ever since i was ten years old on my first trip to australia, visiting the koala park has always been one of my very favorite things to do.  you might think this would have changed a little since i've been in college for 3 1/2 years now, (sort of) grown up, gotten married...etc.  but nope, it hasn't.  not even one little bit.  as you can tell from my photos, i could literally not wipe the smile off my face.  i was like a kid with candy all afternoon...or like a shayla with an ice-cream drumstick and access to australian wildlife.

we pet some koala bears and just about died over their cuteness.  i would love nothing more than to take one with me back to the states and snuggle it every single day.  one time my dear friend markell told me if i were an animal i would be a koala bear because i'm "happy, chill, and cuddly."  i take it as probably the best compliment i've ever received.

after the koalas we moseyed over to feed the kangaroos.  it was funny because i have pictures of me as a child with a shocked face because the kangaroos jumped up on me and we were literally face to face. now they barely come up to my waist!  but they were certainly still as cute as i remember them.

next, we headed over to a sheep shearing then boomerang throwing demonstration from a genuine outback rancher.  it was very australian to say the least.  we also saw a penguin feeding and my heart literally melted over their sweet little waddles.  other than that, we just did a lot of walking/skipping around being way too excited than most 20-something-year-olds should probably ever be :)