Missing you!

It probably won’t surprise anyone to hear that I’m getting a little homesick. It’s been just over two weeks since I left home and now the newness is starting to wear off. I can start to see how long of a time four months really is. I miss stupid things like walking into the Alpha Chi house. I miss Maddie’s random you tube videos that make me laugh and playing with Natalie‘s hair. I miss practically living in Gentry and Ellie’s room. I miss all of your hugs and support and just the general happiness I feel when I‘m around al of you. You don’t realize until you’re far away how much of a family we are. It’s so weird to start redefining myself without my friends as apart of it. None of this is ever to say I don’t like it here because that’s not the case. I love the people I live with and the others I’ve met. I’m actually starting to maybe see a glimpse of the journey God is taking me on and not that I could ever understand it but it’s something to take comfort in. It’s just the things from home like pillows and a fluffy towel that you don’t realize are so good. Some of our new friends have actually loaned us blankets and hotties (hot water bottles that warm you up at night so we can be more comfortable. He also gave us copies of his Cd which is pretty good. I’ll bring it home for you all. They are so giving, it blows my mind how quickly they accepted us into their lives here. People should be more accepting in the US, it would make it a happier place to live I think.
In other news we’ve purchased our tickets to New Zealand. From there we’re going to travel Southern New Zealand. Then we’re going to Cairnes (pronounced cans) and the Great Barrier Reef. After that we are going to drive (yes drive) down the cost to see all of the pretty beaches and surfer paradise. That’s going to be so so great. Anyway, I love you all a lot a lot and hope I hear from you soon. Hugs and kisses!

Melbourne

So, we spontaneously took a trip to Melbourne this weekend. We (Amy, Amy, Lisa, and I) packed and left in about an hour and that was all the thought we put into it. We walked into town, hopped on a train and off we went! It was an adventure to say the least. We got to the city at night and were starving. So we walked two miles to our hostile which was in the middle of China town. It was funny because it was on top of a pub. It was dirty and gross and because we booked it so late they had to split us up into separate rooms. I was fortunate and had a room of four and the three others I was living with weren’t bad. One guy was from Ireland and I never really talked to the other two. Lisa had it the worst. She was supposed to be in a room for three. She walked in and there were two guys- one in undies and the other butt naked sleeping! Needless to say she was not about to stay in that room by herself so she bunked with Amy and Amy who were in a room of ten. It smelled so bad!!! Anyway, Friday we woke up and headed to the Queen Victoria market. That was really cool. It’s the biggest market I’ve ever seen. There are just rows and rows of anything you could imagine. Food, chocolates, fruit, souvenirs, clothes, and tons of other stuff. I bought some earrings and pillow cases for my new apartment next semester. We spent most of the day there. Then we headed back to the hostile and on the way got some yummy gelato. Then we walked to the Realto tower which a very tall building you can go to the top of and see all of Melbourne. We wanted to go up at night so we walked to the river and hung out until it got a little darker. The top of the tower was so cool! You could see the beach and mountains and skyscrapers and the river all at once. It was really pretty. Then we walked back and ate dinner. Since we were in China town we thought Chinese food. Well, that was a bust because it ended up being the most uneatable food I’ve ever encountered!! It looked like intestine on a plate! After dinner we crashed! Luckily we were all able to get into the same room but with two other guys. That was a little better. Then Saturday we woke up and went to the Fitzroy gardens. They were so pretty! It was like being in paradise, the perfect day! After the gardens we headed to the beach. It was pretty cold so we just walked. We ate luch at this adorable café. It was delicious. I ordered a sandwich with pumpkin, lettuce, goat cheese, and pesto. None of the food is actually the same as what we are used to though. Everything has a different flavor. On the beach I found some cool shells then we walked around luna beach. Then we hopped back on a train home. Tomorrow we are going to church we some new friends and then headed to the wildlife park with other international students. After that we are going to cook dinner for the Austrians. I’ll keep you posted. I miss and love you all!

February 20, 2008

I had a really great day today. I’ve met some great people so far. I finally got a bank account and then later this week I’m getting a mobile (that’s what they call it). It gets better and better each day. It was really hard at first to get used to everything and even thought they speak English it’s not the same at all!! Everyone is really great though. This weekend we’re going into Geelong and staying with some new friends that I met through Christian Union here. They’re going to teach us to surf and boogie board. I’m getting pretty thrifty which is cool. We take buses into town when we can’t get a lift from friends. We’re also taking a bus into Geelong this weekend. Oh, I tried kangaroo which tastes a little like steak, emu which tastes like cheap steak, and crocodile which is like chicken. They’re all pretty good. Barbeques are all the rage here. I’ve eaten more sausages then I ever want to EVER again! You all know how I am about hot dogs so it’s been an adjustment- haha! Today we have the afternoon off and then tonight I’m going on a café crawl and am so excited. I thought the Pub Crawl sounded a bit too intense for me since it runs from 4:30 in the afternoon until three in the morning! Oh, and by the way they are actually pre-drinking for the café crawl! It makes me laugh cause when I’m sober I’m crazy and they’re chill and then it’s so opposite when they drink. Well, that’s all for now except I miss you all a lot.

2-16-08

Toda y has been fun I guess. It’s hard to be tired and not really “fit in”. I know I’m not being myself because I feel like I would have to force that unpretentious happiness right now and that’s not how I want to play this game. I really am feeling like I’m at camp. We’re out in the middle of nowhere and playing all these games, there is the sun and the bugs- It’s just like summer camp. The thing is I never much liked camp. I just want to settle into a routine and get to start traveling some. I want to see the beach and Melbourne. It’s hard to adjust to all of these all of at once. Especially because I don’t have anyone. I think it’ll be okay and that it will get better but I really need to work on my attitude about all of this. I need to out on a happy face and get over all of my complaints. I can do this and it’ll be fun!!!

I'm here!!

Just some thoughts on my first day in Australia. The people are very friendly. Quite immature though, of coarse that could be because I’m with the first years right now. It’s been fun to see the differences. Even just the small language variances that impede understanding. I constantly feel as though I’m asking them to repeat what they’ve just said. It’s weird to live so directly with boys. The general tome is very laid back. Everyone is pretty chill. It makes me realize how uptight Americans really are about the little stupid stuff. I’m super sun burnt. It’s actually scary how fast I got this burnt. Anyway, it’s going to be fun- that is if I stay sober enough to remember my time here! They’re wild about partying. I’m not sure if that’s because they’re just getting to the freedom of college life or if it’s actually the way of life for everyone here. If never quite seen anything like it; the freshman orientation had all this stuff about sex and even had people showing a fake fuck session up on stage. It’s not like it’s loose morals either- it’s just culturally accepted to do that. I wonder because you know there are some conservatives but they don’t fight like in America. Like if our Freshman orientation had been like that the university would have received tons of parent and student complaints. It’s just chill here- no one says anything. No one disagrees with the norm. No one talks about faith or religion. I haven’t meet anybody that seems even remotely Christian or religious but then again I guess it is just the first day.

Time to go..

My flight leaves tomorrow and I feel like I should be more worried then I am. I'm just packing like I'm going anywhere but not like I'm moving to Australia for five months. I weighed one of my suitcases and it was exactly 50lbs- hopefully my scale is a little off and it makes it on the plane okay! I'm missing everybody all ready. Things like this make me realize how lucky I am with my friends and family. I'm so excited to meet all the new people and have new experiences. At the same time I know that nothing can compare to the relationships I have here. The love and support I have recieved while preparing for this trip alone are astounding. I just know that I take that with me on every exciting adventure I'm about to experience. Say a prayer that everything goes well with my travels.

Love Always,

Laurie