A Semester In Pictures [Spring 2011]

Hiking with friends.

Waterfalls!

Enjoying the simple pleasures of life with a best friend.

A little spontaneous handy work that turned into an EPIC FAIL!

Fiesta Party!

New friends.

Hiking adventures!

Loving life and nature!

Back Ops bonfire!v

Bonfire!

Spring Break in Naples, Florida.

Fishing for rocks!

Sisterly love!

Best friends since 6th grade.

Spending time with family!

Crocodile sighting.

❤

Smallest Post Office.

What a wonderful week!

Oh Senior Design…

Game nights.

Easter!

LSOS’s 22nd

Leigh Graduation Party!

A Semester in Pictures [Fall 2010]

Departed Cherry Hill, NJ on 8/10/2010 at 5:07 am with English muffins in hand.

After being Clemson deprived for 7 months I finally arrived at The Goat House!

I was greeted by the BEST and COOLEST fish ever, Jeremy! RIP 😦

AXO Rush!

Missy's 21st Birthday!

Bid Day!

First Friday Parade!

First Clemson football game of the season!

Lake days!

Australia reunion!

Weird random sightings on campus.

Becca's 22nd birthday and the arrival of Kora!

Revelation!

Game day!

Saving sweet little mice (RIP Fredrick)

The TERP and the BUCKEYE invade TIGER TOWN!

The "Freshman Four"

Football Game Crazies

Texas for Fall Break

Game Day!

Weekend in NC with Chelsea

Hiking

USC Game

Christmas Bonfire

Homeward Bound

Am I ready to leave Australia? — NO

Better question: Will I EVER be ready to leave Australia? — NO

The time had come.  After spending an incredible, life changing, 5 months and 2 days in the ‘Land Down Under’ it was time to leave.  I hate goodbyes so there were none of those, just a lot of ‘see you later’.  This is not the end of Australia for me.  One day, some day I will be returning.  For what? Who knows.  Only time can tell.

After saying see you later to Missy and taking my last breath of Australian air I boarded the plane.  I’m not going to lie, tears came to my eyes as I made it through the narrow isle to my seat. I was not as lucky on this flight as I was on my flight over.  I took my window seat next to an older slightly smelly woman who didn’t speak great English.  The woman had gigantic arms to say the least.  She totally took control over my armrest.  Oh well.  The flight attendant working our part of the plane is what I’d like to call a piece of work.  She was probably 65 with more makeup on her face than a Sephora store.  I guess no one ever told her makeup doesn’t cover up wrinkles.  She certainly didn’t make the 13 hour flight any more tolerable.

Having left my ipod in a hostel in Airlie Beach finding ways to entertain myself was quite miserable.  I tried to watch some of the movies they played only to find the angle of the screen really wasn’t making my neck feel so well. Fail.  I did my best to fall asleep and prayed the flight would be over soon.

Eventually it was time to eat.  I got a tray of food that had those special yellow containers for people who have a special diet.  After my terrifying experience on the flight over I switched my meal option from vegetarian to no diet restrictions.  Well I got a tray with a yellow lid and had a panic attack.  Luckily I soon realized it was for the woman sitting in front of me.  It smelt like play-dough.  So instead I got salad and pasta.  The salad was yummy and the pasta odd, but edible.  The plane ride was soon over and I was finally back on US soil.  I made my way through the San Francisco airport to my next flight.  The 6 hour flight from SF to Newark, NJ was more miserable than words can even begin to describe.  But I made it.  After nearly a full day of traveling, I was safe and sound back at home.

My parents picked me up from the airport.  Tears streaming down their faces, arms wide opened ready to give me a huge hug!  It was good to see them. It had been a long long time!  After making it home and seeing my sisters and my dog it was time to tackle the next challenge.  Jet lag.  It wasn’t too bad but definitely not fun.  It took a solid 2 weeks to get back into the swing of things.  Between re-learning to drive on the right side of the road and waking up at a decent hour.

Direct from the journal of yours truly:

I suppose it is only appropriate to reflect upon my time in Oz while flying over the pacific ocean headed home.

For one, I am beyond blessed and thankful I was given and took advantage of this life changing opportunity.  Hearing the stories of the other girls makes me realize how much of a dream this was for me.

I left the comfort of my own home and lived abroad for 5 months.  I had no idea what to expect and knew no one coming with me.  If I could do it all over again there isn’t a single thing I’d change.

