As I'm writing this last post to conclude my blog, and my journal requirment for my semester abroad, I am a bit sad. I must say, I truly do miss Sydney. Not just the city itself, which I do as well, but being on my own in such a far away country, with few responsibilities, and just a world of freedom. I am writing this post in the Snell Library, back in Boston, where I've been now for a week due to RA training. But my journey home started a quite a while ago, so let me start at the beginning.
On Sunday June 28th I woke up with a strange feeling. I had a feeling that I would not be leaving Australia quite yet. I brushed it off as I loaded up my luggage into the van that would be taking the rest of us to the airport for our 2:30 flight. As we were waiting in the line to check in/check our bags, an United employee was walking around talking to different people. I overheard him saying they had overbooked the flight, and were looking for people to stay on layover. I kind of brushed it off at first, but soon began thinking about it when they said they would put you in a hotel over night and you would possibly be on a different airline. The thought of being on anything but United had a huge appeal for me. Everyone in the group thought I was pretty crazy for thinking about doing it, but as I really learned while in Australia, who cares what other people think or say? Definitely not me. I went up to the man to ask more about this 'deal', when I was then informed that if put on layover, an $800 flight credit would be given. I of course then jumped on the opportunity. A FREE trip?! Hell yes! I was then put on layover, said goodbye to the other Northeasterners (in case I didn't end up on the flight) and went to sit for a few hours while they figured out what was happening. At 2 they finally gave me the answer I had been waiting for: I would be staying in Sydney for the night, and leaving the next morning on a Qantas flight to Auckland, and then an Air New Zealand flight to San Fran, and finally a United flight to Bradley (I insisted they get me closer to home than Boston) I called my parents, informing them I would not be coming home that night, but instead Tuesday morning. They were very excited for my flight credits for me! I spent the night in a nice hotel, ordering room service (paid for by them) and just relaxing. I woke up, hopped on my flight, and then was back in NZ. I had a 4 hour layover, and then got onto my next flight, which ended up being delayed for 1.5 hours due to a medical emergency on board. But unlike United, I had an insanely comfortable seat, my own television, unlimited snacks and an open bar, so the flight was quite nice. About 13 hours later, but with the time change about the same time I left, it was now Monday morning as my flight touched down in San Fran. It was a very strange feeling being back in US soil. I went to check in for my flight that night (I had a 12 hour layover this time) and found out I would also be stopping in DC on my way home. Although I hadn't slept in days and was beyond exhausted, I was not going to waste my free day in San Fran. I hopped on the BART and went into the city with two things that I definitely wanted to do: the tram, and seeing the golden gate bridge. As I was walking around the Fisherman's Wharf, I saw something that actually made me think I was so overtired that I was hallucinating. In n Out Burgers. I almost ran the half mile to get there, and when I did, I was probably more excited than ever before. I LOVE in n out. I thought they were only in SoCal, so to get this incredible treat was overwhelming. I gushed to the cashier that this was my first meal in America in almost 5 months, and was my favorite food, and was so so excited. She seemed happy for me, but also possibly thought I was insane. I then spent the day wandering around SF and having a great, but exhausting time. I went back to the airport for my midnight flight to DC. That 5.5 hour leg was absolutely the longest. As I don't sleep on planes, I was obviously awake for the whole thing, and it just took forever. I got off, and only had a 45 minute wait this time, in which I grabbed Starbucks and was then on my next and last plane. Of course I was seated in the very last seat in the very last row, which seemed very cruel and inhumane when I finally got to Bradley and was the last off the plane. But I had made it!! When I saw my dad I burst into tears. I was finally home. It had taken 61 hours, 4 flights, 5 airports, but I had made it.
The first week I was home was consumed with jet lag. I was awake all night and asleep all day. Luckily since I got home 2 days later than planned, I had to postpone my wisdom teeth coming out, so I could just sleep sans pain for a while. To be completely honest, it was really difficult to come home, and for the beginning of the summer I was just feeling awkward and out of place. It got better and by mid July I was feeling back to my old self. So much had changed while I was gone, but so much had stayed the same. Once I got back into the swing of things everything seemed to be okay. I still miss Australia every day. It's now been exactly eight weeks since I got home, and I'm already ready for my next big trip. I spent the morning in Barnes and Noble looking through the travel section, trying to find something to cure my wanderlust I've been feeling since being back at school.
I'm not going to go on and on about how much I've changed, because I think that is really evident from the progression of these journal entries. And like I said a few months ago, only I will really be able to know the ways I've changed. It's very exciting though to think about my next big adventure, and to know how ready for it I am thanks to my time I spent abroad. There is so much I want to write, but don't know how to say it. Not to be completely cliche, but I really think this quote is completely relevant to my experience, and sums it up very well, and it is what I will end this blog with.
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference"
-Robert E. Frost
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Last Week in Sydney
It's so hard to believe that next week at this time I will be at home (well, actually at the oral surgeons getting my wisdom teeth out, but close enough). It is Monday, June 22nd. I leave Sydney in a mere six days, on Sunday June 28th. Today is my 130th day since leaving home. When I left I was twenty years old, and upon return I am twenty one. I left a snowy winter and will return to a sunny summer. But the real difference between leaving the U.S. in February and returning now is unquantifiable. It is easy to say that I have changed immensely. I am in an extremely different place in my life now than I was when I left. I have done things that I never dreamed of before, been places I've never seen, or even heard of, and been extremely independent for nearly five months. I have learned to live every day to its fullest, and to take advantage of every opportunity that I am presented with. I have had a chance to completely focus on my own development, without interference or the necessity of worrying about the effects on anyone else. While I've been in Australia, it's been just me, myself, and I.
