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!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
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!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Six weeks left...Wait, seriously?
How is there only SIX WEEKS LEFT until I go home? What?! That is no time at all. To think that six weeks from this very moment I will be sitting on the United plane, over the Pacific ocean, closer to the US than to Australia. Luckily though, Laura and I found out that the movies playing on the flight home are much better than those on the way over. So at least the flight might be more enjoyable! This past week has been very busy, adjusting back into Sydney after such a great trip to Melbourne. It doesn't feel like last week at this time I was enjoying a delicious Japanese dinner with Ned and her family.
This week my major project was a research paper for my Brain and Behaviour unit. It consisted of research I've been working on all semester; my rat in it's Skinner box. I think the paper came out very well, so hopefully my professor will think so too. The grading here is causing me a bit of distress lately, since an "A" is not even obtainable in most of my classes...As my tutors have said, no-one will do anything good enough to receive in the 90's, even the lecturer. How that makes sense, I do not know. So we shall see. I'll just continue to work my hardest and hope for the best!
One part of this week was very interesting. After taking a morning shower, I received a phone call from Unilodge's engineer telling me that the shower was leaking into a room below us. Once they came and looked at it, I was informed that it would take 7-10 business days to fix. So that left me thinking, how on earth am I going to shower? Luckily, we received a second room in the building, which is now our shower room. It has also been immensely useful as a study room for me, especially before a cell biology test I had this past Wednesday.
This weekend (which, as usual, began Thursday) has mostly consisted of studying and research. Today though, I enjoyed my Sunday morning walk to Darling Harbour, grabbing a smoothie and walking around. There is something about Sunday mornings there that is just fantastic. It seems every family in Sydney goes there with their children, and there is great people watching to be done. I realized this morning that when I went to the Aquarium and Wildlife World in the beginning of my time here, I also had a ticket for the Sydney Tower and Oztrek. Thinking back, I realized that it was only valid for three months, and that three month marker happens to be Wednesday. Unbelievable! So I ventured off to the top of the tower, and the view was amazing, especially since it was a stunning day. As it's nearing the end of my trip, it was really nice to be able to look down at the city and surrounding neighborhoods and beaches, and realize how many things I've done since being here. I got a lot of great photographs, and took a video that I'll be able to show everyone at home, as a 360 degree view of this city I've come to love.
Thursday I go on my last trip actually in Australia. Tasmania. It is said to be such a beautiful and unique part of the country, and I'm very excited to go. The only problem is I have not planned much of it yet, so tonight booking a hostel is my number 1 priority. That is difficult though, since I'm not yet sure where I'm going to go exactly. It seems to be a very difficult state to navigate without a car. I would rent one, but unfortunately since I turned 21 here, my US license is expired, thus no car. It would be easy to go on various tours, but again, those cost a lot of money, which is also something I'm lacking. I'm trying to go very budget friendly in my remaining time in Sydney, since I still have my trip to Bali coming up as well, and a very limited amount of cash. But I've had such a great time, that every penny I've spent has been worth it.
I am now hatching out a plan for my study tactics for finals. I'm working on creating in my schedule what exactly I need to accomplish every day for the rest of the semester. Sounds slightly crazy, but I do it every semester, and it really works for me, and keeps me focuses and on the right track. I also have to figure out how to finish the rest of my goals I have to complete, and my Top 25. So, I better get planning. Until next time, after Tasmania! (I will post Melbourne pictures and Sydney tower pictures as soon as I have a spare minute or two!)
This week my major project was a research paper for my Brain and Behaviour unit. It consisted of research I've been working on all semester; my rat in it's Skinner box. I think the paper came out very well, so hopefully my professor will think so too. The grading here is causing me a bit of distress lately, since an "A" is not even obtainable in most of my classes...As my tutors have said, no-one will do anything good enough to receive in the 90's, even the lecturer. How that makes sense, I do not know. So we shall see. I'll just continue to work my hardest and hope for the best!
One part of this week was very interesting. After taking a morning shower, I received a phone call from Unilodge's engineer telling me that the shower was leaking into a room below us. Once they came and looked at it, I was informed that it would take 7-10 business days to fix. So that left me thinking, how on earth am I going to shower? Luckily, we received a second room in the building, which is now our shower room. It has also been immensely useful as a study room for me, especially before a cell biology test I had this past Wednesday.
