Airplane (one of my favourite movies, btw)

An automatic assumption that one must take upon entering an airport is that things will go wrong. It's always good to prepare yourself for inevitable inconvenience and stress. Fortunately, the first part of our flights actually went better than planned. For one, my friend Tiffany and I were on the same flight from Brisbane to L.A., so at least I had a companion for the 12 hour flight.


But it only got better from there. After requesting seats next to one another, we were informed that we were bumped up to economy class, which is a step below first class. Not only that, we had the first row of seats, meaning extra leg room, plus no one was sitting on my right side. As you can tell from the pictures below, we were pretty excited about all of this.

We both did not get any sleep on that flight because there was too much to do. There were tons of movies, music, TV, and documentaries to watch, plus an almost constant influx of food into our mouths. Hard life, eh?

The moment we stepped off that flight, though, things went dramatically downhill. Because of the closure of the JFK airport in NY, there were way too many people frantically wandering aimlessly trying to figure out what to do. The first problem was the line for getting our tickets: the problem was that there was no line, just a huge glob of people. We did see Michael Cera, the main male actor in Juno. Tensions were high, and everyone quieted down when this man was yelling at a worker who was making him test the size of his carry-on luggage. The luggage proceeded to get stuck and he was thrashing around like a madman. Very entertaining.

Once we got our luggage, we then had to get in a line to get in line for security. Seriously? Amidst this line was this man wandering around asking everyone "where is my wife? Where is my wife?" Uhhh. Finally we get into the line for security and realised that we only had 15 minutes until our plane boarded. We asked a worker if we'll be alright on time, which obviously we weren't, and all he kept on repeating was "plenty of time," which got really annoying after the 1000th time. Fortunately, everyone else was in the same boat.

That's when we met the most annoying girl ever in my life. Everything about her was annoying. I can't even describe it. However, she was rather pushy, and it was because of her that we were able to sneak to the front of the line and get through security. We ran to our plane and the door closed behind us. Normally all of this would have stressed me out, but I was too tired to even express any form of emotion.

We then flew from L.A. to Chicago and parted ways as I flew to Columbus. After an ungodly amount of time traveling, I found my sister impatiently waiting for me, with her first words of "I'm over here, you idiot." Welcome back to the states, Kendra. I slept straight for 14 1/2 hours and my sleep schedule is still a bit thrown off.

Oh.. and this weather? Awful.

WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT! Alice Springs, Outback, and Adelaide

BEST TRIP EVER!!! Don't get me wrong, every travel experience has been absolutely wonderful, but the Outback.. well, it was just out of control awesome. With the help of our Aussie friend, Matt, our adventure began when we were dropped off at the Brisbane airport at 5:30 AM to fly to Adelaide and then to Alice Springs. These flights went reasonably smooth, minus the most annoying couple ever sitting next to me who were all touchy-feely and kissing one another the entire time. I wanted to vomit.

We spent the first night in Alice Springs at a great hostel (I know, usually "great" and "hostel" don't go hand-in-hand), and awoke at 5:00 AM to begin our 3 day tour of the Outback. With a group of 20 others, who were all close to our age and similarly filled with too much energy, and our crazy tour guide, Heith, we set out for a 5 hour drive to King's Canyon. Once arriving there, we commenced a 3 hour hike around the canyon which was simply breathtaking. Literally. And hot. And when I say hot, I mean 40-45 C (104-113 F).

The rest of the day was spent driving some more, stopping at the occasional cattle ranch and other picture-worthy sights, until we made it to where we were sleeping, which was in the middle of nowhere... perfect for sleeping under the stars in our swags. The moon was so bright that I almost put on my sunglasses when sleeping to block the light out. This is not an exaggeration. Well, maybe. But it was the brightest I have ever seen the moon.

The next morning we awoke at 4:00 AM to see an Outback sunrise.. beautiful! We then drove to Mount Kata Tjuta, which was my favorite part of the tour. The 3 hour hike felt so surreal, as if I was walking on a different planet. I have never seen anything like it before and the entire time I repeatedly said "am I actually here?!" Only downside to all of this, though, were the flies. They were everywhere and would not leave you alone. They are somewhat tolerable until they swoop into your mouth, nose, ears, or your sunglasses... which happened all the time, making them never tolerable.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in a "resort" area near Uluru (Ayer's Rock). Fortunately, it had a pool, and I'm pretty sure our skin actually sizzled when we first jumped in. That evening we drove to a spot near Uluru to watch a sunset. Seriously? Does it get any better. Yes.


Early next morning we headed to Uluru to do the basewalk. It took us about a good 2 1/2 hours to walk around it, but every moment was spectacular. Besides the flies. And the dry heat. And my hunger level, which as you all know, is a constant high.

The rest of the day was spent driving back to Alice Springs, with a stop at a camel farm. Once arriving back to the hostel, our group spent the rest of the evening together until everyone died of exhaustion.

We spent another day and night at Alice Springs, walking around the area, shopping and attempting to have a normal body temperature by spending the majority of the time in the pool. Both mornings I attempted a run, but I'm pretty sure a turtle would have been able to pass me.

The next day we flew from Alice Spring back to Adelaide to spend the night there. Thanks to our awesomely amazing friend, Kit, who grew up in Adelaide, she arranged for us to spend the night at her house with her parents. I LOVED Adelaide... as in if I ever live in Australia, that's where I would find myself. It's a somewhat small city filled with old buildings and many, many trees. Kit lives in a 150 year-old house which I was pretty much in awe of the entire time. Her mom drove us around, giving us a grand tour of the city, highlights including a Christmas lights display and a stop at a pie floater cart (do not ask). Thankfully, her dad was willing to take us to the airport at 5:30 AM the next morning for our final flight back to the Gold Coast.