I am so excited to come home, but in a way, I am scared. I don't know what it's going to be like going back into the familiar. I have a feeling I'll be looking at everything very differently, and every experience at home will actually seem new. But what I am scared most of, is losing any tiny bit of what I've learned. I truly think that the ways I've changed will be lasting though. I am sitting here, trying to think of a way to adequately describe the changes that I can see, and am coming up with nothing. I think that the relationship I now have with myself is amazing, because I will be the only person who can truly understand who I've now become. I can only hope that other people will be able to feel the effects of it.
I am coming home ready for new experiences. I will never take anything for granted, and will continue to live each day fully, and try to make every day have a purpose. Life is so short. I've learned that here-it feels like I've just arrived, yet I am about to go. I don't want to see my semester abroad as an end, but instead, a beginning. The lessons I've learned will absolutely change the way I live the rest of my life, and I feel so blessed to have had this opportunity.
For the rest of the week, I'm going to be doing a lot more reflectance on this experience, and perhaps then I will be able to put more into words.
For now though, I am still in finals mode. I am officially done with my third final, which I think went very well. Last one will be molecular cell biology, on Thursday. I spent part of this afternoon studying, but am going to take the rest of the night off, since my brain is completely fried. I don't have too much to update since I've been back from Bali, because I've literally been studying every waking hour. On Thursday at 5pm though, I will be officially done-I cannot wait! Then I will have two full days to spend before coming home. Friday I am planning on going to the Blue Mountains. I realized that is the one last place that I would really like to see (and that I can semi-afford). Then I want to spend Saturday wandering around the city the whole day. I have come to really love this place, and want to soak it all in before I leave. Also, to start Saturday of, I am planning (and some other people are as well I think) on waking up before dawn, and getting to Bondi Beach to watch the sunrise. Then I want to walk the cliff walk to Coogee, which is the one other thing I still want to do. I want to make it the perfect last day. Then Sunday I will be waking up early to spent one last morning at Darling Harbour before getting on my plane, that will be taking approximately 24 hours (not looking forward to that!)
I will write later in the week about things that I'm going to miss. But for now, I'll just jot down a few things that I am the most excited for:
1. Food: China Gourmet, Village, Bacon, good dairy products, cheez-its, reeses. And just a kitchen full of food that I can cook in.
2. My own bed! Six more sleeps here. Although I'm not sure if I'll be able to sleep without Laura in the room anymore.
3. Seuss, my parents, my sisters, and my friends. (Yes, Seuss is first!)
4. SUNNY WEATHER! It has been cold and rainy here for as long as I can remember at this point. Although I hear Northfield is the same, so it better be nice by the time I get there.
5. Phones. The ability that people can actually call me, and I don't need to talk through a computer.
6. NOT needing to use a computer anymore-as you all likely know, I hate technology, so I can't wait to not need to use it for a while!
7. CAPE COD. I cannot wait to get to the cape ASAP.
8. Hanging out at NMH every day with my little teachers Amanda and Sarah
9. Working out (my gym membership ran out saturday)
10. getting my wisdom teeth out and my knees fixed!
11. All the little things. Going on walks with my mom, watching scary movies with my dad, going to whole foods every saturday for lunch, hiking, hanging out with friends, games nights...I really think I'm going to appreciate everything so much more now.
Alright, I'll definitely update one more time this week (hopefully) and then I'll be HOME!
I am so excited to come home, but in a way, I am scared. I don't know what it's going to be like going back into the familiar. I have a feeling I'll be looking at everything very differently, and every experience at home will actually seem new. But what I am scared most of, is losing any tiny bit of what I've learned. I truly think that the ways I've changed will be lasting though. I am sitting here, trying to think of a way to adequately describe the changes that I can see, and am coming up with nothing. I think that the relationship I now have with myself is amazing, because I will be the only person who can truly understand who I've now become. I can only hope that other people will be able to feel the effects of it.
I am coming home ready for new experiences. I will never take anything for granted, and will continue to live each day fully, and try to make every day have a purpose. Life is so short. I've learned that here-it feels like I've just arrived, yet I am about to go. I don't want to see my semester abroad as an end, but instead, a beginning. The lessons I've learned will absolutely change the way I live the rest of my life, and I feel so blessed to have had this opportunity.
For the rest of the week, I'm going to be doing a lot more reflectance on this experience, and perhaps then I will be able to put more into words.
For now though, I am still in finals mode. I am officially done with my third final, which I think went very well. Last one will be molecular cell biology, on Thursday. I spent part of this afternoon studying, but am going to take the rest of the night off, since my brain is completely fried. I don't have too much to update since I've been back from Bali, because I've literally been studying every waking hour. On Thursday at 5pm though, I will be officially done-I cannot wait! Then I will have two full days to spend before coming home. Friday I am planning on going to the Blue Mountains. I realized that is the one last place that I would really like to see (and that I can semi-afford). Then I want to spend Saturday wandering around the city the whole day. I have come to really love this place, and want to soak it all in before I leave. Also, to start Saturday of, I am planning (and some other people are as well I think) on waking up before dawn, and getting to Bondi Beach to watch the sunrise. Then I want to walk the cliff walk to Coogee, which is the one other thing I still want to do. I want to make it the perfect last day. Then Sunday I will be waking up early to spent one last morning at Darling Harbour before getting on my plane, that will be taking approximately 24 hours (not looking forward to that!)
I will write later in the week about things that I'm going to miss. But for now, I'll just jot down a few things that I am the most excited for:
1. Food: China Gourmet, Village, Bacon, good dairy products, cheez-its, reeses. And just a kitchen full of food that I can cook in.
