On the day my family and I had set out on our beach day adventure during our trip to Australia, we agreed to make our way to Bondi to take on the coastal walk from Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach. Due to the endless number of recommendations I had received from my newly favorite Facebook travel page, Girls Love Travel, as well as recommendations from the locals prior to our Sydney arrival, engaging in the beautiful coastal walk was without question. 

Once we arrived at the Bondi Junction train station, we decided to start our coastal walk journey towards the south end of Bondi Beach; bus 333 was going to take us there. We had a late start to the day and didn't arrive to Bondi from Sydney Central Station until about a half an hour till noon, and by this time the temperature was already at 36C/98.6F. The day only got hotter from then on out (it was the hottest day we had experienced during our trip; one day before a thunderstorm). We decided to eat somewhere along our coastal walk so we didn't grab a bite for breakfast before we left our apartment. That was definitely not the grandest of ideas which led us in complete regret.

The coastal view was astonishingly beautiful, nonetheless. Definitely worth melting in the sun for; I just wish I had a massive bucket of ice to dump over my head or a large vanilla ice cream cone at the least. There was nothing like the sight of the vast ocean stretching beyond the horizon of the blue Pacific, the feeling of the hot Australian sun coupled with the warm sea breeze kissing our skin, and the sound of the waves crashing on the jagged rocks below. This was more than enough for us to stop several times for photos and to just take it all in. But it wasn't long until we each grew extremely famished and needed to recharge fast.

Panting like dogs and each sweating profusely, we found relief from the sweltering sun under an umbrella my mother had brought and also by drinking water from a 1 liter plastic bottle that we've bought from Woolies (Woolworth). We decided to steer away from the trail and find the next path up towards the road to find a place to eat. Any place. It didn't matter. At this point, all we wanted was food. We finally came across a set of steep wooden stairs embedded with sand. Not knowing what was at the top of the stairs, we decided to take our chances anyways and proceeded to go upwards. As soon as we've reached the top, there was a small grass park with two unattended picnic tables followed by beautiful houses and apartments that stretched over a small hill. Not knowing what was beyond that hill, we continued to walk along these houses hoping to reach the main road soon. Although we were very well hydrated, by now we've each become extremely delirious and "hangry". 

We continued to walk up the street and had passed five houses at this point. As I'm walking before my parents, I turn around and see a tall light skinned man wearing a tank top of an analogous light blue color scheme of thick stripes which he paired with tan board shorts. I noticed he was quickly running towards us completely barefooted from about three houses down. I stopped and continued to watch him carefully until he reached my parents. The man stops next to my mom, turns around to face my parents and politely says, "Hello," while out of breath, but with a friendly smile. There was a short pause of silence, but a long confused look on my face. Then my mom, to her surprise, begins to mumble words as if she's attempting to say something, but couldn't quite remember how to speak at all. She suddenly yells, "OMG! Adam?!" and my dad soon follows suit. Both surprised beyond belief, they each had big smiles on their faces and exchanged warm hugs. I, on the other hand, didn't quite understand what was happening. Who is this man and how do my parents know him?

I was so shocked and surprised given that we were at some random residential area along the coastal walk and we somehow end up coming across someone my parents know. It just so happens that we approach a set of random stairs 60 seconds before the moment we decided that it was vital for us to get something to eat somewhere up along the road. To alleviate my confusion, my parents introduced me to Adam and I soon find out how my parents know him. Back in May 2015, my parents first met Adam and his girlfriend (who was on business in Melbourne at the time) in Italy and they were the only four booked for the same Tuscany wing tasting tour leaving at the same time that day. After learning this, they decided to capitalize on the opportunity to get to know each other by having lunch together before heading off on their tour. The had a wonderful time on the tour and they soon became Facebook friends. 

Right at the moment my parents and I were at the top of the stairs, Adam stepped outside his apartment balcony. As soon as he looked up, he saw us crossing the grass park heading in his direction. He couldn't believe his eyes and said to himself, "No. It couldn't be! It can't be them!" Although, Adam was aware of our presence in Sydney because he saw my mom's Facebook posting of a photo of her and I at Central Station the day we arrived. At the sight of us, he was caught by surprise and had to check just to make sure it was really us, which was the reason why I saw him running up towards us from behind, barefooted; he didn't want to waste time putting on shoes with the chance of losing us.

