Feeling Infinite

I enjoy long walks on the beach and good company. My interests also include discovering hidden spectacular spots and learning new cultures.

New e-Harmony profile in case this whole study abroad thing doesn't find me my husband? I think so. Whether that is truth or sarcasm is up for your own judgment.

This past weekend brought me just those things (sans husband), exactly what I needed. I was apprehensive to look forward to the weekend because I had been in a funk--brought on by the lack of sleep I always experience, mixed with being 9,000 miles away and those huge school projects due dates ever present. I was stressed because I felt like I couldn't focus to get head starts on my assignments, or to pay attention in class. Then I was tired because I couldn't sleep because of my stress. Then I was upset because I didn't have a escape route like I do at school: going to my aunt and uncle's to bake cookies, hike the trails, appreciate deer and mushroom pictures on the camera (Uncle Ed you better not be slacking), do things that take my mind off the monotony of college. So, I utilized the technology I am so lucky to have and talked to my family. And the next day, I created my own escape route. Plus when I woke up I kicked myself for thinking I didn't have places around me where I could escape, I am in Australia after all...but realistically, I appreciate the company more than the actual place. Which I'm still dreaming of those homemade cookies you were making, Auntie Dawn and Mom. Sorry, digressing...

On Friday, a few of us hopped on the bus and headed for one of the coolest hiking places I've ever been: Burleigh Heads National Park. It's a littoral rainforest, meaning it's a dry rainforest that only forms by the sea, and secludes you from the intense heat of the day. The photo opportunities were greatly taken advantage of:

We hiked for a good couple hours and in the process, saw a movie being filmed in that above sand bar, as well as a wedding ceremony being set up. Efforts of getting into either or both of those events were unsuccessful.

We waited around a bit to see if we could whale watch but it was to no avail. Next time, hopefully. The hike consisted of a lot of appreciation to the vegetation as well as awe to the amount of rocks that looked to be just thrown together.

Another fascinating thing about this rainforest was that right at the beginning, on the connected beach, is just mounds upon mounds of seashells. You could spend hours sifting through to find the perfect one.

My friend Natalie took this picture. Picture perfect.

On Saturday, I had a lazy day by the pool and then decided to get some homework done. At night, a couple of my friends and I were indecisive when it came to plans for the night until one my friends got a text from an Australian she had befriended the week prior. He wasn't doing anything and was more than happy to give us an exclusive tour of the city! I experienced my first Australian car ride and was shown places that no tourists would ever be able to find by themselves. We drove up and down the coast and even experienced a little "off-roading" that was more than enough of a thrill for me.

Jake took us to the furthest point of Gold Coast that has a waterway (filled with sharks) you can paddle across to an unincorporated, uninhabited island. He surfs there often and says that sometimes he is even a little nervous knowing that there are sharks beneath him and there's nothing he can do if he slips off while paddling. Our next stop was a coffee shop that was pretty much a hole in the wall but had a Friends vibe with eclectic furniture and  friendships all around. I'll definitely be returning there. The best was saved for last when he drove us to the secret spot: a view of the whole entire city, lit up. We tried really hard to capture it, but no camera of ours has quite that capability. So, I Googled it and tried to find a similar view but even this doesn't include everything I was able to see.

It was another one of those "Wow, I'm in Australia" moments and it took my breath away. It wasn't a Chicago skyline but it was a skyline that I'll forever remember.

Australia is proving over and over again to me that it is nothing I even imagined--it's so much better. And I tell myself over and over again that I am just about the luckiest girl for being able to pursue dreams of this magnitude.

"I think the idea is that every person has to live for his or her own life and then make the choice to share it with other people. You can't just sit there and put everybody's lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love. You just can't. You have to do things. I'm going to do what I want to do. I'm going to be who I really am. And I'm going to figure out what that is. And we could all sit around and wonder and feel bad about each other and blame a lot of people for what they did or didn't do or what they didn't know. I don't know. I guess there could always be someone to blame. It's just different. Maybe it's good to put things in perspective, but sometimes, I think that the only perspective is to really be there. Because it's okay to feel things. I was really there. And that was enough to make me feel infinite. I feel infinite." 

Capturing Australia

Okay, so I still haven't taken my own pictures of campus but at the rate I'm going, it will be the last week and I'll be scrambling to do it. So, I stole some of my friends... (sorry if I get caught in the act...)

The lagoon with the bull sharks! 

My dorm building is the blue/greenish one.

These are the "Thinking Stairs" I talked about in one of my prior posts!

I actually took these, they didn't require much effort...

My side of the room/bed

The view from our balcony.

And then here are a couple surfing pictures!

Just wanted to keep all of you updated who don't have a Facebook, therefore can't see most of these pictures. We're rounding the one month mark of me being away, tell me where the time has gone please. 

Dislocating for a Day

There's a Mat Kearney song called Closer to Love and one of the lines of the song is, "I guess we're all one phone call from our knees."

We all know those phone calls. The middle-of-the-night, automatically-wake-up phone calls. We instinctively press the answer button and our thoughts go into survival mode. Well, Australia Kaylie now knows them, too--thanks to her wonderful, ungraceful friend Katie.

