Goals for my "GAA"

My best friend, Amanda, just shared with me a very interesting observation (via skype video chat--my name is kathryn_hayes ..add it!) When you write something down, it is much more likely to happen. She found this out, several times over, by that same practice-write it. Don't worry A, that's all I will share...! Since it worked for her, I figured out it might work for me. So in that spirit, and also so I can look back at what I was thinking about before I left for my Great Australian Adventure (GAA), I have decided to write out various goals of mine. Some may be literal, some more broad, but all are very important to me.

1. Learn to Surf--this includes being taught by a very attractive young aussie male.
2. Spend time by myself--not just sitting in a room alone, but wandering the city and areas by myself, and, at the risk of being extremely cheesy, finding out who I really am, and what I want.
3. Play with kangaroos, koalas, and various other Aus animals
4. Make friends from all over the world
5. Skydive
6. Learn how to be out of communication with the rest of the world--as much as I love everyone at home, and am going to miss them dearly, I want to not worry about staying in constant communication, but to truly just be where I am.
7. Relax--not just laying on the beach all the time (although I plan to do that...every weekend) but to relax my body, mind, and soul before I begin the rest of my life when I return home.
8. Soak in the Australian culture--wander around the city, spend lazy days at the beach, get to know Australians, etc. Basically, I can hang out with the NU crowd whenever I want to at home, so I really want to focus on being with the Australians too.
9. Share all these amazing experiences with Miss Laura Simons (http://lauraholmes11.blogspot.com/) and get her to eat VEGEMITE...It's really not THAT bad (thank you Ned!)
10. Unplug myself from most technology--not worry about watching any television shows, not going on the computer more than once or twice per week, and learn to live without a cell phone.
11. Dive the Great Barrier Reef
12. Various random Aussie things I want to do: Climb Sydney Harbour bridge; go to the opera at the opera house, see the real world house (is it still there??), go to the taronga zoo, relax at byron bay (with Ned), hike in the Blue Mountains, and go to Tasmania.
13. Visit NED in Melbourne
14. Have a fabulous trip to New Zealand
15. Not get homesick! I realize this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so lucky to get to go when I am young. So basically, have the BEST time of my life, without missing home.

So now my goals are set. I will refer back to them once I do them throughout the next 5 months. So before I go, my plan is to pack today (I've been trying since 9am...that is 5 hours ago), last physical therapy session tomorrow, birthday dinner with the jones' (my second family) hopefully tomorrow night, Wednesday- ski at Okemo, and go to china gourmet with dad, and then Thursday ski at Stratton with my mom and Lo. Thursday night is "the last supper" with my fam at Red Robin. YUM. and then Friday I fly out at 2:40!

Back to packing...