gozaimasu (thank you). Looks like I still have a ways to go! I’ve also picked up a few cultural tips: jaywalking could apparently cost you a $5,000 fine, and eating while walking is considered rude. On trains, everyone keeps it super quiet, so we’ll need to remember our manners. It’s probably also a good idea to figure out how to use their high-tech toilets, so I think I need to watch a few more YouTube tutorials on that. I know, right? I had no idea toilets came with so many options besides just flush. And apparently, there’s a drink that can get you more than tipsy in no time called Strong Zero. I’ll taste the sake, but I’d better keep away from that one. T-Shirt Drama We are all super excited, and I just can’t believe we’ll be visiting another Disneyland so soon! One of the first things we need to sort out is our personalised T-shirts. I think the drama from our last family T-shirt plan has finally passed enough that I can talk about it. For our USA trip, we ordered the cutest personalised T-shirts for Disney and Universal. They had amazing graphics, and we ordered them about six weeks before we left through Printerval. As the trip got closer, and they hadn’t arrived, we started to worry. We sent emails and WhatsApp messages, but nothing. Zero response. Do you know when they finally arrived? When we were already in the second week of our trip. Excellent. Luckily, just before we left, my cousin organised a quick plan B and got some T-shirts from Target delivered to our hotel. They weren’t exactly what we planned, but it all worked out, and we all matched. And the original T-shirts? I haven’t even opened the package. I just shoved them in a closet, and I still can’t look at them. So that’s my exciting news! If you have any tips about Japan, places to see, things to try, or even travel hacks, I’d love to hear them. Every little idea helps. I’m off to watch more YouTube videos about Japan, and yes, I also need to listen to some Lovefly podcasts to get myself ready for flying again. If you have a fear of flying like I do, you might want to check out their website too. My word for 2025 was brave, and for 2026 I’m adding a new one—confident 😬 Thanks so much for stopping by!

Hi friends, it’s time to link up for the July edition of Share Our Lives. Today, we are sharing our best vacation memory. I’m a champion overthinker, so when I read the prompt, I thought, “Hmm, one vacation memory — only one? That’s a bit like picking a favourite child.” Also, we don’t usually say vacation here in Australia — we say holidays. For us, anything that involves not being at work or school is a holiday! But of course, I understood what the prompt meant. And I also love that one of the fun things about these link-up prompts is that there’s room to make it your own. So instead of choosing just one, I’m sharing three of my best holiday memories. It’s no surprise that every one of them involves family or friends — travel memories stick best when they involve your favourite people. So, here are three of my best holiday memories — starting with a trip from way back. Budgewoi I wish I had some photos to share, but this trip happened way back in the good old ’80s — when cameras were chunky and mobile phones didn’t even exist. I guess nobody thought to bring along a camera for this trip, because I don’t have any photos. That’s okay, though, because the memories swirl in my head like snapshots from one of the best childhood holidays ever. Let me take you back. Picture this: Sydney, 1985 — it was a scorching hot summer, and Madonna’s Like A Virgin album on tape (yes, cassette tape) was my favourite! My family went on holiday with two other families who had daughters around my age. We were all friends, and we rented caravans at a caravan park in Budgewoi. I had never heard of Budgewoi before, but I remember being so excited because I was going to hang out with my Madonna-loving friends. Back then, Budgewoi was a quiet, laid-back spot on the New South Wales Central Coast. I don’t think it’s ever really become the beach holiday destination, even today. But I did a quick Google search, and I can see the caravan park has had a good makeover. When we were there, it had a bit of a Bates Motel vibe — not in a creepy way. But the décor was definitely from that time. The four of us girls spent the whole trip giggling, swimming in the pool, playing the only arcade game in the milk bar, and talking endlessly. I remember one night we were playing a board game and laughing so hysterically. A lady from the caravan next to us banged on our door and told us to keep it down. Yikes — we were good girls who weren’t used to getting in trouble! So we had to keep laughing in silence, which of course made it even funnier. We laughed so hard we snorted! Fast forward to a completely different kind of holiday and one that’s very close to my heart. Hawaii in the year 2000 My uncle (my mum’s brother), aunt, and their three grown-up kids moved from Australia to New York and eventually to Hawaii in 1982. So, for the first 12 years of my life, we had family living close by. We spent weekends together, celebrated Christmases and birthdays, and went on camping trips. They were my world. Then one afternoon, my uncle came over to tell us they’d finally had their U.S. visas approved. WHAT??? Amazing news for them… but not so much for me. A few months later, they packed up and left. Waaaahhhh! My mum and I visited my family in Long Island, New York, two years after they left Australia, in 1984. That was a wonderful trip full of fantastic memories. But the visit that really stands out is the time we saw them in Hawaii in 2000. We spent a whole week with them, and once again, I felt like a kid, surrounded by family I loved and had missed so much. This is me with my mum and my uncle, standing right outside my uncle’s home in Hawaii Kai. It also stands out as one of my most treasured holiday memories because, little did we know, it would be the last time we saw my uncle. He passed away in 2004 from a massive heart attack, leaving us all devastated. And then there’s the most recent trip — an epic adventure with my family full of incredible moments. Cousin Connect Adventure 2025 Oh gosh, if I never went on another trip again, that would be okay — because this one was everything! So many memories, all still fresh in my mind — how do I even pick just one?? The road trip, meeting up with my family in LA, walking the same paths where Luke, C-3PO, and R2-D2 roamed in Death Valley, driving through Las Vegas, hugging Minnie, getting dropped at what felt like 100 km/h on The Guardians of the Galaxy ride, snorkelling in Waikiki, hiking The Narrows… But out of all those amazing experiences, there’s one day that truly stands out for me. So, here goes — I’ll pick one of the best memories from the trip: walking through Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland. The Force is strong with our family — we’re huge fans, especially my cousin J and me. But I never, ever in a million years thought I’d get to experience this with them. I can confidently say it was one of the best days of my life (shh — just between you and me, maybe the best day!). I know, I know — that’s a big call, and I don’t want to take anything away from my wedding day or the birth of my children. But this day really tops all the rest, and it’s definitely my number one best holiday memory. Thanks for coming along on this little trip down memory lane with me. I hope it brought back some happy memories for you,