2. My own bed! Six more sleeps here. Although I'm not sure if I'll be able to sleep without Laura in the room anymore.
3. Seuss, my parents, my sisters, and my friends. (Yes, Seuss is first!)
4. SUNNY WEATHER! It has been cold and rainy here for as long as I can remember at this point. Although I hear Northfield is the same, so it better be nice by the time I get there.
5. Phones. The ability that people can actually call me, and I don't need to talk through a computer.
6. NOT needing to use a computer anymore-as you all likely know, I hate technology, so I can't wait to not need to use it for a while!
7. CAPE COD. I cannot wait to get to the cape ASAP.
8. Hanging out at NMH every day with my little teachers Amanda and Sarah
9. Working out (my gym membership ran out saturday)
10. getting my wisdom teeth out and my knees fixed!
11. All the little things. Going on walks with my mom, watching scary movies with my dad, going to whole foods every saturday for lunch, hiking, hanging out with friends, games nights...I really think I'm going to appreciate everything so much more now.
Alright, I'll definitely update one more time this week (hopefully) and then I'll be HOME!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Eating, Praying and Loving in BALI
I'm back from am amazing trip to Bali. As I said before, it was always a place I wanted to go to, especially after reading Eat Pray Love. It is hard to describe in writing the kind of experience I had there, so I will just give kind of a broad overview for now (I am also time constrained as I am busy studying for finals...!)
I arrived Sunday night at about midnight, and as soon as I got off the plane, it was hot. Really really hot. I went through customs and all of that, got a Visa on Arrival, and then went off in search of a taxi. Walking through the airport gave me my first glimpse of what a lot of the week would be like. For the Balinese, tourists, and especially Westerners, are like walking ATM's, and they always want to sell you something. This started with many vendors, money changers & drivers yelling out to me as I walked along. I found the taxi booth that had been recommended (lonely planet was my bible for the week) and was off to Sanur. Although it was night out, it was so amazing driving through the villages. Every few miles there seemed to be a massive looming statue symbolizing a certain god, spirit or something else of importance to the Balinese. I got to my 'hotel' at about 1. I use quotes because it was actually a homestay, as most of accomidation in Bali is. This one was rather large, having about 20 rooms I believe, and the family lived there as well. In Bali, and throughout Indonesia, it is not just the nucleus family who lives together. All of the generations live together (no getting away from anyone), and the son stays in the family, and when he marries, his new wife moves into the family compound. The home was very big, and very carefully designed. It had a central court yard, as most due, with a few shrines, some caged wild birds and a temple. Every family has a temple, as well as each village.
Monday I woke up and was a bit anxious to start my day, not really knowing what to expect, or where to really go. I headed down to the beach (only a couple minutes walk) and it was beautiful. The water was so blue and the sand so white. Walking down the beachfront walk was quite the experience. There were endless amounts of vendors and every few seconds a woman would yell out "Massage? Manicure? Facial?" Since it was my first day, I gave into the urge and started out the day with a US$5 hour long massage on the beach. Heavenly. I then got majorly ripped off (I found out later of course) while buying two sarongs. They are beautiful, and definitely came in handy throughout the week. I bought a beach lounger for the day, and just relaxed all day, reading, and taking a break every once in a while to go for some fresh fruit, or a meal. The food in Bali was delicious. Very flavorful. I am looking forward to trying out some recipes when I get home!
Tuesday was relatively similar, since all I really wanted to do was relax. I've spent so many of my trips running around trying to fit in everything I wanted to see, so it was nice to just lay around and absorb everything.
Wednesday I went off to Kuta, the beach area where mainly all the tourists go. I walked around down the narrow streets which were full of shops, and then on to the beach where there were tons of surfers, both really good and really bad. I walked down to a nicer area of Legian, and then back to Kuta and at night headed back to Sanur.
Thursday morning I woke up early to take a shuttle to Ubud, the cultural capital of Bali, as well as where Elizabeth Gilbert stayed during the "Love" section of her book. I didn't have a place to stay, but once I found there I found a homestay which I had read about, and got a room there for the next three nights. That afternoon I went to the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. It was like the Legend of the Hidden Temple, full of monkeys. They were crazy. First of all, there were TONS of them and they loved to try to steal anything they could get their hands on. I was wearing a hat, which several actually managed to steal when they jumped on my head while I was trying to pose for a photo (never got that photo, but got the hat back from those little thieves!) They were having so much fun in a little pond, and I was reminded how human like they really are. I went down some very steep steps and came into a very cool temple area, surrounded with statues and moss and of course, more monkeys.
Friday I woke up very early and went off to trek the Rice Paddies. I met up with a guy on the street Wayan, who offered to give me a tour around. We walked through some rice paddies and then it was on to the lush lands that the luxury hotels overlook. Walking down was extremely dangerous, and I thought I was about to break something every second of it. We went through various "Do NOT go this way" signs, and managed to make it down to the Sayan River, which he proceeded to take off our shorts (and him his pants too) and cross. The whole time I was thinking about the parasites which could be climbing up into my body through my foot, but I made it across, hopefully parasite free! We then trekked through the jungle which was fantastic. I even saw a lizard which was at least half the size of my body! We went into a little village in the middle of the jungle, and relaxed for a bit, before heading on. The next park of the jungle contained the sacred Bayan trees [which if you break a limb or leaf accidently, the Balinese believe you will go blind and only the village leader will be able to make you see again...I steered clear] and then saw some cocoa trees, banana and papaya trees, and some very cool flora. We made it back and crossed the river again, and then go the workout of a life time going up a massive steep cliff. We then parted ways, and I went back to Ubud for a shower and then a delicious meal in town.