What are the odds of running into someone that you've met a little less than a year ago on a wine tasting tour in Italy, but on the complete opposite side of the globe this time around, meeting face to face yet again on such a random occurrence only seeing each other's Facebook posts from up until that point? This alone shows definite signs of it being more than just pure coincidence. This single occurrence continues to amaze me and I think about it till this day. Really, what are the chances of that happening? Let alone, the perfect situation to run into a local who happens to be chef and knows the area well enough to know the best places to eat. It can't get any better than that. Nice work, universe! You've heard our prayers, but in this case, our stomachs.

Leaving Tamarama Beach, the path inclines and we ascend once again continuing our quest for food as our energy meter continues to deplete. The path curves along the coast once more, and as we come around the bend our destination of Bronte Beach was in sight. A true relief since we were that much closer to claiming our family mission of finding food to be a complete success. The beach, on the other hand, is much bigger than Tamarama Beach, but not as wide and massive as Bondi Beach. Just by first glance, I already took a liking to this beach and definitely wanted to check it out after lunch. We stepped off the path and walked across a wide grassy field with tents, picnic tables, and tall pine trees towards the back east end. 

Alas, we've finally reached the street of lovely cafes as Adam had mentioned. After observing the menu of each cafe, we finally agreed on eating at an charming cafe called Pure Bronte. We were approached by a lovely Aussie lady with golden brown hair and green eyes who seated us on a table outside on the sidewalk and handed us our menus . Without question, we each ordered the same thing which was the Aussie Burger; our first one ever. When in Australia, right? Once our Aussie burgers came out one by one, we were each overwhelmed by how amazing it was. Not just by the juicy, tender beef and robust flavor, but by its massive size. It was enormous! By far, the best burger I've had to date. Would I ever go back to Pure Bronte? You bet ya! For an Aussie burger so out of this world, who wouldn't? We were each beyond satisfied and extremely happy because we finally got some food in our system and it just so happens to be an Aussie burger that we've been dying to try since the beginning of our trip.

Mission accomplished. 

After completing a lovely lunch at Pure Bronte, we decided to enjoy the rest of the day on Bronte Beach. It was truly the perfect way to celebrate the success of our coastal walk adventure by resting on the beach and playing in the water. Besides, what's a beach day in Australia without playing in the waves on a hot, beautiful day? We sure chose the right day to head to Bondi because there was a thunderstorm in Sydney the following day, and it rained off and on each day after that. Luck was surely on our side. This was, without a doubt, one of my favorite days during our whole Sydney trip simply because so many wonderful things happened that day. To randomly come across someone my parents had met during their vacation in Italy the year before was definitely the highlight. I still can't believe how we came about such an occurrence especially how it happened the way it did. It really is amazing how the universe works its many wonders. 

Days and encounters like this are definitely one of the many reasons why I truly love traveling. You never know who you're going to meet and I can't fathom how much of a true believer I am of things happening for a reason; being at the right place at the right time. We all come across many people during our journey through life, but we are definitely meant to meet some people more than once. At the time, we may never know the reasoning behind encounters like these, but rest assure that they are more than just simply coincidences. I believe that there is true meaning behind these encounters and hopefully, within our lifetime, we find out what that meaning is. I always see it as a way the universe is communicating with us and it's up to us to listen. Regardless, always be thankful for beautiful encounters with people whether it's for two hours or for two seconds. Embrace each encounter because you never know who you're going to meet and when you're going to meet them again whether in this lifetime or the next. Sometimes you may not even notice things like this happening in your life simply because you're not paying close enough attention as you should. I invite you to try to become more aware of your surroundings and become more engaged in daily encounters with people you may come across. Practice being more attentive and take note of situational awareness. You may be missing out on the wonderful opportunities and amazing people that come about your way. By becoming more aware, you'll begin to notice things more often. You'll be surprised by what a simple "Hello" with a smile can do. If you really think about, 7.36 billion people living in this world does it seem big, but once you start to become more aware you'll begin to notice that this