I tossed and turned in my thoughts about going out on Saturday night. I had a headache for some of the day and per usual, the benefits of staying snuggled up in my covers outweighed the benefits of putting in effort and looking put together to go out to a nightclub. I sent most of my friends off with a smile and the given "Have fun, be safe" phrase. All usually goes well. Usually. 

The phone rang just after midnight. I had just closed my eyes but given my exhaustion, was already in that limbo between awareness and deep sleep.  The groggy "Hello" rapidly cleared to a "You're going where? What happened? How? Let me talk to her." My friend Betsy was first on the phone, then it switched to my friend Tim, and then it got to the woman of the hour: Katie. So, between Betsy, the calm yet quick passer-of-the-phone; Tim, the straight-to-the-point talker; and Katie, the hysterically bawling and detail oriented injured girl; I collected a rough idea of what happened: Katie took a tumble in her wedges and dislocated her index finger and they were going to the hospital. It's a fixable thing. You go see the orthopedic doctor and they pop it back in, simple and quick, right? So we all thought.

I told them to keep me updated. Most people would have gone back to bed considering the helplessness, and the length of time it takes to be in an ER. But I didn't. I couldn't. I heard Katie's cries in my ears and needed to know when she was back safely sleeping in her bed just down the hall from me. One hour came and went. Then two. Then three. Until I finally couldn't hold my eyelids open anymore and sent a text to one of them to please just wake me up when they're back. I got a phone call fifteen minutes later saying they were back, without Katie. The hospital was too packed to take care of her right away. And as the story plays out, they were unable to jam her finger back into place as well.

Sympathetic but a tad more exhausted, my sleepiness won the battle after that phone call. Now, fast forward three hours and I get another one of those phone calls. But I'm so out-of-it that I can't seem to tell my fingers to click that answer button, and it goes to a missed call. Then knocks come to my door. It's 6:30am and I'm still just so spacey. I answer it and it's my friend Erica telling me "There's bad news about Katie." The first hospital tried to pop her finger back in but couldn't. So they transferred her via ambulance to a second hospital specializing in orthopedics sometime in between those hours I was sleeping. But they couldn't either. Because the ligaments are torn and the bone is actually broken. She now needs surgery. (sidenote: Australian hospitals call operating rooms, theatres...)

My heart sinks and I go into that survival mode once again. The phone call I couldn't tell my dreary self to answer was Katie--well, actually Justin acting as her liaison. The saint he is needed to be rescued because he had been with Katie since the night before, and I needed to be with one of my best friends. Within twenty minutes, I had scrambled clothes, electronics, bus information, and adrenaline into my backpack and was en route to the Southport Gold Coast Hospital. An hour, two buses, and a sketchy one-mile walk later, I was where I needed to be.

She was in pain, and lots of it. We kept getting false hope. And bad news. First, the surgery was supposed to be done at 8:30am. Then it wasn't. Then at noon they told us two hours. Then 2:30pm came and we were told it was going to yet another three hours. We talked to about three different people about her prognosis. A cast would be about 4-6 weeks. She might need wires in her hand to hold up the ligaments, which would then require another incision to get them out at a later date. Did I mention it's her right hand? And that she has all these trips planned: Sydney, Great Barrier Reef, Moreton Island? Scuba diving. Kayaking. I grieved with her but we still remained optimistic: she wouldn't have to worry about awkward tan lines because peak season is in November; she could have broken a much larger body part; there's things to go around casts to make them waterproof.

She couldn't eat, so I didn't eat out of solidarity. She actually slept sometimes, so I closed my eyes and kept praying and meditating to God and Buddha and all those powers that the surgery would at least be that same day. We were in this together. Except I did all the secretarial work of updating everyone, my pleasure. Around 4:00pm, we got the news we wanted: she was going to go up to prep and hopefully from that point be wheeled into surgery. And so the waiting game started for me, riding solo in a hospital room with six other patient beds, one of those a neurotic old woman that would yell at the TV and have a soap opera fight with her three grown children for public viewing. I cried because I didn't want Katie to be disabled to do certain things for the next 6 weeks. And I cried because hospitals are just scary places for me in general. Then I tried to keep myself preoccupied.

About 6:15pm, I heard the familiar hospital-bed wheels squeaking and looked up to see my warrior of a best friend smiling back at me saying, "Kaylie, it's only on for two weeks! Two weeks that's nothing!" When the doctors went in, they were able to maneuver around and pop the finger back in place without having to put wires into the ligaments. A small incision and three stitches later, this girl has been declared the luckiest girl in the whole world.

Waiting for surgery with a makeshift cast.

They wouldn't let me stay the night with her (she had to be kept to make sure she didn't get an infection from the incision) so I left around 7pm, after an almost twelve-hour shift there--I don't know how those nurses do it! And at that point Katie finally had her food! Unfortunately, the bus system stopped working a half hour prior so I had to take a cab but it was worth it: back in twenty-five minutes and I got to just sit and let out a deep breath that everything was finally okay. Relief in hand, I marched over to the cafeteria and scarfed down the food I had been salivating about. She ate, so now I could, see how that works? I stopped in her room to see it decorated with streamers, balloons and flowers awaiting her arrival for the next day. She really has won the hearts over of all her friends here.