Saturday I woke up early for a big day trip out of Ubud. I hired a driver, Rai, for the day to take me around. First I went to the Elephant Park and Safari place, where I rode my first elephant, Pikri! The riding was cool, but the best part was the feeding and playing with the elephants afterwards. I never imagined them to be so amazingly gentle and sweet as they were. It was a lot of fun, and it was sad to go, but I had much more to see in the day. We headed off to Elephant Cave Temple next, an ancient temple built underground, in a cave (duh) which as very holy springs in front of it. Then a woodcarvers shop, where the woodwork was amazing. Next was the Royal Family Palace Temple. Finally, the main sight of the day was Tanah Lot, one of the Sea Temples in Bali. I was to see the sunset here. I had a few hours there, so I did some hiking along the various cliffs around the temple, and got some really great views, and it was just a very relaxing experience. As sunset loomed closer, I went up to where the main restaurants overlooking Tanah Lot were, to get a good seat with good food for the sunset, which was, of course magnificent. It would have been much better though, if it weren't for the seemingly millions of tourists and locals everywhere! After the sun set and it became dark, I found Rai and went back to Ubud for my last night.
Sunday morning I woke up extremely early (about 5am!) and walked around Ubud until my shuttle left at 8:30. This was when my week long question was answered-do the monkeys actually stay in the forest? As I was walking down, there were quite a few duos getting frisky on the sidewalks, as well as many swinging from the electrical poles and wires, and walking along roofs of the shops! Only in Asia...it was very cool. Got to Kuta, and spent the day at the beach where it was extremely hot-I had about 4 ice cream cones throughout the day just to cool myself. At sunset I went off to the airport, since I wanted to get there before it was dark. Enjoyed a great last meal there, and then had an 11:30 flight back to Sydney. I got back to Unilodge at about 8 this morning, and spent the day unpacking, food shopping, cleaning, doing laundry, and of course studying. AND thinking about the fact that in only 13 days I will be on my way home-at this point, I am beyond excited. And beyond broke. But I've had the time of my life-but more of that mushy gushy stuff later!
Time to go make some dinner, and go to sleep early, since I still haven't slept for now over 36 hours! I can't believe I am functioning, but I actually feel great!
Of course, there is so much more about Bali that I can only share through talking, and would love to talk about it with any of you. It was a different world, and I cannot wait to go back again, multiple times throughout my life.
On my fourth day in Bali, a friend (part of the family with whom I stayed with) saw me as I was walking out the door in the morning and said
"You look so happy"
And he was right. While in Bali, and even now, I just feel so happy.
I arrived Sunday night at about midnight, and as soon as I got off the plane, it was hot. Really really hot. I went through customs and all of that, got a Visa on Arrival, and then went off in search of a taxi. Walking through the airport gave me my first glimpse of what a lot of the week would be like. For the Balinese, tourists, and especially Westerners, are like walking ATM's, and they always want to sell you something. This started with many vendors, money changers & drivers yelling out to me as I walked along. I found the taxi booth that had been recommended (lonely planet was my bible for the week) and was off to Sanur. Although it was night out, it was so amazing driving through the villages. Every few miles there seemed to be a massive looming statue symbolizing a certain god, spirit or something else of importance to the Balinese. I got to my 'hotel' at about 1. I use quotes because it was actually a homestay, as most of accomidation in Bali is. This one was rather large, having about 20 rooms I believe, and the family lived there as well. In Bali, and throughout Indonesia, it is not just the nucleus family who lives together. All of the generations live together (no getting away from anyone), and the son stays in the family, and when he marries, his new wife moves into the family compound. The home was very big, and very carefully designed. It had a central court yard, as most due, with a few shrines, some caged wild birds and a temple. Every family has a temple, as well as each village.
Monday I woke up and was a bit anxious to start my day, not really knowing what to expect, or where to really go. I headed down to the beach (only a couple minutes walk) and it was beautiful. The water was so blue and the sand so white. Walking down the beachfront walk was quite the experience. There were endless amounts of vendors and every few seconds a woman would yell out "Massage? Manicure? Facial?" Since it was my first day, I gave into the urge and started out the day with a US$5 hour long massage on the beach. Heavenly. I then got majorly ripped off (I found out later of course) while buying two sarongs. They are beautiful, and definitely came in handy throughout the week. I bought a beach lounger for the day, and just relaxed all day, reading, and taking a break every once in a while to go for some fresh fruit, or a meal. The food in Bali was delicious. Very flavorful. I am looking forward to trying out some recipes when I get home!
Tuesday was relatively similar, since all I really wanted to do was relax. I've spent so many of my trips running around trying to fit in everything I wanted to see, so it was nice to just lay around and absorb everything.
Wednesday I went off to Kuta, the beach area where mainly all the tourists go. I walked around down the narrow streets which were full of shops, and then on to the beach where there were tons of surfers, both really good and really bad. I walked down to a nicer area of Legian, and then back to Kuta and at night headed back to Sanur.
Thursday morning I woke up early to take a shuttle to Ubud, the cultural capital of Bali, as well as where Elizabeth Gilbert stayed during the "Love" section of her book. I didn't have a place to stay, but once I found there I found a homestay which I had read about, and got a room there for the next three nights. That afternoon I went to the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. It was like the Legend of the Hidden Temple, full of monkeys. They were crazy. First of all, there were TONS of them and they loved to try to steal anything they could get their hands on. I was wearing a hat, which several actually managed to steal when they jumped on my head while I was trying to pose for a photo (never got that photo, but got the hat back from those little thieves!) They were having so much fun in a little pond, and I was reminded how human like they really are. I went down some very steep steps and came into a very cool temple area, surrounded with statues and moss and of course, more monkeys.
