Coming Home

Today is the day I return home. Very bittersweet. I will miss my host family so so much!

Louise surprised me again and had the fire department show up and carry me! She is so silly.

I hope I get to return to Australia again one day, it was very much like another home.

Here I come Kansas!

Surprise!

I turn 20 today! Louise threw me my first and only surprise birthday party. It was the best! Well, except the fact that I missed a final and will have to make it up. Bah military time! But oh well, it is time to celebrate!

Relaxation at it's best

Today I had a two hour break between classes in which I watched a live band while sitting in the grass, watching a mechanics demonstration of how much their bridges could build, browsed standing shops and just sat and enjoyed life.

Had a end of the year celebration for my exchange here, I'm going to miss it here so much. It is so relaxed, beautiful and wonderful.

Going to see a stage performance of Rent this saturday and whale watching the next. :)

Saturday Morning Test

Marketing. Yuck. I went to bed around 2am to wake up at 7 to get ready for my test. Caught the train, and upon arriving at Wollongong, realized the normal buses don't run on weekends. I asked a girl sitting next to me which one went to campus, she said 55A. So we got on 55A only to discover that if in fact, does NOT go to campus. So getting after after a quarter mile, we made the 25 minute walk to campus to talk the test. Now, I left thinking it was cool, so i wore jeans and a jumper (sweater) and it instead, turned out to be boiling. So got to the test, which lasted 1.5 hours. We had to stay the WHOLE time. On a saturday morning. It took me 30 minutes and I slept the rest of the time. Then, had to wait in line to check my name of a list. The most unorganized test I've ever took. Oh, I forgot to mention I did not eat anything this morning and it was now 11:45, I was starving. So i had some lunch at the uni and made the walk back to the train station. Got there at about 12:30 and a train going to Bulli didn't come until 1:30. But, there was a train to the town one stop north in 5 minutes so I took it. So, i thought walking in the hot, with a sweater, jeans and flip flops was a good idea. I walked the hour it took to  get back home to Bulli. What a marvelous Saturday.

Caravan

Me and my host family, minues Tayla who is going to Norfolk Island with Girl Guides, will be traveling up to Duboo to the zoo and some caves all this next week. Should be fun!

Once upon a time, I found home

I can't believe that I've been here for a month and a half already.


I've never felt more at home than I do now. Never once in Kansas did I feel, yes I belong here.

I love my host mom so much. She is such an amazing woman, and I can't imagine my life without her now.

I mostly love how everything here is backwards from what I'm used do. They drive on the left, instead of leaves falling in autumn, tree's bark peels. Instead of always getting stressed or upset, everything is "no worries".

I feel like I am becoming the woman I am supposed to be here. I don't desire the things I used to. I don't want your suburban beige world. I want my own, I want to get so far away from the bland realities of this world. I'm glad to be free of the shackles that we were desperately chained to me. I am who I am, I wouldn't change a single thing about my personality, or my beliefs.

I wonder if I'll go through depression when I come home from here. I probably will. I feel like this is my family, my home, the refuge I never had.


If there was one thing I could do over, was let go sooner. Stop letting people break me, judge me, hurt me. I am unbreakable and more of myself, than I realized was left.

In Australia I am me. Not the one I have to act like to make you happy. Not the one who has to fit in with any group of people. Purely and selfishly, myself.

Some things are worth trying

Louise and I are attempting the Dukan Diet. I have lost about ten pounds from being here. I haven’t been this skinny since before I dated Curtis and got lazy haha. It feels nice. Louise is so amazing and I love love love this family. I’m going to miss them SO much.

We’ve been on the diet for about 4 days but tonight was Mia’s birthday (Louise’s best mates daughter), she turned 11. We went to a Japanese Steak house, an overprices but nice one. I had never been to one before, it was really neat! The first thing we had to do was catch a whole egg in a bowl, nailed it J But It was really funny when people didn’t. Second we had to catch a piece of fried egg in our mouths and since I had practiced for years with popcorn it was a breeze. Third, we had to catch a bowl of rice in another bowl, easy haha. But it was really fun and it was interesting to try a bunch of different things.

So what other differences can I think of. Oh, they say HEAPS so so much. Everywhere we say lots, they say heaps.

Hmm I’ll have to think of some more when I’m not so tired.

I went to the beach yesterday. Great fun! There were only two other people besides me. But the rip was so intense., I didn’t stay long. And somehow I got lost on my way back and ended up walking around bulli for 2 hours before I made it home haha.

I’ve met so many nice Australian people. I don’t feel awkward with them like I do with people back home. I don’t know if it’s because I’m growing up or that I just feel more like myself here.

