Australian Friends!

Today was a great day FULL of socializing.  It started this morning when I woke up to Skype my parents.  It was SO great to see them and get to real talk to them.  I have been in touch mostly via email, but actually hearing their voices and seeing their faces is great!... really special.  I left shortly after for church and had a nice walk there in the rain.  It was a great service, but it was also just nice to meet some new people.  Everyone is incredibly friendly and welcoming.  People are SUPER eager to meet me.  Seriously, so many people came over and said, “I haven’t seen you before, are you new?”  Then I respond and they become even more eager as they hear my “accent”.  It’s really funny.  Australians LOVE Americans!  They all want to come to the States.  It’s pretty perfect for me J.  I met a few people my age before the service and then was invited by my friend I met last week to go to their “young adults” lunch after.  We went to Box Hill (another suburb about 10 minutes from where I live).  It’s like a Chinatown city.  It’s cool.  There are lots of great restaurants and little shops.  We went to the Dumpling King and I had some great vegetarian dumplingsJ.  It was GREAT to get to know all the kids my age from church.  They are all so fun and just really cool people.  And they are Australian!  I’ve met so many exchange students from the states so far, but not many Australians.  It’s really fun to know some locals.  They had a million questions about America… is Mean Girls the way high school actually is?  Is Microsoft in Seattle?... Have I seen the Simpson’s episode where they go to Australia?... it was really funny!  I had so much fun talking to them and hearing their perspective of America.  They love to laugh and have fun… it was great!  After lunch, I went to a BBQ that my landlady hosted for all of her houses.  She has ten houses around our area where international students live, so the purpose was for us all to get to know one another.  It was really fun meeting all those people as well.  I tried a little BBQ chicken on a skewer (delicious) and a piece of Wellington cake (sponge cake, dipped in chocolate, coated in coconut shavingsJ).  It was good.  Overall, it was a great day full of good food, lively conversation and LOTS of new friends!  It was really fun.  But… I’m exhausted!  I know I’ll sleep well tonightJ.    

Registration… and the beach.

The last couple days have been pretty excellent.  On Friday, I had my first real orientation meetings.  We had a short lecture regarding registration for classes and then were allowed to actually enroll.  It was very quick and painless.  I got all the classes that I wanted and have an excellent “timetable” as they call it… “schedule” for all you back home J.   I’m only in class 10 hours a week and don’t have any class Friday!  I am taking Australia: New World Nation (Australian history), Middle East Politics, Sex and Gender in History, and American Foreign Politics.  I’m really excited to take an American foreign policy course from an Australian perspective.  I think it’ll be really interesting.  I’m looking forward to the start of school… I know it’s strange, but my brain is ready to be academically stimulated J.  I realized that I haven’t been in school since the middle of December and I’m ready for a challenge again.  After registration, I went to the gym – excellent again – and then home to eat dinner and get ready before going out for one of my friends’ birthday.  It was a pretty fun night.  We took the tram downtown and went to a club to dance and hangout.  Melbourne is alive at night!  It was crazy.  The club was pretty fun and it was a really big group that went, so that was good… lots of new friends!  I decided that it’s not really my scene, but it was fun and another good experience to have.  My goal is to try a little bit of everything – I tried it and now, whether or not I want to go again, I know what it’s all about and I’ve experienced it.  Check J.  This morning (Saturday), I woke up, got ready, and headed to the beach.  It takes a LONG time to get there by public transportation (close to two hours)… not my favorite.  But it was really nice lying in the sun!  I put on sunscreen this time, so there are only a couple spots I missed that got burned.  I went with my roommate Camille (pronounced Cami) from Britain.  It was nice to get to know her better and we had a good day together.  When we got to St. Kilda (a little south of downtown Melbourne), we laid on the beach for a couple hours, then got some lunch, and finished the day by wandering through the streets of St. Kilda and looking at all the fun shops.  It was very low key and very fun.  We caught the train and then tram back to our house and called it a day.  It was fun.  Everyday I seem to find myself creating new potential plans for free days.  It’s so fun knowing that I’ll have the opportunity to see as much of Melbourne and the surrounding areas as I want.  Everyday is an adventure and everyday is a gift.  I found a card today that I couldn’t not get… it says, “LIVE.  Don’t save anything for a special occasion.  Being alive is a special occasion.”  I’m alive.  I’m I’m loving life.  I’m set J.

Melbourne.