Friday I woke up very early and went off to trek the Rice Paddies. I met up with a guy on the street Wayan, who offered to give me a tour around. We walked through some rice paddies and then it was on to the lush lands that the luxury hotels overlook. Walking down was extremely dangerous, and I thought I was about to break something every second of it. We went through various "Do NOT go this way" signs, and managed to make it down to the Sayan River, which he proceeded to take off our shorts (and him his pants too) and cross. The whole time I was thinking about the parasites which could be climbing up into my body through my foot, but I made it across, hopefully parasite free! We then trekked through the jungle which was fantastic. I even saw a lizard which was at least half the size of my body! We went into a little village in the middle of the jungle, and relaxed for a bit, before heading on. The next park of the jungle contained the sacred Bayan trees [which if you break a limb or leaf accidently, the Balinese believe you will go blind and only the village leader will be able to make you see again...I steered clear] and then saw some cocoa trees, banana and papaya trees, and some very cool flora. We made it back and crossed the river again, and then go the workout of a life time going up a massive steep cliff. We then parted ways, and I went back to Ubud for a shower and then a delicious meal in town.
Saturday I woke up early for a big day trip out of Ubud. I hired a driver, Rai, for the day to take me around. First I went to the Elephant Park and Safari place, where I rode my first elephant, Pikri! The riding was cool, but the best part was the feeding and playing with the elephants afterwards. I never imagined them to be so amazingly gentle and sweet as they were. It was a lot of fun, and it was sad to go, but I had much more to see in the day. We headed off to Elephant Cave Temple next, an ancient temple built underground, in a cave (duh) which as very holy springs in front of it. Then a woodcarvers shop, where the woodwork was amazing. Next was the Royal Family Palace Temple. Finally, the main sight of the day was Tanah Lot, one of the Sea Temples in Bali. I was to see the sunset here. I had a few hours there, so I did some hiking along the various cliffs around the temple, and got some really great views, and it was just a very relaxing experience. As sunset loomed closer, I went up to where the main restaurants overlooking Tanah Lot were, to get a good seat with good food for the sunset, which was, of course magnificent. It would have been much better though, if it weren't for the seemingly millions of tourists and locals everywhere! After the sun set and it became dark, I found Rai and went back to Ubud for my last night.
Sunday morning I woke up extremely early (about 5am!) and walked around Ubud until my shuttle left at 8:30. This was when my week long question was answered-do the monkeys actually stay in the forest? As I was walking down, there were quite a few duos getting frisky on the sidewalks, as well as many swinging from the electrical poles and wires, and walking along roofs of the shops! Only in Asia...it was very cool. Got to Kuta, and spent the day at the beach where it was extremely hot-I had about 4 ice cream cones throughout the day just to cool myself. At sunset I went off to the airport, since I wanted to get there before it was dark. Enjoyed a great last meal there, and then had an 11:30 flight back to Sydney. I got back to Unilodge at about 8 this morning, and spent the day unpacking, food shopping, cleaning, doing laundry, and of course studying. AND thinking about the fact that in only 13 days I will be on my way home-at this point, I am beyond excited. And beyond broke. But I've had the time of my life-but more of that mushy gushy stuff later!
Time to go make some dinner, and go to sleep early, since I still haven't slept for now over 36 hours! I can't believe I am functioning, but I actually feel great!
Of course, there is so much more about Bali that I can only share through talking, and would love to talk about it with any of you. It was a different world, and I cannot wait to go back again, multiple times throughout my life.
On my fourth day in Bali, a friend (part of the family with whom I stayed with) saw me as I was walking out the door in the morning and said
"You look so happy"
And he was right. While in Bali, and even now, I just feel so happy.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Off to Bali
Well, the time has finally come; my trip to Bali, Indonesia. I am so excited and looking forward to this new adventure. I am trying to prepare myself for the unknown, a place unlike any I've ever been. Bali has been a place I've wanted to go forever. Whenever I'm asked the age old quesiton "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?", my answer is Bali. So it looks like after this trip I'm going to need a new answer--I'll let you know! But I fly out of Sydney this evening, and then I'll be in Bali until next Monday, before being thrown back into finals. So, as they say about Bali in South Pacific...
"Your own special hopes,
Your own special dreams,
Bloom on the hillside
And shine in the streams.
If you try, you'll find me
Where the sky meets the sea.
"Here am I your special island
Come to me, Come to me."
On another note, I am now officially done with classes! I had a very full week of the last ones, but now they are complete. I'm completely done with my cell bio lab (which is the worlds biggest relief) and with bioethics, as it concluded with a final essay project (I will speak more about this once I get back). So now I have three finals once I get back to Sydney on the 15th, and once I get back, it will be 13 days until I head home. Yikes!
Since I've been doing preparations for finals for the last few weeks, I decided to do something I haven't done in a long long time yesterday-absolutely no studying and not going into the library. That is almost unimaginable for me to do! So I spent the morning relaxing and reading a great book (The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison-I highly recommend it) and then went off to the Jazz and Blues concert at Darling Harbour, and then walked around the city for quite sometime, spending a lot of time at Circular Quay and the Opera House. I've realized I have so little time left in Sydney, which is really sad. I must say though, I do feel like I've done so much during my time here, and after Bali, will be ready to go home. But more on the mushy stuff later, it's time to finish getting ready to go! I still need to buy some food (as the food there is...questionable--I don't know how delicious anything will be with congealed pigs blood on it-yes, that is a specialty) so I want to buy some protein bars just in case. Then I need to call the bank to tell them I'm going, print out my itinerary/sent it to people who need it, and make sure I have everything! I'll try to write a quick post once I get there so everyone knows I'm safe and sound!
Until next time, after Bali!
"Your own special hopes,
Your own special dreams,
Bloom on the hillside
And shine in the streams.
If you try, you'll find me
Where the sky meets the sea.