Living in the shack couldn’t have turned out any better.  Yes, at time it would have been nice and heaps more convenient to have lived in the house.  Through it all, the walks of shame, the first lonely weeks, I realized how loving and caring a group of people could really be.

The Carmen and Rooney families have demonstrated the most selfless generosity.  They not only provided us with a family away from home but a car.  How thankful we all were for that.

The fellowship that surrounded and existed within 62 Church Street will be hard to beat.  I will certainly miss the game nights, dinners, and just get togethers.

I love that most of the people I’ve met go to Clemson and we can continue to be friends there.

It’s really hard to sum these 5 months into words.  I’ll never forget people and memories made… how could I when these have been the best months of my life?!

My very first day in Newcastle!

 

My very last day in Newcastle 😦

Final Farewell :(

I don’t think my last weekend in Sydney could have been much better considering the circumstances.  Missy and I are certainly directionally challenged.  After attending the night session of the Hillsong Conference we made the 4 minute walk back to our hostel a 40 minute one!

Saturday, we woke up and got ready for a day out on the town.  We took the train to Circular Qy and saw the Opera House, walked around the market,

 

and listened to the beautiful soulful voice of Alex Gibson.  He was selling demo CDs and so Missy and I decided to sacrifice our train fare for one!

 

We decided to take the ferry to Darling Harbour where we’d be going to see Toy Story 3 at the IMAX theater.  Sydney’s IMAX is the largest in the world so we were both very excited.  Taking the ferry was a lot of fun!  I got to see the Opera House from a very cool angle!

Toy Story 3 was one of the best movies I had seen in a while!

After the movie we met up with Laura and went to dinner.  After we had dessert and played UNO at a very interesting Asian Cafe.  I had a yummy mango sorbet that was good but didn’t compare to what I had in Airlie Beach.

After a fun night we headed back to the hostel to organize our things.  The next morning we woke up at 6:30 am.  Missy’s flight was leaving at 9:50 so we had to get to the airport early.  It was just her luck that the flight was oversold so she couldn’t get on.  My flight was scheduled to leave at 12 and I had no choice but to board my plane leaving Missy behind.  I left her with my international cell phone and whatever else I could spare to make her stay in the airport more manageable.

Adventures with MISSY!

Laura and I were certain that Missy would wake up the next morning at around 5:30 am due to the time change and jet lag.  She fooled us all and slept past 10!

We enjoyed a relaxing morning before going to the HUB! Missy finally got to see what the infamous HUB was all about. I don’t think it’s what she expected. 

We were only there for a short while to check emails and such.  To make a long story short we looked up directions on Google Maps from Newcastle to the Quay West Hotel in Sydney so we could drop off some luggage for the Colcolough family.

We decided to make it an adventure and with Google Map directions in hand jumped into The Joker and were on our way.  Laura stayed behind in Newcastle to pack and clean.  The directions didn’t seem complicated at all and although I was doubtful we’d ever make it I tried to remain confident that we’d reach our destination.

One of the Dove chocolate wrappers became our motto for the next 10 days: Sometimes breaking the rules is more fun.

It was a stunning day in Australia.  Missy managed to snap a few pictures along the drive.  At one point we saw a turn off of an animal park but after some investigation decided (1) it was not worth the money (2) we’d have plenty of opportunities to see animals (3) if we didn’t get into the city before dark I was worried we’d really never find the hotel.

We drove and drove and drove some more.  It seemed like forever before we reached the city.  We did at one point take a little ‘detour’ and stopped at a hungry jacks to get something to drink.  We stood in a line for a good 15 minutes before it was our turn to order.  It wasn’t until then that we found out the soft drink machine was broken.  So much for that.

To say the least, the Google Map directions lied.  We got to a point in our adventure where I had to choose the tunnel or the bridge.  I went with the tunnel.  I still don’t know if that was the right choice but before long I was headed toward Bondi Beach.  I knew Bondi was a good 20 minutes or so outside of the city so we were clearly not headed in the right direction.

I then remembered that Keri was flying into Sydney that day and I decided to give her a call to see if she wanted a ride back to Newcastle instead of having to endure the miserable train ride.  She told me she was in Sydney and was finishing up lunch with a friend but would take me up on the offer.

