On our second day in Brisbane, Keely, Julius, Tyler and I trekked to the famous Australian Zoo, the Irwin family Zoo where many flock to see Steve Irwin’s incredible crocodile shows! With the calming, soothing voice of the bus driver spinning stories of his childhood in the area, we were well rested and ready to interact with some animals! As there were so many incredible creatures to see, I will let the captions speak for themselves.
The “family” - me, Keely, Julius and Tyler!
Otter time! First stop of the day - and what a fun stop it was!
Watch out for the crocs!
We really, really hate characters in suits.
Loving the birds!
Old and wise roo.
Kisses for the kangaroos!
Elephant feeding time!! We did this multiple times….
The “face” for feeding elephants!
RED PANDAS. So cute!
Adorable signs by the tigers!
Sleepy little guy.
Beautiful tribute to Steve Irwin.
Time for a show at the Crocoseum!
:)
Croc time!
Tasmanian devils - on a leash! What a cutie.
By far the best (and most menacing?) sign in Australia.
Such a sleepy little guy!
Prancing camels! (For a comparison, go here: http://erdosveres.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/camel-sign.jpg)
Leafy crocs
One of the sweetest things I have ever seen!
An Emu!!
Baby roo :)
So much roo cuteness!!
So happy!!
Keels and her new best friend!
Perfect imitation!
Needless to say, we did not cross the gate!
Combat Wombat shirt + wombat - so good!
Photoshoot on the croc!
As we had covered the entire park, it was so wonderful to see so many exotic Australian (and seemingly normal…sheep?) animals! What a wonderful day to spend at the zoo :)
The final installment of the Lecture Recess Series! As we stepped off the train in Brisbane, we definitely were not in Kansas…er, North Queensland anymore! A large, beautiful city awaited us - the Central train station was surprisingly busy on a Saturday afternoon. We lugged our heavy (thank you, shopping in Surfer’s!) to Xbase Central, our hostel for the weekend.
XBase Central in Brissy!
After placing our bags in the luggage room, it was time to a) find lunch, and b) explore!! With Tyler and Melissa leading the way (they had both been to Brisbane before), we took off towards the Queens Street mall. We came upon a mall tucked away into tall buildings, and of course found a food court. A beautiful sight awaited our eyes - sushi!! Delicious, fresh, $2.20 per roll sushi - yum! After the crew finished eating our various meals, we went off to browse “our” new city. The boys led us straight into Culture Kings, a store selling old school jerseys, US baseball/football/basketball caps, graphic tees and Nike kicks - it even had a barber shop! C.K., which had been visited by guests such as Chris Brown, Snoop Dogg, and other well-known celebrities, would be visited many times throughout the course of our trip.
Nikes, courtesy of Cody.
We then walked across the bridge to South Bank, having a wonderful time exploring the markets, walking along the river, and just enjoying the sunshine!
South Bank :)
So gorgeous!
Reflections in the midst of the city
South Bank river walkway
Turtle backpack at the markets!
Apparently you aren’t supposed to feed the Ibis….
Hello, city of Brisbane!
Erin is loving Queens Street!
Incredible artist - definitely caught our eye for awhile!!
After a wonderful afternoon of exploring, we returned to our hostel to refresh ourselves and get ready for a “real” dinner. We ate at a place called Little Singapore - obviously not truly Australian, but it sounded delicious! We all had fantastic meals, and also got a chance to stroll down Queens Street at night. It was so fun to explore Brisbane (especially from the incredible guide created by Jaysen, shout out!), and then it was off to the zoo! (That will be in another blog post, don’t worry!)
Yummy food!
After returning from the zoo to a gorgeous sunset over Brisbane, we were in for a surprise: the gang had purchased sausages, tomato sauce and coke - time for a rooftop barbecue! Playing card games, munching on a delicious meal made by the boys, and enjoying the night lights of Brisbane was a perfect way to spend our last night. As a spur of the moment plan, we decided to trek over to the Wheel of Brisbane to get a view of the city at night! It was an incredible sight to see, and afterward, we all gathered down by the river, marveling at the light reflections and reflecting upon our incredible trip. What a great time with so many friends!!