Yesterday (Thursday here) I dragged myself out of bed and got ready for the day.  I was still so exhausted from the Beach Orientation trip.  It was an incredibly busy three and days and has taken me a little while to recover, both from the incredible amounts of social interaction and my tired muscles that weren’t used to surfingJ.  Before I left for the day, my mom got a hold of me to tell me that my Grandpa Gordon had passed away.  I knew it would be soon and had been praying for his peace for a long time, but it was still really hard to be 4000 miles away from home.  It magnified any loneliness I was feeling.  But instead of sitting at home crying, I took off for the city.  I decided that there was no better way to honor my Grandpa’s memory than travel and explore – his passion.  I took the tram downtown.  It took a little over an hour and I’ve decided that it is not my favorite kind of public transportation I’ve ever been on, but it’s kind of the only choice here.  There are a LOT of stops and it is really jerky, but otherwise, it was convenient.  When I got into the city, I had no idea where to go, but wandered through Federation Square (their big central pavilion) and then saw a sign for an exhibition of Disney cartoon drawings.  I went in and walked through the gallery.  It was incredible!  It was full of old concept drawings as well as sequences of drawings for some of the most classical Disney movies (Snow White, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Tangled and the Princess Frog).  It was so cool to see the old drawings and watch the TVs they had set up that showed selected scenes of the movies.  I stopped at each one for a little fill of Disney magic.  If there was any day to just stumble upon Disney, yesterday was the dayJ.  Life is cool like that.  After that, I wandered through the Royal Botanical Gardens and enjoyed the sunshine, then walked back up to the downtown core and wandered down Flinder’s Street.  There were tons of laneways, which reminded me a ton of Diagon AlleyJ.  It was great!  They were comprised of tons of little stores that opened right into an alley.  I wandered down a few of these.  I stopped at one called, “The Little Cupcake Shop” and got a baby cupcake… delicious!  And then kept walking around.  They have TONS of shopping in Melbourne.  After I made it through all the laneways, I hopped on a free City Circle tram and took it in the full circle.  It provided an audio commentary of main points of the city and helped me find my bearings.  It was nice to get a feel for what the city has to offer and what I’ll want to see and do while I’m here.  After that I walked down to the Greek Precinct and then back towards Chinatown and then boarded the tram back to Burwood (my suburb).  It was a busy afternoon.  Overall, I decided Melbourne reminds me SO much of Seattle.  There are tons of similarities.  I took the tram a couple stops further than my house and got some groceries.  It is strange not having a car – I have to be much more careful about the amount of groceries, especially liquids, I buy at once.  Whatever I buy I have to carry home myself.  A ten minutes walk isn’t far when you’re empty-handed, but when you’re carrying a ton of bags, it can seem like foreverJ.  I made it home fine and made some dinner, did some laundry, got things organized for orientation today, and then crashed a little after 10pm.  It was an exhausting day, but I feel good about my adventure to Melbourne and now have a much better idea of how the trams work, as well as my bearings for the city.  It was the start of my great adventure here, dedicated to my Grandpa Gordon.  I know his passion for travel runs through my blood as well.  I can’t wait to see and experience everything I got a taste of yesterday.  It’s going to be a great semesterJ.  

BEACH Orientation Trip.

The last three days were incredible!  I’ll start on Monday morning, because that’s when the fun startedJ.  I woke up early. got ready for the day and got online at 7am to skype my parents.  Unfortunately, that was interrupted by a strong burning smell in our house.  All of my roommates came together to try and figure out where it was coming from or what it was… I think more bonding occurred in those 20 minutes than in the two previous days I was there J.  We decided to call our landlady and she rushed over.  She decided that the smell was not a gas leak, but marijuana.  I laughed.  Really hard.  Once we convinced her that no one had smoked marijuana, she called the electrician and he came to look at our house.  In the meantime, three of my housemates and I left for our international student beach orientation trip.  We boarded the buses with around 100 other students and took off for the coastal city of Lorne along the Great Ocean Road, west of Melbourne.  It was such a cute coastal town!  I loved it.  When we arrived on Monday, we ate lunch and then had a free afternoon to walk around and just spend time getting to know everyone.  I spent a lot of time with my roommate from Michigan.  We walked on the beach, played in the water and just got to talk.  It was really nice.  That evening we had dinner with everyone, played cards and listened to the jazz band that had come perform for us, and then went to bed early.  The next day was full of adventure!  I woke up and ate breakfast and then had some free time to wander around.  I walked along the coast and watched some of the other students as they participated in their scheduled activities.  I made a friend from Portland whom I spent a lot of time with.  She’s great!  Also, she knows a couple of my friends from Whitworth, which was a fun connection to have.  It makes the world feel a little smallerJ.  After we wandered around for a while, we made our way to the beach and our SURFING lesson!  It was awesome.  I loved it.  I kind of made it to my feet a couple times.  It was so hard and such a good workout.  Also, addicting!!  I am definitely going to try it again sometime.  I really loved it.  After surfing, we ate lunch and then went surf kayaking.  It was so intense!  The surf was really big and the kayaks were really small.  SO not my thing.  My partner and I decided that between the seasickness from the rolling waves and the instructor being thrown from his kayak by a huge wave, we were more excited to be onshore.  That adventure was not for us.  At one point, she said, “oh my gosh!  It’s like the Titanic out here!!!”  I laughed.  That might have been a little dramatic, but seriously, it was scary.  After kayaking, we hiked through the forest with a guide.  It was a beautiful hike and I didn’t see any spiders or snakes… perfect!  The landscape reminds me a lot of the Pacific Northwest.  There were lots of ferns and little creeks running through the forest.  It was very beautiful and the perfect weather.  After our hike, we went back to our accommodations (a backpackers hostel) and took a shower before dinner.  Dinner was great and the rest of the night was more of the same… socializing with new people and laughing with new friends.  This morning we woke up, had breakfast, and boarded the buses for a journey to the Twelve Apostles.  This landmark is a set of limestone pillars rising out of the sea along a steep limestone cliff shoreline.  There were originally twelve pillars (hence the name), but over the years a few have collapsed and there are only eight currently.  We stopped along the way to look at wild Koalas in some trees on the side of the road, take a short nature walk through a rainforest, and then made it to our destination.  The Twelve Apostles are BEAUTIFUL!  They are incredible.  All of my pictures look fake… like they are a painting, not real life.  After that stop, we continued back home.  After sitting in rush hour traffic in Melbourne, we made it back to campus and I had dinner, showered and got caught up on all the internet time that I missed the last three daysJ.  Overall, the orientation trip was incredible.  I got to experience and participate in so many new things and made tons of new friends and potential new friends.  I’m so excited for the semester!        