This weekend (which, as usual, began Thursday) has mostly consisted of studying and research. Today though, I enjoyed my Sunday morning walk to Darling Harbour, grabbing a smoothie and walking around. There is something about Sunday mornings there that is just fantastic. It seems every family in Sydney goes there with their children, and there is great people watching to be done. I realized this morning that when I went to the Aquarium and Wildlife World in the beginning of my time here, I also had a ticket for the Sydney Tower and Oztrek. Thinking back, I realized that it was only valid for three months, and that three month marker happens to be Wednesday. Unbelievable! So I ventured off to the top of the tower, and the view was amazing, especially since it was a stunning day. As it's nearing the end of my trip, it was really nice to be able to look down at the city and surrounding neighborhoods and beaches, and realize how many things I've done since being here. I got a lot of great photographs, and took a video that I'll be able to show everyone at home, as a 360 degree view of this city I've come to love.
Thursday I go on my last trip actually in Australia. Tasmania. It is said to be such a beautiful and unique part of the country, and I'm very excited to go. The only problem is I have not planned much of it yet, so tonight booking a hostel is my number 1 priority. That is difficult though, since I'm not yet sure where I'm going to go exactly. It seems to be a very difficult state to navigate without a car. I would rent one, but unfortunately since I turned 21 here, my US license is expired, thus no car. It would be easy to go on various tours, but again, those cost a lot of money, which is also something I'm lacking. I'm trying to go very budget friendly in my remaining time in Sydney, since I still have my trip to Bali coming up as well, and a very limited amount of cash. But I've had such a great time, that every penny I've spent has been worth it.
I am now hatching out a plan for my study tactics for finals. I'm working on creating in my schedule what exactly I need to accomplish every day for the rest of the semester. Sounds slightly crazy, but I do it every semester, and it really works for me, and keeps me focuses and on the right track. I also have to figure out how to finish the rest of my goals I have to complete, and my Top 25. So, I better get planning. Until next time, after Tasmania! (I will post Melbourne pictures and Sydney tower pictures as soon as I have a spare minute or two!)
Monday, May 11, 2009
Visiting Ned!
Last Wednesday was one of the most manic days I've had here. I had class all day, and then my cell biology lab that runs from 2-6. This was a bit of a problem because my flight on jetstar left at 6:30, and you MUST check in more than a half hour before the flight leaves in order to get on. As I was still frantically working on my lab, I looked up at the clock and saw that it was ten past five. After finishing as fast as possible, I jumped on the bus to the train station, getting there at 5:30, and then took the train and got there at 5:45. So I got checked in and was sitting by my gate by 5:50. When I arrived in Melbourne, I got into the Avalon airport. Which was not so much an airport, but a shack. One gate. One small building. One plane at a time. Seeing Ned (her real name is Emilly, but for the week, it was camp names only...I'm Cody) We went to the Pihran where she works, and had a few drinks, before going to her house for bed. The next morning we slept in for a bit, then she had to go to work, so I got dropped off in the city to walk around for the day. I walked up and down all the main streets, took the tram around the perimeter of the city, and then grabbed some lunch. I then met up with Mike from Northeastern, and we walked around the city and caught up for a while, which was awesome!
I then got a text from Ned, saying she had a surprise for me that night. I grabbed a train to her friend Nicole's stop, and then we met up with Ned and began driving. About an hour later we were driving up Mt. Dandenong. We went to a great restaurant with a view of all of Melbourne as a background. It was a fantastic night, with a beautiful view. We went back to her house and went to bed. Friday we went out to lunch with Ned's mom, and then Ned had to work, so I went to hang out at home, and watched footy with her Dad, and I got a great full commentary on everything I've ever needed to know about AFL. Saturday Ned and I went to the Eureka sky deck on the 88th floor, and saw another great view of Melbourne. I walked around Melbourne for a while, going to the National Gallery of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens, and a few other sights. I was then walking and ran into about 200 people dressed as zombies. It was Dawn of the Dead realized. It was some sort of strike, and very bizarre. I walked around the city for a while longer, and then took the tram back to Ned's. When she got back from work, we went out to quite a few different bars, and had a lot of fun. The highlight was seeing the true Melbourne Shuffle. This was something we had been attempting at camp all summer, and it was very exciting to see it in real life! We were out most of the night, and all of Sunday was spent quite hungover. Sunday night we went out to great Japanese restaurant with her family for Mother's day. It was absolutely delicious! We went back for cake, and then went off to bed. This morning (Monday) I woke up and took a cab back to Avalon. It was the fastest airport to get in ever, and the ticket did not even need to say which gate to go to, since it was all in one room! I flew back to Sydney, and got back to Unilodge, and then went off to a couple of classes. I'll write more about my actual experience in Melbourne (which was a fantastic, true aussie time) but I will when I get around to my weekly update post! That will be coming later on in the week, once I get done with my two papers and test of the week...Until next time!
