O-Week

The hustle of Sydney mixed with the stress of leaving my mom alone made the train platform goodbye have even more impact on my emotions. During the hour and a half ride to Fairy Meadow, I spent my time crying and being productive by writing postcards. I cry too easily!

Instincts kick in when you are thrown into a world outside of your comfort zone. I walked to my dorm and it was as if I stepped back into my freshman year, minus the 200 other Fishers kids that were swarming the IU campus. I settled myself into 88E and started the festivities of O-week. It’s much like welcome week at home. You can meet someone passing in the hall and all of the sudden you’re best friends. I’ve met some amazing people down here and I know in November I won’t want to leave them. Surprisingly there are heaps of Americans here (like my Australian lingo) J The friends I have made already make the separation of home and starting uni in Australia easier. We’re all going through it together, pulling us that much closer. And we joke but it’s sadly true…if we aren’t friends we don’t have friends! I love my little family.

Little bit about my dorm: So I live at Campus East and we all have different houses, kind of like how Teter has Rabb, Boison, etc. Our's have a tick more color to their names. They consist of Hospital, Slums, Trench town, and Alcatraz. And I live in the crazy life of Hospital. I told my mom I was living in Hospital our first night apart and it didn't go over too well. :) They live up to their name too. The first night here I was out and my toe nail came off. Hospital trip? Probably needed, but I went to mine instead. It's looking better already and the pharmacist said it was okay. Game On!

Beth losing the fight against wind at the beach

It rained all of O-week providing a great impression of Australia. We ventured to the beach after much persuasion from Beth and I to the others. Bonding time was at its best when we were greeted by a torrential downpour every couple of seconds and flooded fields. Once we got to the beach, the trip was worth the soaked clothes and salty rain. The waves were massive! If I had to imagine what hurricane waves look like, they were illustrated on Fairy Meadow beach. There were no breaks to the endless 3m waves crashing against the beach. The rips we learned about in a surf safety meeting the day before looked deadly and even floating would make it impossible for you to come out alive! But don’t worry we stayed at the top of the beach! J

The family and I have been on several mall adventures for any bargains we can find and any warm clothes that look enticing. At dinner one night with Beth we were talking to a girl about how cold it was here especially at night without a comforter. She felt so sorry for us that she managed to gather two comforters for us. Needless to say, I’m WARM! After that night of sleep I thought I could conquer anything! Why is Australia cold?

I had a three hour culture talk with a couple Australians the other night which was insightful. I learned that the khaki pants and shorts I brought are totally an American thing and we are the only ones that have school pride. I’m embracing it. Yes, I’m American, enjoy it! I like wearing my nikes everywhere and IU/UOW clothes. I’m learning so much I love it! I’m going to miss the techno my roommate blares at midnight and beach living. I was so worried when I was in Sydney that everyone always dressed so well and I wasn’t going to fit in. But my coastal UOW didn’t let me down, no shoes to class is standard. J Of coarse once its above 70 degrees…I miss summer!

Our first day of uni was yesterday! I feel like I’ll never be in class…hour lectures are too short to accomplish anything. No class on Tuesdays and three day weekends. I could get used to this! My aboriginal studies class seems really interesting. It’s taught by a real aboriginal and her passion will make it very meaningful.

I took my mom to the train station this morning. Now I’m really on my own over here! Leaving people is never something that I’m good at doing. I started to miss her before we left for Australia. And now everything has finally set in to place. I’m so lucky to have such wonderful people in my life. Love everyone that is checking on me!

We’ve started to plan our New Zealand spring break trip. I can’t wait to see it! I’m thinking hot tropical places for our study break. I want to be brown when I come home!

Miss everyone! I know it took me forever to post again and I was scattered throughout this one, I’m a bit emotionally drained. November 21^st!

A Whale of a Time in Melbourne

Australia has turned into quite the wildlife adventure. The natural character of this country is extraordinary. The cities are busy commercialized metropolis’, but outside of the 100k seat footy stadiums and high rise buildings comes a world of its own.