A Great Sunday

Today was a pretty uneventful day.  I woke up and got ready to go.  I left and headed to church.  It was a pretty good service.  The best part, of course, was the people.  They were incredibly friendly, yet again!  Everyone around me noticed that I was new and introduced themselves.  I met a girl who graduated from Deakin University last year and she was very excited that I was there.  She gave me her number and offered to show me around later this week.  It was so nice!  I’m really excited to get to know her better and have a guide to the city.  She told me that Melbourne is known for its shopping and coffee… PERFECT J.  After that I walked back toward campus and bought a coffee and read for awhile.  I made my way home for lunch and then headed to the gym.  Apparently I signed up for a personal trainer and didn’t realize…I had a workout waiting for me.  It was pretty greatJ.  I came home and made dinner and watched an episode of “Boy Meets World”.  I’m about to write a few emails and then pack for the beach.  A few updates… my other roommate moved in today.  Her name is Cami and she is from the UK.  I’m excited to get to know her better.  Also, I head out tomorrow for my Beach Orientation Trip.  I will be gone for three days to the town of Lorne on the Great Ocean Road.  I’m really excited… it should be a lot of fun and awesome to meet all the new exchange students!  I’m still loving it here… life is goodJ.  

Melbourne... and settled!

Hello for the past couple daysJ.  I have been slacking on my blog lately, but in my defense, I was moving.  I woke up at 4:30am Friday morning and caught the train to the airport.  4:30am is EARLY.  I made it to the airport fine and was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was.  Apparently Australia isn’t on threat level “orange” or whatever it is we do in the US, because they didn’t care about liquids, shoes off or seeing my ID.  I found my gate almost an hour early and then we were delayed for about 25 minutes.  I spent my time reading Harry Potter 2… it made home feel a little closerJ.  My flight was really quick (a little over an hour) and then I was in Melbourne.  I found my meeting area and a couple other students going to Deakin University.  One was from New York, and one from California.  They are going on my orientation trip Monday so hopefully I’ll get to know them better next week.  My shuttle took me to my house next to campus and I met my landlord and got settled in.  She took me to her office (her kitchenJ) to do paperwork and kept saying, “it’s so nice you’re not tired from the jetlag.”  I was all, “yeah, that is nice, but I’m SUPER exhausted from the 4:30am wake up call!”  Anyway, finished paperwork and realized I hadn’t eaten lunch so I went to find food before I passed out.  I wandered toward campus and found a subway, got a sandwich and proceeded to campus.  I walked around a little – it’s super hip and modern.  I really like it.  I feel trendy thereJ.  I made it to the gym and started my membership.  It’s much more intensive and involved than I’m used to, but I think it’ll be good.  Before I could even workout they made me meet with a trainer to take measurements (height, weight) and answer health questions.  It’s nice though, because they have a computer system that keeps track of all your information, measurements and workouts and a trainer creates a workout schedule for you.  It’s not really something I need help with, but I’m sure it won’t hurt either.  I also met a new friend at the gym (another exchange student), which was awesome.  I walked back up toward my house and then went grocery shopping so I could have dinner and breakfast.  I got all the essentials and came back home.  I had dinner, got unpacked, did a little laundry and went to bed before 10pm.  I slept in this morning until almost 10am, which felt insanely good!  I didn’t even realize how tired I truly was.  Also, my bed is REALLY comfortable.  After I woke up, I got ready, had breakfast (I LOVE Wheat-bix) and then began putting up pictures in my room.  It feels much homier now!  I walked a couple miles to K-mart and got a beach towel and another pillow and then came back, dropped it off and went to the gym.  I had my health assessment and then ran a little bit before taking off walking the opposite direction of my house.  I wanted to explore and see what I lived around.  It was a nice long walk and I was already wearing my running shoes so that was good.  I finished my walk and came back and made dinner.  A couple of my roommates from China made dinner a little later and offered me some.  I tried a little (chicken wings).  It was good, but mostly I just wanted to join them to get to know them.  It was fun having been to China because they wanted to know about my trip and we had a little more in common.  Two are from Beijing and one is from Chengdu.  I’ve met all my roommates over the course of the last couple days.  Stephanie is from Chicago, Amanda is from Chengdu in China, Kevin is from Beijing, Mark is from France, there is a girl coming from the UK next week and I am from Seattle (so much easier to explain than EllensburgJ).  Everyone speaks English reasonably well.  My living situation is awesome!  I have a single room and then we all share the kitchen, and living room.  There are separate bathrooms for the boys and girls.  I am about a ten-minute walk from campus one way and a ten-minute walk from the store the other way.  There is also a tram that runs down the middle of the street that goes all the way downtown… I haven’t explored that far yet.  Burwood (the suburb I’m in) reminds me of Monroe Street in Spokane.  There are lots of residences and then random strip malls thrown in.  Overall, I like it here.  I’m still excited to meet lots of new people, but also know that for the introvert in me, that’s going to be exhausting.  Caw caw RAWR… I can do it.  So, recap… I’m in Melbourne, I’m moved in, my roommates seem nice enough, my house should be great, I’m still excited about the semester and I am loving life.  I saw a billboard today that said, “Life is a huge canvas… throw all the paint you can.”  I thought, “done!”  Life is good.     