That's pretty much the abstract to the entire report I could write on this trip. There's so much I could say but I really don't even know where to begin. However, I am leaving out some details that I at least think are pretty interesting...

• The spot where we slept on the first night of our Outback tour is owned by a man who owns 1,006,000 acres of land. How is that even possible?
• Yes, we did see dead kangaroos on the side of the road.
• During the second night while I was passed out, others saw dingoes walking through the area where we were sleeping.
• I'll try not to go on a lecture right now, but obviously in Alice Springs there were plenty of Aboriginals. Do some research on them, and you'll quickly understand the condition that these people are in. It's a heavy, debatable topic on what to do about it, but either way, seeing the Aboriginal children broke my heart.
• 35 people have died climbing Uluru.
• Props to my friend, Abbey, for putting up with me during the many, many hours we spent on the bus together. I resort to childlike behaviour when confined for such a long time.
• I have never drank so much water in my life. But it barely did anything because the water in your water bottle was basically boiling.
• Speaking of water, it took much coaching for me to pee in the middle of the Outback. I suppose its a good thing, but my body simply does not understand the concept of peeing when I'm not sitting on a toilet. Yes, this may all be too much information, but it's the truth.

Now off to study for exams.

Olga, Scuttles and Charred Feet- Moreton Island

It wasn't until I got home this weekend that I fully comprehended the amusement of this past weekend which was spent on a three day, 4x4 tour of Moreton Island. I really don't even know where to begin because we did so much that everything just blended together. Therefore, instead of attempting to write this in a logical manner, I'll explain the highlights in no specific order:

1. Joe and Olga. An old, Italian couple who also did the tour. I have no idea what they were thinking when they signed up for it because they strike me as the type who would rather spend their weekend in a bed and breakfast, not camping on an island. After our first adventure of climbing up the world's largest sand dune, I thought that they might die. However, their surivival was a good thing because Joe blessed us with only speaking in Italian grunts the rest of the weekend (I honestly didn't hear him say one word the entire time) and with the opportunity to take the best picture of my life (see below):
2. Scuttles. I cannot stand crabs (FYI, all crabs are called "scuttles" in my book). If they want to pinch me or not, I want nothing to do with them. Therefore, when we arrived on the isolated of all isolated beaches and were told to go look at the scuttles, I knew I was in for it. There weren't just a few scuttles. Or a few hundred. There were thousands. Actually, take infinity to the infinite power, and that's how many scuttles there were. I wanted to vomit. And the worst part is that everyone was basking in the scuttles, rolling around in them as if it was some spa treatment. However, scuttle beach turned into one of my favorite areas because there were "rivers" formed from the tides that were as warm as bath water and would let the current carry you until you got held up in sand. Then I would just roll.

3. Ship Wrecks. To help tourism and marine life, several ships were sunk around the island. We were able to snorkel around them, which was quite fun until Shawn saw a shark (I have never seen anyone book it so fast out of the water before). On the last day we were scheduled to snorkel some more, but a wicked storm blew in that was awesome to watch. Included in this storm watching was us diving into the ocean only to come flailing back to the safety of the 4x4 when lightning struck and dolphins and loggerhead turtles swimming right in front of the area that we were watching. Below is a picture of some of the ship wrecks, with an attempt of a Happy Thanksgiving greeting to you Americans.

4. Pain and annoyances. Yes, these are highlights because I find great pleasure in complaining about anything and everything. One, it was super hot. As in I thought I was going to suffocate at night in the tent. Two, which goes along with one, the sand scorched our feet. Granted, it doesn't help that my flip flops have holes in their soles because I am too cheap to buy new ones. To escalate the problem, I poured boiling water onto the top of my foot (do not ask), which fortunately only temporarily made my foot purple. Three, flies were on the rampage. Toward the end of the weekend, I resigned to the fact that they would constantly be on me, no matter how much I thrashed around.

5. Sand Boarding. Oh. My. Word. I can't even explain how much fun I had doing this (even though I was terrified). I absolutely love sledding...and warm weather... so the combination was epic. Yes, I believe epic is an overused word, but I cannot describe this any other way. To see where I am coming from, it would be in your best interest to watch the following videos:

First time down. Yes, screaming does help.

Tandeming with Stephanie. Best part: the crash at the end.

I could go on and on about every single thing that we did, but that means this post would be a novel long and no one would want to read it (let's be honest, there is a negative correlation b/w the length of a blog entry and the amount of people who read it). Some last words is that one of my favourite areas was Blue Lake that was near our campsite. It was a gorgeous, fresh water lake that we swam in numerous times throughout the day. I also enjoyed the champaign pools, which was an area surrounded my large rocks that we stood in to get trampled by waves. Fun, I know.

Sadly, I have one more tripped planned, and then its exams and heading back to the states. But it's the mother of all trips.. the Outback... one week... in the summer... we might die.

Crikey! Enough of these spiders.

What is it about zoos that make me immediately transform into a child... as in, I wanted to shove pass all of the other youngsters so I could get the best view of the animals and would plaster myself to the glass of each exhibit to watch whatever animal stare back at me. We spent all of Friday at the Australian Zoo (Steve Irwin's) running around like the little kids who can't even pronounce the names of the animals (prime example: the echidna which I called the enchilada).