Missy and I drove around aimlessly for another 15 minutes or so before calling Keri back to tell her we were completely lost.  It was then we learned that the friend she was with had a GPS!  We couldn’t have been luckier.  I really don’t think we would have ever made it there if it wasn’t for this GPS.  Keri gave us directions to where her and her friend were and then we’d follow them from there to the hotel!

Once we spotted the yellow car we knew operation deliver the Colcolough luggage would be a success!

From that point on it was a piece of cake navigating through the busy streets of Sydney! Once at the hotel [which was absolutely stunning] we unloaded the luggage and Keri jumped in the car.  The Joker isn’t the most graceful car out there on the road.  In fact to start the engine it sometimes requires a little bit of gas and one or two tries.  Of course it had to put on a show right there in front of one of the nicest hotels in Sydney.  It was slightly embarrassing but mostly funny which just added to the overall adventure.

Being the smart person I am we never asked for directions out of the city so we just trusted there would be signs to guide us.  WRONG.  We ended up near Bondi Beach again and since the sun was beginning to set decided to go take a gander.

It was all very beautiful and I was glad happy we all got to see the world-famous beach!

Finally on route back to Newcastle I got super confused with the different toll lanes and ended up in the E-TAG lane (equivalent to our EZ-PASS).  I blame it on the poorly marked lanes and lack of signs but I ended up just driving straight through the toll.  Luckily they don’t fine you if you pay the toll online within a certain period of time.

About halfway into our return trip we got hungry and restless and decided to stop at McDonald’s where Missy experienced her first 50 cent cone!

That night Pedr and Dan came over and we watched some silly Australian movie.  It was possibly the strangest movie EVER! Laura and I agreed that we just didn’t have the same humor as Australians.  Missy passed out on the couch which ended up being a trend throughout the week.  Tomorrow we’d be going to the market!

Sunday morning we woke up and got ready to go to the market.  We went to the train station only to find out we missed the train by a few short minutes and we’d have to wait an hour to catch the next one.  Our best bet was to take the bus to Broadmeadow.  I am not a fan of taking the bus in Australia.  I never know where the bus is going, when to get off, and if I’ll ever reach my destination.  But in order to get to the market in a timely fashion we didn’t have much of a choice.  So we waited for the bus and nicely asked the driver to inform us when we should get off for the market.  He wasn’t the nicest driver and we got off a little early but we managed!

Once we made it to the market we browsed all the different booths and scored some free samples of delicious food.  We ended up buying hats and I bought an area rag-rug!

After taking the train home I decided to take Missy to Goldberg’s for lunch where I heard they had really good food.  The portions were huge but needless to say the good was delicious.  Then it started to pour.  I think it was the hardest it rained the entire time I was in Australia.  We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around Darby Street and exploring Newcastle.  Later that evening we went to Church 180.  That night Pedr and Dan came over to hang out.  Since people had left we had an abundance of random food that we managed to pawn off on the boys!

The next day, we decided to take the car on a little adventure to Oakvale Farm & Fauna World.  Even though the weather wasn’t the best we both had a lot of fun seeing and feeding the animals!

After hanging out with the animals we ventured to New South Wales’ famous Hunter Valley vineyards and drove around looking at the groves.  We stopped at a few wineries and learned about different wines!

After exploring we headed back to Newcastle.  Ned and Caleb had managed to make it back to Newcastle so they came over.  It was nice to have some people come and visit since the house had gone from 7 people down to 2 in less than a week! We made cookies, drank tea, and watched movies.  NOTE: NEVER WATCH ‘WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE’ it was a terrible horrible no good movie!

With so many empty beds, Ned and Caleb spent the night in the house which was a nice change from sleeping in the trunk of their car!  That night, it was decided that Missy and I would not be road-tripping up the cost due to time and gas costs.  So, Wednesday was spent exploring Newcastle and packing up my life.  We ventured to the church down the street and got to climb the bell tower to the roof! We then walked down to the lighthouse and our on the pier.  The sun was setting and the sky was absolutely stunning.  Of course I decided to climb on the rocks and Dan’s car keys fell out of my pocket.  I was so scared the fell into the water but luckily (for one I got lucky) they fell between two rocks.  Thanks to Missy’s super long arms we were able to get the keys back!!