No plans... and it was perfect.

Today I had no plan.  I got to do and see everything that I wanted to do in Sydney over the last five days, so I decided that today would be a really chill day.  I woke up around 8am, checked my email and got ready, and then ate some breakfast in the dining hall.  I came back to my room and grabbed my computer and went for a walk to find somewhere to write emails.  I had copied and pasted all my emails into word documents so that I could respond without internet, as it is limited here.  I made my way to campus and found a nice table in their center courtyard that was in the shade.  It was the most beautiful, sunny day here, but I knew that I needed to protect my already burnt skin.  I couldn’t bear staying inside, though.  I responded to a few emails and then went to go mail some postcards and ran into Holli.  It was so funny!  We hadn’t even texted about meeting up yet, but we just randomly bumped into each other.  It was nice “running into” someone I knewJ.  She had to do a couple errands and then she came and found me.  We walked my computer back to my room and then went to the grocery store.  There is a huge shopping center here, which is really convenient, but EVERYTHING is in there, including the grocery store.  It’s so strange going to the mall to go grocery shopping.  My favorite part of the grocery store, though… “Rice Bubbles”.  It’s what they call “Rice Krispies”.  It’s so funny.  There are Rice Bubble treats tooJ.  After the store, we went back to Holli’s apartment and dropped everything off and then went to find somewhere to play cards. We’ve played a ton of hands of Rummy this week.  It’s been fun and a really nice way to wind down in the evenings or just take a break from all our funtivities.  After Rummy, Holli went back to her apartment to get ready for an orientation activity and I returned to my room.  I sent a few emails and because I was back early enough in the afternoon, got to skype with both my parents and Callie.  It was great!  I wrote a couple emails and then went to dinner.  After dinner I decided to go for a walk and find somewhere to read my Bible.  It was such a nice night – very peaceful.  I walked around the far corner of campus and then made my way back to the center courtyard.  I sat and looked out over all the trees and green… it was SO beautiful.  The sky was clear, the air was warm, the birds were singing – it was perfect.  I read for awhile, and then went to Hello Happy at the mall and got one last happy cupcakeJ.  After, I went back to my room and started packing.  I can’t believe my week in Sydney is over!  It’s gone so fast.  I’ve loved every moment of it.  It was so nice having the ability to adjust to Australia with Holli and talk through some of the harder parts or bigger differences we experienced.  And now I’m off to Melbourne to start my own adventure!  I can’t wait to see my room, meet my housemates, do laundryJ, see the campus, explore Melbourne and make some new friends.  It’s going to be a great adventure! 

A day in my adventure shoes...