Monday morning, departure day, called for a Starbucks drink. As I purchased my touristy Brisbane travel mug and took a stroll in ANZAC Park, I was able to observe many of the preparations for ANZAC Day that following Wednesday. Australians really do take pride in their country’s holidays - it was wonderful to see!
ANZAC Square
Once I returned to the room, there was one task in mind: Julius was going to get his haircut. As the boys accompanied him, he got a fantastic haircut at Culture Kings, complete with “racing stripes!” We were all thoroughly impressed, and as we sat down for our last meal of Macca’s (for awhile), we could not stop admiring it!
As quick as our trip was, it was nice to be returning “home.” We were all left with inside jokes, a better understanding of each other, and incredible memories we will never forget! :)
After our wonderful adventure sailing the Whitsunday Islands, we had time to relax in Airlie Beach! With pool time, shop exploring and didgeridoo lessons - plus didgeridoos for all three of the boys! - we kept ourselves quite busy! Our roommate, David, joined in on the fun for a night; it was great to hear about his travel stories. He had been traveling for a full year, including a trip to the US, Thailand, NZ, Asia, St. Petersburg area, and much more. Macca’s 30cent ice cream cones were also a staple for Airlie afternoons and nights. With lots of rest, we definitely relaxed and geared up for a new adventure in Surfer’s Paradise!
The crew departed from the Proserpine airport, which was potentially the smallest airport I have ever flown out of. One runway, one gate, one restaurant…we definitely were in Queensland! However, we arrived in Brisbane easily, then hopped on a shuttle to Surfer’s Paradise, our next destination, on the Gold Coast! Our bus driver lovingly dubbed us the “7 troublemakers” - we were a bunch of hooligans! Upon arrival at Backpackers in Paradise, we found out we were all placed in the same room - without even planning it! Though it was raining, we decided to trek to the beach and the grocery store. Even in the mist, it was gorgeous at Surfer’s Paradise beach!
That night, our group decided to join in on the “Wicked Pub Crawl” to see the different areas of SP. Free food, lots of backpackers, and pretty fun dance floors! It was really fun to see many of the different clubs that Surfer’s is known for; we even met up with some of our AustraLearn friends by chance! It was a fun night to see the different venues of Surfer’s, but at the end of the night, all we really wanted was Macca’s! Of course we ended up with more late night ice cream and burgers :)
Steph, Melissa and I at Vanity!
The gorgeous (famous) bathrooms in Vanity - a girl’s paradise!
Late night 30 cent cones, yum!
SP at night!
The next morning, it sunny with a clear, cloudless sky - perfect day for the beach! We spent a total of 6-7 hours out at the beach trying out the boogie boards, long walks on the beach (of course) and playing in the waves! It was so much fun to finally swim without stinger suits on, and to have the “spring break” experience so many of our friends had! We were also able to meet up with Erin, who came to SP after her field trip to the outback! It was a glorious reunion running towards each other on the beach…in slow motion. Not odd at all :)
Keely and I, so fly at the beach. Word.
Steph, Keels and me - beach babes!
After our day of turning brown (and a teensy bit of sunburn!), we chilled out at our hostel and hung out with two dudes from “home” - Alex and Aaron! It was fun to share vacation stories; we were more than halfway done with our crazy adventure! We all grabbed dinner from the pizza/kebab store in town, along with a delicious serving of Cold Rock Creamery (…with a difference) afterwards! With a plethora of chocolatey, carmel flavors, Julius stood out from the crowd with a passionfruit/nerds combo! That night, we went back to Vanity, and returned to fall fast asleep! Ready for the next day’s surprises!
Bromances with Alex, Aaron, Cody, Tyler and Julius!
Apparently we had a “blue” theme going on!
As Friday came, one major disappointment was the weather. It prevented another beach day, as well as Erin and Keely’s skydiving day. However, it gave us the perfect opportunity to explore the shops of Surfer’s Paradise! A Starbucks Mocha Frap and a few shopping bags later, our adventuring came to a halt in the rain. We had a great time resting at the hostel, getting to know a few of our roommates and trekking over to Domino’s. Who knew that it would be a classy, sophisticated Domino’s?! Not only was the interior design itself gorgeous, but they also had a screen where it showed the progression of orders being filled. As we got to submit our names, Tyler decided to alias as Rufus for the night, causing us all to laugh when “Rufus’ pizza” was called. I ordered an Aussie pizza with bacon, tomatoes, onion, egg and BBQ sauce - absolutely delicious! Though we all were very ambitious with our dinner order and each claimed a full pizza, we had enough leftovers to serve as brekkie the next day.