Why was this such a good zoo experience? One, it wasn't crowded at all.. in other words, we did not have to deal with the usual screeching kids who demand for every stuffed animal souvenir. Two, although the zoo was rather small, it was the most interactive zoo of my life. We got to feed the elephants, watch an otter feeding... the list goes on and on. One of my favourite parts of the day was the tiger show (see pic below). I think my mouth was hanging open the entire time.


We also got to chill with kangaroos and pet koalas (so strange.. you just go into this area called the "Koala Walk" and there are koalas just moping around in the trees. Next to a tree it simply says "Pat a koala." Ok.) As we were leaving, one of the workers was walking a wombat around on a leash. This made me happy.

The rest of the weekend was once again basking in the greatness of the Gold Coast. Saturday involved surfing, which I hadn't done for awhile. I'll swallow my pride and be honest.. I am afraid of waves. Maybe it's an inferiority complex, but I don't like things that are bigger than me and knock me down. So it takes me a good while to get used to being thrown like a rag doll each time a wave hits me as I swim out, but eventually I get over it and begin the many failed attempts at surfing. It was a fun time, as you can see. But seriously, I do like it.

There has been an influx of spiders here lately. I've been loving it because it doesn't pertain to my house and the stories that are told are greatly entertaining. Case in point: Abbey's house. Situation: Abbey is casually going through her dresser to pick out clothes when she sees legs (not her own legs, but a spider's legs. That's the point of the story). Panic follows with an immediate call to the troops (as in anyone who is nearby, and more specifically is male). Once recruited, every item is taken out of her room to find the creature (see pic below).

The spider is once again spotted, and with much strategizing, a frying pan is used in an attempt to murder. You know the situation is desperate, though, when a frying pan would not do the job. When being told this story, the highlight for me was when Chris matter-of-factly stated "I had to use a bookshelf to kill it" (it was actually Abbey's dresser, but same difference).

Nevertheless, another spider was found on the kitchen floor in her house, in which Tiffany killed with a "no smoking sign." We were then eating dinner when we saw a lizard crawl on the wall. No one did anything about that.

I love Australia.

I do more than just travel. I buy earrings that have marijianna leaves on them.

Spending all of last weekend in Sydney, it was nice to spend this past weekend here on the Gold Coast. Nevertheless, on Saturday a group of us drove to Nimbin and Byron Bay for the day. Nimbin is similar to Byron Bay, but a lot more hippier. As in just walking through the town I thought I was going to get high. We went through all of the shops, and I was quite pleased with my purchase of some earrings until Abbey pointed out that they were styled after marijianna leaves. Such is life.

We then attempted to find some waterfalls in the surrounding area, but that was a complete failure. We were extremely low on gas, driving up and down mountains... we gave up. Either way, we saw some breathtaking views, and we eventually wound up back in Byron. Although I have already been there twice before, any place that provides me with a beach and gelato is good enough.

I've realised that all of my posts have solely been about traveling, and I've failed to mention where I live besides hostels and tents and what I spend the majority of my time doing. First thing first, housing. I live off campus in what I suppose you would call townhouses (see picture below). I have my own room, though two other girls (one American, one Aussie/American) share the house/apartment/whatever with me.

I absolutely love the place where I am staying, though I have hard wood floors and a bed with wheels, which isn't a good combination. My favourite part, though, is our pool (see picture below) which is a great place to do some reading and studying.

Besides school work, which you all know I do excessively, I've really enjoyed not being spread so thin with all of the activities I usually get myself involved in. I do attend weekly BCC (Bond Christian Connection), where I have met some really great people. When I'm not traveling, I'll go to Hope Church on Sundays, which has a contemporary worship service.

But here comes my latest obsessions. The gym offers excercise classes, which are "free" if you paid your student membership fee. The first week of Bond I tried out as many classes as I could to see which ones I liked the best. I clearly remember a step aerboics class in which I couldn't stop laughing because I was in the middle of all of these older women, stepping and clapping, listening to "Yeah" by Usher. Not for me.

And then I met the spinning and boxing room (cue for dramatic music). The first time I went to spinning, I was with a group of friends and I recall all of us rather confused walking into a dark room with disco lights flashing... what is happening? Greatness that is. I honestly haven't worked at this intensity since track and cross-country. Our instructor, Joel, kindly (and by kindly, I mean not kindly) reminds us that we are not on holiday and before each class to make sure we have everything we need, including water and Jesus.

Besides spinning twice a week, I also do boxing 1-2/week, which is rather difficult too, especially taking into account the heat of the room (same with the spinning room; I think they purposely pump in hot, humid air). "Suck it up," is a constant yell in our ears from the instructor, Richard, though I'm surprised I can even hear it considering that I am underwater in my own sweat.

As always, though, these classes are just in conjunction with my running, which my passion for has only increased since arriving. A large part of that has to do with the hot weather (I know, I'm strange, but something about dehydration just makes you feel like you are working harder) and beach runs.. and knowing that I will have the opposite of that when I return back to the States. Boo.

Now off to go stand in front of the air conditioner because it was bloody hot today.

SYDNEY! And, no, I did not find Nemo.

