There have been a lot of ups and downs along what's been a relatively short trip thus far (a mere month since I left the states!) -- but I guess that's what's so exciting, eh?
To be honest, I'm not sure quite where to start. I suppose from the beginning would be best. So bear with me, this entry might be a little long, a little vague in respect to some of the many amazing experiences that probably should have more words devoted to them, or at very least a little scattered in their expression. I promise to try my best to keep this updated, albeit the entries might very in length and frequency. Just know that if you're dying to know what I've been up to, I'm never opposed to an e-mail or a message. It may take me a while to answer, but I think we all know that if you throw in a little something about how much you miss me, I'm bound to get to it faster ;).
Alright, so Australia. I won't mess around with any of the flight details -- let me just say that it was long. Very long. We took a 15 hour flight from LA to Sydney and then another 5 hour flight from Sydney to Perth (intense). The only thing I will say is that on the 15 hour flight I sat next to a 6 year-old Australia boy named Tyrone who talked pretty much the whole 4 hours he wasn't asleep. That was my first experience with an Australian, and it was great, although instead of wanting to color with me like I'd thought, at one point he hit me with the emergency landing instructions...hmm. (Haha, sorry if this wasn't what you were expecting, we all know I like the little things, so bear with me!).
So we got to Perth in the late morning and met up with one of our RS' (that's an RA to all you folks back home), Madi, and we took a half an hour bus ride out to Fremantle, to our lovely residence hall, Port Lodge. I'll admit, I was not terribly impressed on the ride over. Everyone was ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the river we passed over and the shops, but I think I was just tired and cranky from the flight...and most importantly scared out of my mind. So in hindsight, I'm ashsamed to admit that I was not all that pleased when I'd first arrived (don't worry -- the story gets happier!).
Alright, so we arrived at Port Lodge and park down over by the beach (just a block away mind you!), and struggle to carry all our huge bags up the street to this big gray building we now call home. We drag our stuff in and are shown our rooms (boys on the first floor, girls on the second), and I see my room for the first time. And let me tell you, it is tiny. I'm talking itty bitty. A few of you might have seen the pictures I posted of it on facebook (and I've posted some pictures of it below), but for all intensive purposes it is a shoebox. It's got a desk against one wall (to the left), and a lofted bed over a chest of drawers on the other side (to the right)...and that's about it.
I probably shouldn't start out my blog by lying, so I'll have to admit, that about 15 minutes settling in my new room, I burst into tears. I missed my friends and family so much that I immediately thought I'd made some horrible mistake in coming. Everyone else seemed to love it here instantly, and all I wanted to do was go home. I tried to stay calm while unpacking my things, trying desperately to remember all the reasons that I had come. But none of them really seemed to matter. Poor Madi was pretty worried I think. And bless her heart, Tina, the girl who lives across the hall from Notre Dame, went on a walk with me and just listen to me let my worries out for a bit. It's on this walk that I started to appreciate the beauty of Fremantle a little more. It was a short walk, but we trudged up through town away from the beach and I remember thinking I could do this. Most everything was closed at the time (things close real early here - especially on the weeknds), but the shops starting to look less imposing and I realized that before I knew it they'd be so familiar that I would feel right at home.
Tina and I headed back to Port Lodge and had a glorious dinner made by the wonderful and talented, Gary (our dorm's resident chef twice a week). We had a big community meeting afterwards where Madi and Ganesh (our RSs) went over lots of stuff, but I was so wiped I was almost asleep, so I headed back up to my room for a bit. But before I knew it everyone was eager and ready to head out for their first night in Freo. So while I didn't particularly feel like going out, Tina got me all dolled up in a dress I would probably otherwise not agree to and we all went out to this bar (yes, I'm old enough here!) called the Orient. It was fun but I was still pretty wiped. But after a while at the Orient they started playing a lot of real great American music (I'm Yours, Sweet Caroline, the Fresh Prince theme, etc.) and I loved it! Most of the group moved on from there to another bar called Newport that's just a five minute walk away, but I decided to call it a night (yes, lame, I know, but I was so tired!).
The next day (after quite the homesickness episode in the middle of night in which I talked to a lot of people back home), Madi took Tom, Tina, Matt and I shopping so that we could get some essentials (i.e. TimTams for me -- the most glorious cookie ever made!). Then Tom, Tina, Matt and I had a great lunch at this cute place called Culleys where they have real cheap sandwiches and pies and everything.
After that Tom, Tina and I went to South Beach for the entire rest of the day. Now there are three beaches we go to here: McBeach (well actually Bathers Beach, but fondly referred to as McBeach because of the McDonald's that sits right on it) -- that's about a three minute walk from the dorm, then there's South Beach, which is about a fifteen minute walk but it's a real nice beach (definitely worth it) and you can catch the CAT (free bus!) back to the dorm that takes about five minutes (so very convenient!), and finally there's Cottlesloe, which is about a fifteen minute train ride away, but it's goooorgeous albeit more crowded (for obvious reasons), but they have hotels and restaurants and all sorts of things there so it's worth it -- even if you have to hike a little ways to get there.
But anyway, I digress (I didn't know all this at the time anyway), but we had a glorious day at the beach. We went in the water (which was cold but perfect for how hot it was!), and then just layed out there for a long time talking. This day definitely made me feel lucky to be in such a beautiful place. Not to mention it didn't hurt thinking about all the snow back in the Bend...(sorry guys, but it's true!). So we figured out how to catch the CAT back to Port Lodge and made it back just in time for a study abroad dinner out in the courtyard down the street. I got to meet some nice people, and have some sausages (they're hot dogs have MUCH more bread than ours -- just in case you were wondering).
That night we had community meeting (again) and I put up pictures all over my room. (So mom and dad, you were right, it didn't take long!). It definitely immediately felt more like home, and now I really really love my room (even though it is the size of a shoebox). I emailed a bit, wrote in my journal, and then made some phone calls (and it was glorious to hear peoples voies!).
What should be noted from this day however, other than how glorious it was to be outside is that everyone (and I mean almost everyone) got crrazzy burned! I'll post a picture where you can see just how bad I got it -- but I definitely was not the worst. We were all peeling for weeks...We will definitely never make that mistake again!!
OK -- well this is starting to sound like a laundry list, not to mention this is a LONG entry! So I will stop there for now. But rest assured the rest will be coming soon!! In the meantime, you can all go back in time (just like I am!) and read what my first couple days were like and get excited for the ones that follow -- because they only get better!!!
TO BE CONTINUED...