After our stomachs were full, we got ready to go up to the top of the Q1, one of the tallest residential buildings in the world! It is even taller than the Eiffel Tower! We were given “VIP” treatment with access to the Blue Level, serving as a restaurant and club. The view was incredible! We could see up and down the Gold Coast. Best part of the night? As we ordered hot chocolates and chai teas from the bar, the bartenders put it on the house. With the addition of marshmallows (and the fact that they were cute!), we were pretty happy campers!
The view from Q1
Julius (+ invisible friend!), Melissa, Cody, Keely, me and Erin at Q1!
SP!
Hello, complimentary hot chocolate :)
The next morning, we walked down to the beach to savor the last of the sun, sand and beautiful waves.
Ferris wheel + Q1 :)
Beautiful, breathtaking beach!
Julius, Cody and Ty enjoying the beach!
The girls: Erin, Steph, me, Keely, and Melissa!
Goodbye, beautiful waves!
Footsteps in the sand….love!!
It was a great way to end the trip! After three days in beach paradise, it was off to Brisbane for a big city adventure!
It has been ages since I’ve updated! While it has been a busy time, I am definitely still enjoying my time here - so much so that I am finding less and less time to write!
This semester, JCU had a lecture recess (essentially fall break, or spring break for the Northern Hemisphere students!) in mid-April. Through a lot of planning, a group of American students decided that we would travel down the Queensland coast for our 11 day break. We booked our flights, talked with the JCU Travel agents, made hostel reservations and planned out our outfits…or maybe that was just me! However, it didn’t seem like we were about to embark on our first real trip since arriving in Townsville. A plethora of papers, lab reports, and midterm exams prevented us from vacation until Friday, April 13…surprisingly a lucky day!
Hopping aboard a city bus at 5:51, our trip finally began! Keely, Steph, Melissa, Julius, Cody, Tyler, and I made our way into town to the Greyhound Terminal for our bus to Airlie Beach. Cribbage and frisbee made our “waiting time” a bit more bearable!
The cribbage players for the trip, Steph and Ty!
We hopped on the Greyhound and took off! After a stop in Ayr and Bowen (and a snooze or two later), Airlie was waiting for us! Lugging our suitcases through the rain, we finally made it to our first hostel, Beaches. We were lucky enough to be next door to our friends Hayley, Randi, and Carlie, and Jessie stayed in our room! After a quick debate over which ringtone to wake up to (Get Happy won out), we all fell fast asleep…but not for long! At 2:30 am, a fire alarm roused us all out of our bunks. In all Uni Hall resident’s minds, Australia is notorious for mid-night fire alarms.
Taking Brumby’s Bakery by storm…Steph, Melissa and Keely
Saturday morning, we checked out, moseyed around shops, and made our way to Able Point Marina to check in for our Whitsundays Adventure! We passed time by reading, playing Star Wars mad-libs (courtesy of Cate!!) and, of course, people watching.
Airlie Beach’s unique shops
Able Point Marina, so gorgeous!
Time to board the Powerplay Catamaran! With our shoes gathered in a large bag, we were welcomed to the ship for lunch and an intro briefing. Our crew and “shipmates” were introduced - it was going to be an incredible weekend!! As soon as we had all put our luggage “away” (our group of 7 got to sleep in the main deck), it was time to relax and enjoy the sunshine! Making our way to the front of the boat, we got to talk with our fellow travelers. We met Rikki and Simon from Norway, Laura and Elissa from Canada, and many German friends! After a two-hour or so trek, we were out on the reefs of the Whitsunday Islands! With the SCUBA diving still not an option for my asthmatic self, Cody and I opted for the snorkeling while the rest of the crew donned tanks, masks, and all that other SCUBA gear (obviously, I am not well versed in this subject!). We joined Laura and Jo, two other women from our group, onto the tug boat to bring us closer to the reef. Upon sticking our faces in the water (with a Funoodle!), our eyes met an incredible, mystical, underwater world. Parrotfish, angelfish, trevally, and coral were everywhere! We even followed (borderline stalked) a huge Green turtle - so fun! It felt as though I had not left the water from our trip in Cairns; being on the reef is one of the happiest places for me!
