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!