When I (and Justin earlier) got back, people were saying that I was such a good friend for being there for her. But, the fact is I never thought not to be there. It was never a burden; she is one of my best friends and I have known her since the first day of high school. She needed me, and I was there; sometimes we all need saving, no matter how small the matter may be. And I think just maybe that "one phone call from our knees" shows exactly who matters most to us in this world.

Just making the best of it.

I'm Okay!

I sent out my "I'm Okay!" e-mail already but just in case I don't have your e-mail address, and you've heard about the recent anti-American protests over here, here's proof that I'm fine. Long story short, there's this video out there--made by ONE Anti-Muslim extremist--that is a degradation of Muslims and the Muslim community has taken that to be a representation of all Americans and have created these violent protests with burning of the American flag, etc. Those protests are in Sydney and Melbourne, places that I'm no where near. The University was contacted by the Consulate General of the US and we were forwarded this email:

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Consulate General of the United States

LEVEL 10   MLC CENTRE   19-29 MARTIN PLACE   SYDNEY   NSW   2000

+612-9373-9200          http://canberra.usembassy.gov

PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS IMPORTANT

Emergency Message for U.S. Citizens

September 20, 2012

Sydney law enforcement authorities have advised of possible anti-American demonstrations in Sydney for Saturday, September 22 and Sunday, September 23.   U.S. citizens should avoid Sydney’s Hyde Park and its perimeter area and Martin Place on both Saturday, September 22 and Sunday, September 23.  Previous demonstrations in Sydney on September 15, 2012 occurred in Martin Place and Hyde Park and turned violent. 

Melbourne law enforcement authorities have also advised of possible anti-American protests in downtown Melbourne on Saturday, September 22 and Sunday, September 23.  Should they occur, U.S. citizens should avoid the immediate demonstration areas.  

Fast-forming anti-American protests in Australia remain possible.  U.S. citizens should in all cases avoid any political demonstrations that may develop and continue to monitor the Australian media and Consulate messages to obtain the latest information.  In the event an anti-American demonstration develops, U.S. citizens should leave the area promptly.  

The Department of State remains concerned about the threat of violence against U.S. citizens and interests throughout the world.  U.S. citizens are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance, to be aware of their surroundings and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness.  The U.S. Consulate General has advised its staff members to avoid attracting attention to themselves as U.S. citizens.  For additional information on maintaining a discreet profile, please refer to "A Safe Trip Abroad".  

U.S. government facilities worldwide remain at a heightened state of alert.  These facilities may temporarily close or periodically suspend public services to assess their security posture.  In those instances, U.S. embassies and consulates will make every effort to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens.  U.S. citizens abroad are urged to monitor the local news and maintain contact with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

The Consulate General will continue to monitor the information it receives and will provide updates as needed.

American Citizens Services (ACS)
Level 10, MLC Centre
19-29 Martin Place
Sydney, NSW 2000
Telephone Number: (02) 9373-9200
After Hours Telephone Number: (02) 4422-2201
Email: SydneyACS@state.gov

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I condensed it so that it wasn't as long as the whole page. Bad news spreads fast so I wanted to make sure that you all heard from me to know that this isn't affecting me here in the Gold Coast. Plus, I would like to look back on this and know that I was directly affected by this part of history. Students had to cancel weekend plans if they were going to Sydney or Melbourne but I am lucky enough to have that not be me.  

On a much lighter and personal note, I tuned into this technological world and found an app for my iPod that allows me to text for free. So, I've had a great past day catching up with a lot of you. The number is: (312) 529-8006 if you want to add it to your contacts as something like, "Australia Kaylie." I would like that to catch on. 

This past week of classes and sunshine was casual. I completed my first school project here and received a wonderful 19 points out of 20, so I patted myself on the back for that one! It feels nice to start off on a good note. Oh! And I finally have my debit card/Australian bank account. The wiring of the funds here was beyond excruciating and I owe it to my rockstar of a mom who got it all done on my behalf (Moms always figure everything out, don't they? At least mine does!). Never have I felt so helpless! And I think the my banker here thinks I'm a nutcase so I'm glad I was able to finally delete my 32 e-mail length thread with her--extinguishing the evidence.

We shall see where this weekend takes me. Today started off with being on the wrong bus for the beach, and never ending up there, so here's to a more successful day tomorrow! 

Just hanging out. 

Have a Good Surf

Before I left for the airport in Chicago, the last thing I packed in my book bag was a red folder labeled "Australia." It held my life for the next four months in those two pockets: flight itineraries, contact information, passport copies, drivers license copies, schedules, checklists, visa grant numbers, the list goes on and on. But none of that mattered as much to me as did a singular piece of notebook paper in there: My Bucket List. It's something I started on January 16, 2009 (but have added to since). A junior in high school and with the daunting task of college near beginning, I felt like I owed it to myself to figure out what I wanted in this life--or more what I wanted out of this life. It has the routine and common events such as: get married, have kids, buy a new house, graduate from high school (check!), and graduate college. While those still hold value to me, it's the adventurous and traveling ones that I'm aiming at recently. And on Saturday, I got to do the instantly-gratifying crossing off of an event: GO SURFING!