Thursday was supposed to be a fun filled day of exploring Hunter Valley with a tour group but the guy forgot to have Missy and me picked up.  Yes, we were forgotten.  Oh well, the man apologized profusely and offered to take us the next day, but sadly we would be departing Newcastle.  So much for our wine tour.  We spent the rainy day watching Avatar, going to the mall, and packing.

Friday we woke up early, made sure everything was in its place and boarded the train to Sydney.  We had so many bags!!  It was so sad having to leave Newcastle and knowing my time in Australia was soon reaching its end.

Christmas in July

And then there were 4.  It was only Laura, Cameron, Caitlin and I left in the house and you could tell it was seriously beginning to feel like the beginning of the end.  We spent most of the day cleaning and getting things done around the house.  I was super excited that Missy would be arriving the next day as well as the Colcolough family!

Bad news came later that night via the form of a text message.  Missy was stuck in the LAX airport and would not be getting on the flight to Sydney.  Seriously depressing news.  I kept my fingers crossed and my hopes high that she’d make it out the following day but only time could tell.

So instead of picking up Missy from the train station, the girls and I ventured to the movie theater to see the 10:30 am showing of Eclipse.  We got there plenty early thinking that there would be plenty of people wanting to see the movie on opening day.  We were so wrong.  There might have been a total of 30 people in the theater many of them being older men who sat by themselves.  My guess is that they were embarrassed and didn’t want people knowing they were going to see eclipse so they skipped out on work and went to the early showing.  The movie was good although the whole vampire thing really isn’t my cup of tea.

After, Cameron and Caitlin went to meet up with their family while Laura and I did more cleaning and packing.  It was incredibly weird packing up the shack and moving all my belongings out of the house.  The Colcolough family arrived at 62 Church St. later that afternoon.  With them they brought heaps of American lollies including my favorite Swedish Fish and Sour Patch Kids.  Australians sure miss you on some great candy.  We also got M&Ms and Reese’s Cups.  It was so Christmas in July.

They also cleaned the house with us which was a HUGE help.  Our landlord is probably the pickiest most anal person I’ve come across in quite sometime.  She isn’t very nice and doesn’t like Americans which already puts a strike against us for no reason.  We cleaned the house the best we could so she wouldn’t give us some outrageous housecleaning bill.

Later that night, Pedr and Dan came over and we got dinner.  Dan brought over a blender and we made milkshakes complete with Reese’s Cups!  They were much needed and so super yummy.  I also got the great, stupendous, wonderful news that Missy got on the flight and would be arrive in Newcastle the next morning. I was so so so so excited.  I didn’t know how I was going to fall asleep that night but I managed to convince myself that the sooner I feel asleep the sooner I’d wake up and the sooner Missy would be here.

The next morning we went to the Bogie Hole Cafe with the Colcolough family.  I had the best french toast ever.  It was complete with fresh berries and ricotta cheese which sounds kind of weird but was simply delicious!  After breakfast I walked around downtown with Laura before going to the train station to get Missy.

After searching around for a few minutes I finally found her! AH! MISSY MOQUIN was in AUSTRALIA! Again it was much like Christmas in July with just her showing up but with her she brought: my new camera [I could finally take pictures again], green lifesaver mints [I have a serious addiction to them and Australia doesn’t have them], Dove chocolates [reading the wrappers is a favorite pastime], and other goodies.

We sat around and talked catching up on life.  That evening we went out to dinner with the Colcolough family.  It was sadly their last night in Newcastle.  I guess you could say short but sweet.  They would be traveling to New Zealand for a week before returning to Australia.  By the time they got back to Australia I would be high in the sky on my way home.

That night Cameron and Caitlin finished packing up their belongings.  The next morning we said our goodbyes before Happy Cabby whisked them away.  And then there were 2…

“The Greener the Cleaner; The Whiter the Brighter”

Our sailing adventure began on the 27^th when we boarded the Matador.  The Matador is a 24.9 meter Maxi sailboat.  It is the largest international offshore Maxi ever built.  It is also the winner of 2 Maxi World Championship races as well as 52 other races and would be our home for the next 3 days and two nights.

Once we boarded the boat we were greeted by our captain, hostess, deckhand, and dive instructor.  The eight of us, Cameron, Caitlin, Lindsey, Ned, Caleb, Dan, Pedr, and myself were the largest group on the boat.  Most people knew one or two other people.  It was nice having such a large group.  We got assigned our beds first to ensure we’d all be sleeping in the same area.  After everyone got situated it was time to get sailing.  They asked for two volunteers and Cameron and I were the lucky two chosen.