I have finally conquered the tourist feat of all tourist feats here in Oz: I have seen the iconic Opera House. From Thursday until Monday, I, along with Abbey, Stephanie and Chris, flew to Sydney to spend a weekend touring the city and surrounding area. Our first night was quite eventful, for after getting off our flight, in which we saw a spectacular lightning storm in air, we found ourselves in McDonald's where we met Rhyse. One word to describe this creature: drunk. I was innocently standing in line to buy an ice cream sundae when Rhyse approached me, obviously enthralled by my Americanness. This for sure was a good experience, for not only did he buy me my sundae (with extra sundae.. that's how he ordered it, anyways), but he also took us all out for a drink. Interesting fellow, nevertheless.

The next day we spent hiking the Blue Mountains. After a 2 hour train ride, we stepped into the mountain town in our shorts and t-shirts only to find everyone else bundled like eskimos. Opps. We quickly learned that if we kept a good pace, the cool weather wouldn't bother us too much, even though we are greatly spoiled by the warm weather in the Gold Coast. Despite the misty and foggy weather, the sites were gorgeous and we even had a go at climbing a waterfall (not the one pictured below, but you can pretend that is the one). Success, minus Chris slipping and falling down about 10 feet. I may or may not have found great enjoyment out of that.

That evening we ate at a Japanese restaurant. Chris ordered eel. I tried it. I wanted to die until I had breakfast the next morning.

Saturday was perhaps the longest day of my life, but in a good way. The entire day was spent walking around Sydney, trying to see as much as we possibly could. The day began with the best eating experience of my entire life: Tip Jar. Waffles. Let me describe in detail: waffle topped with PB, roasted nuts, whipped cream, and PB ice cream on the side. Enough said. We then went to the markets where I proceeded to spend way too much money. Anywho, highlights of our sightseeing adventure were the Anzac Memorial, St. Andrew's Cathedral, Opera House, Luna Park and Sydney Harbour Bridge. I wanted to be pushed in a stroller by the end of the day.

Our last full day was spent at the famous Bondi Beach, which unfortunately had poor weather. But that did not deter us from spending the entire day looking through the shops and markets and the display of sculptures by the sea. The rest of the evening was spent back in the central part of Sydney until we finally collapsed in bed, only to get up at 3:30 AM to catch the plane back. Get this: the flight from Sydney to the Gold Coast was shorter than the time spent on the bus traveling from the Gold Coast Airport to my house here in Robina. I hope that brief story clearly sums up my feelings about public transportation here in Surfers.

On a more positive note about the Gold Coast, it was comforting to know that after spending 4 days away, I had a sigh of relief once getting off the plane knowing that I was back home, so to speak. I truly am falling in love with this place and I cannot fathom that I have exactly 1 month and 11 days left.

Byron Bay, Mutant Spider, and Powerpuff Girls. Oi.

Remember when you were a little kid and you used to cover your eyes with your blankets when scared, as if that would be some form of protection against the monsters that were going to attack you? I used that strategy twice this weekend and it still works. Case in point uno: Five of us Americans rented a car on Friday to drive to Byron Bay. Keep in mind, everything is opposite of what we are used to, such as driving on the other side of the street. Therefore, I thought we were going to die. It wasn't my lack of trust in the driver (although her first lines were "Wait. Is the break still on the left side. I forget how to drive.").. just my lack of trust in humanity, I suppose. This resulted in me cowering in the backseat with my eyes closed until we made it onto the highway.

Nevertheless, we arrived safely and spent the morning walking around the area. Byron Bay is the quintessential hippie town and is extremely laid back. We went up to a lookout that is the most Easterly point in Australia where we saw dolphins and whales before a storm out at sea rolled in (see picture below. Pretty cool, egh?).
The entire afternoon was spent sea kayaking, which was a lot of fun. As in, I wouldn't have wanted to be doing anything else in this world than that. We went tandem, and it was quite a rough start for Abbey and I when our kayak flipped as we attempted to get through the break in the waves. Abbey getting pinned under the kayak wasn't as funny for her as it was for me, yet we did eventually make it out to sea with the guide who was with us. Probably the highlight of our adventure, besides everything, was the SEA TURTLES we saw. And by sea turtles I mean loggerhead sea turtles. As in 250 lbs of a sea turtle. Coffee-size table. The only thing bigger than the sea turtles were my eyes. We kayaked around for a long time and it wasn't before long when sea sickness overcame the majority of us. No one got it as bad as Bethany who vomitted, but she did it with a smile and was fine afterwards. Yet another highlight was riding the waves once we got back to shore. Abbey and I were determined not to flip, and maticulously following the directions of paddling as fast as you can, it was quite a scene to see our kayak soaring above the waves, our paddles not even touching the water, yet us frantically paddling in the air as fast as we could. The guide gave us Tim Tams afterwards which made me really happy.

Then comes the worst spider experience of my life. Once we got back home that night, I innocently walked into my bathroom. There, before my eyes, was the most atrocious looking spider I have ever seen outside a cage.. creeping in my shower. This was not acceptable. Keep in mind, I was a camp counselor this summer. I slept with spiders. I squished them with my bare hands. But this is a whole new level of spiderness. I quickly recruited a force of 6 people (making sure males were involved) to see this creature. The worst part is that it was.. mutant, I suppose. It only had 5 legs. I wish it had none. I wish it didn't exist. Shawn killed it. I had goosebumps and chills for the next hour. We (as in Shawn) did a thorough examination of my room to make sure there weren't anymore. That night when I went to sleep I laid there as still as possible with my eyes covered because then spiders wouldn't attack me. It worked. For now.