I wish I could start off this post by saying that I'm a natural at it; that my many years of gymnastics when I was younger still stuck with me when it came to balance and swift movements. But, alas, I cannot. My pride was left somewhere between fall one and when I was told there was a jellyfish the size of a basketball behind me (I screamed a little too loudly and climbed up on my board and stayed there a little too long; I regret nothing). All 35 of us got schooled at the Cheyne Horan Surf School down at Surfer's Paradise--one of the best places to surf on the coast. We were split into three groups and I selfishly made my way into the first group because I just couldn't wait any longer. Cheyne Horan is a world champion of surfing and we had the pleasure of meeting him--it's a weird thing to know that people are so fascinated by this man and yet none of us had a clue who this guy even was prior to our lesson. People even name their kids after him!

Cheyne Horan himself! I bet he was honored to be a picture with a bunch of Americans :)

We shimmied into our wet suits, grabbed the boards and were ready to hang five. Our instructor gave us a quick tutorial on the basics of the board, in which I still remember all the parts: deck, rails, nose, tail, bottom, fins! Then it was time to get familiar with how to walk your board to the ocean, going over a wave with your board, pivoting the board around, and how to actually catch the wave. We then went out and I was able to allow the waves to bring me to shore a couple times! This was only the first stage of course, so I was still just lying on it. Then we came back in about a half hour later, and they taught us how you can tilt your board and make it turn more to the left or right. We went out for another half hour which I experienced more struggles because the strong undercurrent would catch me just at the last minute and I wouldn't make it on the board. It was actually a little scary because the ocean floor just dramatically drops at certain points and sometimes I found myself in those points. At one point, I was knee deep and I moved roughly a foot forward and I was suddenly waist deep. But then another two or three feet forward, I was knee deep again.

We came in for our last instruction, the anticipated one of learning how to actually ride and stand up! I struggled because in order to pop yourself up in standing position onto the board, your toes have to be right at the edge of the tail. That requires you to have perfect form when it comes to actually jumping out of the water onto the board when the wave comes. It was a lot of thinking involved! We practiced multiple times on dry land and then it was go time. I strutted to the water, board under my arm and butterflies in my stomach.

I saw the wave in the distance. I guided my board to a comfortable level in the water and prepared myself. Pivoting the board so that the tail was now in the back, I saw my opportunity ever present. With my hands on the rails, I glided onto the top of the board as the beginning of the wave pushed me forward as a warning it was here. My instinct kicked in and with my toes propped up right at the end like they're supposed to be, I was ready. I felt the rush of wave vigorously push me forward and it was time. 1, pop toes up. 2, picture it and look forward. 3, jump and pop your feet onto the top of the board--right leg perpendicular and left leg at a 45 degree angle.

Splash. Almost-drown. Inhale extreme amount of salty ocean water. Flop.

I told you I wasn't a natural at it. But I thought writing out my first wave experience like I had it played out in my head prior to the failure would lessen the blow. It helps a little. So the first try (I don't even know if you can call it a "try" because I never got passed number 2) was a flop but I didn't give up; I am persistent after all. I don't know how many tries it took but regardless, my success came when I sailed right into shore standing up on that board--arms thrown up and screaming "Yah Braaa." I am happy to report that I stood up multiple times after that, even if it was sometimes with the help of the instructor holding my board and telling me when to stand.

The lesson lasted two hours and boy did I feel it later. My arms were jello and my knees took quite a beating. My sinuses drained for a good three hours after, too. I'm lucky to have such fast reflexes though, otherwise I think I would have landed in the hospital considering how many surf boards and friends I had to dodge out of the way of. I can take liberty in that and say that I never was in any one's way and followed all the rules since it's my blog.

I want to do it again. And again after that. I liked how different it is to my normal routine of running, or spinning, or even my past time of basketball and volleyball. It made me feel more flexible in my shelter of life, expanded my horizons. It kept me busy for hours to the point where I didn't have a care in the world other than if I was judging a wave okay. Surfing allowed me to continue this validation process of reminding myself I know who I am after all. It says so on My Bucket List. Event #23: Go Surfing. Check.

P.S. Make a Bucket List if you don't have one. I don't care how young or how old you are, or who you are reading this--you owe it to yourself.

P.P.S. I wanted to wait to put this up because an employee of my program took some cool pictures but I don't know when we'll get to see them so I'll just post them in a separate post some other time.

Officially "Studying" Abroad

I have made it through my first week of classes! The educational system here is a lot different than at home. I only have the lecture class once a week for two hours but then there is a tutorial or lab along with each class and that is at a different time, and sometimes day, from the lecture portion. So instead of having a certain class every Monday, Wednesday, Friday (or Tuesday, Thursday); I have it three hours a week divided between two subsections. I've decided I like this better. The tutorials only have about seven or eight people in each and that's where you really get into the heart of the information. The labs are strictly for additional assignments structured around twenty people instead of seventy.

