I'm now back in San Antonio and through the first two weeks of classes (although neither was a full week). It's been an interesting process readjusting back to life in the States. I've been abroad before, including a summer in Spain, and knew that culture shock is sometimes worse when coming back to the States than it is when going abroad; however, I never expected it to be as difficult as it has been. Being in Texas and seeing friends and family has helped a lot, and still is helping. I also keep reminding myself that even if I was to go back (which I plan on doing at sometime in my life) it will never be exactly the same. Part of the culture shock was coming back to the Christmas season. It never really felt like Christmas to me. I think it was because my body was getting used to it being summer and I never went through the time of it gradually getting cooler.
On another note, Sydney, New Zealand, and Fiji were all great. It was great to see my parents in Sydney and share a little bit of Australia with them. We got to visit the zoo, aquarium, National Maritime Museum, the Opera House, and the Royal Botanic Gardens among other things. New Zealand was absolutely beautiful. You understand why they filmed Lord of the Rings there-it looks like another world. It is just so green and like nothing else. We visited Waitomo with the glowworm caves, Tongariro National Park with three volcanos, one with a ski area and one of which is Mount Doom. We then visited Rotorua, which is known for its geothermal activity. We then headed up to Auckland for a bit so I could fly out to Fiji. I met up with Jeremy in Fiji. The first night we hung out and booked a stay-put to Kuata. The first day was nice and sunny and we got to go snorkeling with sharks. The next day and a half were windy and rainy, but still nice.
While I am still surprised at how often everyday things throughout the day remind me of different experiences I had in Australia, I am glad to be back home. I had an absolutely amazing time. I took so many pictures, I'm still trying to go through them all, but when I get through them I'll try to post some.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Goodbyes are Harder than Hellos
I've checked out of my room. I'm all packed (and in two suitcases!). I've said goodbye to everyone here. While I'm sad to say goodbye to Perth and the people, the fact that I've moved out of my room means that I have no home here, so I am looking foreward to going home a little bit more. I've had an amazing last few days here. Hanging out with people, cleaning up, and exploring a few last things. I'm sorry I never got pictures up before I left, there will probably be many after I get back to the states. So now I'm off to Sydney to meet my parents. We'll stay until the 4th when we head to New Zealand. They'll stay until the 13th, while I leave on the 10th to meet a friend in Fiji. I'll leave Fiji on the 13th too, and we'll all get back the night of the 13th. Hope all is well and I can't wait to see everyone!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Freedom
I'm done with classes for the semester! I now have three days to pack and finish up whatever I want to do in Perth. I can't believe my time here is coming to a close. It's all getting more real, my flatmate Dave moved out today. I really wish I had more time here and with the amazing people I've met here. It's always been okay saying goodbye to friends in Colorado or Texas when the semester is about to begin or finish because I know I'll see them again within a few months. This time, I have no idea when I will see people, if I will ever see them again. I have no idea if and when I'll see the Americans that I have met here, not to mention all of the international students. That said, I'm really trying to enjoy my last few days in Perth and with everyone, which is harder than you might expect due to studying for exams and many people's families that are in town. While I am sad to be leaving WA soon, I am excited to travel around, see my parents, and eventually see everyone back home.
PS: Sorry I haven't posted pictures, its been a pain to sort through all of them. I'll do my best to get some up in the next few days, but it might have to wait until I'm back in the states in a few weeks.
PS: Sorry I haven't posted pictures, its been a pain to sort through all of them. I'll do my best to get some up in the next few days, but it might have to wait until I'm back in the states in a few weeks.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Two Weeks Notice
Wow. I can't believe I have less than two weeks left in Perth before I go to Sydney, New Zealand, and Fiji. It seems like I just got here, and there is so much more stuff that I want to do and see before I leave here.
The trip down south was amazing. We stopped at the Stirling Range, Albany, Denmark, Augusta, and Margaret River. It was a crazy adventure to say the least. We saw the tallest peak in WA in Stirling Range; the gap, natural bridge, and blowholes in Albany; Elephant Rock, Green Pool, Circle Pool, and the Treetop walk in Denmark; where the Indian Ocean and Southern Ocean meet in Augusta; and we hit up a couple wineries in Margaret River as well as part of the Busselton Jetty. We had to deal with driving on the other side of the road, kangaroos sitting in the road, setting up camp in the dark, and many a thunder and lightning storm. I'm really glad we got to go down south, because its not what you might expect Australia to look like. It was really green and had forests, the one with the treetop walk had trees over 60 meters (almost 200 feet) tall, and those aren't the biggest ones down south.
The weekend before we left, we had the opportunity to go cliff jumping along the Swan River at a place called Blackwall Reach. The cliff was around 35 feet in the air. I ended up jumping, and I'm glad I did, but its definitely something I'm not rushing to do again.
Today, Jeremy and I made it to the Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA) which was really interesting. The exhibits are set up as if you are traveling up along the coast of WA. Probably one of my favorite exhibits was the DangerZone, where they had some of the poisonous marine animals.