"Here am I your special island
Come to me, Come to me."
On another note, I am now officially done with classes! I had a very full week of the last ones, but now they are complete. I'm completely done with my cell bio lab (which is the worlds biggest relief) and with bioethics, as it concluded with a final essay project (I will speak more about this once I get back). So now I have three finals once I get back to Sydney on the 15th, and once I get back, it will be 13 days until I head home. Yikes!
Since I've been doing preparations for finals for the last few weeks, I decided to do something I haven't done in a long long time yesterday-absolutely no studying and not going into the library. That is almost unimaginable for me to do! So I spent the morning relaxing and reading a great book (The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison-I highly recommend it) and then went off to the Jazz and Blues concert at Darling Harbour, and then walked around the city for quite sometime, spending a lot of time at Circular Quay and the Opera House. I've realized I have so little time left in Sydney, which is really sad. I must say though, I do feel like I've done so much during my time here, and after Bali, will be ready to go home. But more on the mushy stuff later, it's time to finish getting ready to go! I still need to buy some food (as the food there is...questionable--I don't know how delicious anything will be with congealed pigs blood on it-yes, that is a specialty) so I want to buy some protein bars just in case. Then I need to call the bank to tell them I'm going, print out my itinerary/sent it to people who need it, and make sure I have everything! I'll try to write a quick post once I get there so everyone knows I'm safe and sound!
Until next time, after Bali!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Last Four Weeks in Australia
Today is the last day of May; the last day of a month that I will only be in Australia; the first day of the last four weeks in this country. The realization that I have such little time left in Oz is bittersweet. Yes, I'm very excited to go home, and theres people and things I have missed a lot, and cannot wait to get back to. But in these past months I feel like Sydney has become a second home to me. Last night as I was talking with Alex on skype, I realized, as she had in Rome realized as well, that while traveling around Australia, I do not think of Northfield as home, but of Unilodge as home. It is very strange, because even when I'm in Boston, I never think of whatever dorm I am in as home. Perhaps it is beacuse in order to make the adjustment to living so far away from my real home, I subconsciously needed to believe that I was home. Or maybe I have just become so comfortable here, that it has become a home. I know that years from now, I will always have a special place in my heart for Australia, and especially Sydney. Last night I was laying in bed thinking about the things I want to do on my next trip here. So that is the bitter part of leaving. The sweet part is the part that comes with any end of semester-the end of studying for finals. It is quite unfortunate that so much of these past weeks have been spent in the library with my nose in books, but I still do absolutely love learning more than almost anything, so I can't complain too much...But still, this is Australia-there should be no studying!
With such limited time left, it is hard not to think about the time in days, no longer in weeks. For example, in 28 days I will be on a plane. I cannot picture myself on the plane, as it feels as if I've just gotten off the plane here. I've talked with several people lately about the bizarre concept of time here. I have a hard time believing that I've been here so long, yet things I did in the beginning seem to be a distance memory. Even Tasmania seems to be so long ago, when it was really only a week. So thinking about being home is just hard to fathom at this point, but I am definitely looking forward to it.
As for my last few weeks here, this is a bit of a rundown of what I'll be doing. I only have four days of classes left. 10 lectures. 2 tutorials. 1 lab. I have a neuroscience quiz on Tuesday, my bioethics final essay is due on Friday, and my completed lab manual is also due on Friday. I've just written the rough draft of the essay, and I think it came out very well, so I'll spend a good part of the week editing it until it's perfect. The lab manual is looming over me, and although I've been working on it throughout the semester, I seem to have left the impossible stuff for this week. I just need to sit down and finish it at this point, and not postpone it any longer! I will also spend the week finishing up the study guides that I've been working on for the past few weeks.
After a very busy week, I'll be leaving for Bali on Sunday. I can't believe I'm actually going, so soon! I am beyond excited, and preparing myself for something completely different from anything I've ever experienced. Southeast Asia is such a unique place, and I'm so excited to explore and experience everything it has to offer. So, I must also finish planning my trip this week. I exchanged money today though, and I now have nearly a million rupiahs in cash-I feel so rich! Some of the main things I want to do there are: see wild monkeys, ride an elephant (I'm so against it, but, when in Asia...), see the temples, relax on the beach, and experience the culture. I'm sure it will be one of the best weeks of my life.
When I return, it will be only two weeks until I go home. I have my brain and behaviour final on the 18th, developmental psych final on the 22nd, and finally cell biology on the 25th. I will then have two days to spend however I want until hopping on a very long plane ride. I am so excited to jam everything I possibly can into those two days, and really make the most of them.
It's no secret that I'm going to miss Australia. But I cannot wait to get home either. I want American pizza, a comfy bed in my own room, a good nights sleep, my family, smak, to watch stupid horror movies with collin, to see all my northeastern friends, to cuddle with seuss, and to just really enjoy every day that I have at home. If I've learned one thing here, and I know I've said it a million times before, but it is to not let one day go to waste, and that's something I want to bring back home with me.
Until next time, on my way to Indonesia!
With such limited time left, it is hard not to think about the time in days, no longer in weeks. For example, in 28 days I will be on a plane. I cannot picture myself on the plane, as it feels as if I've just gotten off the plane here. I've talked with several people lately about the bizarre concept of time here. I have a hard time believing that I've been here so long, yet things I did in the beginning seem to be a distance memory. Even Tasmania seems to be so long ago, when it was really only a week. So thinking about being home is just hard to fathom at this point, but I am definitely looking forward to it.