My favorite class is, and will be, Buddhist Philosophy. I was made for this class. My professor comes in full garb and the fact that she has to use a cane--since she has bad knees--makes her demeanor that much cooler. I want to be best friends with her. She has an almost-shaven head--which shows her commitment--and is probably one of the wisest---if not thee--wisest person I've ever met. And I've only interacted with her through class! She's witty and full of wisdom. And she's from the Midwest--Cincinnati actually!--so we're pretty much friends already; I hope she knows it. Apart from having a phenomenal professor, I'm so interested in Buddhism. We dabbled in it during senior year of high school but that was back when I was just memorizing my way through for the test and all I wanted was the next day to come. Although I still do that memorizing for tests business, that isn't the case when something really interests me. I enjoy the readings and lectures; I look forward to my Mondays now.

My other classes, seemingly insignificant to me now, are: Australian Popular Culture; Love, Sex, and Relationships; and Biological Psychology. They may not trump Buddhism but I still enjoy them. Biological Psychology is going to give me a run for my money but I really can't complain considering I lucked out with (hopefully) only having that one be my hard class. Australian Pop Culture will be a treat in of itself because I'll actually learn about the places I'll be traveling to, or traveled to, so I won't just see a majestic landscape; I'll know the story behind it as well. And within my class of about fifty or sixty people, only one person is from France and the rest are Americans! Love, Sex, and Relationships will obviously be a fun class and a lot of my friends are in it as well.

Aside from the class subsections, the grading is also really rigid. 50% is passing because of the such high distinction. And the average here would be a 74%. In order to get high distinction--equivalent to our letter grade, "A"--one would have to have something so profoundly written, that it could be submitted for an academic article. I guess I'll have to concede on my straight A's streak and settle for my passing marks. Totally okay with it. There really aren't little assignments either. In most of the classes, there's a huge paper, a midterm and then your final. My Bio Psych class only has two grades: 2500 word essay worth 35% of my grade, and then the final worth 60% of my grade (5% attendance). Pray for me people.

The weather has still been lovely and someone said the other day that it hasn't rained in about 60 days. I hope I didn't just jinx it. The lagoon that is hooked up with the ocean (you know, the one with the bull sharks in it) apparently floods when it rains a lot at one time. So, I really hope that I get to experience that at least one time here. The Australian Bondies claim it's one of the coolest things to see.

This week wasn't all classes, I did have some fun Wednesday night when a bunch of us went to a nightclub in Surfer's Paradise where the baseball team was having a fundraiser. It was a sporty theme so of course I was all about it because I could wear my running gear!

There was a free bus there and we were in the nightclub no more than two minutes and all of us had hit the dance floor. But after only a couple hours, my dancing legs got tired! The return bus was coming at 3AM and there was no way we were all able to make it to that time. We ventured to a bus stop only to realize when one came, that three guys were missing. So, Katie--being the great friend and wonderful person she is--decided she wasn't going to leave without them; all of them go to SLU with her. Me, being the great friend I am to Katie, didn't want to leave her alone. So we watched everyone board the bus while we sat to try and figure out where the three guys were. Our friend Pat stayed behind with us, too. Phone call after phone call, it was a lost cause (pun intended) as to where they were. Mind you, we're only wearing what we are in the picture above and it dips down to be about 62 degrees at night. Finally, another one of our friends Cody shows up and he miraculously gets them to the bus stop. But the next bus that comes is the wrong one. We find this out after getting a 10 minute lecture on how you have to enter the front of the bus, not the side like I did. I was only trying to hide Katie because she didn't have any money! My bad, Mr. Bus Driver.

Now, wait 15 more minutes for the next bus to supposedly come, but we weren't even sure if it was the right one for us. After 25 minutes, I couldn't wait any longer and suggested the people who lived on campus to just take a cab. So, them all feeling sorry because I was cold, testy, and wanted my bed, obliged and we hopped in a cab. We had to make a pit stop at beach housing first to pick up two people but then by 1AM, I was finally in bed. My fun of dancing prior outweighed my frustration with the end of the night so all in all, I'd say my first night out on a Wednesday night was a success. WHO AM I?!

Savoring Every Bit

When I was in Sydney, I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn't going to be there to study, and in however many days I would be leaving and going to the Gold Coast. Whenever I had to remind myself that, a little part of me would droop down and rethink my plans of studying in a smaller city. I now kick myself for saying that.

The beach is a 15 minute bus ride and most of my friends are conveniently located two blocks from there. The weather has been nothing short of perfect with mid 70s and only getting warmer. I've gotten some of my tan back after losing it a little from not being at work! We have an olympic-size pool on campus, which is also the view from my balcony (yes, I have a balcony), that has some great lounge chairs I will be occupying during "study" breaks. However, that is also where I endured my first encounter with biting insects. I was with three other girls and we all got bit by who knows what. It started stinging and then really hurting, then swelling and leaving a mark. My pain was gone after about five minutes but my friends' bites lasted for about two hours! Something is not happy that we were getting our tans on. Needless to say, every bug that lands on me I go into a chaotic, arms-flailing frenzy.