As we were welcomed back on board, lamingtons, biscuits, coffee and tea were waiting for our freezing selves - Australia isn’t always sunny! The passengers all shared stories of the sights seen diving and snorkeling. As the sun started to set, it was the perfect time to break out the camera, making Mom proud! Sunset pictures are my favorite, and I have plenty to add to my collection :)
Such a great crew! Me, Keely, Melissa, Tyler, Steph, Julius, and Cody!
Dinner time soon followed, and we were all delighted with spicy Moroccan chicken, pasta salad, salad and bread - yum! Then, it was game time! Kyle, our skipper, gave us plenty of game ideas, including the toothpick puzzles, can and knife riddle, and box game (Melissa and Laura prevailed!) - challenging, entertaining and fun! The whole boat then had a “fish talk” in which we learned about the Whitsunday Islands history and discussed the organisms we saw - perfect for us biology nerds! Blue lights on the back of the boat (known to attract fish, squid, and dolphins!) were a great place to end the night, relaxing and listening to the Maroon 5 cd playing throughout the boat.
With the sun slowly rising and the motor starting, waking up to the water lapping on the sides of the boat was a joy.
We started our trek to Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island early on - it was a race against other touristy boats! We were successful - it was a quiet, peaceful paradise. After a quick photo shoot for our scrapbooks, we hit the beach! Unfortunately, it was still April, so stinger suits had to be worn. However, we used this to our advantage! Following stingrays and sharks (harmless!), playing in the waves, and exfoliating our faces with the silica sand all made for a wonderful beach day.
Whitehaven!
Stingray friend
The new-and-improved Avengers!
Silica sand castaways!
Best photobomb ever by Tyler!
Model status.
After seeing a beautiful icon of the Whitsunday Islands, we were taken to two other dive bays, the latter where both the afternoon and night dive (for those daredevils!) would take place. Cody and I took the paddleboats onto the reef, where they were used (quite efficiently!) as a surfboard while we dunked our faces in the water to observe the reef life. As soon as our masks went in, hundreds of jellyfish were in front of our faces!! Sputtering, then laughing (for really, they were harmless!), we continued to float around the bay while our friends dove right around and underneath us. Neon yellow coral, brightly colored fish and more squishy jellies were seen all around. After a successful run, I passed off my paddleboard to Julius and hopped in the water. While obliviously snorkeling, I turned my head to see Tyler trying to catch my attention: there was a white-tipped reef shark right by us! With an initial startled scream, we chased after this puppy of a shark - one of the most incredible experiences, by far!
Keels + jelly!
It was then time to go the last site of the day. Keely and I puttered around, annoying the giant clams by waving our hands over them and making them shut. Such a beautiful, wonderful time in the water!
Last bay of the day!
Six Banded Angelfish!
Snorkel buddies!
When we finally left the water, it was the perfect temperature to sit and watch a beautiful sunset!!
Sunset, day 2
The second night brought a night dive for Keely, Melissa, Julius and Tyler, along with Erica, the dive master on board. So exciting! They had a fantastic (slightly creepy and mysterious) time, enjoying the bioluminescence, a wobbegong shark, and even a grouper chasing a stingray! When they returned on board, a feast awaited them! Men’s night (aka steak and sausage night) was a huge success, as was the incredible chocolate cake served afterwards. With all of us passengers wiped out from such a long day, we relaxed on the bow of the boat, put “cornrows” in Tyler’s hair, and chatted with our crew about their reef stories and how they came to work for the Whitsunday ships. One of the best things about meeting people is learning about how they came to be where they are right now. What a great night!
Night diving ninjas!
As the third day dawned, we made our way back to the marina. Enjoying our last hours “playing” on the front of the boat with the waves made us feel like kids again! It was difficult to say goodbye, but it was a weekend to never forget!
Beautiful blue-green water in the morning!