Little did we know but our muscles would be put to work.  We had to crank a wheel to raise the sail.  It was a lot of work but luckily they had two boys standing by to take over when my ‘marshmallow’ muscles gave way.  We also were told to write our name and where we were from on our feet so we could get to know each other better.  There were people on the boat from England, Holland, Australia, and France just to name a few.  Everyone was nice and friendly which made for a great time.

We sailed for a while until we anchored at a bay for the night.  We were given a super yummy pasta dinner complete with garlic bread and a garden salad.  Once the sun went down it was very cold out on the deck of the boat so we decided to go to bed fairly early.  It was fun falling asleep to the boat rocking with the waves.

We woke up the next morning and munched on some breakfast while sailing to White Haven Beach.  We sailed for about an hour before arriving at our destination.  We took a little boat to shore where the dive-instructor took us on a bushwalk to a lookout that overlooked the beach.  Along the way she stopped to show us these ants that had lime green bubble buts.  She told us if you ate one they tasted like lime and Aboriginals used them when cooking.  Much to my surprise Lindsey ate one!  She confirmed the fact it tasted like lime.  I still can’t believe she ate an ant. AH!

After viewing the scenic sights from the lookout we headed down to the beach.  There were these crazy little crabs that were everywhere!  They buried themselves in the sand although it wasn’t hard to find them.  The sand on White Haven Beach is 98% silica and was used when making the lens of the Hubble Telescope.

After enjoying the beach we headed back to the boat and sailed to our next stop, Luncheon Bay.  We had lunch and got ready for snorkeling.  We had to wear stinger suits because of the potential jelly fish.  I felt really awkward not to mention it was a tad too big.  Once we suited up we found fins and snorkeling masks that fit.  They told us the best way to clean the masks was to spit in it; “The greener the cleaner, the whiter the brighter.”  Basically, you had to get a real good juicy spit ball.  Gross, I know.  I didn’t partake in the cleaning of my mask and I saw everything just fine!

We were taken out on a little boat into the middle of the reef.  We flipped over the back of the boat and submerged ourselves in the beauty the deep blue sea had to offer.  The man driving the little boat threw pieces of bread in the water to attract the fish.  In seconds we were surrounded by schools and schools of fish.  It was craziness! I saw the most colorful fish I’ve ever seen as well as the most intricate corals.  I still can’t believe I got to see all of that.  I found Nemo and Dori, too!

After swimming around it was time to head back to the boat.  We laid out for a little until the sun went down and we got cold.  In the distance someone spotted Whales.  They were so much fun to watch!

While we were waiting for dinner I got slightly hungry and went on an orange binge.  I lost count but I’m almost certain I peeled and ate 10 oranges.  They were just so yummy!  I shared of course but by the time dinner rolled around I was stuffed.

The rest of the night was spent talking to people and watching them play a game called ‘eat my box’.  It was interesting and entertaining.  That night we climbed into bed and had story time thanks to Caleb. He told some childhood stories that were so funny.  I don’t think we’ve laughed so much in a while.

The next morning was our final day on the boat.  We had breakfast while sailing back to Airlie beach. As much as I loved our sailing adventure I was ready to get off the boat.  We were all in much need of a shower and real beds.

We took a ferry to Hamilton Island, boarded a plane to Sydney, took a train back to Newcastle, and got a ride from Mr. Carmen back to our house!  It was crazy to think that day we were on a boat, ferry, plane, train, and car!

That night Lindsey finished packing up her things. I drove her to the train station early that morning where we exchanged goodbyes.  It’s weird to think there are only four of us left!  It is mind-boggling how quickly our time here in Australia is coming to an end.  Missy is scheduled to arrive in 2 days along with the rest of the Colcolough family!

“Sweet Potato Pie and I Shut My Mouth”

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that our trip to Airlie Beach and sailing the Whitsunday Islands turned into quite an adventure.  Seems to be the common trend these past 5 months…

I am pleased to report that everyone successfully survived the 3 week finals testing period.  Cameron had her last final on the 21^st and then it was freedom at last.  No more early train rides to campus, long hours spent in the HUB, and stressful assignments.  We were done!