I then got a text from Ned, saying she had a surprise for me that night. I grabbed a train to her friend Nicole's stop, and then we met up with Ned and began driving. About an hour later we were driving up Mt. Dandenong. We went to a great restaurant with a view of all of Melbourne as a background. It was a fantastic night, with a beautiful view. We went back to her house and went to bed. Friday we went out to lunch with Ned's mom, and then Ned had to work, so I went to hang out at home, and watched footy with her Dad, and I got a great full commentary on everything I've ever needed to know about AFL. Saturday Ned and I went to the Eureka sky deck on the 88th floor, and saw another great view of Melbourne. I walked around Melbourne for a while, going to the National Gallery of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens, and a few other sights. I was then walking and ran into about 200 people dressed as zombies. It was Dawn of the Dead realized. It was some sort of strike, and very bizarre. I walked around the city for a while longer, and then took the tram back to Ned's. When she got back from work, we went out to quite a few different bars, and had a lot of fun. The highlight was seeing the true Melbourne Shuffle. This was something we had been attempting at camp all summer, and it was very exciting to see it in real life! We were out most of the night, and all of Sunday was spent quite hungover. Sunday night we went out to great Japanese restaurant with her family for Mother's day. It was absolutely delicious! We went back for cake, and then went off to bed. This morning (Monday) I woke up and took a cab back to Avalon. It was the fastest airport to get in ever, and the ticket did not even need to say which gate to go to, since it was all in one room! I flew back to Sydney, and got back to Unilodge, and then went off to a couple of classes. I'll write more about my actual experience in Melbourne (which was a fantastic, true aussie time) but I will when I get around to my weekly update post! That will be coming later on in the week, once I get done with my two papers and test of the week...Until next time!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
My Australian journey thus far
11 weeks down. 8 to go. I really can't believe it. I'll do a recap of this week, including the completion of some goals, but then I'm going to get down to some more thoughts about my life and journey so far here. This week has been very busy, with the focus being actual school work. I had a paper due on Friday for my developmental psychology class, which isa large portion of my grade, so I finished that, handing in an hour before the due date. I spent the better part of the week working on it, and I think it came out really well, which is good, since I haven't written a "paper" in a long time...probably since freshman year english. Friday evening I continued studying.
Since I leave for Melbourne on Wednesday, I have a lot of stuff I need to get done before, that is due for the next week when I get back, including several more papers.
Saturday I went to the Powerhouse museum in the morning (another one off my Top 25!) It is the design and science museum, and was really interesting. The whole museum was very well done, and had a lot of cool exhibits, including my favorite on space. After several hours there, I walked down to Darling Harbour, grabbed a smoothie and the newspaper, and spent a while just sitting by the water and reading. It was really great to just sit and enjoy myself, and it is one of the parts of Sydney I'll miss. That evening I relaxed, and was able to catch up with some people on skype.
This morning (Sunday) I woke up and walked to the Harbour, where I quickly realized was hosting Darling Harbours 21st birthday! There was a stage set up with a lot of little food booths in the park area, and then by the water there was an on-water stage with more great performances. I enjoyed starbucks and the Sunday newspaper while listening to music and performances there. I then decided to continue walking, and wandered down some main streets and back streets and then ended up at the Harbour bridge, which I walked over (another top 25!) It provided really spectacular views of the Opera House and city. At this point, after a solid 3.5 hours of walking, my legs were getting pretty tired, so I went back to Darling Harbour, watched a little more music, before returning to unilodge. For the first time since being here, I vacuumed our room. It was beyond necessary, and took nearly an hour. It looks like a new place now! I've now been relaxing and reading the newspaper, but need to get started on some studying soon, likely after I watched the 60 minutes I've been waiting for all week.
...and now for the second part of this post...
I've been doing a lot of thinking this week about ways that I've changed since I've been here. I've realized that since coming to Sydney, my life has really truly changed. So much has happened in general, and I've had to deal with a lot of tough things, while living in a country across the world. It's really hard to pinpoint exact ways in which I've changed, but I really think that when I get back, it will be very noticeable. I am absolutely more into living in the moment. I hate to waste any time or any opportunity, and I am really seeing life as purely an adventure. In one sense, I am even more driven towards my goals, but on the other side I've really learned to relax and not worry so much about life, not taking it so seriously. I've learned to truly live in the moment.
I think about the way people here know me as, and the way people at home know me as, and they are definitely very different from what I would imagine. I have never in my life been as independent as I've become here. To not worry about what anyone thinks, or what anyone thinks you should do, is something I've rarely experienced in my life until these past months. I've also realized how much I value and appreciate my great friends at home. At this point in my life, friendships are absolutely about quality over quantity. I have made a lot of good friends here, but I know when I go back home in two months, the lasting friendships will be with my friends at home. Which is another reason I have no problem being by myself so much. This is likely going to be the only time in my life where I am able to spend so much time with myself, that I want to make full use of it.