Airlie Beach from the ocean :)
Our fantastic Powerplay crew! :)
It has been such a whirlwind of classes, Skype calls, and studying here in Townsville. In that respect, it is finally starting to sink in that I go to school here! Because many random events have happened, I thought I would let my pictures (and captions) speak for themselves!
A beautiful bounty of cards from home! :)
Boys playing tennis in Uni Hall on a Friday afternoon…totally normal, right?
A lazy turkey, hanging out by the creek on campus!
Sunrise hike on the mountain behind campus - so gorgeous!
Hunger Games Premiere: Australia style!
Disney-themed Ultimate Frisbee pub crawl - Ursula/Vanessa, Mad Hatter, Ariel, and Tinkerbell!
Two of my favorite books :)
A day at the Ross River, complete with high flying stunts!
Happy Easter at Calvary Christian Church!
Bio nerdiness showing through, especially in Micro lab!
Baking night at B’s! :)
It has been a fantastic time in Townsville thus far, living and enjoying life. I cannot wait to see what the next two months will bring!
Today we are embarking on a 10 day journey! We are going to Airlie Beach to sail around the Whitsunday Islands and spend a few nights in Airlie. Then, we travel to the Gold Coast, specifically Surfer’s Paradise and Byron Bay - so beachy and wonderful! The trip then finishes in Brisbane! Pictures and posts from the last month (my bad!!) are soon to come :) Until then, G’day mate!
Sorry it has been so long since I’ve posted, tis a whirlwind here in Townsville! I am making the (slow) transition from vacation to homework, midterms and actually being in school! However, I took a wonderful weekend “off” when I went with Calvary Christian Church to Airlie Beach, QLD for the Young Adults Empower Retreat.
Not having taken a real road trip in Australia, I was thrilled when I was able to drive down with Jess, Jess, Michelle and Susan! We departed on Friday afternoon, leaving thoughts of assignments and studying behind. It was a beautiful drive south of Townsville, and a perfect day! We passed through Ayr and even held our breath under the Burdekin Bridge!
Bye bye, Townsville!
Minor flooding on the road…no big deal!
The bridge!
After Ayr, we hit Bowen, another city along the way in Queensland. We passed the giant mango statue that will forever be one of my favorite landmarks!
Bowen!
The giant mango really is giant!
Overall, it was a pretty quick trip to Airlie! When we drove into the town, a beautiful harbor with the bluest sky and sea greeted us. A majority of the accommodations was built into the hillside, overlooking the beach. We drove up the steep, steep hill (with Michelle’s foot pushing the gas pedal to the floor!) and arrived at Martinique Apartments.
We’re here!
The owners had puppies! Instantly in love.
I was actually assigned to stay over at Toscana Village a few doors down (Calvary had rented out all but one room at Martinique, and we still needed more!), so Jess and I grabbed our bags and headed to Toscana. It was an equally beautiful complex that we were sharing with 4 other girls - we couldn’t wait to meet them!! After a quiet afternoon (and plenty of sunny/sunset pictures by me!), one of our roommates, Amanda, came in and invited us to the pool! From there, we met a new friend, Jade, and all went to grab pizza on the main stretch - yum! We then met at Coral Sea Resort, the venue for our sessions for the retreat itself. It was a fantastic opening session with worship and praise, then a message from Lucas Connell, our speaker for the weekend. What a great night! We then went back to Martinique for pikelets - an Aussie term for dessert pancakes and ice cream!! So beautiful.
The view from our balcony…ahhh :)
Clouds :)
My favorite :)
My new friend!
:)
Saturday morning brought a wonderful breakfast, another great session, and some much needed sun time! After about 5 hours at the pool (with sunscreen! promise!), it was time for dinner and the Encounter session. Such an incredible, powerful night! Great song to check out - Hope of All Hearts by Planetshakers. We sat around the “spa” (hot tub, in US terms!) for a nice long time, exchanging stories of home with Amanda and Esther. Esther is from the Congo, and had some of the most interesting stories! Her path on finding a place of “home” at Calvary and her faith was truly incredible. Then we closed the night with more ice cream, a bit of Castaway on TV, and off to a restful sleep!
Pool at Martinique :)
Toscana!
Kaarina and Amanda at the Encounter session!
Susan and I!