Today was a crazy day!  It began at 4am.  I heard from Callie last night that she would be on skype between 10am-12pm her time (3am-5am my time).  It had been forever since we’d really talked.  We’ve been emailing, but with the different time zones and our busy schedules, we hadn’t connected much.  It was SO good to see her!  It started my day off right, even though it was really early!  I got ready for the day and headed out at 5:15am.  I caught the train downtown and made my way to the Sydney Opera House for a backstage tour beginning at 6:45am.  This tour was four older British couples and myself... It was funJ.  Our tour guide’s name was Ann and she was an older lady, but SO sweet.  She kept saying things like, “oh that’s lovely” and “excellent!” (imagine it in the accent – it’s cuterJ).  This tour was amazing!  We started at the stage door and worked our way through the many theaters of the building (there’s seven I think) and all the behind the scenes props and equipment.  I saw the concert hall, the opera theater, a few other smaller theaters, the symphony conductor’s dressing room, the orchestra pit, backstage of the opera theater, the rehearsal room and many other interesting places.  When we all met downstairs at the beginning of the tour, Ann had us introduce ourselves and get to know the group a bit.  She asked individually as we were arriving if we performed.  I told her I sang for my choir and as a hobby.  She said, “oh lovely, well you can sing for us on the stage then.  Start practicing your scales.”  I laughed.  But then she kept saying that throughout the tour.  And when we walked onto the concert hall stage, she asked me to sing.  Like actually sing… for the group… on the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall stage!!  It was insane.  Such a cool experience!  I sang just a short piece of a song I had stuck in my head and appreciated the acoustics of the room and the fact that I was there at all.  It was really awesome.  Also, when we were in the conductor’s dressing room, there was a Steinway piano (the best of the best) and she asked if anyone played.  I said, “yes” and she asked me to play that too!  And then we went to the Opera Theater and I was able to sing on that stage as well.  All in all, it was like a dream come true.  I couldn’t believe I had been given that opportunity.  There was no audience, no excitement except my own, but it felt so good.  I was just telling Holli that I am having major music withdrawals.  I was saying how much I needed to find a piano and just sing… crazy how timing worksJ.  It didn’t quite satisfy my craving, but it was incredible all the same.  After the tour, we were fed breakfast in the green room of the Opera House.  It was delicious!  I had wheat-bix, fruit, and raisin toast.  Wheat-bix is a kind of cereal here.  The pieces remind me of a nature valley granola bar and it tastes similar.  I pour milk over it and it kind of soaks up the milk and becomes like oatmeal.  I really like it.  While we were eating, Ann asked if “the only American” (me) had ever tried vegemite.  I laughed and replied, “no”.  It was funny because I had every intention of trying it today, and she provided me the perfect opportunity.  She handed me a small packet and I spread a little on a corner of my toast.  It ruined a perfectly good corner.  I did NOT like it.  It was super salty and super gross.  But… I tried it and that is all part of the experienceJ.  After I left the tour, it was only 9am, so I wandered around the Royal Botanical Gardens right next door to the Opera House.  They were beautiful and as it was pretty morning, it was the perfect stroll.  I walked back to Circular Quay after awhile and got on a ferry to Manly Beach.  This beach was really nice.  There were tons of kids learning to surf, some middle school or high school girls having beach volleyball practice, and tons of SUPER tan people.  There was a nice walking path around the coast that I did part of.  After a while there I decided to just lay out my towel and lay down.  It was REALLY nice.  I have been going strong since I arrived here on Friday, trying to see and do as much as possible in my short week.  It was great to lie down and just soak up some sun.  I think I soaked up a little too muchL, but it’ll be tan fast.   After I decided that I should probably get out of the sun, I wandered around Manly for a little while and then took the ferry back to Circular Quay and took the train back to campus.  I am officially showered (I was still sandyJ), and am about to go eat dinner in the dining hall.  Holli and I are playing cards tonight and catching up on our days – she had orientation today.  I can’t believe tomorrow is my last day in Sydney!  It has gone SO fast, but has been an incredible adventure.  I am getting really excited to go to Melbourne and get settled.  I can’t wait to start meeting friends and exploring a new city (at a much leisurely paceJ).  Sending Australian sunshine your wayJ.      

Independence at its finest.