My campus is utopian wonderland. Everything is clean. We have a canal in the middle of campus that connects with the ocean and so there are bull sharks swimming in it. My dorm room has a balcony and a bathroom. There's "thinking" stairs that are purposely designed at an unusual depth and width to remind us to not get so bogged down on worrying about studies and stressful things; sometimes you can just think about pointless things. During that specific time you're walking down those stairs, you can just think about how awkward and strange the stairs are. Like, who thinks of this kind of stuff?! (haven't snapped a picture of them yet--I'll get back to you.)

The food--despite the chips and guac situation-- hasn't been horrible. I have to get used to the different kind of meat because nothing tastes like it does at home. Slowly but surely I'll acclimate myself to it but for now, I'm sticking with some vegetarian options along with pancakes and smoothies. There's also these cookies called TimTams that I'm helping keep in business with my consumption. When in Australia, right? I'll worry about the health and fitness schedule when I get snapped back to reality once school starts but for right now, I'm enjoying my vacation.

Orientation week has been full of new, exotic and memorable things. On Tuesday, I experienced my first hypnosis show and I'm forever changed. Me, being the adventure seeking and spontaneous person I've come to be, voluntarily went on stage to see if this Mark Anthony guy could hypnotize me. I really was open to it. And I can't describe the feeling I had when I really did feel like I was falling asleep after he touched my forehead. I couldn't undo my hands but I could open my eyes. (When you're in the process of trying to get hypnotized you have to squeeze both of those things so tight while only focusing on the hypnotist's voice)  Once the first task was given out, my subconscious didn't follow along so I could finally undo my hands and go to my seat. About ten were successful and they put on quite a show. In the end, I was actually glad I didn't get hypnotized because the ten did some embarrassing things...and they don't remember any of it.

At this point, the hypnotist said that "he had their noses."

(The video isn't uploading for some reason. If I get it to work, it'll be randomly in another post!)

Thursday night marked the start of Thursday Night at Don's, the tavern on campus. It was the Tight and Bright Party, the idea being to dress in neon/bright colors. As all of you know, I'm not big on the drinks, but I do like to dance so I would say that I had more fun completely sober than all the drinking peeps out there combined did.

It ended at midnight and had I not made my promise hours prior to attend the after party, my dancing butt would have danced right to bed but a promise is a promise and so I hopped on the party bus and headed to one of the nightclubs in Surfer's Paradise. We were all in for a surprise when no more than ten minutes into the bar, a little dance show ensued that involved two men, I hope I don't need to say more! Check another thing off my bucket list!

Hey, let's just all be glad I didn't get picked out of the audience! 

We danced some more and were home by 2:30am. I love living on campus but I do sometimes wish I was a little closer to the nightlife so that I wouldn't have to take a taxi back from being out, because the buses stop running after 11pm. It's really like a win some, lose some relationship here. But I'm definitely winning a lot more so.

Today was a little more up my alley since it pertained to the beach, travel plans and new tastings! It was Bondies at the Beach day where a lot of the Bond students hopped on the bus to go to the beach for a beautiful day of about 75 degrees. A couple of my friends and I walked up and down the beach instead of baking in the sun and it was just a nice leisure walk that allowed me to be thankful yet again for the opportunity to be here. (Auntie Dawn, I have yet to grab the perfect rock but no worries, I'm still on the lookout! The seashells sure outnumber the rocks.) I'm keeping up, as always, with my sunscreen. One of the chancellors here told us, in one of his speeches, that in a couple weeks the sun exposure will be so strong that you can get sunburn within 20 minutes and after 40 minutes, be sent to the hospital for sun poisoning/dehydration. I've got 45spf Neutrogena and 45spf Coppertone Sport so folks, I am all set! But don't doubt my ability to still get tan. You all saw me this summer. 

After the beach, we ignored the fact that we are going to be in bikinis for the next three months and splurged on some gelato and as a first taster here, I am forever changed. Can't believe there's stuff this good on Earth! Naturally, I got the caramel one and then also a cookies 'n cream since I couldn't just have one flavor.

After I got back on campus, I visited the travel agent here--in addition to the one in a mall (like, how do they expect us to study?!) and left with a stack of brochures and pamphlets of everything I want to do. I had my first strike of reality when I realized I won't get to do everything. I have to really sit down and weigh my options. I want to get so much out of this trip but I'm also not made of money. All of you have helped me infinitely more than I ever thought I was deserving of and it's because of you that I'm even able to do any of these trips (because Lord knows my minimum wage job would barely get me out of the airport). To say that your gifts before I left are well appreciated would be the understatement of my life. I jokingly said to all when I was leaving that I was going to go away more often because I liked the get togethers and chats we all had. I liked the feeling that I was an only child or something--dinner dates, chatting for hours, or some driving hours to say their farewells. So every time I get that gelato, or swipe my card for the bus, or plan my reasonable trips, you're all there with me; I think of you all; thank you all every night before bed and every morning when I still get to wake up in this beautiful country.