Sunday came all too quickly with breakfast, a final “connect group” session and a quick stop to the beach and main street! I truly enjoyed the trip to Airlie and the beautiful young adult life of Calvary - definitely a fantastic event!
Is this pool for real?!?
My beautiful roomies! Jess, Emma-Lee, Amanda and Esther :)
Gondor-like?
Susan on the beach!
We love our Freddos :) Yum! Such a great weekend!
It has been raining exceptionally frequently in North Queensland this rainy season - seriously, it has been non-stop! However, we have been finding plenty of ways to combat the drowsiness and rain-induced slumps. My favorite cure? Discovering new music and assembling playlists! So here are some rainy day tunes for you in Australia, and those needing a dose of fresh music with the “heat wave” in the States!
“I’m Into Something Good” by The Bird and the Bee - A great remake of an older classic! Brings me back to the Jr. High Pops Concert Days! This song is light and helps eliminate gloominess!
“Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen - This has been stuck in my head at least 3 times a day (thank you, Erin!!). So catchy, and if you check out the youtube video by Selena Gomez, J Biebs, and Ashley Tisdale, I swear it is much more entertaining.
”The Lucky Ones” by Brendan James - Listen once, and you’ll love it. Listen twice, and you will catch yourself humming it. Listen more than that? You’re hooked :)
“The Difference” by Hillsong United - Hillsong has been one of my favorites for a long time, and are loved by almost all Australians. No wonder - they have churches in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane! Such a fun, upbeat number by them!
“You and I/You and I” by Glee Cast - Obviously any Glee song brightens up the day! This one is one of their better mash-ups, such a good car-singing song! (I guess I have to wait awhile for that…)
“Give Me Love” by Ed Sheeran - Thanks to my friend Kelsey (who went to his concert in Oslo, Norway - follow her adventures at kelsn.tumblr.com), I have been exposed to his wonderful music! Chill, relaxing…excellent!
“Love & Loss” by The Honey Trees - Allie and I definitely have the same exact musical taste. Sharing music is a great way for us to stay connected from halfway across the world! The Honey Trees’ entire album is fantastic.
“Yellow” by Vitamin String Quartet - While I constantly have every VSQ song in my iTunes library playing on repeat, this one perfectly complements the rainy weather! Every song they play is incredible - even “All the Small Things” by Blink-182!
“Paradise” by Coldplay - Played nearly everywhere in Australia, the string melody really caught my attention. Great song, and will be stuck in your head for days! Warning: the music video is a bit wacky! Another win for Coldplay.
Hope you enjoy the music, and make the most of whatever weather you are in! :)
Tuesday, March 6th was a wonderful day to spend in Australia - it was my birthday! I was wished a happy Australian birthday by Amelia Black in Sydney - check out her Aussie adventures at waltzingamelia.tumblr.com! It really made me feel at home, as if she was just in the room next door! The birthday wishes from my family were equally as special – right on the dot at midnight in Townsville! It was definitely going to be a challenge to be away from them, for though I am 20 years old, I have been lucky enough to celebrate with them every single year.
Unbeknownst to me, my door was also being decorated right at midnight by two incredible friends who helped make my entire birthday fantastic – Erin and Keely! When I woke up, I was greeted by this sight:
Such great friends!
With no classes until 11, the morning really started with a run and stretch at the gym. While this may not be the most exciting way to start off a birthday, most people that know me know that I love to run, and enjoy my endorphins post-workout! Breakfast soon followed, and then I got to skype with my wonderful family! It was as if I was opening presents with them at home around the fireplace. I was blessed enough to receive their birthday package – so kind and thoughtful!!
Note the birthday sign from home :)
Time for class! Marine Microbiology, as usual, was very interesting – it was no hardship attending class! However, I can’t say I wasn’t relieved when it was time for lunch – I was ready to enjoy the beautiful day ahead! With copious amounts of free time, I was able to communicate with friends from home, read magazines on my balcony and just relax with friends – Erin found out she was an aunt! Welcome to the world, baby Graham! Erin, Keely, Steph and I then went to the James Cook pool to catch some rays and cool off from the sunny, humid day! Floating, spinning and having handstand contests were the perfect ways to spend the afternoon. All too soon, it was time for dinner. I was encouraged (or forced?) to don my sparkly, pink crown sent from my mother – thanks, Mom! Taco Tuesday was a major success. After a stealthy midnight mission highlighting Keels and Erin’s door decorating skills, I became suspicious as they both disappeared from the table for more than 5 minutes. To my surprise, they (along with help from the kitchen staff!) brought out an ice cream M&M cookie sandwich decorated with lit candles! As the singing commenced, the entire dining hall joined boisterously in – apparently Australians sing Happy Birthday with gusto! Blushing furiously, I was quite impressed – they had pulled off another birthday surprise!