Happy Tuesday from Sydney!  Today was a great day, as they all have been.  It was my first day completely solo.  Holli decided to go on a day trip with the school so I was adventuring on my own.  I woke up at 7am with no plan and no agenda… such freedom.  I decided that I would first write in my blog and upload some pictures from the day before, as I didn’t have the energy for that last night.  Around 9am, I got on the train downtown, still not knowing what I wanted to do.  I ended up riding to the Central station and walking a ways to the Sydney Football and Cricket stadium.  Please don’t be confused – their football is VERY different from ours.  It’s closer to rugby.  I took a guided tour around the complex and had a great time!  Our tour guide was funny and the group was even funnier!  There were two couples from England (both older) and a group of four from India.  The Brits and the tour guide were both impressed that I came, first of all, by myself, and second of all, to tour a stadium of a game that I don’t know or understand.  It was funny.  They all tried to make analogies about the significance of certain things.  I saw the building named after their cricket’s Babe Ruth.  And we walked on the pitch, which is similar to a hard-core Yankee fan walking onto the field of the old Yankee Stadium.  That’s one of my goals while I’m here… learn how cricket works.  It’s going to be a challenge – it’s a crazy game!  Here’s one thing I learned… it can go on for 5 days and then be a draw.  I don’t think I have that kind of attention span, but I’d watch the first few “overs” (I think that’s what they call them… I really have no idea stillJ).  I do know there is a FIERCE rivalry between the Brits and Aussies.  That came across strongly during the tour… SO funny.  After that, I walked back to the train and took it downtown.  I got some lunch and boarded a harbor cruise around Sydney Harbor.  It was at just this moment that the sun came out!!!  It was SO beautiful.  I couldn’t believe it.  It has rained every day I’ve been here and although that is by no means a bad thing, it was so nice to see sunshineJ.  I soaked up every ray I could.  I met a guy from Toronto who was just touring around… he had been to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest close to home (Idaho) just a while before he came to Australia.  That was cool.  After disembarking the cruise, I walked to the Royal Botanical Gardens.  I just walked around for a few minutes in the trees and walked back along the water.  It was beautiful and by then it was super sunny and hot!  SO nice.  I got back on the train and rode back to campus.  It takes about an hour and I wanted to make sure I got back in enough time to eat in the dining hall.  They served teriyaki chicken, rice and delicious vegetables tonight.  Also, there was some delicious dessert!  I have no idea what it was, but it was good.  There was a vanilla sauce, bread thing, apple filling, and other goodness I couldn’t tell.  After dinner I went to meet Holli and we debriefed our days and got caught up.  It was a really good day.  I liked just wandering and having absolutely no plan.  It was so freeing, especially for me, who ALWAYS has a planJ.  I’m getting used to walking on a different side of the sidewalk and I am listening hard and learning the Australian accent.  I think I’ve almost got it figured outJ.  That’s another thing that I really want to learn this semester.  Cricket, the metric system, an Australian accent… and maybe school work if I have timeJ.  Can’t wait for another great day tomorrow!    

WILD day.

ElloJ.  It was another great day in Australia!!  Holli and I started at Macquarie (her school).  We met up and walked over to the international students office and she signed up for a day trip today to Manly Beach.  Then we walked around campus for a little bit.  It’s a really pretty campus… LOTS of trees, green, artwork, etc.  The buildings reminded me a lot of CWU campus – lots of concrete buildings and block styles, with a few artistic exceptions.  On every building was a kind of brightly colored something – a purple wall, a teal door frame, a bright red door, etc.  It was really cool.  While we were in the international students office, my Australian phone rang.  I don’t really know the ring tone yet, because, well, no one calls me, so I didn’t realize it was my phone until too late.  I missed the call.  I realized though that it must have been my parents, so I went back to my room and got my American phone to call them back.  We were able to talk for about 10 minutes and set up a time to skype.  After that, Holli and I took the train downtown to the ferry docks and rode the ferry to the zoo.  It was awesome!  They had all the normal animals as well as TONS of cool, Australian animals.  For those of you who didn’t know, platypus are found only in Australia.  That’s cool.  Other cool animals there… kangaroos, Tasmanian devils, bearcats, etc.  It was funny seeing the Kodiak bear exhibit and the rattlesnake exhibit… they tried to depict America in the displaysJ.  The only downside (and this was a HUGE one) was the overabundance of the biggest spiders I’ve ever seen in my entire life.  I felt like I was in the forbidden forest with Ron... and I was ron!  It was AWFUL.  SO scary.  The only peace I found with it was that they were everywhere and no one else seemed to be freaking out, so they must not be poisonous.  I was really brave, but kind of hated that part of it.  The animals were cool, though.  After the zoo, we rode the ferry back to the docks and got on a different ferry to go to the aquarium.  When we first arrived, we were starving since we hadn’t eaten since breakfast and it was now after four.  We went into the aquarium’s food court and both ordered fish and chips.  For those of you who don’t realize, this was a HUGE deal for me.  It was the first time I’ve had fish and chips since I had food poinsoning when I was probably seven.  It was DELICIOUS.  The fish was super fresh and yummy and just good.  After we were adequately re-energized, we went through the aquarium.  It was so cool!!  There were these super cute manatee looking things that are called Dungongs.  They are vegetarian mammals and Holli goes, “those vegetarians just look so happy.”  It was funny, but SO trueJ.  We also got to walk through a shark tunnel where the sharks swim over you… I wasn’t scared.  I’m really braveJ.  And there were tons of cool great barrier reef fish and wildlife.  Also, throughout the whole aquarium were lego sculptures and murals by lego master builders.  Holli decided that’s her new life’s ambitionJ.  They were SUPER impressive!!  After the aquarium and playing a few hands of rummy at the pier to rest our feet, we walked back to the subway and went back to the Rocks to look for some live music.  We then realized it was Monday night and there probably wouldn’t be anyL.  But, what we also didn’t realize was that it was Valentine’s Day and there would be tons of cute couples to watch.  We just sat on a bench for awhile – partly since we’d been walking ALL day for four days in a row, and partly because the couples were SO cute.  It was really fun.  We came back to Macquarie and hung out for awhile in my room, catching up on internet time, blogging, downloading pictures and then played a few hands of rummy before calling it a night.  I went to sleep for about an hour and then woke up and skyped my parents.  It was AWESOME to see them!  A great end to another great dayJ.  I’m hoping everyone at home is well.  I’m off for another adventure today.  I don’t know where yet, but ill figure it out as I goJ.  