Speaking of creepy things, Halloween was quite eventful. Some of my friends and I went out to Surfers Paradise to a nightclub where Bond was having a Halloween party. Abbey, Bethany, and I were the Powerpuff Girls (I was Bubbles... which in my opinion is the worst because her only power is speaking in Spanish. Lame). I must admit, I was quite impressed with the creativity of some of the costumes that we saw. Although you did have a good handful of the girls who use Halloween as a prime opportunity to dress as sluts, there were a few costumes that I was quite jealous of. For example, the guy who dressed like the main character from the movie Up, carrying a miniature house attached to a bouquet of balloons. Or Oscar from Sesame Street, walking around in a trashcan.

It is November. Time is going wayyyy tooooo fast. Peace.

Here's a great idea: instead of sleeping, let's climb a mountain.

Let's be honest; sleep is overrated. Or, at least, this is what I told myself when we decided to climb Mt. Warning Thursday night/Friday morning. I'm always up for a challenge, even knowing that Friday afternoon would provide an interesting attempt at studying for my midterm on Saturday (seriously, who is the wise one who came up with the idea of a midterm on a Saturday? Probably the same genius who thought 3 hour evening classes was a great time for lecture). Nevertheless, there was good reason for climbing the mountain at such an unusual time: Mt. Warning is the first place that the sun touches when it rises each morning. This could possibly provide a spectacular view.

Alex, the leader of us fools, allowed us to stay at her place until 1:00 AM, which is when we drove toward the mountain that was about 45 minutes away. The beauty of all of this is that because it was so dark, none of us had any idea of what we were getting ourselves into. All I know is that we began at the base of some "hill" and hiked upward. It was about 2 minutes into our ascent that I asked "Wait, is this going to be uphill the entire way?" Let's just put it this way- hiking up a mountain is a lot different than walking up a hill. Adding in the element of complete darkness and having only 4 torches among 15 of us resulted in quite an adventure. Because I secretly find amusement out of others misfortunes, I found it highly entertaining each time you heard someone stumble... well, unless it was me.

After approximately 2 1/2 hours of hiking, we were almost at the top, but here comes the real fun part. The last part of the hike up the mountain was really steep. There was this chain that you had to hold on to in order to make your way up to the very top. Once again, keep in mind, it was completely dark. I honestly have no idea how we did this without dying. But after clinging to the chain for about a half hour, we finally made it in time for the sunrise.

The sunrise and view from the mountain top was indeed spectacular. Well worth not getting any sleep, mind you. I really wish pictures could capture the beauty of it, but they simply cannot. We probably spent a good 2 hours up there and then decided to make our way down. Obviously it was now completely light out, so we could see exactly what we had climbed earlier in the dark. If I would have seen the path, chain and the moutain itself in the light before we had climbed it, I would have been convinced that it would be impossible to do in the dark.

As we descended, everyone's moods took a similar dip. By the end, my typical threat of "I'm going to punch you in the face" had morphed into death threats, and the thought of doing any form of work when I got home made me want to burn my textbooks. However, 1 hr. of sleep did me well and I survived all of Friday (although my dinner did consist of just coffee).

Lesson learned: You can sleep when you're dead.

Camping at North Stradbroke Island- Mollusks, 30K, and Bogans

As always, I had yet another fantastic weekend in Oz. I, along with 5 others, traveled to North Stradbroke Island for a weekend of camping. Leaving at 6:30 AM Friday morning, I recieved the usual remarks of how unnaturally happy I can be in the morning (things just don't change, even when I'm not in the states). Carrying our weight in bookbags, tents, and PB&J, we finally made it to the island after a bus, train, and ferry ride. After arriving to our camp site on Cylinder Beach, we set up our tents, using a jar of PB as a hammer. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Below is a picture of the view from our tents:

The first afternoon was spent exploring the area around our campsite. This is when my stupidity takes a large role in the story. Three of us decided to climb some rocks that protruded into the ocean a ways out. The climb there was a bit challenging, but once we got to the end, it was nice to sit, with sharp surfaces sticking into your butt, and enjoy the view. I noticed that the tide was coming in quickly, so I decided to get back to shore. Deadly. Kendra vs. waves & rocks covered with mollusks was an immediate defeat on my part. The waves were a lot stronger than before and countless times I was thrown like a limp rag doll into these boulders that were covered with mollusks (which have become the bane of my existence). When I finally did reach shore, I had a pleasant stream of blood to prove that inanimate objects can overtake someone with a higher mental functioning (or so I thought).

The funny part about camping is that as much as I love it, when I lay down to try to fall asleep, I curse myself for giving up the comforts of modern society. It didn't help very much when the joke of putting the shortest person and the 2 tallest people in the same tent turned into reality. The first night resulted in fighting like they were my brothers, and by the 2nd night, I had resigned to the fact that I would be squished, have my pillow taken, and loose all of the padding that I took to sleep on. But the worst part of all were our "neighbors," the bogans (Australian term for hillbillies). These bogans were the worst things that Australia has to offer. They drink more than I breathe. They swear more than I blink. And they are louder than the idiots who play their bass in the car that it makes the world vibrate. Below is a picture that displays the stupidity in which we dealing with:

Despite getting 0 hours of sleep, 3 of us left at 7:00 AM to embark on a 30K (~20 miles) hike. It was quite an adventure, taking us through all sorts of terrain, with the help of Aussies who stopped along the way and to give us water. The highlights were seeing a kangeroo, a mutant lizard (only way to describe it), a squid, jellyfish, and of course, the breathtaking scenery. We hiked to Blue Lake, which was the bluest lake water I have ever swam in. The remainder of our hike was along the beach, which took forever and a day. The beach itself was a sight to behold... miles and miles of nothing (no people, no buildings, no nothin'). But the miles and miles were the downfall... I thought we would never make it. We could see the point that we were heading toward, but it never got closer. Obviously, we did make it, and it was all well worth it.