On the morning of the 22^nd, we decided to have Anthony and Mark over for breakfast since they’d be leaving while we were on our adventure.  Sadly, Chris and Trenton had already departed and would not be joining in on the festivities.  We had a scrumptious pancake breakfast and enjoyed chatting and reminiscing about our times spent in Australia.  It was sad saying goodbye but I know it won’t be too long before we see those crazy Wisconsin kids again.

After breakfast Cameron, Caitlin, Lindsey, and I ran a few errands and got our stuff together before heading to the airport.  Sadly, Elyse and Laura were not joining us on our trip.  While we were away, Elyse left to go back to Ohio but only for a few hours before flying to Poland to enjoy a two week European vacation with her family.  Talk about a world traveler!

If you’ve been reading my blog all along, I’m sure you have an understanding of how much I love the airline JETSTAR.  I have yet another reason to add to the never-ending list of reasons as to why I will never ever again fly with them.  (I know I probably say that almost every time something goes wrong but they have the cheapest tickets around and so I feel inclined to fly with them.)

To make long story short we missed our flight from Newcastle to Brisbane where Ned and Caleb would be picking us up.  The lady at the ticket counter refused to let us check-in despite the fact we really weren’t late.  We’re all pretty sure if her rotten supervisor hadn’t been standing there we wouldn’t have had to buy new tickets.  Anyway, we bought new tickets and flew into the Gold Coast, took a train to Caboolture, Ned and Caleb picked us up, and so began the road trip.

Ned and Caleb are true ‘backpackers’ and live out of their car, the Portugal, most of the time.  We managed to fit all of our luggage in the trunk and were on our way.  The first stop was Noosa.  Noosa was a quaint little tourist town with plenty of shops and great ocean views.  We stayed at the YHA which was really cool.  It reminded me of a bungalow in the rainforest.  We booked a double room and doubled up to save some money.  It was nice to be in North Australia where the weather was a lot warmer.  We did some window shopping and plenty of wallowing.  It rained for most of the afternoon so the six of us crammed into our little closet of a room and watched ‘Cool Runnings’ which soon became a favorite movie of mine.

The next day we explored the town some more and bought some groceries to make a scrumptious dinner.  We made sure to get a good night sleep since the next day we would be driving to the next major town, Rockhampton, which was a 6 hour drive.

We were on the road by 10 am and drove until we stopped for lunch in a tiny little town.  The girls got Subway for lunch while the boys made food.  Caleb spotted some cows on the other side of the train tracks and decided to pay them a little visit.  I don’t think they appreciated him intruding on their farm but it was entertaining to say the least.

When we finally arrived in Rockhampton some 5 hours later we were greeted by an enormous cow.  We were once again hungry and decided to stop at Hungry Jacks, the Australian version of Burger King.  Everyone seemed to get meals complete with fries, a drink, ice cream, and a burger for under $6.  Meanwhile, I on the other hand just wanted a salad and small fry which ended up costing an arm and a leg.  I guess vegetarians don’t belong at fast food chains.  I think it is safe to say I will never be getting another salad from Hungry Jacks.

We decided that the town filled with cows was not a suitable resting place.  Seriously, there were cows everywhere.  Not real ones but plastic and ceramic cows everywhere.  Caleb had a second wind of energy after downing his ever so nutritious dinner and decided he would drive the 6 hours to Airlie Beach.

Caitlin and I rode in the front making sure Caleb stayed awake while the other dozed off in the back.  I don’t know who thought it was a good idea but Song of the South was played a total of 10 times in a row.  By the 10^th time we all were going insane but at least we knew all the words!

We finally saw the ‘Welcome to Airlie Beach’ sign around 12:30 am and proceeded to find a hostel.  It was pouring rain as we drove around.  We came across the YHA only to discover that reception was closed and wouldn’t re-open until 7:00 am.  There was a number on the door for emergencies and seeing that we didn’t have a place to stay we gave it a go.  The man that answered said there were no available rooms so off we went.

We drove around to several other places only to discover they were closed or fully booked.  We only had one option left, the car.  Caleb and Ned would have slept in their hammocks except it was raining.  So, the six of us crammed into the car.  Caitlin slept in the passenger seat, I slept in the driver seat, Cameron slept among the luggage in the trunk while Lindsey, Ned, and Caleb slept in the back seat.  I don’t think any of us slept for more than 10 minutes here and there.  The next morning we awoke at 7 am and drove to the YHA for attempt two in finding a room.  We got very lucky and they had a double room we could have right away!

