In the Land of Oz

Australia seems so far away.

2009-08-25T11:52:00.001-07:00

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

Last Week in Sydney

2009-06-22T00:21:00.000-07:00

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!

Eating, Praying and Loving in BALI

2009-06-15T02:35:00.000-07:00

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.

Off to Bali

2009-06-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

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!

Last Four Weeks in Australia

2009-05-30T22:37:00.001-07:00

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!

Pictures!

2009-05-29T05:24:00.000-07:00

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..

2009-05-29T04:52:00.000-07:00

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!

Six weeks left...Wait, seriously?

2009-05-17T04:34:00.000-07:00

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!)

Visiting Ned!

2009-05-11T05:39:00.000-07:00

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!

My Australian journey thus far

2009-05-03T00:39:00.000-07:00

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.

New Zealand Pics

2009-04-26T06:05:00.000-07:00

I can't get the link to post on the side of my blog right now, but most of my NZ pics have been uploaded onto picasa, so here is the link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/Hayes.KathrynD/NewZealand#

Enjoy!

Ten Weeks Down, Nine to Go

2009-04-26T01:25:00.000-07:00

It's officially now the Sunday that is more than halfway on this journey I've been on in Australia. It's really hard to believe that I'm more than halfway...It is just about May! This week since I've been back in Sydney has been really crazy with school work. I have two big papers due this week, one being a 1500 word annotated bibliography for my euthanasia research project. The entire thing is worth 60% of my grade of the class, 15% being from the annotation, so I need to do very well on it. The other is my research paper on Piaget for developmental psychology class, which is 40% of my grade, so that one is an extremely important aspect of my grade. Other than that, I've been working on the past two weeks lab reports for cell biology which are extremely hard. It seems everyone in the course took several prereqs that teach you everything you need to know for these labs...and I have not. I'm getting there slowly but surely. This weekend has been relaxing, besides the many hours spent at the library. It is kind of dissapointing when I have to spend a weekend doing work, and can't travel or do too many other things...But after I hand my psych paper in on Friday I'll be set! Of course soon after I have more big things due, but I can relax a bit for the weekend. I'm thinking of either going to the Blue Mountains for a hiking weekend, Jervis Bay for a relaxing weekend by the beach, or up north to either Newcastle, Port Macquierie or somewhere else. Or I could always do a major Sydney weekend, trying to finish my top 25...We'll see! One of the things I love most about studying abroad is having the kind of time that allows me to do things like up and leave for the weekend, without having to worry about anything or anyone. It's something I've never really been able to do without a care, and it's really nice.

Since I have such limited time left, I want to make a revised version of my goals for the rest of the semester. Some will be the same as what I have on my original list, but some have been revised due to time and financial constraints, but there will also be some new ones. I will start off with the completed goals, and then move on to the unfinished ones. So with that said, here goes!

Completed Goals:
1. Learn to Surf
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
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
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. [this had to be revised due to school work and the need for a cell phone for emergency reasons]
11. Dive the Great Barrier Reef
12. Go to Taronga Zoo
14. Have a fabulous trip to New Zealand
15. Not get homesick!

OK, so now my new goals (including the remaining top 25 stuff...this might be long!)

1. Australian Museum
2. Chinese Garden and China Town
3. National Maritime Museum
4. Powerhouse Museum
5. Walk across [climbing is too expensive] the Harbour bridge
6. Sydney Olympic Park
7. Go to an Opera or other performance at the Opera House
8. Sydney Tower and Oztrek
9. Vaucluse House and Vaucluse
10. Have an awesome trip to Melbourne to see Ned!
11. Drive some or all of the Great Ocean Road
12. Experience the beauty of Tasmania
13. Experience Southeast Asia in Bali, including dolpin swimming, seeing rice paddies, elephant riding, monkey forest, hiking the volcanos, and soaking in such a different culture.
14. Get great"marks" in my classes.
15. See more of NSW, including Wollongong/Jervis Bay and somewhere north of here.
16. Hike the Blue Mountains.
17. Continue to spend time by myself and not to worry about anyone else, and do everything I want to do.
18. Continue to not be homesick!
19. Try to not go on the computer except for when I need to for school work.
20. Cut back on the money spending, while still having a great time.
21. Walk around the city more, exploring back streets and places I wouldn't normally come across.
22. Not waste one moment. I'm here for such a limited amount of remaining time, and I don't want to waste one second of it! This might also necessitate some advanced planning, since I have so few free weekends left while I'm here.

Here is the rough schedule (by weekends usually) of the rest of my time here.

May 1st Weekend: To be Decided

May 6th-11th: Melbourne (10 days)

May 15th Weekend: To Be Decided

May 21st-May 24th: Tasmania (25 days)

May 29th Weekend: Study for Finals...

June 7th-June 14th: Bali (42 days)

June 14th-June 28th: Finals Weeks

June 28th: Home (63 days)

I am still thinking about the possibility of Thailand at some point, or the thought of going to another country while I'm in Bali...I will keep everyone updated on that. I'd also love to go back to New Zealand again. As I said before, this all depends on the two most important things...Time and Money!

Until next time!

A whirlwind solo tour of New Zealand

2009-04-20T03:41:00.001-07:00

My trip to New Zealand was likely one of the most inspiring and life altering experiences I've had in my life. Although it was not my first completely solo trip (Canberra was), it was my first time on my own, in a brand new country, for a week, by myself. I had a vague idea of my plans for the week, although most of them had been planned the day before leaving, but I quickly learned how fast plans can change. I've always been a person who is a perfectionist, hygienic, obsessive over time, and extremely organized, but when you are in a situation like this, those things are thrown right out the window. Let me start at the beginning (be aware, this is going to likely be a very lengthy post)

Sunday: I took a taxi to the airport with four of my friends, and got on our Aerolineas Argentinas flight to Auckland. It arrived in Auckland at 5, and I split off from them to begin my solo adventure. I found the bus into the city, which was $20 and told the driver I was going to the YHA. He told me where to get off, and I walked down the street and bumped right into the YHA! Well, apparently there are two YHAs in Auckland, and this one was not mine. Luckily the other was not too far, so I found it and checked into my 8 person dorm room. I then set off to find an ATM and dinner, as I had about $15 NZ on me. It was a little nerve-racking navigating an unknown city at night, but I found the busy Queen Street (the main strip, per se) and found an ATM and McDonalds. This was the first of my many fast food venture of the week--one thing NZ seems to be lacking is in food choice. After a very calorie filled, albeit delicous dinner, it was 9, and I didn't want to go to bed yet, so I went to the movies and saw Slumdog Millionaire, which was a great, relaxing, way to start my trip. Once I got back to my hostel, I ended up with about 3 solid hours of sleep, because with 7 other people in and out of the room ALL night, it was tough to stay asleep.

Monday: I woke up at 6:30am to catch a bus to Paihia, the gateway to the Bay of Islands, in the Northland. I got to the bus early (of course) so I walked down to the harbour to have a look around the main bit of the city. I got back to my 8am bus, and four and a half hours later, at precisely 12:29 I was stepping off it in the tiny village. I didn't really have a plan for the day, but I noticed a sign for a four hour dolphin cruise, departing at 12:30. I ran inside and asked if I could still get on, and with a bit of hesitation, I was allowed on! I ran down and jumped on the boat, basically as it was pulling off. The next four hours were heaven. The Bay of Islands is likely the most beautiful place I've ever been. The water was an amazing blue, and there were all sorts of islands and rock formations surrounding you. Throughout the cruise, everyone was on the lookout for dolphins, beacuse as it is the wild, you never really know where they will pop up, but I had my eyes peeled. The first thing we found though, were penguins. The famous "Little Penguins" of NZ, which I absolutely love. At first they could be mistaken for a duck, but you quickly see their features, and they are the most adorable little things. After about 2.5 hours of cruising, we caught a glimpse of one of the dolphin colonies. The first six people (myself included) were told to get on the bow of the boat, so I ran on up. We then put half of our body out of the boat (I cannot believe no-one fell off) and looked underneath at the open bottom. At this point, about 20 dolphins were surrounding us, playing with us, jumping up and down, right in front of my face. It was absolutely surreal. We spent the next hour or so cruising around with the dolphins, although we weren't able to swim with them, as there were babies in the group (who were absolutely adorable) and it is illegal to swim with the babies. All in all, it was a fantastic experience that I will always remember. That night I grabbed a pizza in town, watched the sun set on the beach, and then stayed in an 8 bed hostel by myself, which was a drastic change from the night before. It was kind of creepy, but okay. I woke up in the middle of the night with a strange feeling, and realized my cell phone, which was my only form of time and alarm was dead. This was a problem since I had to wake up at 7 for my bus back to Auckland. As there were no electricity sockets, I shut off my phone, and hoped that the automatic turn on would work (you never know on a $40 phone), but it did, and I saw up bright and early.

