Three Things Only Australia Can Throw at My Face
By Ryan Reynolds

Some days you just know it's all worth it.

It's only six thirty on my watch, and the coffee is percolating in its pot, and I've taken off my trainers, and I still have some time to go back to bed and sleep. But I'm too awake for that. I know the sun is good outside, perfect for just about anything.

Yikes, have I gotten too optimistic and sunshiny now? This is what Australia does to you; I've been living here for little over a year now, and I love it. It's seeping in my skin. It's an in-my-face kind of bliss.

Here are three things only the land down under can throw at me.

1. Fishes: Lots of them and all kinds. Barramundi, flathead, cobbler, gummy shark, lungfish, the list goes on. And they're always fresh! I can never figure out how to cook them properly, but I try my best, and they still come out tasting good. It helps that Australia has countless restaurants with cuisines from all over the world because when I'm feeling lazy, I just leave it to the experts.

2. Mornings: Jogging is almost a religion for me. It makes me sweaty and short of breath. If I don't jog in the morning, I'd be guilty the whole day. Haha. But seriously, I know for a fact that the Australian air and sun is the healthiest. And you have to admit, there's simply nothing like being the first to see the sunrise, hearing birds chirp, making friends with other joggers, and knowing you're alive. Simply put, in Australia, I learned how to run for my life.

3. Market Days: Which is to say, everday. Australia has lots of good and exciting markets. Exciting because you never know what you're going to see and get. It's a hodgepodge of everything: Chinese incense, German sausages, Italian herbs, New Zealand pavlova, Greek cheeses. To shop here is to take a trip around the world.

At the end of the day, it's never really about what kind of stuff you're going to bring back home. Not jade bracelets, or rutabagas, or cocoa tablets, or Japanese lanterns for that matter. Whether I'm on the beach or in the outback, or a sushi bar, or a football stadium, I'm always sated when I get back to my house. Sated with the friendship of people. It's about participating, it's about involving one's self. I'm in Australia, and it's all that matters.