There is so much left that I want to do which I'm trying to fit into the last two weeks in addition to studying for my two final exams as well as spending time with all of the people here that I might never see again. Facebook may finally really be worth something besides a procrastination tool.
The trip down south was amazing. We stopped at the Stirling Range, Albany, Denmark, Augusta, and Margaret River. It was a crazy adventure to say the least. We saw the tallest peak in WA in Stirling Range; the gap, natural bridge, and blowholes in Albany; Elephant Rock, Green Pool, Circle Pool, and the Treetop walk in Denmark; where the Indian Ocean and Southern Ocean meet in Augusta; and we hit up a couple wineries in Margaret River as well as part of the Busselton Jetty. We had to deal with driving on the other side of the road, kangaroos sitting in the road, setting up camp in the dark, and many a thunder and lightning storm. I'm really glad we got to go down south, because its not what you might expect Australia to look like. It was really green and had forests, the one with the treetop walk had trees over 60 meters (almost 200 feet) tall, and those aren't the biggest ones down south.
The weekend before we left, we had the opportunity to go cliff jumping along the Swan River at a place called Blackwall Reach. The cliff was around 35 feet in the air. I ended up jumping, and I'm glad I did, but its definitely something I'm not rushing to do again.
Today, Jeremy and I made it to the Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA) which was really interesting. The exhibits are set up as if you are traveling up along the coast of WA. Probably one of my favorite exhibits was the DangerZone, where they had some of the poisonous marine animals.
There is so much left that I want to do which I'm trying to fit into the last two weeks in addition to studying for my two final exams as well as spending time with all of the people here that I might never see again. Facebook may finally really be worth something besides a procrastination tool.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
3 TAGE WACH
Three days awake. It wasn't exactly that, but its what I felt like this past week as I stayed late each night to finish up assignments. Not the best planning on my part, but now I'm done with classes and assignments! All that remains are two finals. I only have three weeks left here in Perth, and its so hard to believe. I don't think it has really sunk in yet that I'll be leaving soon. Next week is our southwest trip, which I'm really excited about. I get to hang out with a bunch of cool people and see more of Australia. Then its back to study for finals before I pack and head out to Sydney. This semester has gone so fast. It seems like I just got to Perth and started school.
Monday, November 2, 2009
So Much To Do, So Little Time
I know am in my last week of classes. Everything is a bit crazy. Some of the girls we visited in Cairns are here visiting. I have three papers and a project due this week. Trying to figure out classes for next semester and coordinate registration with back home. And we're trying to finalize plans for the southwest trip. As crazy as everything is, I'm really trying to appreciate everything and enjoy the time I have left since it is almost over.
On November 23-25 6 of us went to Rottnest Island, which is just off the coast of Perth. We camped and grilled which helped make it a cheap trip. There are no vehicles allowed over on the island so we had to walk everywhere. We had the option of renting bikes, but the weather on Saturday was not very nice, so we opted to walk around the island instead. Sunday, Justin and I took the bus (yes, they have one bus for the whole island) to the west end. It was so beautiful there and we got to see dolphins and humpback whales.
This past weekend was Halloween, which was an interesting experience here. They don't really celebrate it, but it is slowly getting more popular. We all dressed up and went to the party that the village was having before going out to the clubs.
The weather here is finally really warming up. Its weird to keep hearing about the snow that Colorado keeps getting and seeing Christmas stuff in stores when the weather just keeps getting warmer.
I'll try and post pictures from everything as soon as I have time.
On November 23-25 6 of us went to Rottnest Island, which is just off the coast of Perth. We camped and grilled which helped make it a cheap trip. There are no vehicles allowed over on the island so we had to walk everywhere. We had the option of renting bikes, but the weather on Saturday was not very nice, so we opted to walk around the island instead. Sunday, Justin and I took the bus (yes, they have one bus for the whole island) to the west end. It was so beautiful there and we got to see dolphins and humpback whales.
This past weekend was Halloween, which was an interesting experience here. They don't really celebrate it, but it is slowly getting more popular. We all dressed up and went to the party that the village was having before going out to the clubs.
The weather here is finally really warming up. Its weird to keep hearing about the snow that Colorado keeps getting and seeing Christmas stuff in stores when the weather just keeps getting warmer.
I'll try and post pictures from everything as soon as I have time.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Time Flies
Wow! I can't believe it was August when I last posted. I've been meaning to post more, but stuff has always just come up. Now it almost seems overwhelming. I would love to go into detail of everything that has happened, but that would just make me put of posting. So, instead, here is a quick recap of everything that has happened.
One of Jeremy's flatmates, Abby, took us home with her for a weekend which was amazing. She lives on a farm about 3 hours east of Perth. The scenery was absolutely amazing, especially all of the canola fields that were in bloom blanketing the land in a bright yellow. It was great to see a different part of Australia and be welcomed by her entire family.
