MS Walk & Fun Run

What a great way to start out the month of June! I woke up to one of my favorite Australian sounds early this morning: the chirping of birds. Now, when I say chirping, I really mean the laughing/screaming of birds. There are some birds here in Australia that make very, very weird sounds, and they are absolutely hilarious. I'm not exactly sure how to explain it... One of the sounds is like a laughing monkey (hoo-hoo-hoo-hee-haa-haa). The other sounds is a cross between a crying cat and a screaming goat (search for "screaming goats" on YouTube). I'm not exactly sure which birds make these incredibly funny sounds. However, based on random observation and Google searches, I think the first is a kookaburra and the second is a raven. Regardless of which birds make these sounds, they always make me smile. Even when it's 6:30am, and they wake me up when I still could sleep in for another hour. As the birds continued making their hilarious laughing/screaming sounds, I gave up trying to get more sleep and figured I might as well get ready for the day. 

I put on my workout clothes, laced up my running shoes, and grabbed my wallet. I got ready to meet Sydney and head to the city center to participate in our activity for the day: the MS Walk & Fun Run. Thousands of people participate in this event every year to raise money for the treatment and management of MS (Multiple Sclerosis). Before the MS Walk & Fun Run began, a total of $1 360 000 had been raised. Hurray!

Of this big amount, Sydney and I contributed $510 thanks to our generous family members and friends. Thank you so much to everyone that contributed to our fundraising. We really appreciate your contributions. You guys are great, and your money is going to a truly great cause! 

Ready to walk 11km/6.8miles

Due to some health issues, I wasn't able to actually able to run in the race. Sydney, being the true friend that she is, decided to walk with me instead of run. We did the 11K walk instead of the 10K Fun Run. We still had heaps of fun though! 

I have never had the pleasure of meeting Sydney's family members, but I have heard a lot about them over the past few months. One observation that I have made, is that Sydney's mom is the cutest when it comes to texting. She ends her texts with little icons of koalas and hearts. When we had to pick a name for our team (which consisted of only Sydney and I), we decided to call ourselves "Team Koala <3"

The walk started and finished in Tumbalong Park near Darling Harbour. We had a great time walking around the lovely Sydney Harbour, Royal Botanical Gardens, Opera House, and Pyrmont Bridge. The weather wasn't the greatest, but everyone was pumped up to walk around Sydney for a great cause, so it didn't really matter.  

Standing in front of my favorite building in Sydney with my favorite Sydney

I can cross off "Royal Botanical Gardens" after today's walk 

After passing the finish line, it was time for a late breakfast. Prior to starting the walk, we decided that we should go to Pancakes on the Rocks, a place where fabulous pancakes are served. I had never been there, but Sydney told me stories of delicious pancakes served with ice cream (YUMMY!). Throughout our whole walk, our growling stomachs and yearning for pancakes kept our pace up and our feet moving. Needless to say, Sydney was pretty satisfied when the pancakes were finally in front of her. I was, too. They were delicious! 

We headed home afterwards. I spent the afternoon with Isabelle, doing a little shopping at the Macquarie Center. Though it was raining, it was such a beautiful walk home. The birds were making their usual hilarious screaming sounds, and the sun was low on the horizon, creating a beautiful yellow lighting. We even saw a rainbow! 

A great start of the month of June, indeed. 

Love, 
Suzy