We checked in and took a much needed nap for a few hours.  After our nap we showered and hit the town.  I would consider Airlie Beach your typical surf town.  There were cute little stores and cafés.  We ate lunch down by the water.  I enjoyed playing with the seagulls and collecting seashells.

Dan and Pedr arrived in Airlie Beach on the 25^th!  We were all very excited that they’d be accompanying us on our sailing adventure since our time together is soon coming to an end.  We went grocery shopping to get some food for the sailing trip and for dinner that night.  We ate spaghetti and salad which was yummy and had ice-cream for dessert.  After, we decided to go out for a night out on the town.   We stumbled into a local restaurant that had live music.  A dude who was playing the guitar and singing sounded really good so we decided to check it out.  He played a bunch of his own songs as well as covers which proved to be very entertaining.

The next morning, we went to the seaside market and walked around looking at all the different booths.  There was one where this lady was selling mango sorbet.  She took chunks of frozen mango and pressed it through a machine that turned into goodness.  It was AMAZING 100% pure mango, no sugar added. I was certainly sad when it was all gone.

We strolled around the town enjoying the warm sun.  I really miss warm weather which is one reason why I am slightly ready to go home.  That night we grilled out.  Everyone enjoyed hamburgers while I had a fresh fruit salad and yogurt.  It was probably one of the best meals I’ve had in a while. The strawberries I bought from the grocery store were to die for.  Seriously.  I wish American produce was as good as the fruit and vegetables we’ve had while in Australia.  There is such a difference in the quality and freshness.

That night Caitlin, Dan, Pedr, Caleb, and I went back to the restaurant to watch that dude sing again.  He remembered us from the night before and took the time to come introduce himself and meet us. He provided us with another great hour of entertainment.  Caleb even managed to dance with some not so sober ladies.

We went back and wallowed and watched ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ before hitting the hay.  We were all so super excited to be boarding the sailboat and starting our adventure at sea!

“Bye! Have a Lovely Day!”

It has been quite a wild week or two.  On the 14th, we all loaded into two Commodores and took a road trip to Smith’s Lake and the beach.  Elyse and Laura we’re living up life in New Zealand so the adventure consisted of Lindsey, Cameron, Caitlin, Sarah, Dan, Pedr, Trenton, Chris, Mark, and me!  The lake was a 2 hour drive away and it was nice to see a different part of Australia.

We stopped at a beach where the waves were MASSIVE.  The boys went surfing only to have some problems.  Trenton’s board was cracking, Dan’s board got sliced, and Chris’ bent.  We then went to get some lunch and then hit up the skate park.  It was a much needed relaxing day after a stressful week of 3 finals.

On Tuesday, the fun began with the impossible task of cramming for pharmacology.  I studied, and studied and studied some more.  I did the same on Wednesday but decided a change of scenery was in order so I headed to campus to study in the library with Lindsey, Cameron, and Caitlin.  They are doing construction work on the train-tracks for the next two weeks so we had to take the bus.  The bus is a painful 45 minute ride compared to the painless 12 minute train ride.

We get on the bus to be greeted by a very obnoxious but friendly bus driver.  Then an older woman gets on and starts talking to Cameron and I.  She finds out we’re American and publically announces it to the entire bus.  She was a riot.  She told us how she visited the west coast of the United States back in the day long before we were born and how she used to work in the hospital.  Every time someone got off the bus, the bus driver would shout “Bye!  Have a lovely day!” The old lady decided that enough was enough and so when she got to get off the bus (before announcing she needed to get off at the stop for the John Hunter Hospital because she was getting a mammogram) she turned back and shouted at the bus driver for her to have a lovely day.  Needless to say, the 45 minute bus ride provided some much needed entertainment before a long day of studying!

On Thursday I studied all day.  I don’t think I even left the house once.  Oh how much fun it was.  Friday Morning was judgment day and well we’re just going to have to wait and see how I did.  I knew some answers and then didn’t know some.  Hopefully I guessed right!  I’m just so so so so so happy its DONE!

Friday night heaps of people came over and we watched the USA World Cup Game while snacking on homemade salsa and the BEST apple crisp ever.  On Saturday, it was Trenton and Chris’ last night in Newcastle so we went were sure to have a fun night.