Tuesday: After my early morning bus back to Auckland, I spent the afternoon wandering around the city. One of my favorite parts of being in a new place, is just exploring it, going down all the back streets, with no real set agenda, and no-one else to have to worry about, so I was able to just go wherever aimlessly. I must say, I was not impressed by Auckland, and found myself struggling to fill the five hours before my 7pm flight to Christchurch, and I ended up spending about two of them in Borders. You know when you see someone in the airport, and they stand out, and then you just know you are going to be seated next to them? Well, I had that feeling, and I knew I was in for an interesting flight. The man I was seated next to, Reece, seemed nice enough at first, he was about 60, had a few kids, and was giving me advice about Christchurch. But then he asked me what religion I was, and I knew this could only be going in one direction. As I explained that I was very spiritual, technically Catholic, but did not like "religion" he began to tell me that when the world is going to end (which according to him is quite soon, as the antichrist is living on earth currently) I will basically be screwed. Only those who believe will be saved, and will 'vanish' before the earth ends. Hmm. Luckily, Air New Zealand served free wine, so I was able to tolerate the conversation pretty well, considering. I arrived in Christchurch, and I hopped on a shuttle to my hostel. After a bit of a panic when the door was locked, and no-one was in sight, someone finally came after my ringing the buzzer several times. I went off to find food, but was in a very seedy area with only one place open, so I grabbed a very strange piece of food, and went back to the hostel. This night I was staying with three french people, two guys and a girl, and Sarah (who quickly became a friend). But more on them later.

Wednesday: I woke up and went off in search of Cathedral Square, which is the heart of Christchurch. I found it, and immediately fell in love with the city. It is a very old English style city, complete with a tram running through it. I got a tram pass, and hopped on for the 25 minute loop with commentary, to get myself acquainted with the area. I then went around again, hopping off at each of the 11 sights throughout the day, including my favorite, the Botanic Gardens. Once I walked into them, I was transported out of New Zealand and into a crisp New England fall day, my favorite season. The smell and look of the leaves just made me insanely happy, and I had a great time. Later that evening when I got back to my hostel, I walked in, and though I was in the wrong room. All of my stuff that I had left was gone. My bed was remade, and ready for the next guest. Of course, I had my passport, cash, and credit cards with me, but I had left all of my clothes, library books, sunglasses, and a few other things on the bed (this was the first and last time I'll ever do that). I ran down to reception, and they said they had no idea what happened, but it might have been the cleaning ladies, and to come back tomorrow. I said I wouldn't be there until very late the next night, so they said they'd look for me, and let me know on Friday. Perfect. I realized I would be wearing jeans and a tshirt for the rest of the week. I was pretty bummed, but quickly realized I could always replace material things, but I could not replace this trip, so I would not let it get me down. I was in bed, when Sarah walked in, and she was wearing one of my sweaters! Apparently, my stuff had been being given away, and she showed me where. I recovered some items, but some will be gone forever...Oh well, that's life!

Thursday: Another early morning, waking up at 6 to go to Mt. Cook. I got on the bus, somewhat prepared for the 6 hour drive ahead of me. I was very sleepy, but once we got on the road, and I began to see the sights, I woke up very fast. We first drove through the Canterbury Planes, which were gorgeous, filled with hundreds of thousands of sheep, cows, and red deer. Then after an hour or two, all of a sudden the Southern Alps showed up out of nowhere, looming in the sky ahead with their snow tipped peaks, and a sense of magesticness. The rest of the drive was spent going through them, and to say it was incredible would be an understatement. If you've seen Lord of the Rings, these are the places it was filmed. I wish I could describe the beauty, but it was truly moving to know that the Earth is filled of such glorious sights as this. We then made our way to Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki. They were the most beautiful turquoise blue I've ever seen. Once I stepped out of the bus, it began to storm, with immense winds (Nor'Western, similar to the California Santa Annas, except much stronger), rain, and hail. Even that hardly tok away from the beauty of the lakes. As we were nearing Mt. Cook, a very New Zealand thing happened, as we were delayed by about 100 cows being mustered down the road! When we got to Mt. Cook, the skies were dark, and we could hardly see the mountain, which was pretty dissapointing, but again, I was not about to let it get me down. I spent an hour in the lodge, eating soup and reading, and just thinking about what an amazing experience I was having. This was when I truly realized that I really love my own company, and being by myself. As I've said before, you have a very different experience when you travel alone, than you would with others, and I really like it. It was then time to head back to Christchurch, stopping at a couple more beautiful sights to photograph on the way.

Friday: I was supposed to go on a dolphin/penguin cruise on Friday, but since I did that up North, and really wanted to enjoy Christchurch more, that is exactly what I did. I spent the morning wandering around the city, enoyed a free starbucks chai for participating in a tourist survey (awesome! Although I of course had already had my first chai earlier that morning) and then went back to the Botanic Gardens. I rented a kayak to go down the Avon river, which was very relaxing, although my arms were a bit sore the next day from going upriver. That evening I went to see The Reader, which was a fantastic film. I then had two choices. I could stay in my hostel that night, and take a 5:30am shuttle or taxi to the airport (for my 7am flight), which would cost me a total of $80, OR stay in the airport for the night. Of course, being the money saver that I am, thought it would be a great idea to stay in the airport. I took the bus there, arriving at about 11:30pm. I walked to the domestic terminal...closed. I walked to the international departures terminal...also closed. At this point, I had a slight panic, thinking that I would be sitting on a sketchy park bench outside the airport all night. Luckily on the other side, the international arrivals terminal was open. Although it was tiny, I figured I was very lucky. I popped a few benadryl, and amazingly was able to pass out on the floor for about two hours!

Saturday: I arrived back in Auckland at 9:30. I hadn't really decided what to for the day, but I had booked a hotel room for the night. Since I desperately needed sleep, a shower, and a place of my own, I realized this was a great investment. Check-in time was not until 2 though. I did most of the 16km coast to coast walkway, going up to the top of Mt. Eden which was a volcano. The view of the city was awesome, and it sure gave me a good workout! After getting McDonalds for lunch (naturally) I finally was able to check in to my hotel. Since my room was not ready, I was bumped up to a suite...Awesome! I immediately took 2 showers, and then relaxed, before doing a simple thing I've always wanted to do. I got a large cheese pizza and garlic bread, sat in bed watching a movie, and ate it. It was glorious. I relaxed the rest of the night, and finally fell asleep (it was a bit creepy staying in a suite alone).

Sunday: Got up early for my 8am flight only to get to the airport to see the sign: Delayed until 17:30. As in 5:30 pm. Luckily they put us up in a hotel for the day, and gave us lunch, so it actually worked out pretty well! Finally got back to Sydney (the flight didn't leave until almost 7) and subsequently had one of the best sleeps of my life.

Wow. That was an extremely long post, but it is so good for me to now have it all written down so I can remember it forever, although I know I would anyways. It was a really exciting week, and although a lot of it involved sitting on buses, planes, trains, etc. I really enjoyed myself. Now that I am back in Sydney though, I have a lot of work to get done in the coming weeks, and as my money supply has drastically diminished, I will be spending most of my time writing papers, reading text books, and studying. Two weeks til Melbourne!

Leaving on a jet plane...

2009-04-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

I am officially leaving for New Zealand tomorrow! I'm very excited to go, and have been doing some serious last minute planning today. I am working on writing out my itinerary because it is all a bit of a jumble right now. I have a very jam packed schedule, but I know it will be very exciting. I head off to Auckland tomorrow, and then spend the night there, before leaving for the Bay of Islands on Monday morning, where I will be staying until Tuesday. I then get back, and hop on a flight to Christchurch on the South Island. Wednesday will be spent exploring the city, as I have a list of sights I want to see! Then Thursday I am taking a trip to Mt. Cook, although my reservation confirmation just came back to me and said it's taking me to Queenstown. So I am working on fixing that...Then Friday I am going on a day trip to Akaroa, which is a a harbour town with dolphins and penguins everywhere, and the trip includes a New Zealand wine and cheese tasting! Then Saturday morning I have an early flight back to Auckland, through Wellington. I then plan on spending Saturday exploring the city, with an early flight back to Sydney on Sunday morning. I don't have a hostel booked for this last night, so I plan on exploring the night life, and then likely sleeping in the airport for a couple hours (don't pay attention to this part mom). It's something I've always wanted to do, to just have no plan and totally wing it without a place to stay! Then I'll be back next Sunday, the 19th.

Until next time, after the grand tour of NZ!