As for my last few weeks here, this is a bit of a rundown of what I'll be doing. I only have four days of classes left. 10 lectures. 2 tutorials. 1 lab. I have a neuroscience quiz on Tuesday, my bioethics final essay is due on Friday, and my completed lab manual is also due on Friday. I've just written the rough draft of the essay, and I think it came out very well, so I'll spend a good part of the week editing it until it's perfect. The lab manual is looming over me, and although I've been working on it throughout the semester, I seem to have left the impossible stuff for this week. I just need to sit down and finish it at this point, and not postpone it any longer! I will also spend the week finishing up the study guides that I've been working on for the past few weeks.
After a very busy week, I'll be leaving for Bali on Sunday. I can't believe I'm actually going, so soon! I am beyond excited, and preparing myself for something completely different from anything I've ever experienced. Southeast Asia is such a unique place, and I'm so excited to explore and experience everything it has to offer. So, I must also finish planning my trip this week. I exchanged money today though, and I now have nearly a million rupiahs in cash-I feel so rich! Some of the main things I want to do there are: see wild monkeys, ride an elephant (I'm so against it, but, when in Asia...), see the temples, relax on the beach, and experience the culture. I'm sure it will be one of the best weeks of my life.
When I return, it will be only two weeks until I go home. I have my brain and behaviour final on the 18th, developmental psych final on the 22nd, and finally cell biology on the 25th. I will then have two days to spend however I want until hopping on a very long plane ride. I am so excited to jam everything I possibly can into those two days, and really make the most of them.
It's no secret that I'm going to miss Australia. But I cannot wait to get home either. I want American pizza, a comfy bed in my own room, a good nights sleep, my family, smak, to watch stupid horror movies with collin, to see all my northeastern friends, to cuddle with seuss, and to just really enjoy every day that I have at home. If I've learned one thing here, and I know I've said it a million times before, but it is to not let one day go to waste, and that's something I want to bring back home with me.
Until next time, on my way to Indonesia!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Pictures!
Also, new pictures of Sydney, Melbourne, and Tasmania are up! Check the right hand photo column for the link to picasa. Enjoy :)
The land under the land down under..
Which is, Tasmania, of course! Tasmania was my last big trip in Australia, and it was really amazing. It has taken me so long to write about it since I came down with the stomach flu about ten minutes before stepping on my plane to come back to Sydney. Which was therefore the longest 90 minute plane ride of my life. But, I am better now, and am very glad it wasn't swine flu. I am now amidst the last week of class, but more on that in my next post. So, on to Tasmania!
I arrived in Hobart on Thursday morning at 9am, and the first thing I realized as I stepped off the plane and onto the stairs going outside was: it. is. freezing. I could see my breath! I quickly hopped on to the shuttle bus which had the heat on, and headed into the city, which took about 40 minutes. As the driver told me, the airport is so far out of the city because it is the only large enough piece of land in southern tasmania that is flat enough; but with quickly rising water levels it could become a big problem very soon. It was a bit too early to check into my hostel, so I began to walk around the city. Hobart has a very small feel to it, and mostly consists of little shops and cafes, but the best part of it is definitely the harbour. More on that later! So I found the information centre in hopes of figuring out what I was going to do, as I came with no real plan. The number one place that I really did want to go to was Freycinet National Park, which I told the agent, and she informed me of a day tour that went there, for $105. Since I am so low on money, I told her I'd think on it, and come back later on. Then I went to check into my hostel, and decided that I'd go back after and book the tour, because when will I next be in Tasmania? And Freycinet is definitely a number one spot. Upon checking in, the guy told me he could give me the same tour, with a special hostel price of only $80AUD. Sweet! Luckily since being here I've been learning not to book stuff too far in advance or take the first offer that comes up, because there is usually always some kind of deal to be had if you know where to look; and that is usually with the hostel. I spent the afternoon exploring more of Hobart, wandering around a few foliage filled Autumn parks, and then on to the Harbour, which was beautiful. It reminded me a lot of the cape, except surrounded by massive mountains. The main mountain, Mt. Wellington, used to be known as Table Mountain, as it was a part of the same Table Mountain in South Africa-how cool is that! That evening I realized something I had not been making nearly enough use of: hostel kitchens. So, the whole weekend, instead of spending money getting take out food, or at cafes, I went to the supermarket, and made it myself.
Thursday was also a day I will always remember for one particular reason: it was the day I first read Tuesdays with Morrie. I wish I could adequately describe how much this book now means to me, and has influenced me, but it was the perfect time in my trip to read it. I don't want to try to write about it, because words cannot say what the book said to me, but I will cherish the words forever.
Friday I was up at 7 to go on my tour to Freycinet! Another girl from my hostel also went, Ryanne from Holland, which I discovered as we waited outside in the 30 degree air for the tour shuttle bus to pick us up. She has been traveling around Australia for quite a few months, and will be here for a while longer, and then is on to Indonesia before going back to Holland. The drive to the park took about four hours, with several stops at beaches along the way. At one such beach, I found two absolutely beautiful, perfect shells. Although it was a national heritage site, and we were not technically supposed to take anything, I could not help myself. We also saw the beautiful Maria Island on the way. Once we arrived at the park, our first stop was Friendly Beaches. The water was crystal clear and blue, and we could see the first glimpses of the beautiful cliffs of the mountains. We got into the park, and set off on our first hike. We went up for about 1.5 hours and arrived at Wineglass Bay lookout. It was stunning; likely why it was named one of the top ten beaches in the world. And the mountains we were surrounded by were jagged and amazing. We spent some time soaking it in, while I climbed all over rocks on the cliffs for different vantage points. We went back down, and were greeted in the parking lot by four wild wallabies! I of course quickly made friends with them, as they were extremely friendly; one even licked me! (and I wonder why I got sick...) The next place we went was Honeymoon Bay, which had a lot of really cool sea life around, and then to another smaller hike up to a lighthouse on a cliff and great up close views of the cliffs. On the way back we stopped at Kate's Berry Farm for some tastings, and then it was back to Hobart.