Our last day was spent at Point Lookout which may have the potential of having the most beautiful sites I have seen so far in Australia (see below). But despite its beauty, the best part was the wildlife. Initially we saw dolphins, which I was more than thrilled about. However, out of the corner of my eye, I saw this huge animal rocket out of the water and make an enourmous splash. Humpback whales. I just about died. Actually, I screamed. The next 30 minutes were spent watching these whales breach, with an occasional siting of dolphins and a manta ray. Seriously?!?!

Despite having the worst sleeping experience of my life and feeling like I have been ran over by a mack truck, it was a fantastic weekend. And now I'm off to panic over my I/O Psych. midterm and contemplate whether the 1950's in AU were accurately defined as conservative. Peace.

Volunteer Weekend- South East QLD: Mt. Barney (or Bonnie, as an Aussie would say)

Perhaps one of my favorite parts of this experience thus far is that each weekend, or even week, is completely different than the last. This weekend I spent with 7 other AustraLearn students on a volunteer trip to South East Queensland. I knew 2 of the other people well before going and by the end, I definitely had quite interesting memories of them all. Let's just put it this way, we had some unique people with us on our trip, and you all know that I thrive off of strange encounters as such.

None of us had any idea of what we were getting ourselves into. Friday morning we were picked up by a 4X4 and began driving to the unknown, which eventually led to over 45 minutes of off-roading up a mountain. The picture below is one that I was able to take when I was not flailing around like a limp rag doll in the vehicle.


We then arrived at where we were staying, which was perfect for me. Living outdoors this past summer, I was more than happy to see that our accomodations were quite rustic. It was great to get away from Ipods, mobiles, internet... everything that takes over modern society and makes us forget the beautiful place in which we live.

Our group was led by Kim, a young mother who has a degree in insects or something and is passionate about conservation. The place where we were staying were owned by two Aussies, Ben, who loved talking about the compost toilets, and Max, who only uttered Australian grunts (but when you could understand him, he was hilarious). It was great to get to know them all, and by the end of the weekend, my prized possession was the picture I had taken with Max and Ben (see below).


Our two days spent there were filled with both work and relaxation. On site we helped move logs and rocks from an area to help prevent forest fires from spreading. The majority of Saturday was spent farther down the mountain, picking an invasive plant called moth weed (see picture below). One girl in particular was not too thrilled about going into the brush and searching for these weeds because of the threat of snakes and spiders, but the only problems we encountered were being "Nettled" (getting prickled by this stupid Nettle Plant that basically took over the entire vegetation).


Although I'm one to never get seriously injured (knock on wood), I often find myself as the one who has the annoying little problems. I, of course, had to be the one mulled over by the wheelbarrow of rocks that fell over, in addition to the one who found a tick burrowing into my back. And I really don't think it's possible for me to walk through the forest without stumbling on every root, rock, and stick.

After preparing "family" meals, our evenings were spent around large campfires, enjoying tea and each other's company. Unfortunately, my camera cannot capture the amazing display of stars we saw. Looking up into the sky that was not ruined by city lights or any other form of civilization was both surreal and unrealistic, and is always a reminder of my insignificance in the great scheme of things. That thought, though, lasted until I got into our cabin and focused all of my attention on how to keep myself warm.. which ended up resulting in 2 pairs of pants, 3 shirts, 1 jacket, 2 sheets, and 5 blankets.

In terms of wildlife, I did see a couple wallabies jumping around and our campsite was overpopulated with kookaburras. These birds had a fun time messing with us, especially when we were all gawking at a scorpion that we found under a log and a kookaburra swooped right down between us, grabbed the scorpion, and crunched it like a chip.

It was a great weekend, with quite a few laughs, and I already miss the feeling of being away from unadulterated nature.

Death by Chocolate and Other Horrors of Studying in Paradise

It's official. I have been here for over one month. I don't know how I feel about this. I guess I can just pull out the cliche remark that time abroad does go by fast.

This past weekend was the first in which I remained here in Robina. Friday was spent at my friend's Leum's house. He had a bunch of people from BCC (Bond Christian Community) over and it was good to see that Australians can manage to have clean fun. Leum himself is quite the character, and we all had a go at his vegan food and enjoyed spending time with his vegan dog while acting in vegan ways. The end result was Vegemite on my face (Vegemite is this spread that is quite popular in AU, though I will never understand why. It tastes like soy sauce gone wrong).
Saturday was spent in Surfers Paradise, where we began our day with brunch at a Chocolate Bar. Yes, you read correctly. It was delicious, but from the picture below, you can see the aftermath of the intensity of the chocolate in which we consumed. The rest of the day was spent browsing the cheap tourist shops (you know the type... 5 crappy T-shirts for 10 bucks and shot glasses with inappropriate sayings. Beautiful) and walking the beach.

Oh, and by the way, I am taking classes here. I suppose I don't mention it much because I know everyone is worried that I would spend too much time studying and if I write one word about it, people would automatically assume I have chained myself to a desk. False. As always, I have clung to my studious ways, but of course there needs to be a balance of studying and experiencing AU. I'm taking four subjects as follows...