Lucky Number 7

2009-04-07T05:52:00.000-07:00

7 Weeks! AH! How crazy! I'll try to keep this blog fairly short, as I just wrote a novel about Canberra. This week was really great, and I feel like I'm definitely back on track, which is a relief! I am so glad I had the reality check, and really pushed myself to get back to my goals, and I thank Amanda especially for helping me do that. A quick recap of the week: Last Thursday I knocked off two things on my Top 25-Museum of Contemporary Art, and Art Gallery of New South Wales. Both were really awesome! The MoCA had a really cool exhibit that I've seen advertised all around the city, for Yayoi Kusama, whose artwork is extremely out there. There were a couple little rooms where you would walk in, and have the door shut behind you, and be immersed in a different experience each time. They both had hundreds and hundreds of little lights hanging all around you, as well as mirrors on every side. The only different was one was very dark and one was very bright. The rest of the museum was cool as well, but that exhibit, which took up the entire floor, was definitely the most exciting. The Art Gallery of NSW was amazing. There was a lot of 19th century art (which is my favorite) as well as contemporary, but the best part was a showcase of Aussie High Schoolers. I couldn't believe how talented some of these were (although I should, look at some of the people from NMH--namely Jon Verney!!) There were videos, photography, and paintings, and they were just so impressive.
As far as my main goals go, I think I really completed Goal #2, of spending time by myself and learning about myself. Being in a completely new city, in the middle of a still new country, was a bit of a daunting experience, but really was a great learning module. Goals #6 and #10 were also done while there, as I had no computer, and basically kept my phone off most of the time.
Also, this week (as shown in my countdown) I booked trips to Melbourne and Tasmania! I'm so excited to see Ned, and spend a very long weekend with her in Melbourne, as well as see Tasmania, which I know will be amazing.
Finally, some brief lessons of the week...

#18: Bring a map when you go to a new city. It's just common sense.
#19: Don't expect that you will find where you need to go without a map. You will arrive at your hostel soaking wet from hauling around a very heavy backpack in the desert heat for three hours.

OK, that's it for this week! I will post again sometime before Sunday, because that is the day I leave for New Zealand...SO EXCITING! Now it's off to finish off my very intense few days of studying I've been doing, trying to get everything in order, as it is Week 6 of classes, and I have some very important assignments coming up right after the break. Until next time!

A Weekend in Canberra

2009-04-07T05:33:00.000-07:00

My weekend in Canberra came and went in a flash! I did have a really great time while I was there, so of course, I'll take you through step by step. After about 4 hours of sleep on Thursday night, I woke up at 6 to catch my 6:45 train from Central Station to Canberra. It was a 4.5 hour ride, so I arrived there at almost 11:30. The ride went by fast, and was very scenic, although a lot of it was outback like areas, with a whole lot of nothing in them. Once I got there, I decided to walk into the city, since I love to walk, and I figured I might as well save money on taking a cab or waste time waiting for the bus. Well...this might have been much easier had I taken a map with me. But I did not, so I walked around, asking various people how to get into the "city" but many were tourists like myself, and had no idea where they were going. After walking around Kingston, a suberb, for almost an hour, I finally caught a glimpse of the top of the Parliament Building, so I made that my North star and began to walk towards it. I soon came to find out that it is actually the opposite direction of the city. To make a long story short, three hours after arriving, I found myself in the city. This is the time in which I realized I did not have the address of my hostel. Mistake number 2. But I happened upon it, which was a relief, so I checked in, and then set out to see the sights. I bought a bus pass and took it into the "Parliamentary Zone" which has all the places that people visiting Canberra want to see.
I first went on a tour of the High Courts, which is basically the highest court in Australia. There were three court rooms, each with a specific function. It was a very cool, recently designed building. I then went to the Australian Portrait Gallery, and then on to the National Gallery of Australia. I enjoyed both places, since I really love art. I then went back into town in hopes to find a great restaurant to eat at. Let me tell you--I had the best meal since I've been in Aus. It was just like being in the North End. I started off with wine and garlic bread, before my main course "fettucini al pesto". It was beyond delicous. It was also really liberating to feel okay about sitting at a restaurant, outside, surrounded by people at other tables, by myself. I then went back to the hostel, as the wine basically put me to sleep.
Saturday morning I went off to the Australian War Memorial, which I must say was one of the coolest museums I've ever been to. It's main purpose is as the Memorial, for all the Australians who have died in any wars, and that section was very powerful. But inside, was the museum showcasing basically every war you can think of. And the exhibits were outstanding. I walked into the Vietnam War room, and was immersed in a place with surround screens, surround sound, wind blowing, and a life size plane. It was so cool, I can't even describe it! I felt like I was on the battle field. After spending the morning there I went off to the National Museum of Australia, which was also awesome. I really did learn a lot, but it was fun as well, with exhibits ranging from the constitutional laws, to tribal masks of the Torres Straight, to vegemite. I then went back into town, and somehow ended up at the same restaurant again (I couldn't resisit!) I enjoyed the same meal, just picked a different wine to switch it up a bit.
Sunday morning was day light savings, so I was up and ready to go at 8, which I soon found out was actually 7. I first went to the Parliament House, and went on a great tour there, and then it was on to the Old Parliament House and the National Archives of Australia. Once I finished, and had had lunch and did a little shopping, I still had a few hours before my 5pm train, so I relaxed and did some reading. On the train ride back, was one of my most exciting moments so far--I saw a heard of wild kangaroos! There were probably 20 of them, and I noticed because a few kids in front of me started freaking out. But then it became sad, as a wild dingo chased them off into the woods, and I knew what was inevitable. But it was still cool!
Overall, I had a truly jam packed weekend, but it was really nice to get away. Canberra though, is not the most "user-friendly" city. I felt quite lost most of the time, and it was very difficult to get around, but I really think that helped me learn about myself, and how I can still be fine in any situation, so it was okay! Pictures are uploading right now, so check them out!

Countdowns

2009-04-02T02:55:00.000-07:00

Just a little countdown of things that are coming up so fast, to keep me on track for fitting in as much as possible before I have to go back home.

Canberra: 1 Day
Auckland: 10 Days
Christchurch: 12 Days
Melbourne: 34 Days
Hobart (Tasmania): 49 Days
Class Ends: 64 Days
Bali (Indonesia): 66 Days
Back to the U.S.: 87 Days

Last minute trip! PLAN B

2009-04-02T00:10:00.000-07:00

Phone call two hours before my train ride yesterday: Due to extreme flooding along the coast, all trains to the Gold Coast have been cancelled. So, that changed my plans a bit. Since I still really want to get away for the weekend, I decided to go to Canberra, the capitol of Australia. Although it definitely has a bad reputation for being very boring, my reasoning is more to just have a relaxing weekend to myself, so if I sit by the pool the whole time, that is fine by me! But they have some really cool museums, and the city has a very specific set up, so it should be enjoyable. I leave Friday morning (tomorrow) at 10 til 6 in the morning, arriving four and a half hours later. I'll be back on Sunday night at 9:30pm. So although it won't be as fun as Surfer's Paradise, I'm sure I'll have a great time away!

Last minute trip!

2009-03-31T00:27:00.000-07:00

I have just done something I've never done before--booked a completely last minute trip! This morning I decided to book a train to the Gold Coast from Sydney, specifically to Surfer's Paradise, in Queensland. It is said to be a mix between Miami, Orlando, and Vegas. I leave tomorrow (Wednesday here) on a 4:30 train, and get there at about 6am on Thursday (yes, 14 hours...) Then I have Thursday-Sunday, and I leave Sunday evening, arriving back here at 7:30am Monday. I don't really have too much of an itinerary yet, but I'm looking to go to Seaworld and Movieworld, and hopefully a surf lesson! No matter what, I'm excited to relax and see some more of Australia. I am beyond excited, since I've never done anything like this, at such short notice, and without much of a plan! I'll be staying in a hostel right near the beach. So I'll be MIA until Monday, but then I'm sure I'll have some amazing stories to share, before I sleep for several days...And then less than a week later, I'm off to New Zealand! Exciting weeks ahead!!

Week 6!