For our first study break (yes, first) the four of us booked tickets to Cairns. We stayed with some of the girls going to James Cook there that we had met at orientation. While they were still in class, we had a great time entertaining ourselves and had fun with them when they were able to join us. I got to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef at Green Island which was beautiful. We spent a couple days on the beach. We went bungy jumping, which was a blast. Justin, Joe and I made it to the zoo where we got to feed kangaroos and hold a baby crocodile, snake, and, of course, a koala. Justin, Jeremy and I spent a day at the botanical gardens and the rainforest walk.
After coming back to Perth, we had three weeks of school before the second study break. In the middle, for one of the weekends, we had an adventure weekend put on for us by IFSA-Butler. The weekend consisted of abseiling, or repelling, rock climbing and caving, or spelunking. While I was nervous about abseiling at first, I had a blast and ended up going more than the rest of the group (most were more interested in rock climbing). Caving was definitely one of the times that I was glad I'm so small as I was able to wiggle my way through holes in seconds rather than minutes.
For the second study break, I went on the Northwest trip. The Northwest trip is a trip that is sponsored by Murdoch for international students who are on exchange or study abroad. The trip was 10 days of getting up early and driving in two buses up the coast of Australia. It was an absolutely amazing trip and I met so many new people. Some of the places we saw were Kalbarii National Park, Shark Bay World Heritage area where we went to Monkey Mia, Denham, Eagle Bluff, and Shell Beach and saw stromatolites, Coral Bay and the Ningaloo Reef, Hamersley Range, and Karinjini National Park. Everything was so amazing, its hard to pick a favorite.
This past weekend was packed full and incredible! As Murdoch students we got free weekend passes to the inaugural One Movement Festival in Perth. It featured artists from all over including, but not limited to:
I only have two and a half more weeks of class, which is hard to believe. Then for the study break (yes, I have yet another week off before exams) a bunch of people are going to go on a road trip to the southwest to visit Albany, Denmark, and other places. I'm having an thoroughly awesome time and with I could stay longer. I am coming home earlier than originally planed, but I'm excited because I'm meeting up with my parents in Sydney for a few days and then New Zealand for a week before I meet up with Jeremy in Fiji. I hope all is going well stateside and I'll try to post pictures from the past couple months.
One of Jeremy's flatmates, Abby, took us home with her for a weekend which was amazing. She lives on a farm about 3 hours east of Perth. The scenery was absolutely amazing, especially all of the canola fields that were in bloom blanketing the land in a bright yellow. It was great to see a different part of Australia and be welcomed by her entire family.
For our first study break (yes, first) the four of us booked tickets to Cairns. We stayed with some of the girls going to James Cook there that we had met at orientation. While they were still in class, we had a great time entertaining ourselves and had fun with them when they were able to join us. I got to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef at Green Island which was beautiful. We spent a couple days on the beach. We went bungy jumping, which was a blast. Justin, Joe and I made it to the zoo where we got to feed kangaroos and hold a baby crocodile, snake, and, of course, a koala. Justin, Jeremy and I spent a day at the botanical gardens and the rainforest walk.
After coming back to Perth, we had three weeks of school before the second study break. In the middle, for one of the weekends, we had an adventure weekend put on for us by IFSA-Butler. The weekend consisted of abseiling, or repelling, rock climbing and caving, or spelunking. While I was nervous about abseiling at first, I had a blast and ended up going more than the rest of the group (most were more interested in rock climbing). Caving was definitely one of the times that I was glad I'm so small as I was able to wiggle my way through holes in seconds rather than minutes.
For the second study break, I went on the Northwest trip. The Northwest trip is a trip that is sponsored by Murdoch for international students who are on exchange or study abroad. The trip was 10 days of getting up early and driving in two buses up the coast of Australia. It was an absolutely amazing trip and I met so many new people. Some of the places we saw were Kalbarii National Park, Shark Bay World Heritage area where we went to Monkey Mia, Denham, Eagle Bluff, and Shell Beach and saw stromatolites, Coral Bay and the Ningaloo Reef, Hamersley Range, and Karinjini National Park. Everything was so amazing, its hard to pick a favorite.
This past weekend was packed full and incredible! As Murdoch students we got free weekend passes to the inaugural One Movement Festival in Perth. It featured artists from all over including, but not limited to:
- Hilltop Hoods, the top Australian hip hop act
- Sarah Blasko
- Kate Miller-Heidke
- Blue King Brown
- Fefe Dobson
- Tata Young
- Scribe
- Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam
- Tigarah
- Art vs Science--They were AMAZING
- Matt Nathanson
I only have two and a half more weeks of class, which is hard to believe. Then for the study break (yes, I have yet another week off before exams) a bunch of people are going to go on a road trip to the southwest to visit Albany, Denmark, and other places. I'm having an thoroughly awesome time and with I could stay longer. I am coming home earlier than originally planed, but I'm excited because I'm meeting up with my parents in Sydney for a few days and then New Zealand for a week before I meet up with Jeremy in Fiji. I hope all is going well stateside and I'll try to post pictures from the past couple months.
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