Koalas have been my favorite animal ever since I was little. My family still recalls the tiny stuffed koala I used to carry around, and loved to the point of becoming a flattened, plush pancake with eyes. This year I was able to bring a lifelong dream to fruition and hold one for real!! While I was in Brisbane, Australia, I stayed only a mile from the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, so naturally I visited three days in a row. The sanctuary was incredible, and to me it was a literal slice of heaven. Dozens of koalas lazing about, eating from gum trees and feeding their babies right in front of me!!
For a small fee you can hold one and get a professional photo and the proceeds go to keeping the koalas safe, as their habitats are disappearing and disease damages their numbers. Things they don’t tell you: koalas are way heavier than you think, their fur is course, and their scent is somewhere between a eucalyptus candle and a skunk. We all have our moments that we look back on when we get down, swamped with work, or stressed out, and I will forever have this moment to get me through. I thank God for creating such amazing creatures to bring a smile to our faces.