2009-03-29T05:05:00.001-07:00

I know I say this at the start of every blog, but I truly cannot believe I've now been here for a month and a half. I'm also now starting Week 5 of class. In Uni, you don't really get dates for classes, but it will be told that you will have a test in Week 5, or a paper due in Week 9, or the fact that Week 13 ends the semester. This past week has been a big transition week for me, and I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. First of all, I've realized that in the past two weeks I've had a ton of fun, but sort of lost site on a lot of my goals and reasons why I'm studying abroad. I was brought back to reality yesterday after a talk with Amanda. I realized yesterday that in the past two weeks I hadn't accomplished any of my major goals or top 25 list. This was the reality check that I needed, and I realized that a major problem is in the past two weeks I've been staying in my comfort zone. In the first four weeks, I was not at all, and I think that it was probably a natural progression to get back into it. But now that I'm aware, I'm bouncing straight back out, and I want to thank Amanda for helping me realize this. For example, goal #8. I've been hanging out so much with the NU group lately, and I really enjoy being with them all, but I can hang out with them in Boston in the fall--I need to focus on being in Australia. Then goal #2--I haven't been going on my long walks alone, so I need to truly get back into that (which I did today, but I'll talk about that later.) Goal #10--Staying away from technology. This is difficult since I am in school, and need to go on e-mail and "MyUni" but I've decided I'm going to go for a whole week without going onto facebook. This is inevitably going to be a challenge, but I know I can do it. It's hard to admit that you see yourself falling away from your goals, especially in a blog, but I think it's important for me to write it, so I can look back on it, and know that I've moved forward. So with that said, I'll focus on what I've done the past couple of days.
Friday was a great day, Laura, Brian, Justin and I went to Manly Beach. I was going to rent a surf board, but the waves were a bit too big for me that day, so I relaxed on the beach with Laura! Afterwards we went to this Gourmet Burger joint, and I had the most delicious burger, with Brie cheese, and all the fixings, as well as delicious fries with herb aioli sauce. YUM! Saturday was relaxing, and I got some homework done, and then I went to the Saturday Night Vigil Mass in honor of a good family friend, Annie Cavallaro, who passed away this past week. Although I'm not very religous, I really found the Mass beautiful and very peaceful. Saturday night Laura and I stayed in and watched Happy Feet and What Women Want. A very necessary way to spend a Saturday night. I did get some major insomnia, so I ended up working on my study guide for my Cell Bio test this week until 3am. Today (Sunday) I continued to study until about 2, and then went out walking, in order to do some of my Top 25! I went to Centennial Park (I'll post pictures later) and it was really awesome! It reminded me a big of Central Park, and there were various ponds and I even found some really cute pelicans and black swans. I then walked up through Paddington, which is a cute suberb with terraced houses lining the streets. The most "exciting" part of the day though, was when I was hit by a car. Don't worry, I'm okay, but it was very scary! I was walking across the road, with the walk signal, and the cars had a red light, but one car decided to start to make a turn without looking. He banged right into my knee brace, which actually ended up being my saving grace. I jumped up into the air a bit, but it hit so perfectly on the hard hinge of my brace, that it was pretty miraculous, and without it, my knee would have been likely crushed. It's hurting now, but not too much more than it usually does, and it could have been so much worse, so I'm fine!
Once I got back to Unilodge, I made dinner and did some more homework, and then a group of us watched Taken. It was a great movie, but pretty scary, since it was so real (at least parts of it). Today instead of my first goals, I'll list out my Top 25 since I haven't yet, and show which I've completed, and what I must do next!..

Complete: Bondi Beach, Centennial Park, City Centre, Hyde Park Barracks, Manly, Museum of Sydney, Paddington, The Rocks, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney Aquarium and Darling Harbour, Sydney Harbour, Sydney Harbour National Park, Sydney Observatory, Taronga Zoo

To be Completed: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australian Museum, Chinese Garden, Museum of Contemporary Art, National Maritime Museum, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney Harbour Bridge (Seen it, but have yet to be on it), Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney Opera House (haven't been inside yet), Sydney Tower and Oztrek, Vaucluse House.

I'm a bit more than halfway! This week looks pretty rainy, so it should be perfect for some of the museums. And now for my lessons;

#16: Do not lose site of your study abroad goals!

#17: Even if you have the walk signal, and there is a red light, there is a chance you will STILL get hit by a car!

Those are the big ones of the week! I'm so glad to be back on track, and that should definitely make for more interesting blogs! Until next time...

Thoughts from Down Under-Part 5

2009-03-24T03:36:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I am now almost halfway done with my 5th week in Sydney! It is really blowing my mind. This past week has been a lot of fun. There hasn't been anything too big or exciting going on, but I've started to fall into a bit of a routine, and think I've figured out what I need to do in all my classes! Classes are still going well, and my favorite is definitely still developmental psych. We have a two hour tutorial in that class, which doesn't even seem like enough time. It is mostly discussion, and is great because there are people from all sorts of backgrounds, some of who are older and working on second degrees, so they have a lot of experience working with people in different psychiatric capacities, so I'm finding it very interesting. The cell biology is definitely becoming more challenging than I initially thought, but at least that means I'm learning something new, right? Bioethics is still great, wrote my first paper, so it'll be good to find out how things are actually graded here. Brain and behaviour is not what I expected at all, and is must more basic psych right now, but hopefully once we get into the neuroscience part it will be more interesting. Today we learned about animal behaviors though, which was fascinating. Tomorrow is my big day-Wednesday. I will be skipping my last class though (ignore that fact mom!) because tomorrow night is the big Carnivale festival! I don't really know much about it, but bought a ticket on a last minute whim! It has several bands performing, and its BYO, so it has to be good! It is based on the Brazillian Carnivale, so I'll write more once I go to it. Thursday and Friday will be pretty homework filled, and then Saturday morning I go off to an overnight hiking trip with the Bushwalkers club (pronounced bushWACKers..at least according to Lo)
I've decided this week to write a little about my new obsessions in Aus, and things I miss from home. So, here goes!

Obsessions in Sydney
1. Pide (see previous post...still love them!)
2. $10 boxes of wine. Enough said. (And that's about $6.50 USD)
3. Veggie spring roles. I can't get enough of them.
4. Hot tub in Unilodge-I hadn't gone in it for a while, but have a couple times this week-luxury at its best.
5. Wearing t-shirts/shorts every day
6. Broadway Cafe Pizza. When I don't have to wait 2 hours for it. But it's only $5! Still has nothing on Village though..
7. BIGGEST LOSER AUSTRALIA. I LOVE IT!

Things I miss from home (Family and Friends the MOST of course!)
1. FOOD; homemade food, cooking, china gourmet, village, cracker barrel, whole foods...I could go on. But I really miss a lot of the food from home, and have been searching for equivalents, but nothing can really compare.
2. My bed; unilodge bed does NOT provide much comfort. As much as I love sleeping 2 inches away from Laura, it would be lovely to be in a comfy bed in my own room!
3. Seuss; I miss sleeping with, and playing with, and just having a dog around. Whenever I see dogs I really miss him a lot.
4. Fast internet; The internet here is TERRIBLE and beyond slow most of the time.
5. As much as I'm enjoying not being bogged down by television shows, I miss Lost, Private Practice, Desperate Housewives, and especially watching Sex and the City.
6. Being able to talk to everyone at any time, not having to always check what time it is.
7. Knowing what is going on in the U.S.! I don't really have time/ability to read the news religiously every day, or even every week, so I have no idea what is going on for the most part.
8. Volunteering; especially SWSG and Family Van! I really miss them!

I guess that's it for now. But just wanted to get those out. I am still having the time of my life though, don't get my wrong, and I know all the luxuries of home will be there when I get home. On another exciting note, I leave for New Zealand in 2.5 weeks! I have a flight in and out of Auckland, but I just booked another flight to go down to Christchurch for 3 days, because I really want to see the South Island as well! So I'm very excited about that! I'm also working on booking a trip to Thailand. So I'll keep you all posted on that! I'll write more soon, but it's back to homework time!

Coming Attractions

2009-03-22T03:35:00.000-07:00

Much to my surprise, today is in fact, Sunday. For the majority of the day, I thought it was Saturday, but eventually figured it out! Anyways, as I have massive amounts of reading to finish tonight, I will have to postpone my weekly Sunday update (sorry mom, I know you look forward to Sundays for it!) I will hopefully have time in the next day or two to be able to do a thorough recap of my FIFTH week in Australia! So on that note, I must finish this, prepare for a presentation tomorrow in developmental psych, and actually sleep, as I am beyond exhausted from the weekend (which of course started last Wednesday). So I'll work on the next post as soon as possible!

I need a more interesting title for these...Part 4!