I could stay here forever.

Epic Adventure!

Blue Mountains Trip

This morning started at a brisk 3am, when I woke up from my slumber realizing that I didn’t have enough cash for the train. I woke Rachel to ask her if she had enough, and she didn’t either! Attempted to sleep for another 30 minutes, then got up to get ready and took me and Rachel’s credit cards to the atm, about a 10 minute walk, to get out some cash. When I got back at 4:30, I woke her to get ready for the day. When we got the train station some of Rachel’s friends also going on the trip called and said the train tracks were flooded and nothing was going back Thirroul (one town north of Bulli). At 5:30 in the POURING rain, we almost gave up. But, I thought no this trip was $100 and we already got our train tickets. So our train arrived about twenty minutes late, and buses were provided from Thirroul to Waterfall. From there it was about another 40 minutes by another train to Sydney. Two girls in a big town going to the YHA center for a bus in the rain. We were LOST and late. We took off running town the train corridor and amazingly made it to the bus in time for the trip. We didn’t think we were going to make it.

            Once there we met our tour guide, Nigel. He was HILARIOUS and a little cynical about his job, but funny nonetheless. We drove around for a bit but because it was sooo cloudy and rainy we couldn’t see much of the mountains. So we proceeded to have a break and me and Rachel shopped and met Goombala, an Aboriginal man, who made boomerangs and he was friendly. After that we went to the blue mountains and did an amazing bushwalk! The rain made it feel even more like a rainforest. There were 7 people total in our tour but no one else wanted to do the walk because it was raining, lame people haha. Then we took a sky tram over the scenery which for us was…fog.

            We then headed to lunch where me and Rachel had some way overpriced, but good, Indian food. Then we drove down the mountain and saw wild kangaroos! Very exciting J. For our last stop we preceded to Featherdale zoo where we saw LOTS of animals.

            Kangaroos of course! We got to pet them and watch them jump around and make all sorts of crazy noises. I also saw a joey!!! So cute. The Koalas were sooo cute too, but they smell STRONG. Like crazy bad haha. But I got to pet a baby, so it was worth it. There were Tasmanian devils, dingoes and lots of crazy birds. In fact, one bird BIT Rachel while she was taking a picture and her camera dropped in-between two fences so I had to reach my umbrella in to scoop in out. Scary thing!

            Then we started the hour bus ride home at about 5:00pm. Got the train and walked home from the train station. I can’t even describe how tired I was. But it was an amazing day, with a hilarious tour guide, a good friend and with lots of critters and pretty scenery.

Health!

I am FINALLY over my sickness, so i joined the gym.



I will NEVER complain about gas prices again. It's over $9.00 a gallon here. Ridiculous.

Adventure

Hey! Sorry I’ve been away for awhile I’ve been terribly sick. So here’s what’s happened.

NOT much. Read two books called the Night World. Started class, boring but fine. I still need to buy my books.

Fun fact: Taking a nap here is called taking a sleep

Been chatting with my host mom a lot, I really like her.

I’m going join a gym soon, as soon as I can breathe through my nose

Today I went with the host family to Mt. Keira and saw over all of Wollongong and to the blow hole. It got pretty high, the tide was really choppy today VERY cool. It was cloudy and rainy but it was a great day. Put lots of pictures on facebook!

I miss the Gay and Lesbian Marti Gras but that’s ok, I can watch it on TV. I got to watch a movie with my host moms nephew (hes 22) and his girlfriend who is also 19. He lives across the street and it was heaps fun. Jess (the girlfriend) is taking me to a pub tomorrow. I’m excited!

Other than that not too much has been going on. I’ve lost 5 pounds just being here! It’s great.

Exercise

Woke up at 8:30 this morning and called my mom and dad. Then went to a Zumba class with Louise! Phew that wore me out!!! After that I came home and vegged with some internet. Then Glen took me to uni and I walked around to find my classes. Came home, played table tennis with Fumi (the Japanese student here). Ate meat pies for dinner, and now im just ready for orientation tomorrow!

I will also NEVER complain about the automated calling systems in America. It is terrible here.

Sunday

I woke up around 8:30 to go with the family to nippers. Nippers are for kids who are learning to surf, which Riley is doing. I had never seen the ocean before. SO different from the still lakes of Kansas. I got tumbled over and my boobs came out of my cozzie (swimsuit), whoops. But I started to get the hang of it after awhile. Louise and her sister Jen showed me how to ride a wave. It is tiring! After that we all came home and hung out. Glen took me into Wollongong to buy a cell phone and internet. Very beautiful city with lots of shopping malls. I will probably buy a train ticket and go explore there tomorrow. Another student from Japan is staying here for six weeks; he seems nice enough but cannot speak English well.