In Queensland I saw wallabies, koalas, and the glory of the great barrier reef. Now in Melbourne (Victoria) we traveled to Phillip Island to see the penguins come in from the sea and while watching saw a humpback whale! After the little guys were tucked in bed for the night, we traveled to the Moonlit Animal Sanctuary to see what the nocturnal animals really do at night. We were immediately greeted by wallabies, kangaroos and some smaller versions alike. They were so soft and ate right out of our hands! Next we saw Tasmanian devils, a happily married couple, regardless of their vicious fighting over dinner. They are about the size of a small dog and might look like the perfect thing to cuddle up to, but that would be a huge mistake. They are pretty powerful creatures with teeth that can bite through bone! L We saw a few owls and birds then the betongs and possums. The possums came up for a free feed and we pet them without knowing they were wild and the bettongs were just along for the night. They looked like large rats/wallabies, but felt almost like koalas. I’m too partial to soft furry animals. I think I pet every one.

Melbourne was a great little city. I thought Europe had a lot to see in regards to churches, but Melbourne was quite impressive. St. Patrick’s Cathedral is situated at the edge of the skyscrapers. It is the oldest in Australia and the attention they took to detail while building was breathtaking. Gargoyles perch at every corners edge and window corner bringing character to the building. I want to get married in a church like that, it was awesome!

Today we flew back to Sydney for the day then I take the train to Wollongong for the semester! I’m excited to finally meet all my roommates and see what its going to be like. I am still in shock that I’m living here!

Already dreaming about seeing everyone when I get home J November 21^st. Miss you guys!

Stay Right, Look Left

I have literally exhausted myself to sickness. We have been traveling for almost a month now spending a night or two then picking up to go to the next city; and along with a change of city brings a new climate. From my complete assumption due to a lack of medical knowledge, I think with each of these factors combined it makes a recipe for disaster. Why do all things happen at the wrong time? I was sick last month a week before leaving for my trip and now I’m in a repeat situation. Now on top of my terrible homesickness I’m starting to feel sick pushed me to tears on the ride home from our taxing day yesterday. But anyways, enough from my pity party! Yesterday was amazing nonetheless.

We woke up at the grueling 3am hour to  take a 4WD Bus from Noosa Beach to Fraser Island. When I say 4WD Bus, picture it more along the lines of a tank. We drove down the beach to a ferry which transported us to Fraser Island. Along the way we saw several dingoes, dolphin and a turtle that washed up from the sea. The island is the biggest sand island and it held its name. We were bouncing down the sand ‘highways’ which felt more like a roller coaster and driving as if we were on ice. We stopped at Lake Mackenzie, a huge freshwater lake, that was a Caribbean blue with clear water and pure silica sand. The water on the island was as pristine as it could get, it spends 80 years traveling through sand to the water table. Which left the river running through the rainforest looking dirty from first glance, but a look closer was a sand bottom with crystal clear water. The springs provide a continuous stream of water that has never flooded or drained; it’s truly remarkable how nature works. I was fascinated with the wealth of knowledge provided by our tour guide. We only saw a few birds on our rainforest hike (thank goodness), but there were several funnel web spider holes throughout the area making me a bit more cautious with each step I took. After our walk, it was time to venture back home and by the time we got home, I was passed out by 8:30.

Joey holding on to mom

The day before we allocated our whole time to visiting the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. If I could take all of them home, I would in a heartbeat! One special thing about this place is they allow visitors to cuddle the koalas. It was the greatest thing ever! Although mine was supposedly temperamental, she was fine with me and was quite interested in my face for some reason.  There were also kangaroos and other creatures there, but nothing could beat the koalas and their little joeys! Adorable!

Brisbane had great shopping, but there isn’t much to see in the city. It is a great place to land to take in the sights just outside city limits.

Tonight we are in Surfers Paradise, Queensland and it's quite the beach town. It reminds me of a more built up Fort Lauderdale with its boardwalk, attractions plus tons of shopping. Although I searched, I haven’t found the perfect flannel for me yet J I did grab a pair of leggings reminding me of the comforts back at home.

Every walk I take I have the expression “stay left, look right” rolling through my head to catch myself from the American way. Crossing the streets can get to be a bit rough when you look the wrong way, luckily no cars have come to greet my mistaken steps yet. Although walking on the sidewalks provide for some deviation when I take the right; I get some great looks. Sorry I’m a stupid American, judge me!