Sunday, Lindsey, Laura, and I went down to the ocean and watched for whales!  We saw some jumping in and out of the water and blowing water from their spouts.  It was so so so so cool!  We spent the rest of the day just relaxing and getting stuff done in the house.  Around 4 we went down to the beach and took pictures together!  Ah I’m going to miss my Australia family so much.  Then we went to church.  It was the last Sunday we’d all be here so it was sad to say bye to everyone.  Chris, Trenton, and Sarah head back to the states today. It is really weird that they won’t be here anymore.  It definitely feels like the beginning of the end.

Tomorrow Lindsey, Cameron, Caitlin and I leave for Brisbane.  Ned and Caleb are going to pick us up and then we’re driving up the coast to Airlie Beach! On the 25th, Pedr and Dan are flying up there to meet us.  On the 27th we board an old racing yacht and spend 2 days/2 night sailing around the Whitsunday Islands!  We are all so very excited and ready for some much needed warmer weather.  Then, on July 1st, the one and only Missy Moquin comes to visit!  She’s staying in Australia with me until July 11th when we both depart back to the states!

…and then there were 6

We lost the first of our bunch on June 1st.  Brandi left early Tuesday morning to return back home.  Originally, she was supposed to leave July 12th but certain unforeseen circumstances prevented her from staying the duration of her trip.  Although she will be missed I know how much she has missed home so I’m happy just as long as she’s happy.  We had some great times here together in Australia.  It is definitely weird without her around.

Despite all efforts, sadly my camera cannot be salvaged.  The bearer of bad news came from the Nikon website regarding my camera’s warranty.  It stated that the warranty did not cover damage caused by accident, misuse, do-it-yourself repairs, sand, grit or water.

I still wasn’t going to give up hope so I sent Nikon and email explaining my situation.  They sent me back the following reply: Thank you for your enquiry and for purchasing a Nikon product.  As cameras are not trained to swim, I can tell you straight off your camera is uneconomical to repair.   If you have insurance, it may be covered by that.

Well it turns out my camera is not covered by insurance and after my mom did some extensive research it turns out my camera is a goner.  I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with it yet.  I might be able to sell it for some money to a camera store that would use it for parts [if any can be salvaged] or I might turn it into some kind of art project.  Only time will tell.

This past week was a long one.  I spent the weekend and most of last week studying for my biochemistry test which I attempted to beast on Tuesday.  I don’t think I failed and considering I only need a 50% in the class to get Clemson credit I think I’m good in the hood.  Then, on Thursday I had an online Aboriginal studies test.  Now you would think this class would be one of those you do your work and you get by kind of class.  That is far from the truth.  I’m pretty it’s my lowest grade.  The online final consisted of 10 open-ended questions.  It wasn’t too bad.  Now I can only hope and pray my crazy teacher liked my answers.  This morning, I had my world religions final.  I knew what the three questions were ahead of time so ti was just a matter of regurgitating the information out on paper.  I think it went fairly well.

I wish I could say I am done with Uni here in Australia but I think we’re all forgetting about the dreaded pharmacology.  Lucky me, I have a whole week of torturous study to endure before doom arrives on Friday the 18th at 9:15 am sharp.  Maybe by then I will actually understand something and well pass the exam.  It is 75% of my overall grade so it’s ‘do-or-die’ here people.  Intense stuff.

Speaking of intense stuff finals here are way more intense than back home.  First you have to look up your assigned test time, room number, and seat number.  They get down to the nitty-gritty here let me tell you.  Then you arrive and sit outside the door for a while.  They let you in 5 minutes before it starts and all study material must be put away before entering.  On your designated desk you fill out an attendance card and place your student ID card so they can make sure you’re not an imposter.  Then the proctors (I seriously think they come from local nursing homes.  They are so cute and old.) read a bunch of nonsense directions.  When the clock hits 9:15 you are allowed to read the exam but you cannot touch a writing utensil.  After 10 minutes of reading the questions you don’t know the answers to its time to start.  You have 2 hours to complete the test.  When you’re done with the test you raise your hand and a proctor comes over and checks that you’ve filled out the cover sheet properly.  Once all the exams are collected, they are placed in a clear plastic bag and sealed with a zip tie.  Where they go from there I’ll never know.  I think grades are posted sometime in early July.  Joy.

♥DW