Church and the Beach... Australian days are cool.

Oh my goodness!... today was the best day ever.  I can’t get over how awesome it was.  Holli and I kept saying, “can we just talk about how this was the best day ever?”… and then we wouldJ.  It started at 7am again (harder this morning… I must be getting acclimated).  I woke up to many happy birthday messages on facebook which is so strange as my birthday was over, but I enjoyed that people remembered me and were still celebrating for me in the statesJ.  It was fun (thanks everyone!).   It actually made me really homesick for the first time, though.  I didn’t expect to feel that way.  I met Holli at 8am and we rode the train downtown and then caught the shuttle to the Hillsong Church.  IT WAS INCREDIBLE.  We met a girl at the bus stop named Johanna from Sweden… she was just traveling around… because.  It was awesome!  We got to church and everyone was SO friendly!!!  I couldn’t believe it.  It was like the typical Australian on steroids.  I loved it – so many smiles, happiness, sunshine in one place.  It was great.  We waited in the foyer for a little while and talked to some people that went there and then went and got seats.  It was like being at a concert.  It was SO different from church at home, but really great.  When people worshipped they were practically dancing and just so alive.  It was incredible to watch.  Holli poked me at one point and pointed to her arm… she had goosebumpsJ.  The pastor was incredible too and the message was so relevant and one of my favorite that I’ve ever heard at a church service EVER.  I know I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.  It was such a cool experience.  Also, it was super funny – the accents and different expression are still fun.  After this incredible service, we took the bus back to the train station and made our way to Bondi Beach (pronounced Bond-eye).  I didn’t knowJ.  This is the cutest beach town and actually reminded me of where Mary Kate and Ashley live in Billboard DadJ.  It is really precious.  Lots of beach bums, lots of open air cafes, an awesome beach market at the local public school.  It was great!  We got lunch and sat down on the beach and ate.  It was wasn’t warm or sunny out, but the sand was warm and so was the water.  It was great!  We walked through the market and then I got a coffee.  I noticed this first in Canada, but it’s true here as well – the sizes for their coffees are smaller.  They have 8oz and 12oz, but nothing much bigger.  8oz is actually perfect – who knew?! J.  We then went and walked through some neighborhoods to look at the super cute houses and found this “coastal walk” path that looped around the side of the cliff and was BEAUTIFUL.  It was surreal.  We just stumbled upon it, but it was perfect.  Only downside – spiders.  Granted, they were on their webs, but I’m not exaggerating when I say I saw the biggest spider today of my entire life.  Even Holli, who had just said, “yeah, bugs don’t really freak me out” said, “okay, that’s gross.”  It WAS gross.  I’m kind of bummed that I didn’t get a picture, but I didn’t want it living in my camera.  After this, we took the bus back to the train station.  We passed a bunch of small shops on Bondi Road, one of which was a tanning salon!  SO unnecessary if you ask me.  We took the train back to campus and for part of it sat across from the Australian Dursleys.  I’m not kidding.  Right as we got off the train I said to Holli, “they are the Dursleys” and she said, “oh my gosh!  I was just going to say that!!”  It was pretty hilarious.  There were pink leg warmers, overweight children, fanny packs, gameboys, doting parents and ultimate spoiling involved.  It was crazy.  When we got back, I went to dinner in the dining hall… it was move-in day for all the new students so everyone was eager to introduce themselves.  I ket having to explain that I’m only here for a week and that I’m not going to school here.  They seemed confused – whatever.  The food was normal – steamed vegetables, fish, a pear, YUMJ.  The pears here are SO good.  Holli came over after dinner and instead of going out, we played rummy on my floor for a couple hours.  It was the best… we debriefed the day and talked about the semester we are about to have.  It was the perfect end to a GREAT day.  Very chill, fun, happyJ.  All is all, it has been an incredible day!!  I was feeling homesick this morning, and physically sick (possible fever/cold), but after church and Bondi beach, I feel so much more at peace with Australia and SO excited for more adventures.  Today was exactly what I needed.  I’m so excited to be here and can’t wait for the next four months!!

   

caw caw RAWR!!