Whitsunday and Wallabies

Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island

My life is complete. This day has been greater than any dream I could have ever had. We woke up early for a full complimentary breakfast, finally something is free in Australia! Than we boarded Camira and sailed, snorkeled and sunbathed our way through the Whitsunday Islands. We stopped at Whitehaven Beach which is made of 95% silica. This beach was unbelievable, the sand felt like powdery flour and was a great exfoliator. After spending some time on the beach we boarded again and sailed the rest of the day. Laying in the nets of a catamaran and using only sails to move through the water is an experience of itself. To be at such peace on the open water with no sounds but the wind catching, it is truly majestic.

Look at the baby wally! Outside our hotel room on Daydream Island

I’ve sailed through the Carribean and Australia and this was the trip to write home about. CruiseWhitsundays has created the perfect daytrip experience. I just can’t say how impressed I was by the crews passion for the ship or their playful banter to one another, it made for an incredibly fun day. AND to make my day even better, we went out to see the wild wallabies (correction from yesterdays post, these are rock wallabies) and we fed them! The momma wallaby came over and ate from my hand with baby in pouch! Than papa came over, let me feed him and pet under his chin and chest! Yay I love 

wallabies J Tomorrow we are flying to Brisbane. I’m so sad to leave Daydream Island, they have been so good to us. If you’re ever in Northern Australia it’s a must to visit Daydream Island and cruise on Camira.

P.S. My sea rocking self has kicked in while writing this, oie am I back on the boat?  

Reef Living

AAA is a booking agency, not a travel agency. My mom and I have continued to repeat this phrase as we go from city to city. In Cairns (pronounced like a can of coke/forget the ir), our hotel was nearly 2km from the city. This was a great work out for us, but really? My poor Sperrys won’t have a sole left when I go back to school!

The first day we arrived we ventured into town and took in the sites. The city has a wonderful free public pool with zero-entry, fountains, and positioned right on the ocean. The boardwalk along the coast had outdoor gym equipment and free exercise classes every morning! When is Bloomington/Fishers going to catch on? We roamed the marina and gawked at the gorgeous yachts dockside. Wow. I’ll take one please! J

On our second and last day we sailed from Cairns to Michaelmas Cay about 25km out. This was home to a portion of the Great Barrier Reef providing a once in a lifetime opportunity to see what lies beneath. Our catamaran had a semi-submersible vessel on the cay that allowed me, the not so key on snorkeling, to have a close-up view of the reef. Ironically I never saw a clownfish the entire day on the reef…Otherwise, it was everything I had expected. It was full or varieties of coral and families of fish were everywhere as the eye can see. A fish was chilling in the anemone making a picture perfect representation from Finding Nemo. While I may have a strong swimming background it doesn’t mean that I love snorkeling. Not having any control is something I really struggle with out there. Therefore, the first thing I see that scares me…I’m gone faster than a barracuda J Sorry mom! Even without the snorkeling I would have had a blast. I love sailing!

Thursday we flew to Hamilton Island then took a ferry to Airlie Beach. The flight was awesome with views of the Great Barrier Reef! I realized how much of a kid my mom really was during that flight. There was a total of 11 people on board leaving empty seats everywhere. She literally went back and forth the whole time taking pictures of the reef below. Reason I love my mom haha.

Once we landed we took a ferry to Airlie Beach and while aboard we reserved our spots on Camira, a catamaran that sails through the Whitsunday islands docking at several key beaches. When he pulled together our tickets, he said he liked Americans and we were nice so we only had to pay for one ticket. We thought we were going to cry! What a break! And that’s why I love Australians.

Abel Point Marina Whitsunday Islands

No worries for AAA not coming through at Airlie Beach. Our hotel was 2km away from the town…they seem to have a pattern of that. The beach itself is revered amongst Australians, but I’m not really sure why. We ate on the beach then without fail got lost going to the local supermarket. One night in Airlie beach time to move! When we checked into Club Crocodile, beautiful pool but nothing else. They told us a lot of American kids were coming to the hotel tonight! To my delight they were People to People kids…joy. I think the intent of the program is great. The kids get to see the world and meet others, but when they are disrespectful, loud and act like they own everything in site, they can go back to America. To make my love for P2P even greater, they have also followed us onto our plane to Sydney, Cairns, and to our hotels in Cairns and now Daydream Island where we are currently staying. Why would you take 60 kids to a remote Whitsunday Island? There are 74 islands out here and they pick the one with a single hotel.