I won't do all my travel spots and through writing this post and sitting here and thinking about it, I'm okay with it. I've seen and experienced more cultured things in these past two weeks than I have in my 20 years of life. I have to appreciate whatever I can do because it's always more than what I would've been able to do had I never even come here. I have stories and enough pictures to last me a very, very long time. It's this whole notion of studying abroad that I'm grateful for; that I was able to pack up and leave home for four months and rely solely on the trust in myself to do it all. I'll fit some pretty cool things in within the next couple months but nothing can be as cool as saying that I spent my fall semester of junior year in Australia. That, in of itself, is priceless.

"We are torn between a nostalgia for the familiar and an urge for the foreign and strange. As often as not, we are homesick most for the places we have never known."

The Chips and Guac Culture Shock

When it came time to finalize my study abroad plans, the deciding factor really came to the culture shock barometer. How foreign was I going to look? Would I completely shut down and not know how to act in whatever foreign place I was in? Even though I'm acceptably fluent in French, I told myself I could always go there. I could do the Europe trip as an after college kind-of-thing; Australia called my name louder and I heard it loud and clear. Another plus was that there wasn't going to be that huge language barrier Americans always seem to act arrogant to in foreign countries. I got the accents without the "Huh?" or "Do you speak English?."

We were informed of certain differences between the Australians and the Americans. I knew there would be. They drive on the other side of the road and are leisure about every activity they partake in. They don't dance like Americans, I'll leave it at that. But I have told myself I want to pick up some of their lingo: "heaps" means a lot of something; "straight away" means right away; "top up" means to add to something (such as adding money to a bus card); "how are you going" is the normal salutation; "hen's night" is a bachelorette party. I just wasn't prepared to feel sometimes so stupid, and yet laugh so hard at the same time.

One of my best friends from home arrived on campus Monday and so to have a slice of home here has been fantastic. We're even in two of the same classes. Katie and I were at the cafeteria on Tuesday and none of the options looked appetizing so we adapted and ordered a couple of sides. Super excited when we saw guacamole on the menu. We then ordered our steamed rice, guacamole and chips. Anxiously waiting, the buzzer finally went off and the two of us strolled up to the counter to see this...

Stupid Americans. You think the lady in the cafeteria would have second guessed my order but I guess they see a lot more unique orderings than this. In case people are still confused, "chips" here are French fries and the kind I wanted are referred to as "corn chips" or "chippies."

We couldn't help but laugh and savor the moment when there was nothing we could do but that. We walked our American selfs back up to the counter and successfully ordered, this time, corn chips to enjoy.

A couple other things that have struck me as a culture shock is their Target here is so different! I would compare it to a K-Mart style with only a handful selection of things. They didn't even have ibuprofen or notebooks! So I don't have to worry about spending all my money there like I would at home.

Despite these little unique things, adjustment has been well. I'm going to be starting up classes on Monday and I don't know how much work I'll get done but I'm actually excited to have a structured schedule and get a move on with plannings of adventures!

"Traveling is not about leaving our homes, but leaving our habits."

Sydney: The Final Part

The thought of condensing my five days in Sydney into one blog post sent me into an anxiety-filled state so I went for the more manageable route of doing three parts. I hope you all were able to bear with me! As always, the best is saved for last and it just so happens my favorite day was our last day there!

When I was younger, my mom would beg and plead with me to wear a dress or fix my hair to take advantage of the curls I was cursed (ahem *blessed) with; but growing up with brothers and almost all boys on the block left me in a state of dirt, skinned knees and the furthest thing a mom wants her only daughter to be like. (I know you love me just the way I am Mom!) I think it's that childhood that gave way to me being a competitive and persistent individual when my reputation is on the line, I have to prove myself, or if there's a prize. The Amazing Race of Sydney proved to me no different for me.

The group split into teams of four--some stronger than others--and we were on our own with just: an unlimited public transport card for the day, the knowledge we had of the city from the past five days, and faith that we can recall all the information/facts/tricks we were given by our orientation leader from all the tours and talks.

Clue 1: "Prince Harry 'Wheely' likes to stop here for a midnight snack or a PEA. Come to this loo to complete your first clue."

This one was easy but getting there was another story. All the groups departed in separate directions and luckily my group was going the right way! We had to recall the route we took just three days prior to get to this little shack that we devoured our meat pies at. Through the park, over the bridge, down the stairs and past the boat harbour. My group arrived first to get our first challenge: one I was ready to take on a little too confidently. 

A makeshift table was set up with a loaf of bread, butter and vegemite. I was told by many that I had to try this Australian food spread just once--it's a staple here. I sat down ready to go and too confident to use the butter as a diffusion of the vegemite taste--badddd idea. Before I even had the whole first bite in my mouth, my taste buds were screaming. The best I can compare it to is dirt mixed with soy sauce and shoe polish. Half way through, I became coherent again and spread about half the tub of butter onto my bread to finish off the job. The worst of this? I had no water bottle to wash the taste out of my mouth for some time. But it doesn't matter because I'm still haunted to this day. 

Before the tragedy of biting into it. 

Adding that butter.

 We completed it and were given the next clue. 

Clue 2: "Find a PLACE that SUITS you to get your face on AUSTRALIAN BREAKFAST TV. You may see a WOMAN IN RED as you head to this task." 