Day 2 = ADVENTURE!  Today was a great day.  It started at 7am (noon at home).  The time difference is a beautiful thing in the mornings.  Woke up, got ready, sweated my makeup off as I put it onJ.  I went to breakfast in the dining hall (I’m staying in some dorms on the Macquarie University campus for the week).  They had normal cereal!  I was so excited.  And I had the most delicious pear.  After that I went and met Holli and we both bought phones.  We got the same provider, so we can text as much as we want to each other for free… it’s so nice to have her in the same country!  On our way out of the “center”, we stopped at Hello Happy (a super cute, sunshine, smile, bakery) and I bought a birthday cupcakeJ.  After we took some stuff back to Holli’s room, we were off!  We rode the train downtown and ended up walking around ALL afternoon.  My feet are super tired, but it was awesome!  We saw so much.  We started at St. Andrew’s cathedral and then walked to Darling Harbor and saw the Chinese Dragon Boat races for the Chinese New Year.  After that we found our way to the Chinese Friendship Garden… SO beautiful.  It made me think of the Summer Palace in Beijing – peaceful, tranquil, a hidden treasure.  We then walked through Chinatown and ate lunch at a small Chinese restaurant – delicious!  We crossed the street and entered Paddy’s Market (like Pike’s Place) and wandered through the rows of booths.  When we came out, we decided instead of taking the tram, we’d walk to Glebe (a neighborhood with a cool Saturday market)… it was a LONG ways, but we got to see a lot of really cool residential areas and other fun things we would have missed had we been more direct.  And we actually never made it to Glebe, but we did make it to the Sydney Fish Market… VERY fishyL.  The smell was super strong, but it was cool to see, as seafood is a big deal here.  We saw a ton of seagulls on the dock and all I could think of was Finding Nemo and “mine, mine”.  It made me smileJ.  We walked back to the train station and rode to Circular Quay (the waterfront).  We walked over to the Opera House and took pictures and then made our way to the Rocks neighborhood.  At this point it started pouring rain, but we powered through.  The Rocks was really cool!  Lots of old pubs and cool shops.  There was even a great street market for part of it.  We ran out of places to seek cover, though, and weren’t hungry enough to stay for dinner, so we made our way back to the train and back to campus.  Holli and I are headed to a restaurant just down the road for my birthday dinner.  I figure I’ll officially be 21 at 7pm (midnight in the states) so a later dinner is perfect – ring it inJ.  It was a big day, but SO much fun.  It was the perfect “get out, explore, experience, enjoy, adventure” kind of day.  Can’t wait to do it again tomorrow!

PS: Interesting observations… not only do Australians drive on the opposite side of the road, they walk on the opposite side of the sidewalk.  They all walk on the left side!  It’s so strange… I didn’t realize how much a habit that is until it switches.    

Also, pictures to come...

Change is good... it's called "adventure".

I’m officially in AUSTRALIA!  That’s right… I’m down under.  It all started Wednesday at 3pm.  My mom drove me to the airport where we met my dad.  I flew with my friend Holli.  We arrived at the exact same time to the ticket counter… first good sign.  The lady at the ticket counter was my FAVORITE.  She was awesome – so excited for us and so happy.  I loved it… second good sign.  When Holli and I were waiting for our first flight, I bought a pack of mentos and the first one was pink… third good sign.  And we were off!!  The flight to LA was no big deal.  We talked the whole time and had a blast.  We got to LAX and it was nuts.  We didn’t know where to go, but ended up being just fine.  It’s almost like we’re two very capable adultsJ .  We boarded our flight to Sydney and got all settled in.  They fed us dinner, then turned the lights down.  I slept off and on for a few hours, read a book, watched a movie, then just sat and reveled in the excitement of the approaching decent.  For a 13.5-hour flight, it went really fast!  After twenty-four hours of travel, we had gained nineteen hours and were officially in Sydney.  We made it through customs no problem, got our bags, and I helped Holli find her shuttle before I boarded the train out to my housing at the University.  At the platform a guy saw me walk up with my huge suitcase and perplexed expression and asked if I had just arrived.  He was a talker!  But super friendly.  The rumor is true… everyone that I have met so far has been incredibly friendly and happy!  I got on the right train, but got off two stops too soon – that was too bad, but just back down to the platform and was off again.  It was crazy trying to meet up with Holli – we didn’t have phones or internet… what’d people do before technology?!  I walked around the area a little and then met up with Holli eventually and we attacked the mall.  Well, not “mall”… “center”.  We were actually correctedJ.  We tried to get phones, but the mall closed at 5:30pm – a shock to us for a Friday night.  We’ll get phones in the morning.  I got to see Holli’s apartment and meet her roommates and then we both came back to my dorm room, blogged and tried to stay awake through a couple episodes of Boy Meets World.  It is currently 7:45pm Friday night in Sydney, 12:45am Friday morning in the states, and I have not slept in a bed since Tuesday night.  I’m looking forward to sleep.  We’re off for a big adventure tomorrow!  I don’t know what it’s going to look like yet, or what we’ll do, but it’s my birthday, I’m in Australia and LIFE IS GOOD.  Time for adventureJ.

PS…

A boy, probably 6 years old on the flight yelled, “It smells like yogurt and I’m NOT eating it!”… I laughed SO hard.  It might have been sleep deprivation, but it was still funny.  The universal picky eaterJ.   

And at the mall there is a super cute, small bakery called “Hello Happy”.  The wall says, “When you smile, the whole world smiles with you.”  I found sunshineJ.

Speaking of… 80 degrees and sunny today – SUMMER!