1 & 2: Foundations of Counseling & Understanding/Changing Human Behaviour- Both of these classes are taught be the same prof. They each meet for 3 hours, once a week. Interesting classes, but unfortunately I have not found myself as drawn to counseling as I thought I would be. Perhaps I'm realizing that the true reason why I study psy. is a desperate attempt to figure myself out. Either way, there are quite a few older people in my class (as in at least double, if not triple, my age) who have a tendency to be rather annoying by asking too many specific questions in class that have no relevance whatsoever to the tea in China.

3. Industrial/Organizational Psy- I generally like this class, though it isn't my favorite subset of psy. The prof is the oldest prof I have ever had, but I really like him a lot. Probably the type who acts really friendly in lecture, but then gets out a sword for grading. I have two friends in this class from Germany and Norway who make the class more enjoyable to attend.

4. Australian History- Although it is a 100 level course, you gotta start somewhere. I've always loved studying history and it's interesting to learn it from a perspective that isn't American. My prof could possibly be the fastest speaking person I know, even faster than my sister when she speaks Spanish. The prof drinking Red Bull during lecture probably doesn't help the situation much either.

Above is a picture of Bond during the dust storm a week or so ago. It was the strangest thing walking out of class and not encountering bright blue skies. Sydney got it a lot worst than we did, but there were still the hypochondriacs walking around with their face masks. I even saw one person wearing what resembled a Power Ranger helmet a few days later.

Brisbane

Although it has been ingrained in our heads that if we do not travel as much as possible we are wasting our lives away here, there is a small factor called money that somewhat deters that philosophy. Therefore, this past weekend we decided to make a day trip to Brisbane. Fortunately, the round trip on train cost us 8 bucks, which you can only imagine how many times throughout the day I brought up what a great deal that is (when you're as cheap as I am, you tend to fixate on those things).

It was not as if I had low expectations for Brisbane, but I was overly impressed that I could actually spend an entire enjoyable day in a city without feeling too claustrophobic or suffocating from exhaust fumes. The day began by visiting St. John's Cathedral (which is not the church pictured below; deal with it) which I absolutely loved because its beauty reminded me of Hope's chapel back at home.



After spending the morning walking around on one side of the river, we crossed the bridge and that was when Brisbane's awesomeness truly hit me. There is a long boardwalk along the river called South Bank that was filled with markets, cafes, and most importantly, pools/lagoons. The picture below is just one of the countless lagoons in which you could swim. Because we didn't have our swimmies, we people watched, which observing human behaviour/stupidity always provides ample forms of amusement.

After walking some more, we came across this huge concert/rave/something that was hearding drunk people like it was their job. Being the naive person I am, I initially thought it was some fundraising walk to raise money for the betterment of humanity, yet after watching an exciting episode of cocky males who think they have too much testosterone try to break down a fence to get in, I realized otherwise. Amusing, nevertheless.


By the end of the day, we were so exhuasted from walking that I was contemplating investing in either a wheelchair or stroller. We crawled into an Italian restaurant where we met up with some other friends who were also visiting Brisbane. The train ride back was pleasantly uneventful, besides being caught taking a picture of two guys who were sleeping on each others' shoulders.




Looking at this picture is painful because as I write I am eating what dad would call cardboard fritters (chicken nuggets). Believe it or not, I am still a typical college student who drinks instant coffee and waits until I wear my last pair of clean underwear to do the laundry. I just try to hide that part of my Australian existence.

Mojosurf

I'm hooked.

This past weekend, I, along with a plethora of other desperate foreigners who were yearning to learn to surf, traveled to Spot X for a weekend surf camp. After a 5 hour bus ride, filled with wise people who think it's a good idea to drink on a bus, we arrived at the location and were tossed into our accommodations. They were.. small, yet we can't complain because at least they were clean.

6:00 AM rolled around and we were off for our first 2 hour surf lesson. Our instructors were the stereotypical surfer, which only added to the experience. Besides teaching us all of the ways that we can die when we set out feet in the ocean, we learned the basics to surfing and how to stand up on the board and what not (below is a picture of us getting warmed up). We started out on the beginner boards with beginner waves so that our self-esteem wouldn't be too damaged. Either way, it does take sometime to get used to it.



After stuffing our faces at lunch (which many of you know, I can eat my body weight in food), we had another 2 hours of surfing. The afternoon waves were a lot more difficult than the morning's and I had my fair share of being knocked over, salt water plunging into my nose, and other surf boards mulling me over. It was exhausting, yet nothing beat the feeling when you actually caught a wave and road it to shore.


The next morning we had our last 2 hour surf session and by that time I could definitely see improvement. Our bodies, though, had taken quite a beaten;when I was on my stomach on the board I thought quite possibly my ribs were collapsing and that all of the skin on my knees had rubbed off. It was completely worth it, though.

Making a brief stop at Bryon Bay on the way home, we arrived back Sunday evening, which should have been the time in which reality sets in and you realize that you have classes to attend this week, but I waited until Monday to let that horrific feeling arise. It was a fantastic weekend, spent with great friends, and I can't wait to surf again. I already splurged on some surfing gear, and for being such a cheapskate, that's saying a lot.

It was gorgeous there (just like everything else here, including people) and because it was a private beach, there was not an abundance of annoying tourist like me clogging the area. I wish I could go back!

Bond Week

Let's be honest- My cause of death will be due to being hit by a speeding vehicle on a roundabout outside my house. I always look the wrong way to see if any cars are coming (due to them traveling on the opposite side of the road) and I swear they purposely speed up when they see an innocent victim step onto the street.