Daydream Island Resort & Spa

Regardless of the kids, (sorry for the rant, it has been one of those weeks) our hotel is gorgeous! The grounds are meticulously taken care of and every amenity is world-class. The coral sea has beautiful true turquoise water with a much greener tint than even the Caribbean. And the surrounding islands with mountainous greenery provides a Disney fairytale like world. To make my love for this place even greater; when we went to dinner tonight there were over 20 kangaroos roaming the gardens in front of our room! Ah!! My life is complete J Plus, there was a momma kangaroo with a baby in her pouch! If you can’t tell, I was excited beyond belief and still am.

Queensland is exactly how I would expect Australia to look. It’s tropical, full of wildlife, and everyone is relaxed. We met the CEO of Daydream resorts and he gave us complimentary drinks. Everyone is so sweet, love Australians! I can’t say that enough.

Counting down the days until I get to hold a koala! 

Solitary Confinement

I’m not sure whether to call my new home in Wollongong solitary confinement or a scene from a prison cell. Upon entrance into my room, a possible 20 degree drop followed. The walls, desk, and wardrobe were a grey white and the bed was a steel barred white. Talk about a buzz kill. Although UOW raved about their accommodation, I was a bit disappointed at the not so convenient spot and cold environment. To look on the bright side, it is several weeks from orientation so the dorms were sparsely inhabited making smiling new faces somewhat of a rarity. After my perfectionist way of placing pictures, and my new Fiji flag, my room started to take shape. My KAO flag is just too heavy to hang, so for now its my silk bed covering! An Australian flag will soon accompany Fiji.

There is just no place quite like my cozy Theta home. Sleeping alone without my roommates will also provide a battle for me. I hate sleeping in my room at home let alone 10,000 miles away! Oie. At least the one suitemate I met is the sweetest and couldn’t be more helpful. I’ll meet Rory and Jackson when I come back for orientation I suppose. Yes, you read that right, I’m in a co-ed suite. I guess I’ll learn what living with a brother would have been like!

The city of Wollongong is rather nice, I saw my first Ferrari in Australia there and the homes are stunning! The shopping could be my down-fall with great stores in the beach mall. I would love to try my luck at working here just to make minimum wage ($21), but my mom thinks otherwise. At least I could afford these clothes!

On that note, the exchange rate is either killing me or we are running through money…on last check our bank account had sunk $2000 and it’s been a little over a week. WHAT! Even with eating once daily and all hotels prepaid. Uhh borderline makes me sick. Another reason why I need a job.

To put cost into perspective here’s food for thought (all Aussie Dollars):

Bottle of Coke, 3.50

Gas, 1.39/liter

Reg Sunscreen, 20

Mailing 10kg of school books by air, 180

The University (also known by Uni) of Wollongong is very comparable to Indiana University. It is much bigger than I expected with beautiful rolling greens and wooded areas. The Uni is like a tropical, modern representation of IU. A free bus will transport me to and from class, which will take some getting used to considering I never ride them at IU. I wish Campus East was closer, but I’ll have to enjoy the scenery.

We’re in Sydney tonight, and tomorrow we catch an early flight to Cairns, Queensland. Finally some warm weather, my saving grace! On our way to the hotel I was mocked for my accent for the first time by some Aussies. Great! Due to all the aboriginal roots of words, the pronunciations is completely opposite of what my American English mind thinks, Cairns is my downfall. Listening to them attempt to mimic my accent was comical, who knew Indiana was such a difficult word.

 http://www.uow.edu.au/index.html

No worries, we're not lost we're exploring!

For our last day in Sydney the skies opened for a gorgeous day at the world-famous Bondi Beach along with a shopping adventure!