2009-03-15T03:26:00.000-07:00

So, another week has come and gone in the land of Oz. I can't believe I've been here for a MONTH! It really feels like I have been here forever, but it is certainly going by very fast. This week has been more class intensive, and I've actually spent a lot of time doing reading and homework. The classes are becoming more and more different from those at home, and although I still feel fairly lost, I am starting to figure out the expectations. My favorite class so far is Bioethics. Although the lecture is fairly boring, it should get better, but what is great is the tutorial. This happens once a week for an hour, and basically it is a group of about 20, and we debate ethical issues. As those reading this likely know, I LOVE to debate. I can safely say it is one of my passions to debate various issues, especially those that are medical. There was another American in the class, who is a biochem major, and we really went at it on several topics, especially euthanasia and genetic testing. The class is a "history and philosophy of science" course, so a lot of the students do not come from a scientific background, but the two of us do, making the debate even better, since he did not at first expect my knowledge of science, as he bragged about what he knew. Once I busted out some terms regarding blastulas, gastrulation, totipotent vs. pluripotent and IVF methods, he shut up pretty quick, and we had a great debate! As I said in a previous post, I got into developmental psych, which should also be a cool course. We have a longer tutorial portion of this class, and I will be doing an experiment on a 3-5 year old child, regarding Piaget's preoperational theory. How shall I find a child in Aus? No idea! I'll work on that, and can hopefully hook up with someone in the class who has access to some kids. A lot of the class has to do with theories, so I should be able to get into depth on topics I haven't done since beginning psych courses. Brain and Behaviour is...dull. We have been learning about classical and instrumental conditioning, extinction, and fear learning. Once again, things I did many years ago, and did not enjoy at the time. But a new lecturer who is supposed to be great is starting the next series of lectures tomorrow, so hopefully things will pick up, and we'll get more into the "brain" portion. We started the lab component this week though, so I have a rat of my own for the whole semester! Finally, is my only actual physical science (which is strange because I'm used to ALL science) course, "cell biology". It has focuses on regulatory cell biology, and is not quite as easy as I expected, but I don't think it should be too taxing. The four hour lab this week was very basic and boring, but I volunteered to do a presentation which the professor loved. They were also impressed by my knowlege of scientific journal searching, as the rest of the class probably didn't even know what a journal was, while I am an avid reader of the New England Journal of Medicine!
This week I had a great conversation with a new friend about the process of becoming a doctor in Australia. It is very different from the process in America, and I didn't really know what to make of it. The school system is very different in general, so I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised. I will actually do a seperate post on this whole phenomena, so as not to bore anyone reading this one. So stay tuned for that!
I also had a lot of fun this week, going out several nights, and doing the hike yesterday. I unfortunately did not do anything off of my Sydney Top 25 list this week...I can't believe it! There are also no big goals that I completed. I better get a move on in the coming week. But I definitely had a great week and learned a few important lessons!

#12: It is unhealthy to eat Pide so much that the man knows who you are and what you want.

#13: Be careful where you hike alone. It is likely you will run into a naked man and have to run away on your bum leg...

#14: Do not expect that you will not have to do work on semester abroad. It is one of the saddest facts you will learn very quickly. So it's just better to know ahead of time.

#15: Do not forget to go to the beach! You will quickly become as white as your friends at home.

Alright, that's it for now. The coming week looks good-classes until Thursday AM, and then who knows what the weekend will bring? Definitely a hike, beach, surfing, and who knows what else! Only 4 weeks til New Zealand...Time to get planning!

Until next time!

Royal National Park

2009-03-14T00:08:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to go on a day hike to Sydney's Royal National Park. I took the train from Central to Cronulla, about an hour ride. Then the ferry takes you from Cronulla to Bundeena, the gateway town to RNP. When I arrived around lunchtime, I found the tiny little "visitor's center" which was actually a little cafe with a few brochures on the area. I grabbed one with a map and started walking. I went to Jibbon Beach, which is an aboriginal site. I took off my sneakers to walk along the water, and the views were very beautiful. I then came to the rock areas, which were absolutely breathtaking. I then began the hike into the actual park. Several years ago 95% of the park was ruined in fires, and it was evident walking through, since many of the trees were clearly still burnt. About two miles in, I turned a corner, and all of a sudden right in front of me on the trail was a man who looked to be about 45, completely naked. I did as any young female, walking alone in the middle of the woods would do-turned around and booked it back in the direction I came from. I made it back to the beach, but it was a very creepy encounter. I then went into the "town" and decided which cafe I was going to eat lunch at. I had three options. A nice man asked me if I needed help or advice on traveling around the area, since I looked deep in thought, but I just explained that I was deciding if I wanted to eat in shack #1, 2 or 3. I chose one and ordered a plain burger with cheese and tomato sauce. My burger came back, and it had "the lot" on it, including beets, tomatos, and an egg, along with all the other veggies. I took the egg off, and ate it, and it turned out to be quite delicious! I continued my hike, and ran into a girl who I had met on the ferry over, so we sat and talked for a while. She was from Austria, and had been traveling around the world for many years, and was now staying in the park for a week. After I left her, the skies turned black, so I went to catch the next ferry. All in all, it was a very interesting, but fun adventure. I will likely go back when I can do the two day 28 km coast to coast walk. Check out the pictures!

Schedule Modification

2009-03-10T23:26:00.000-07:00

Monday evening, as I sat down to do my reading for Conservation Biology and Applied Ecology, I realized I must get out of this class as soon as possible. I then proceeded to study my degree audit a little more thoroughly, and realized that I can actually count Biochemistry, which I'll take next year, as the same Bio credit! To make a long story short, after finally being approved, I was able to get into Developmental Psychology. Although it is a senior course, I'm sure I'll be able to do fine, and it should be quite interesting. What is even more exciting, is I now have NO class on Friday, and ONE class on Thursday from 10-11! This makes my weekend traveling much easier to do, so I'm very excited! Well, I'm off to begin catching up on this class!

Pi-ed? Pi-day?

2009-03-10T23:18:00.000-07:00

So my first official obsession since I've been in Sydney-Turkish Pide. I just came back from eating one for approximately the 4th day in a row. I can't get enough! But I have now officially become a regular. As I walked up to the man, he said "Hi! How is your day today? The usual?" I replied with an excited yes! This was something that really made me feel at home in Sydney, since there is not even a spot in Boston where I am a regular. Of course, I still have no idea what the correct pronunciation of pide is--I will try to ask tomorrow, if I get a chance before he throws a hot, delicious, chicken and mushroom pide my way.

Pictures

2009-03-09T21:17:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I have finally uploaded most of my pictures thus far onto Picasa. The links are on the right hand side of this screen, so check them out! I apologize for the ones that are of the same thing 20 seperate times, but while seeing them it was very exciting, and with them on here I can delete them off my computer so they don't make my computer slow! Enjoy!

Thoughts from Down Under-Part 3

2009-03-07T17:03:00.000-08:00

Hi all! Well, here is my third edition of my weekly thoughts. I cannot believe I am now going into my fourth week here in Sydney. I can honestly say, that these have been some of the most exciting weeks of my life...Never a dull moment. In addition to classes this week, I have been trying to set up my extracurricular life as well. I have looked into many of the clubs on campus, and have already joined a few. My favorite is the Bushwalkers Club. I went to the first meeting/slide night on Wednesday, where they provide food and drinks (boxed wine of course) and look at slides from previous trips. The slides of course contain a drinking game, so it was a lot of fun. I was supposed to go on my first trip today, to the Royal National Park, but I am not feeling very well, likely getting sick. But next weekend is a trip that I am deciding if I will go on, an overnight beginners Canyoning trip! For those of you who don't know what canyoning is exactly, it basically includes, but is not limited to, the following; hiking, scrambling (rock climbing with (usually) no rope), climbing, jumping (off ledges/cliffs), swimming, and drifting down rivers on Lilos (a sort of raft). I really want to go, just am thinking of the possible risks on my knees. So I will decide a little later in the week, and if so, I need to go get some equipment. The next big trip will be from the 28th to the 29th, another overnighter. This is the "Freshers Trip" and goes to Shoalhaven Gorge. This will include hiking, jumping, swimming and fishing, among other things. I am really excited for this! They also post several hikes a week, usually on short term notice, so I'm sure there will be many more I'll go to in the coming weeks.
I've also joined the Equestrian Club, Buddy Club, and Red Cross Society. As you all know, I love to be busy and active, so all these things are going to be really great. I'm also working on applying to volunteer at the Sydney Children's Hospital, which would be great so I can learn about the Aussie health care system, and continue doing what I love.
I have of course, continued to do some touristy things. Friday afternoon I went on a walk down to Darling Harbour, then down King Street to Hyde Park. On the way I saw a Bollywood Star going into her wedding, which was showcased by TONS of photographers and news crews. I then went to the Hyde Park Barracks, and walked around the museum for a couple hours. It was not what I expected, but was very interesting and informative about the beginnings of Sydney's Prisons and Asylums. I then went to St. Mary's Cathedral, but unfortunately the crypts were closed, but the church was beautiful. I then walked to Wooloomoolooo (best suburb name EVER), Darlinghurst, and Kings Cross, and then back to Unilodge. It was a great afternoon, finished by a fun night out with friends.
Saturday evening was Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. It was one of the most fanastic things I've ever experienced! I got there early, and was going to meet up with some friends, but there was no way to get from one place to another, so I stayed where I was, and eventually got to the front row. I made friends with some definite characters around me, and got some great videos. There were over 125 floats/performances, 400,000 in attendance, and innumerable amounts of barely (if at all) dressed people.
I've continued to work on the broad goals I have, and have still not been homesick! I've been able to talk a lot this week with friends and family, which has been amazing. I'll give a shout out to MESHER because she is amazing and always comments on these, and I am talking to her right now...I LOVE YOU!
The most important and exciting part of my week though, is that I have booked a flight to Bali, Indonesia. This is a place I have wanted to go to for as long as I remember, and has always been a dream of mine. I'm not planning too many of the logistics yet, such as hotel and activites, but I will be there from June 7-June 14th. It is also starting to get close to my New Zealand trip, so I need to start planning that more thoroughly...About 5 weeks away, which is crazy, since it is about the halfway point of my trip.
Alright, time for the weekly lesson portion of this blog. Here goes!

