I like travelling to visit friends. There's the excitement and pleasure of a road or plane trip. The anticipation of adventures to come. The packing and organising beforehand. I really enjoying the process of whittling down my possessions to the bare essentials although I must admit I'm a little out of practice and was guilty of over packing significantly for this trip! With the bare essentials comes lightness and freedom of movement. And of course,  being in my friend's house and catching up over cups of tea.  

One of the best things about visiting friends is they take you to places you would never ordinarily go. Introduce you to the best hot chocolate in the world where the chocolate comes from a fountain and is drizzled into the glass (Madeline's in Leura if you're wondering). Buy the tastiest sourdough bread ever for lunch (Black Cockatoo bakery in Lawson).

They take you well off the beaten track to a stable in the middle of the most incredible valley, surrounded by sandstone bluffs. There you meet their daughter's horse, a gentle giant named Bear. You get to stroke his nose and marvel that such an enormous creature lets people ride on his back.

Travelling to see friends - it's the best way to travel.