Bondi Beach was home to the Sydney Olympic beach volleyball games and a local gathering spot to enjoy the great surfing and eateries along the shoreline. Of a morning, whales frequent the harbor providing a spectacular natural wonder to the ocean. But they are not the only creatures of Bondi, sharks while not an immediate danger have also been spotted along the coast. Yikes! Be brave, I have to learn to surf! This hasn’t deterred anyone from surfing or swimming, but the great feature to the beach is the 50-meter pool that breaks the waves right on the ocean! The pool is a rarity with outdoor winter swimming, this has earned them the title of Bondi Icebergs. The pool is gorgeous set along the ocean. If only I could have swam in it! The winter festival was going on at Bondi with a temporary ice-skating rink set on the beach! It was so strange to see surfers in the background of families skating around in short-sleeved shirts.

If I had to equate Wollongong to any area of Sydney, I would have to gage it upon Bondi. Or at least I’m hoping. The beach life is so relaxed and anything goes really. We shall see tomorrow!

We strolled through the Paddington markets today as well as many stores surrounding Darling Harbor. I bought some essentials for an interchangeable wardrobe and found some stores I love! When I have enough money of my own, I want the entire collection of Forever New. I have never been to a store when I wanted everything, but I found it today. Gorgeous clothing.

I also entered the new world of prepaid SIM cards, uhh how I will miss unlimited texting and never worrying about how long I talk during a call. I have a new feature though, I have a data package! Now I just need to learn how to use the internet on my phone haha. Go Telstra! 

G'day Mates!

After our first day in Sydney, I have finally hit my breaking point. This sort of thing tends to happen when I know I’ll be gone for a long period of time. My anxiety about my environment goes up so I have a heightened sense of inferiority and I just feel really out of my element. In Sydney it is cold and cloudy leaving commonsense to tell me Wollongong, situated south, will be even colder. It’s a terrible feeling to know that almost everything you packed for six months is the WRONG SEASON! Plus I failed to pack my black flats, tights, and winter scarves limiting my wardrobe to some extent. Oh and dull winter colors? Yeah right, not here. I’m happy to report that after my breakdown at the hotel, I am way better!

If I had to describe Sydney, I would say it has the San Francisco summer climate, with the hustle of a Chicago Christmas shopping season, architecture of Boston, and the European feel of London. It’s a powerhouse! This city continues to amaze me with all the attractions and opportunities there are to explore. The Sydney Opera House is a breath-taking landmark. Situated on the Sydney Harbor it is a peninsula all of its own with easy access from all public transportation the city has to offer.

Public transportation is great; it has convenient stops and hasn’t failed me yet. But one thing that truly aggravates me is that there are no maps to be found of the rail systems leaving me at the mercy of rail assistance to tell me where to go…I hate asking for directions, call me stubborn! I’m just independent. And even with a map once it gets dark I am still helpless with direction. I usually have a pretty good sense of where I am, but here it’s a completely different ball game. We get lost everyday! Tonight we walked all the way to the next train station instead of our hotel just two blocks from the station we came out of…

After our second day in the city we have conquered quite a lot. We have seen Chinatown, Olympic Park, the Opera House, and Manly Beach.

If you have never been to an Olympic city, it is astonishing to see the work that is done to make the event happen. While in Innsbruck, Austria we saw the Olympic Ski Jump, but the venues were extremely spread out making it difficult to see anything else. The Sydney Olympics were much different. They kept almost all activities and stadiums together creating ‘Olympic Park.’ The aquatic center has been redesigned into a facility in which all can enjoy with a splash park, health center, and of coarse an Olympic size swimming pool. That would be unreal to have regular practice in that aquatic center. That visit made me really miss my swimming days! There was a huge plaza making the walk around various venues easy. This visit triggered me to add seeing the Olympic games to my bucket list.  

Upon looking out onto the skyline, I understand why IU’s Kelley School of Business wants students to study abroad here. Three of the leading financial firms and the largest bank in the world have offices here. I’m impressed.

I cannot rave enough about Sydney. Although I had my moments at the beginning, I am more than warmed up to Australian living and now I cannot wait to have such a lively city just a train ride away!

When I am finally out on my own, I definitely want to live in a big city like Sydney. Life would have such opportunity it makes me excited to think about the possibilities.

Last day in Sydney tomorrow then off to Wollongong!