#8: If studying abroad, don't skip the majority of orientation, where you would learn things that would actually benefit you when classes started, and you wouldn't be so lost.

#9: Do get to Mardi Gras at least 3 hours early. If not, you will get knocked to the ground by some very drunk people trying to get in front of you.

#10: Do not stay up until 6 am...Twice in one week. It's just a bad idea in general.

#11: Do join as many clubs as you can. They will provide you with alcohol at all the meetings.

Alright, that's it for the week. Also, I found out this week I have been selected to be a Resident Assistant (RA) in a freshman dorm next year! That means I can spend my seven weeks of summer relaxing, studying for the MCATs, and hanging out with SMAK!!!!!!!!!

Until next time!

Classes

2009-03-07T16:47:00.000-08:00

My first week of classes is finally complete. It was one of the craziest first weeks I've ever experienced, and Monday thru Friday went by in some sort of blur. On Monday I went to my first class, Cell Biology, taught by a very funny frenchman named Jan Marc. The class itself seems pretty basic, and as I have taken more advanced classes it should not be too hard in general, although a lot of stuff I haven't done in a few years. I then had most of the afternoon off, so I went to get my student ID card, and to change some classes around. I sucessfully got into Brain and Behaviour and Global Transformations. That evening I had Brain and Behaviour, which has so far been taught by two lecturers, who both seem really good. The first half of the class is based on the 'behaviour' aspect, and we will be doing our own Skinner Box, and learning about conditioning, extinction, etc...Stuff I haven't done since AP Psych. The second half focuses more on Neuroscience, but again, I think I've studied at a more advanced level than they will be teaching, so that should be fairly easy too. Tuesday came along, and I had the tutorial for Global Transformations. A tutorial is a part of most classes, and is small, usually around 20 people, and involves more of a seminar type learning. After about 10 minutes into the hour, I knew I would be switching out of it immediately. I was under the impression that it would be more about human rights and nations workin together, but instead if focuses on economics, something I have little background knowledge of. I instead took up Bioethics, which is, as it sounds, a course on the ethics of biology and medicine. I really like debating ethical issues, especially since I have strong opinions on many things, so it should be great. Then there is my last class, Conservation Biology and Applied Ecology. This is by far, going to be my most challenging class. First of all, basically everyone in it is Environmental Science majors, and I have not so much as taken one class in the subject. And, as the name suggests, it is an applied class, where you use knowledge you already have, so I will be doing a lot of background studying. We go on several field trips, including an overnight weekend in just a few weeks, so that should be interesting, and definitely challenging.
My schedule overall looks pretty decent, except for Wednesdays, that are very filled up, but it is not unlike a typical day at Northeastern for me...I think I have just gotten used to the very laid back Aussie life style here! Since all my classes are basically science, I also have to do labs and practicals, which take up more time than most peoples classes normally would. It is as follows:
Monday
10-11: Bioethics Lecture
11-12: Cell Bio Lecture
6-7: Brain and Behaviour Lecture
Tuesday
10-11: Bioethics Lecture
1-2: Enviro Lecture
4-5 Brain Lecture
Wednesday
9-10: Brain Tutorial
10-11: Bioethics Lecture
12-1: Cell Bio Lecture
1-2: Bioethics Tutorial
2-6: Cell Bio Practical Lab
6-7: Brain Lecture
Thursday
1-2: Enviro Lecture
2-5: Enviro Practical Lab
Friday
11-12: Cell Bio Lecture

So that is my week! There are now only 12 more weeks of classes though, which is crazy. I already have some homework to catch up on, and books to buy, so this week will also likely pass by in a blur!

Thoughts from Down Under-Part 2

2009-03-01T00:03:00.000-08:00

Hi all! I have now been in Sydney for an astonishing two weeks. I can't believe it! It feels like I've been here forever, but at the same time, it's going by very fast. I have completed another major goal: Goal #11-Dive the Great Barrier Reef. It was one of the best things I have done, and I will cherish the memory for my whole life. Once again, I am not homesick yet, which amazes me. I think that it is because it is going so fast, and I know that as soon as I know it, I'll be back in the States, so I want to make every moment count. I haven't spent too much time in Sydney this week, since I was in Cairns, but on Saturday I did buy a pass for admission to the Sydney Aquarium, Wildlife World, and the Sydney Tower and Oztrek. I went to the aquarium and wildlife world yesterday. The aquarium was fun, especially going through glass tubes surrounded by sharks, but I must say, I don't think that any aquarium can ever be nearly as good anymore, after diving the reef. The wildlife world was also good, and I came face to face with some big spiders-but they were not as big as the ones I saw in the rainforest. I also saw more Koalas and Kangaroos! I still get very excited everytime I see them, and I hope that feeling lasts. Today was comprised of greasy chinese food, planning, and figuring out classes. That's right! I actually start class tomorrow. I can't believe that while Northeasterners are headed off on their Spring Breaks, I am headed off to the classroom for the first time since December.
It looks like I will be taking the following: Conservation Biology and Applied Ecology, Cell Biology, Brain and Behaviour, and Global Transformation. It should be a good course load, but hopefully a bit easier than what I'm used to. I'll write more about the classes once I've actually been to them. I really feel like once the classes begin, this trip is going to really fly. I am now only 6 weeks away from my New Zealand trip, which I can't believe! I am trying to decide if I want to go in for the long hall, and take a day and a half train ride from Auckland to Christchurch. It is said to be very scenic, but it is, clearly, VERY long. So hopefully I'll decide by the end of the week, and can make all necessary travel arrangements. I have also just booked a weekend to the Blue Mountains! I will be staying in Katoomba, from March 20th to 22nd, and be hiking all day Saturday and Sunday. This is the site of the famous Three Sisters, and some great bushwalking trails, so it should be a great time. I'm also working on booking trips to Melbourne, Tasmania, and either Thailand or Bali. So much excitment ahead! Well, I'm off to do more travel research, but of course I must first talk about my lessons learned this week!

#7: Before hiking an unknown mountain, be sure to get a map, or you might go in a very large loop, landing yourself straight up at the top.
#8: Bring sheets to any hostel, even if they are said to be clean. You will likely have brown stains on your bed, and need to use a towel as your cover.

I think that is all I've learned for the week--hopefully I'll learn much more in the coming week.

Until next time...

Finding Nemo

2009-02-27T03:28:00.001-08:00

I have just returned from five exhilirating, adventurous, slightly dangerous and tiring days in Cairns, in tropical North Queensland. I arrived on Monday morning, and was at the hostel by about ten a.m. After grabbing a delicious lunch in town, I went off to the Flecker Botanic Gardens, which had been on all the Cairns "must-see" lists I had looked at. The gardens were very pretty and compromised of mostly rainforest plants. After this, I began to walk around the boardwalk, which went through the rainforest, swamps, and mangroves. Throughout this walk, I really began to learn way more than expected about myself. It was a very strange experience walking through the rainforest alone, where you are the only person around, and the sounds of the various animals and insects are all around you. Since it was a new place, and I had no map, it was also a little nerve racking. It was amazing the comfort I felt when I saw any random person walking by, and as we would share a smile and a hello, I could tell that most of them were feeling the same way as me. After I made it to the other end, I was soaked with sweat. The one thing about the rainforest, is it is extremely hot. It was 100+ humidity. Later that day I went back to teh hostel, exhausted, but very pleased with my day. The next morning I woke early to go on a hike that had been recommended by a tour coordinator at the hostel. Once I found it, and got started, it was another completely new experience. After walking for about 1.5 hours uphill, I finally reached the top. It was absolutely beautiful, and looked out over Cairns, across to other mountains, and the water. I don't think I've ever been more excited to begin a descent down the mountain, but when I got to what I thought might be the bottom, it all of a sudden went up again. At this point, I was drenched, tired, but I knew I had to keep going. After a while, I realized something terrible. I was at the top again. I had gone in one big, sweaty loop. With the help of a local, I finally found my way off the mountain, and felt a great sense of accomplishment. It was one of the most physically demanding things I've done, if only for the heat, but it felt great to have done it after. Then with little time to spare, I was back at the hostel to get picked up for a horse ride through the rainforest, and outback.
I ended up being the only rider that day, which was excellent, so I didn't have to worry about others slowing me down, and the guide was very excited as well. As we wove through rainforest areas, swam on the horses through muddy streams, and passed giant termite mounds, I was having a great time. I rode for about 2.5 hours, and I am very glad I splurged and did it. I fell asleep early once again, after a very physically demanding day.
Wednesday was the day I had waited for...The Great Barrier Reef. I pre-booked a scuba dive, and once on board went to the training (since there is no need for certification there, as long as you are paying) When I went down on my first dive, it was a very strange sensation. The fact that I was staying under water and breathing, was quite eerie. Once you were under water, you had no idea you were in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, with nothing around you, and no experience. As I began to get comfortable, we swam around, seeing very big fish, see turtles, and of course, Nemo! Eventually, the air was coming to an end, so we went back up, and they asked if I wanted to buy a second dive--of course I said yes! The second dive was even better, I was much more comfortable, and we saw even more great things, including GIANT clams, and big string rays. I was hoping to see some of the "friendly sharks" but they were not around that day...Which I guess is a good thing.
The rest of the vacation was pretty relaxing, with another hike, a power hour at the favored local bar, and an afternoon by the towns large public lagoon. This afternoon, on the flight back to Sydney, it was interesting because I felt like I was coming home. Perhaps because I knew that I would be much more comfortable here, but it was a cool feeling to have Sydney be my current home.
This is the last weekend before classes start, and I am frantically trying to figure out everything, and get into classes I am not in yet. I hope to surf this weekend, and see some more things on my "Sydney's Top 25" which I am trying to complete as soon as possible, so I don't run out of time!