It is also a very strange feeling that no-one can really reach me immediately. For those at home, the only way to reach me is through e-mail, snail mail, or facebook. Since I don't have a phone, and rarely use my Australian phone, it is also very freeing, and something I'll likely never experience again for this length of time.
These are just bits and pieces of what I've been learning about myself. There are so many more things, they are just impossible to put into words or explain to anyone but myself. I must say though, I'm having one of the most important journeys of my life, and really want to continue making it the best I can before I go home in June.
Lastly, I'm finally feeling completely immersed in Australia. Today in my walking tour, I was stopped and asked for directions twice, and was able to tell them both exactly how to get where they were going. It was very exciting!
Also, there has been a high terrorist alert put on Indonesia, and especially Bali. So, I'm trying to figure out what to do about my trip there. I really want to go, but obviously it is not worth risking my life. I have to call the airline tomorrow and figure out if I can get a voucher or anything, or a change in destination...I'll keep everyone posted though.
Since I leave for Melbourne on Wednesday, I have a lot of stuff I need to get done before, that is due for the next week when I get back, including several more papers.
Saturday I went to the Powerhouse museum in the morning (another one off my Top 25!) It is the design and science museum, and was really interesting. The whole museum was very well done, and had a lot of cool exhibits, including my favorite on space. After several hours there, I walked down to Darling Harbour, grabbed a smoothie and the newspaper, and spent a while just sitting by the water and reading. It was really great to just sit and enjoy myself, and it is one of the parts of Sydney I'll miss. That evening I relaxed, and was able to catch up with some people on skype.
This morning (Sunday) I woke up and walked to the Harbour, where I quickly realized was hosting Darling Harbours 21st birthday! There was a stage set up with a lot of little food booths in the park area, and then by the water there was an on-water stage with more great performances. I enjoyed starbucks and the Sunday newspaper while listening to music and performances there. I then decided to continue walking, and wandered down some main streets and back streets and then ended up at the Harbour bridge, which I walked over (another top 25!) It provided really spectacular views of the Opera House and city. At this point, after a solid 3.5 hours of walking, my legs were getting pretty tired, so I went back to Darling Harbour, watched a little more music, before returning to unilodge. For the first time since being here, I vacuumed our room. It was beyond necessary, and took nearly an hour. It looks like a new place now! I've now been relaxing and reading the newspaper, but need to get started on some studying soon, likely after I watched the 60 minutes I've been waiting for all week.
...and now for the second part of this post...
I've been doing a lot of thinking this week about ways that I've changed since I've been here. I've realized that since coming to Sydney, my life has really truly changed. So much has happened in general, and I've had to deal with a lot of tough things, while living in a country across the world. It's really hard to pinpoint exact ways in which I've changed, but I really think that when I get back, it will be very noticeable. I am absolutely more into living in the moment. I hate to waste any time or any opportunity, and I am really seeing life as purely an adventure. In one sense, I am even more driven towards my goals, but on the other side I've really learned to relax and not worry so much about life, not taking it so seriously. I've learned to truly live in the moment.
I think about the way people here know me as, and the way people at home know me as, and they are definitely very different from what I would imagine. I have never in my life been as independent as I've become here. To not worry about what anyone thinks, or what anyone thinks you should do, is something I've rarely experienced in my life until these past months. I've also realized how much I value and appreciate my great friends at home. At this point in my life, friendships are absolutely about quality over quantity. I have made a lot of good friends here, but I know when I go back home in two months, the lasting friendships will be with my friends at home. Which is another reason I have no problem being by myself so much. This is likely going to be the only time in my life where I am able to spend so much time with myself, that I want to make full use of it.
It is also a very strange feeling that no-one can really reach me immediately. For those at home, the only way to reach me is through e-mail, snail mail, or facebook. Since I don't have a phone, and rarely use my Australian phone, it is also very freeing, and something I'll likely never experience again for this length of time.
These are just bits and pieces of what I've been learning about myself. There are so many more things, they are just impossible to put into words or explain to anyone but myself. I must say though, I'm having one of the most important journeys of my life, and really want to continue making it the best I can before I go home in June.
Lastly, I'm finally feeling completely immersed in Australia. Today in my walking tour, I was stopped and asked for directions twice, and was able to tell them both exactly how to get where they were going. It was very exciting!
Also, there has been a high terrorist alert put on Indonesia, and especially Bali. So, I'm trying to figure out what to do about my trip there. I really want to go, but obviously it is not worth risking my life. I have to call the airline tomorrow and figure out if I can get a voucher or anything, or a change in destination...I'll keep everyone posted though.
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