As you can tell, I have experienced what the overly educated call "culture shock," yet I find myself adjusting already to the new environment, culture, and way of life. This past week was called "Bond Week:" 6 full days for the nervous newbies, entailing both long lectures and social activities (my polite way of labeling parties). I learned what to expect in lectures and tutorials and that the Aussie motto of "no worries" does not mean slack off. I watched a highly inappropriate hypnotist (this post would be rated R if I fully explained what I witnessed), saw a movie under the stars, indulged in one-too-many barbies (BBQ's), and experienced Australian nightlife (no worries, I'm not an uncontrollable partier that has been released from its cage like most study abroad Americans are).

Above is a picture of Bond University, which I have already fallen in love with. Having 3,000 students, it's the only private Australian University created in the traditions of America's Ivy League colleges (is it obvious that I copied and pasted the last part?). What I love most about the school so far is its diversity. 40% of the students are international, meaning that the majority of the conversations I have entail me saying "What? Can you say that again? I can't understand you." It is such an opportunity to be exposed to so many different nationalities and everyone is eager to learn about each other's cultures.

Allowing my inner geek to come out, I could go on and on about the tea I had with my professors or the referencing style that is required here, but I suppose you would rather here about the beaches. WORD. I'm living on the Gold Coast, and it is freakin' gorgeous. This is my first time ever seeing big waves and I'm like a little kid running up and down the beaches. My Aussie friend, Kit, already called me Neemo. Surfer's Paradise is about a 10 minute bus drive away and if you get tired of the beaches (impossible for those who are not lame), you can always walk into the city and be plenty entertained.

Oh, and keep in mind, this is their winter. WHAT?!?!!?

Cairns, AU

After my dad's parting words of, "I don't care a crap; I'm not the one flying," I embarked on my journey that entailed over 20 hours in the air, 14 of which I didn't get to see the light of day. Everything went rather smoothly, much to my surprise... I suppose my only complaint was the Japanese woman who I sat next to on my trip to L.A. who showed me every picture she has ever taken on her digital camera and then wanted me to defend my argument that pyschology wouldn't turn me into an atheist. I also lost a day of my life: I never got to experience Sept. 3. I'll deal.

We (as in the rest of the AustraLearn group, which in my opinion, has its fair share of idiots), arrived in Cairns early afternoon on the 4th for our program orientation. Although exhausted, we had a full day of sessions to endure. It didn't matter though because it was amazingly beautiful there and we had a lot to look forward to in the next few days...

• Rainforest- Word. AWESOME. We got to get our pictures taken with a koala, but I felt really bad for it because I would hate to have its life. Then we entered into this area where there were kangeroos literally jumping everywhere around us; this has the potential to be the greatest animal experience of my life, minus when I once got a grasshopper stuck in my jeans. We basically got to hang out with kangeroos for awhile, and then we watched an Aboriginal tribal dance and learned how to throw a boomerang. We ended the day going on a safari, riding in an Army Duck (I could totally be butchering what it's actually called.. but it's a boat with wheels).





• Great Barrier Reef- SERIOUSLY?!?! Best day yet in this continent. We headed out early in the morning, and took about a 2 hour boat ride to the area in which we would be snorkeling and scuba diving. Words can't even describe how gorgeous this place is. I felt like I was on the Travel Channel. Snorkeling was a lot of fun, but the highlight of my day was scuba diving. I gotta admit, it was kind-of scary at first. But once you trust that you aren't going to breathe in a mouth full of salt water instead of air, it was a blast. I wish I could have taken pictures of all of the beautiful coral and exotic fish I saw, but just know that the pictures you do see on the Discovery Channel are the real deal.

In our spare time, we were allowed to go off on our own and explore Cairns. I fell in love with their downtown; it was so alive at night and there was much to do. We did get lost one time for an hour trying to find our bus stop, and I suppose asking someone for help just because they have an accent wasn't the best idea. About 15 minutes after having them lead us around, I finally asked one where he was from, and he replied England. Figures.

After our weekend in Cairns, we flew back to Brisbane and I'm finally at my University, sitting here in my new apartment. More on that later, but everything is really great, overwhelming the majority of times, but I'll learn to cope.

Pre-Departure

I cannot believe that by this time tomorrow I'll be headed toward Australia. That seems like an overused statement, but I just cannot grasp that I will be away from this country for the rest of the year. I guess when all I see is blue water below me it will finally sink in. Until then I can continue being in denial.

So far in my preparations for traveling I have practiced crying so when I get lost in the airport and have no clue what I'm doing, people will feel bad for the girl who looks like she is 12 and is traveling alone. I figure it will work. Going into this whole situation, I basically have the mindset of "how is life going to kick my butt this time?" I'm expecting that everything that could possibly go wrong, will indeed go wrong. Therefore, if my luggage and I both make it to Australia in one piece, I'll be quite satisfied.

Nevertheless, the ideal situation is that I will successfully make it from Columbus to Chicago to Los Angelas to Brisbane and finally to Cairns without dying of stress. Those who know me well will know this is a difficult feat, but I think I can manage.

I'll wrap it up now because I don't want to bore you. I'll try to do my best to keep my posts short (therefore avoiding excuciating details of how many people I saw wearing fanny packs or the count of how many people used the bathroom on the plane flights) so that maybe you'll want to continue reading what I post next. It's just a goal.