Until next time...Stay where you are Nemo!

Thoughts from Down Under-Part 1

2009-02-22T02:52:00.001-08:00

I've decided that every Sunday I will write a little wrap up of the week, my thoughts, and general things in order to please Northeastern with my journal requirment. Since I've already stated my goals, in a previous post, I can officially say I have completed several. Goal#1-Complete. Learn to surf! Completed on Feb. 22nd at Manly Beach. Goal #2-In Progress. I have already spent a lot of time by myself, and it has been just like I thought it would be, which is very freeing. Goal #3-In Progress. I have played with kangaroos, giraffes, and just need to finish up with a koala or two. Goal #8-In Progress. I have wandered around the city, and spent two lazy days at the beach. Goal #12-Taronga Zoo-Completed. Goal #15-Complete so far! I am extremely surprised that I have not yet been homesick. I'm sure I will be at some point, but I am apparently still in the "Honeymoon Phase." Apparently next I will be in culture shock, complete with irritation and hostility...hmm...I can't see that happening at this point, but you never know. Then comes the gradual adjustment, followed by feeling at home. I'm wondering if it is possible to speed through all of these, because although I do miss home, I am really beginning to feel comfortable here. I am becoming acclamaited with the city, the climate (which was clearly extremely difficult...!!), and the people. Although whoever thought "Australian" is the same as "English" is seriously mistaken. Although we all speak basically the same language, I have had several encounters with the fast talking aussies whereihavenoideawhattheyaresaying.

Unlike a lot of people I didn't choose Australia for the comfort of knowing the "English" language. I've spent a lot of time trying to remember exactly why I chose this wonderful city. I had thought long and hard about going to either Spain or Costa Rica, or doing the semester at sea, but I somehow ended up halfway across the world, on some big, hot island. I think that there are various reasons I chose here--good science classes, beaches, warmth (although I am missing snow), and the ability to travel, but that the main reason was adventure. Being so far away, in a completely different place than the U.S. is a huge adventure. I love the outdoors, so I am able to spend time in the ocean, walking through the rainforest, hiking, skydiving, and generally just being outside. No matter the reason, I am extremely happy that I chose Sydney to study in.

I am also going to start a segment on lessons learned here in Oz. Here goes my first set:

#1. Do not try to make a kangaroo pose for a picture...It will punch you.
#2. Do not jaywalk. You will forget which side the cars are coming from, and you will get hit by a car.
#3. Do not tip. Just in general, it is considered rude.
#4. Do not expect that once you walk up about 100 stairs, while starving, to an observatory tower, on a hill, that there will be a cafe at the top and you will be able to eat. You will not find one. And you will need to walk back down.
#5. Do not walk home at 4:30 in the morning, from the bar. Just take a cab.
#6. Wear sunscreen. Do not expect that you will not burn with the spf 15 you brought from home, and applied a couple times per day. You need Aus spf 45, and it must be applied hourly. Or you will turn into a lobster.

That is all for this weeks update. I'm off to the Cairns (The Great Barrier Reef) tomorrow on a 7:10 am flight. I'll be back on Friday, and hopefully will have many new adventures to share!

MANLY...SURFING...!!!!

2009-02-21T21:39:00.001-08:00

Today a group of us went to Manly Beach, and I finally completed a goal I've waited my whole life for-I SURFED!
A thirty minute ferry ride brought us to the north of Sydney and out to Manly Surfer's Beach. We left early, so arrived there around 10:30. The water was magnificent, clear blue, and a bit warmer than at Bondi. After laying out and swimming for a while, Brian rented a surf board and after he had been on it for a while, he taught me! I hopped on the board, and with a push from him, and some intense paddling from me, I was up on my first wave. It's safe to say I'm addicted. It is a very cool feeling to be up on the surf board riding the waves, and I can see why so many people do it all the time--I plan on that for the remainder of my time in Sydney. It is also an amazing workout, as I seemed to be using every muscle in my body. Tonight we are relaxing, because tomorrow 5 of us girls leave for Cairns! For those of you who don't know what is there, it is the Great Barrier Reef! It is a trip I've been wanting to go on for my entire life, so I'm very excited. There seem to be scattered thunderstorms for the week, but hopefully they will clear up for our cruise on Wednesday!

Wandering Around the City

2009-02-21T01:37:00.000-08:00

Today was a great day, as I wandered around Sydney by myself, without much of a plan. I decided to take the bus to a destination called Miller's Point, of which I was not sure where it was. The 15 minute bus ride ended up taking me to The Rocks, a place which I have been wanting to go anyways. The Rocks' tagline is "A Story Around Every Corner," a tagline which I found to be very true. As I walked around, going down various alleys and twisting and turning streets, I kept ending up at various interesting places, such as Pylon's Lookout (which is under the Harbour bridge), The Rocks Discovery Museum, Sydney Observatory tower, and The Rocks Marketplace. Since it was a Saturday, the market was full of people and various booths filled with everything from food, to clothing, to various potpourri dried leaves representing different parts of Australia with each scent. It had been a cloudy day and soon started to rain, so I decided I needed to find a place with shelter for a while, so I found the Museum of Sydney. The museum was relatively small, but I learned even more about the roots of Sydney, and a lot about the building of this fantastic city, including a video from 1932, made right after the Harbour bridge was built. Eventually it became sunny, so I continued on my journey, and made my way to the Royal Botanic Gardens. The Gardens were immense, and breathtaking. A sign in the entrance says to "Please feel free to walk on the grass and stop and smell the roses" so I did just that. I went through the rose garden, stopping to take in the scents I have not smelled since the summer. Here they seemed to be even stronger. I then began taking various footpaths, ending up in different locations, including the pyramid tropical flower dome, a rainforest path, and an area with at least 1000 bats all sleeping upside down from the trees. It was one of the coolest things I've seen. Some of them were flying around and the screeching was extremely loud. I then began the walk to Mrs. Macquirie's chair, which I had earlier learned (at the Sydney Museum) was made for the Governers wife in 1810. It looks out over the Harbour, Fort Denison, and the pacific ocean. I then made my way over to the edge of Woolloomooloo, which I have been SO excited to get to (purely for the name) but only went to the edge of the neighborhood (I will be exploring it more thoroughly later.) I went to Hyde Park via the Sydney Hospital. The hospital was much different than any hospital I have seen in America. It is in a very old building, and did not seem to have much going on. I am hoping to explore inside at some point so I can thoroughly compare, and learn more about the differences in the health care system here. In Hyde Park I met up with Mike, a friend from Northeastern who is studying in Melbourne this semester. We wandered the streets, ending up at Darling Harbour where I got my first Australian pizza. It was, as expected, nothing like the pizza at home. We took the monorail around a bit of the city, but it did not provide the spectacular views I had hoped for, and seemed to be much more an actual mode of transportation, not so much for tourists. Later, we were wandering around the Harbour when a street performer began his act. It was one of the more entertaining things I've evern seen. We then walked back to Circular Quay and found a little bar, and hung out for a while until I had to head back for girls movie night. We went to see He's Just Not That Into You and it was excellent. Very funny and very entertaining. The movie theater was right next to Unilodge, and it was nice to be able to crash as soon as we got back!