            I will be trying Kangaroo soon, that will be interesting and Vegemite.

So far, I love it. There are quite a few differences. People are much more healthy here for sure, and I love it. I will be going to Zumba and Pilates with Louise every week and dieting. I hope to change my eating habits. They are also a VERY clean family, so I hope I pick up on that too. Pharmacists are called chemists here. There is a lot of slang to get used to, but it’s not too hard.

            I am really excited to go to uni orientation on Tuesday. It’s such a big beautiful campus. Also, no one says “you’re welcome” here. Ever. Mostly people say “no worries”. And everyone calls you love or dear. I LOVE being called love. Clothes are also called costumes here. Mostly women wear dresses, I need to get some soon.

Well, that was my first two days here in pretty lengthy detail. I miss you all so much. I hope to come back to you a tanner, thinner, happier me.

Travel

My mom drove me to the airport for my 2:49 pm flight to Chicago. Once I was on board, I noticed it was a small plane. It probably sat about twenty people. I sat in a sit alone, by a window. The flight took about one and a half hours and the air pressure didn’t hurt my ears much. Kansas is indeed all patchwork from above. When I arrived and got my carry on I proceeded to fall down, in front of everyone and receive a huge scrape on my knee. Walking through the Chicago terminal was amazing. The lights on the ceiling were lovely. They were strung up and flashed different colors. Loved it. I then boarded my flight to L.A. at 5:30pm. I was still by the window but I sat next to some people this time. I sat next to a small boy and his father, Kevin. Who was really friendly and nice. He had been to Australia and told me about his trip. I arrived in L.A. at 8:30, 10:30 central time. Got on my plane at 10:15 for Sydney. While walking to my seat a woman asked me if I was wearing a KU shirt, I was. She happened to be from Hays, Kansas. Small world. This plane was much bigger, and completely booked. I say by a window again (yay!) next to an older Australian couple. Nice enough people, although I think they had a touch of the flu. This flight lasted 14.5 hours. Enough to drive a person INSANE. However, I managed to sleep for most of it, so I kept my sanity. I did find out however, that airplane food…isn’t so great. Also, during the whole flight I only used the restroom once. Because I’m awesome.

Once I arrived in Sydney, things took a turn for the worse. My planned shuttle bus was nowhere to be found. So I found a local free bus to take me to a train station. A nice man helped me with my bags after the bus and showed me where to go. After the bus, I had to find a train that could take me a ways down. Bulli, the town in which I’m staying, it about a little longer than hour from Sydney. So, I swapped trains about three times until I arrived in Bulli. Then I found a taxi and got home. People were very friendly and helpful, but with a backpack, a rolling carryon and a 40lb and 30lb set of bags, it was a difficult journey.

            Once home I was greeted by my host parents, Glen and Louise Clapham. They are so wonderful. They have a 13-year-old daughter Tayla and a 9-year-old boy Riley. They are all so wonderful and welcoming. There is NO air conditioning here, and its about 80 degrees, with the about the same humidity as Kansas. EXCEPT, it does not cool down after dark. AT ALL. Good thing I love the heat. I have a lovely room, with a door to the back, which lets in a nice breeze and my own bathroom. I will take lots of pictures.  They also have a great pool in the back. Downside, water is rationed. So my showers have to be around 5 minutes.  Anyway. Took a walk with Tayla and some of her kid friends to the local supermarket. You can’t even imagine how expensive things are here. It’s about tripled. 1 small box of macaroni costs $5. And a bottle of shampoo, where is usually costs $6 in America is about $12 here. I tried a cherry ripe. Delicious. It’s a small chocolate bar with cherry and coconut filling. All my favorite things in the world put in one bar. I am still frightened by the cars being on the other side of the road though. And I still try to get in the right side as a passenger. After hanging with the kids a bit and after dinner, I went with Glen and Louise to a friend’s house for a party. Had a few shots of, something, I think Bourbon and went home, changed and passed out!

Procrastinating

So now I can't get my prescriptions from Walmart because people can't do their job right, and I wait until the last minute.

CRAP!

Oh well. I had the best valentines ever, so it's not so bad.

Just down to 2 days. I couldn't be more ready to leave America.

Countdown

There are 5 days before I leave Kansas for Australia.

I'm excited, I suppose. I've been excited for so long now that I'm just ready to go.


Unfortunatly I will miss some things. My mom, dad, cat, friends and Miles.

I hope I come back a different and rejuvenated person.