This one called for us to go all the way back near where we were before and head to the CBD (Central Business District). We weaved through a garden that debatably cost us some time but we came out on the other end and spotted Christian waving his arms across the street. Running toward him, we spotted a red paper instead of blue.

Road Block: "Bank (punny because there's a lot of banks around) on your photography skills."

The four of us had to run around and take pictures in front of three bank signs, which aren't as conspicuously marked like the States' ones. The locals, being the friendly people they are, obviously were willing to take our pictures but they were convinced we wanted multiple of the picture in different angles. And there's no telling them "no, that's okay." So we had to sit for a couple pictures of the same sign! 

Just one of the banks.

Clue 3 was lost in our frantic runs to and fro things. 

We hopped on the train and took it to Bondi Junction in search of a pizza place that we needed to ask an Arthur for our next task. Our clue had slice as the clue and so we walked (ran) up and down streets trying to find this place, possibly called "____ Slice." Thankfully one of my group members looked up at just the right moment to see a sign that read: "Arthur's Pizza." We bolted and went to go inside for our clue when a man we had never seen before said "wait, wait, you're looking for me!" We bypassed any road blocks and challenges and were given our next clue immediately. 

Clue 4: "Travel down the indigenous trail, a SWIFT move to a square, your next task awaits you where the gays play the rainbow flags and your genders may sway."

We were stumped until finally a local overheard us discussing transportation options and helped us when we gave her the clue. It's called Taylor Square and it's known as the long strip of places where nightclubs, drag shows, and awesome places are, and a lot of gays and lesbians congregate under the rainbow flags. We bussed it the twenty minute ride and spotted Christian on the corner of a busy intersection. All four of us continued to bolt near him and we were given our next task of someone having to dress up in drag and sing a song. My friend Pauline immediately volunteered and we put on quite a show for all to see. 

Clue 5: "You may well of painted the town red, but you'd need to be pretty as a PICTURE to get attention here."

The Art Gallery of New South Wales was our next destination. This time, we took side streets and angled ones, trudged up steep hills and pushed through the pain of having some blisters (sorry Natalie!). We met another TEAN representative who had a game of cricket set up which required someone to knock off the stick on the top of other sticks. I laughed at my ignorant way of describing the game so hopefully within the next couple weeks I'll be able to rephrase that! Down went the stick and we were given our final clue.

Clue 6: "Make sure you SING for your supper at this HOUSE with a view. So, SAIL on over to the house on the SANDSTONE cliff made of CLOUD. Climb some stairs and we'll be waiting."

Here we come Opera House! It was petal to the metal and I wasn't giving up until I was out of breath and feeling like I did everything I could have. We rounded the bend to the view of the Opera House stairs and the end was near. As my team ran closer, we saw three guys sitting up there already and so our hearts sank a little lower in defeat but we still finished it, and what a surprise we had! The boys had actually taken a taxi! to the finish line and so since that was against the rules, they were automatically given a penalty and we were declared the winners! Had they not taken the taxi, we would have been in a dead heat with them for first place but I guess we will never know what it would have come down to! 

Everyone who completed the Race was given lunch at the Opera House Cafe with waterfront views of the Harbour Bridge. Us, being the winners, are given a gift certificate to eat anywhere of our choice here on the Gold Coast for dinner! I'll take it! 

We took a ferry back and got to have the full view of everything from the other side.

After the forty minutes back to dry land, we trekked back to our hotel and immediately got ready for the Harbour Cruise dinner. I had to shake my tomboy look and actually look presentable so Australians didn't label me as a scum American! We arrived early for the cruise ship, which didn't leave until 7:30pm, so we hit up the bar right by the Harbour called Bungalow 8. Music, friends and laughs were all I needed--and that's what I got.

My roommate, Kristen! Finally a good one ;) (Hey George!)

The cruise was beyond amazing. We had a private room in the front of the ship so we saw all the views and got a private deck then to go outside and enjoy it even more. It was rainy and cold but that didn't stop any of us from getting the once-in-a-lifetime views and appreciating everything we have.

Probably my favorite picture to date. 

I wish I could post all 350 pictures I've taken from this trip but I'm sure none of you have the time to scroll down that much page, and these pictures just don't do it justice. Before I left, I had people left and right telling me that the things I will see can never be reciprocated into pictures. I would nod my head and agree but knew I was going to try my hardest to capture these moments (with the help of your camera, Dad!). And I thought I was going to succeed. But flipping through these, or the beach pictures, or even the architectural monuments makes me feel like a failure to that goal. I can't; I won't ever be able to capture these in lenses. My eyes are capturing every color and angle and light these magnificent places have to offer and I just want all of you to see all those things, too. But I've relented in my goal. That particular view above is the product of about 27 takes. While I won't settle until I get an acceptable shot, I won't sit here and critique that the lights are a little blurry in the right or that it cut off a little bit of the Opera House (okay, well I just did but you know what I mean). This experience is forever embedded in my mind. These sights and sounds and people are forever embedded in my life. I'm living. Like actually living. And I don't know that I've ever been able to say that in the confines of Chicago or St. Louis or Dayton. This is the life people dream about, what I've dreamed about, and it's finally mine.

The best orientation leader! Hey Christian!

The girls I roomed with in Sydney