Until next time..

Punched by a Kangaroo

2009-02-20T00:23:00.000-08:00

My first week in Sydney is nearing an end, although it does not feel like I have only been here for six days. I am already in love with Sydney, and am having so much fun. I truly feel like I'm already growing, and learning to be out of constant communication with people from home is not as hard as I thought it would be. As much as I miss everyone, I am having a ton of fun, and I know that once I get back, everything will still be the same. Lately I am having a very hard time keeping track of the days. I know that today is Friday, but as I think about what to write, I can't quite differentiate the days clearly.

Wednesday, a small group of us began to really explore the city. It was supposed to rain that day, but we had a very pleasant surprise when we woke up to sunshine and heat. We walked through the streets all the way up to King St. and turned to find Darling Harbour. After that we continued walking until we reached the place we had all been waiting to find--Circular Quay. Once we arrived, the sight of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House was fantastic. The sun was bright, it was warm, and everything was amazing. We took one of our many photos we believe are perfect for MyNEU Photo of the Week!

You can look for us on there soon! That night we decided to take it easy, as we were all pretty exhausted from the day, and still quite jet lagged. There was a concert and BBQ on the roof top

On Thursday I woke up, like usual, at about 6am. But it was finally the day I'd been waiting for--my 21st Birthday!! A group of us left around 8:30 to head off to Bondi Beach, which was absolutely breathtaking.

It was a perfect hot day, and we all left with various parts of our body burned. The waves were immense. Because of the rip tide, there were only certain areas that were swimmable at any given time, and they were indicated by flags. The water was much colder than expected, but felt very good on such a hot day. After we had all had our fill, we went back to Unilodge to rest and get ready. We made homemade pizzas on pita bread that were delicious (I could easily eat them every day) and then the girls surprised me with a DIVINE chocolate cake! After then getting ready in a very sparkly outfit, we went upstairs to the other girls rooms, and they got me even more delicious chocolate cake! It was really fun, and meant a lot everyone was thinking of my birthday! After donning my princess birthday tiara, we left to go to an international welcome bar night. We stayed for a drink, and then went to the 3 Monkey's Pub. After a lot of dancing, we went to our favorite go-to spot-Scruffy Murphys. We partied until 4:30 in the morning...it was a birthday I won't soon forget.

Today was Zoo day. I have been looking forward to Taronga Zoo for as long as I can remember. Most of the Northeastern group went, but then I decided to go off on my own. As one of my goals in a previous post states, I really love doing things on my own. That way I can go at my own pace, see what I want to see, and not worry about anyone else. The ferry ride to the Zoo was great, with picture perfect scenes of the harbour. Once we arrived, we took a Sky Safari ride up to the main entrance, and then my journey began. I spent many hours walking around the various exhibits, and they were all great, but some definite highlights. Like when I was in the "Australian Walkabout" exhibit. You are supposed to stay on the path, but on my second time through, I was the only one in the whole area at first. So when I saw a kangaroo come close to the path, I decided to friend it--her name was Joanne (it wasn't until later, when I realized she was actually a he, but the name stuck).I pat her and it was so cool to be with a kangaroo. After a little bit, another person came into the area and I asked her to take a picture of myself and Joanne. When trying to put my arm around her, she punched me with her two arms! It did not hurt, because she was little, but definitely caught me by surprise--and also fit the exact thoughts I had about kangaroos--they can be very mean! We quickly made up, and spent the next 15 or 20 minutes sitting together. Later on at the Chimp exhibit, there was a very feisty little Chimp, who kept running up in front of me and kissing the glass with his face--one of the cutest things I have ever seen. My last big encounter was with a giraffe. There was no-one around (after 3:30 or so, the zoo seemed to be filled only with the animals and me) and the giraffe, Jim (I seem to like to name my animal pals) came right up to the edge of the exhibit. He was very close to arms reach, so I stepped into the forbidden zone, and pat him. He then proceeded to stick out his tongue at me for about 10 minutes--very adorable. Eventually, I realized I would have to leave the zoo, which I have come to love. As I waited for the boat to come, I walked around the area in front of the zoo. The views of the city were spectacular, and I know I will cherish those moments for the rest of my life. I found today, as I've always found, that the moments I seem to remember the most, are ones I spend by myself, completely in my surroundings. It is so freeing not to have to talk to anyone, or think about anyone else--freeing to be able to just be. On the boat ride back to Circular Quay, I decided to continue on the boat to Luna Park and onto Darling Harbour again. Although it meant more walking (and by this point my knee was excruciating) I was not about to let it stop me. I walked around Darling Harbour for a bit, and then headed back to Unilodge.

Since it is now Friday, the weekend is about to start, and I am looking forward to every single moment I have left of this trip. At this point I would like to thank Jess, for her very great words of wisdom--do not put anything off while you are abroad, it will be over before you know it. I have not taken these words lightly, and it has completely been important to think about. I don't want to waste a minute that I'm here, because there is so much I want to see and do before I leave.

Until next time!

Wait, Where Did Saturday Go?

2009-02-15T12:24:00.001-08:00

Greetings from Australia! I've finally arrived, and now been here almost 24 hours! I have slept a total of 5 hours since Thursday night, so I'm feeling pretty tired. I might as well start at the beginning of the journey here.
I woke up Friday morning, and got to the airport at about 12:30. While I was holding up the moving sidewalk (since I was standing, and not walking--lazy, I know) I turned around and saw Laura! We checked in our bags, which were amazingly under the 5o pound each weight limit, and then went to get food with our families. After tearfilled goodbyes (on my mom's end), we boarded United flight 181 to San Francisco. As we were waiting, they told us we would have to make an emergency fuel stop in Minneapolis. Once we got on the plane, we were waiting for a while, and then the captain came on. "Ummm. There have been some problems with the plane...Uhhh. We hope to have them fixed, but everytime the mechanics find one problem, there seems to be another...ummmm." After that little message, we were not too keen on flying with this pilot. We finally left about an hour and a half late, and a few hours later, we were in Minnesota. This is when we realized it was Friday the 13th, so of course we wouldn't have good luck. Then while we were fueling up, the flight attendant came on the microphone, telling everyone to clear the aisle, so that the paramedic could come on. Turns out, the man across from us was having an allergic reaction to spinach. SPINACH! The item that was listed in the magazine as an ingredient of everything on board. Finally we took off again, and ten hours later we were in San Fransisco.
We only had about a half hour to spare before our next flight, so we got some food, and then stepped on our 14 hour flight. I slept for an hour after taking benadryl, but that was it. Finally, we arrived at 8am on Sunday, which spared us all Valentines day...Nice!
We eventually got to our new home--Unilodge. It's actually pretty nice, the downstairs is very hotel-y. Our room has a loft, which is supposed to hold our beds. But since getting up the spiral staircase is extremely painful for my knees, we decided to throw our mattresses down to the main floor. We have a tiny little bathroom, television (which plays about ten channels, but all of them are repeated about 3 times, so there is approximately 4 choices), desks, and a microwave.
Yesterday once we unpacked, we did a little shopping, got some food, and searched for a calling card. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if they had them, so we gave up that search.
Last night, most of our group went out to find dinner, and get to know one another a bit. We ended up eating at a German restaurant, and Laura and I enjoyed a large piece of chicken schnitzel, and our first Aussie Beers! Once we got back to Unilodge we went to the roof, and realized how close we are to the CBD. It's really beautiful. Then after 4 hours of sleep, I'm up and off to orientation all day very shortly.

Until next time, mate!

Goals for my "GAA"

2009-02-09T09:31:00.000-08:00

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...

The Week Has Come

2009-02-08T06:08:00.000-08:00

After many months of waiting for this week to come, it is finally here--the week I leave for Australia. I will be going to Sydney, NSW for 19 weeks. I still don't think I understand how long that is. For one, I will be missing the entire Spring season in the U.S. as I get back June 28th. I can honestly say, I have never been more excited in my life though. 19 weeks of "living the life," as everyone says. What is this life I will be living? I have no idea. But I will be finding out in a few short days. (the plane days will not be so short though...24+ hours. yikes!)

I have not quite started packing yet, another reason to begin this blog now--procrastination. I do have a list though, of course. My life seems to be made up of lists and 'to-dos'. After 4 years of NMH and 2 and a half years of intense college classes, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and committments, I am most excited to have some time to relax and stop worrying about everything. This new life I am creating will be made up of learning to surf, traveling, and hanging out with kangaroos, koalas, and crazy tropical fish.

This is my first blog, so it will take some getting used to on my part, but I look forward to being able to keep my family and friends at home updated on what I'm doing. I must go for now, as I still have plenty to get done at home before I leave (including two more days of skiing!) and packing of course.

Until next time--in AUSTRALIA!