Saturday is the best day in Hobart: the Salamanca Markets. These are very famous markets which occur every Saturday of the year. Thousands of vendors set up along a street specifically for this purpose, and off everything from fresh food to trinkets to plants to wine tastings to the worlds BEST fudge. Seriously. I probably ate a pound of it, by going back to the tastings over and over again! I walked around that day, doing another hike to a big hill overlooking Hobart.
Sunday was my "relax" day, and to my great surprise, the Laker's game was playing at the hostel! How exciting! It was awesome, and they beat Denver, which I believe was because I was watching! So then I headed back to Sydney that night, and subsequently spent from Sunday night to Wednesday morning in our extra room with the flu, basically sleeping most of the time.
So overall, I LOVED Tassie. I really cannot wait to go back one day, there is so much more to do there that I want to do. And I will definitely need a car so I can drive around, which is easy, because it is a relatively small island, and can be crossed in any direction in about four hours.
I'll try to write my week 14 catchup as soon as possible, but paper writing must take precident at the moment. So, until next time!
I arrived in Hobart on Thursday morning at 9am, and the first thing I realized as I stepped off the plane and onto the stairs going outside was: it. is. freezing. I could see my breath! I quickly hopped on to the shuttle bus which had the heat on, and headed into the city, which took about 40 minutes. As the driver told me, the airport is so far out of the city because it is the only large enough piece of land in southern tasmania that is flat enough; but with quickly rising water levels it could become a big problem very soon. It was a bit too early to check into my hostel, so I began to walk around the city. Hobart has a very small feel to it, and mostly consists of little shops and cafes, but the best part of it is definitely the harbour. More on that later! So I found the information centre in hopes of figuring out what I was going to do, as I came with no real plan. The number one place that I really did want to go to was Freycinet National Park, which I told the agent, and she informed me of a day tour that went there, for $105. Since I am so low on money, I told her I'd think on it, and come back later on. Then I went to check into my hostel, and decided that I'd go back after and book the tour, because when will I next be in Tasmania? And Freycinet is definitely a number one spot. Upon checking in, the guy told me he could give me the same tour, with a special hostel price of only $80AUD. Sweet! Luckily since being here I've been learning not to book stuff too far in advance or take the first offer that comes up, because there is usually always some kind of deal to be had if you know where to look; and that is usually with the hostel. I spent the afternoon exploring more of Hobart, wandering around a few foliage filled Autumn parks, and then on to the Harbour, which was beautiful. It reminded me a lot of the cape, except surrounded by massive mountains. The main mountain, Mt. Wellington, used to be known as Table Mountain, as it was a part of the same Table Mountain in South Africa-how cool is that! That evening I realized something I had not been making nearly enough use of: hostel kitchens. So, the whole weekend, instead of spending money getting take out food, or at cafes, I went to the supermarket, and made it myself.
Thursday was also a day I will always remember for one particular reason: it was the day I first read Tuesdays with Morrie. I wish I could adequately describe how much this book now means to me, and has influenced me, but it was the perfect time in my trip to read it. I don't want to try to write about it, because words cannot say what the book said to me, but I will cherish the words forever.
Friday I was up at 7 to go on my tour to Freycinet! Another girl from my hostel also went, Ryanne from Holland, which I discovered as we waited outside in the 30 degree air for the tour shuttle bus to pick us up. She has been traveling around Australia for quite a few months, and will be here for a while longer, and then is on to Indonesia before going back to Holland. The drive to the park took about four hours, with several stops at beaches along the way. At one such beach, I found two absolutely beautiful, perfect shells. Although it was a national heritage site, and we were not technically supposed to take anything, I could not help myself. We also saw the beautiful Maria Island on the way. Once we arrived at the park, our first stop was Friendly Beaches. The water was crystal clear and blue, and we could see the first glimpses of the beautiful cliffs of the mountains. We got into the park, and set off on our first hike. We went up for about 1.5 hours and arrived at Wineglass Bay lookout. It was stunning; likely why it was named one of the top ten beaches in the world. And the mountains we were surrounded by were jagged and amazing. We spent some time soaking it in, while I climbed all over rocks on the cliffs for different vantage points. We went back down, and were greeted in the parking lot by four wild wallabies! I of course quickly made friends with them, as they were extremely friendly; one even licked me! (and I wonder why I got sick...) The next place we went was Honeymoon Bay, which had a lot of really cool sea life around, and then to another smaller hike up to a lighthouse on a cliff and great up close views of the cliffs. On the way back we stopped at Kate's Berry Farm for some tastings, and then it was back to Hobart.
Saturday is the best day in Hobart: the Salamanca Markets. These are very famous markets which occur every Saturday of the year. Thousands of vendors set up along a street specifically for this purpose, and off everything from fresh food to trinkets to plants to wine tastings to the worlds BEST fudge. Seriously. I probably ate a pound of it, by going back to the tastings over and over again! I walked around that day, doing another hike to a big hill overlooking Hobart.
Sunday was my "relax" day, and to my great surprise, the Laker's game was playing at the hostel! How exciting! It was awesome, and they beat Denver, which I believe was because I was watching! So then I headed back to Sydney that night, and subsequently spent from Sunday night to Wednesday morning in our extra room with the flu, basically sleeping most of the time.
So overall, I LOVED Tassie. I really cannot wait to go back one day, there is so much more to do there that I want to do. And I will definitely need a car so I can drive around, which is easy, because it is a relatively small island, and can be crossed in any direction in about four hours.
I'll try to write my week 14 catchup as soon as possible, but paper writing must take precident at the moment. So, until next time!
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