So happy - thanks guys!!
My birthday in a picture!
With more relaxation time, we embarked on the journey of creating a cake masterpiece, using only a cake mix, cake pan, oven, and…ready for it? Can of diet coke. Though this sounds awfully strange, it does work! Thank you, Pinterest! With a minor setback in the Uni Hall kitchen, we utilized Carlie’s townhouse’s working oven. The cake was a gooey, barely risen success, especially after it was smothered in chocolate frosting. It was a great time to just hang out with friends, sing along to Disney songs and practice my dormant cooking skills – unfortunately, Maggi noodles (Aussie ramen) do not equal cooking!
Waaay too excited about birthday cake! Keely and I were obsessed.
Hayley, Randi, Carlie and Jessie - such sweet girls, with the perfect card!
Keely and Erin - my fabulous birthday planners!
Uni club was our next “scheduled” venue of the night! My friend Taylor was turning 21 on March 7th, and so we decided to celebrate the end of my birthday and the beginning of hers while dancing at the campus club! It was so fun to see so many friends, many of whom live in George Roberts, Rotary International or Western Courts, the other colleges on campus. The DJ was playing great “throwback” songs – some of my favorites! It was an excellent end to a wonderful birthday!
Me and Mary!
Erin, Steph, Amy, me and Melissa at Uni Club!
Cody and Julius - two great friends!
Er and me - so happy!!
Tay, Alex and I - March birthday girls!
Love my girls :)
However, the celebration wasn’t done there! Alex had planned a special birthday dinner “in honor” of Taylor and I on Wednesday night, featuring a food not often eaten in Australia – Mexican food! (Disregard the Taco Tuesday – they know they cater to Americans!) This meal took place at Rotary International – however, we were in the middle of a ridiculous rainstorm! The street was essentially a river; Keely, Taylor and I braved the way, nearly losing a shoe and eventually putting away our umbrellas. Some excellent friends created a masterpiece of a meal, including seasoned taco meat, tomatoes, cheese, Mexican rice, and, best of all, guacamole! Wow! We were all so excited to devour this incredible feast! They had also made a (real) chocolate cake – yum! Overall, it was an incredible birthday, and I will never forget my birthday in Oz! :)
All geared up for the rain!
Me and Tay walking through the rain!
All the girls at the fiesta! :)
Yummmy!
Happy birthday x 2!
This post will be one of more musings than usual, but has been inspired by the current planning of trips and experiences for the semester. As we have been here for a little over a month, many of the international students I know are reaching the extent of the “honeymoon” phase and slowly moving into a routine, with scheduled meal times, earlier bed times and - who would have guessed? - classes. JCU is truly beginning to feel like home. I know which paths to take when I am running late, when to jump in the dinner line (if you’re not first, you’re last!) and what time the mozzies (mosquitoes!) will be keen on zooming into an open balcony window.
However, I have been taking this experience as just another semester on my way to graduation. This newfound routine of school has allowed me to fall back into my comfort zones I know all too well from my past semesters. Shutting myself in a library cubby or in my room to study for ridiculous hours, being “too tired” to go out and explore the city, making Facebook and my email (i.e. everything halfway across the world) the first stop when I open GoogleChrome - these behaviors may inadvertently be preventing me from truly immersing in the Australian culture. I love beauty of current technology, allowing me to connect to home with the touch of a few buttons. However, I have found that some of the best times in Australia have been with no cell phone or Internet access, simply enjoying the present and being immersed in my surroundings. This is what I crave, what I truly find happiness in – seizing the day, living in the moment and experiencing every bit of joy that I can from the opportunities I have. That being said, Skype and FB have been, without a doubt, an instrumental part of my life here – and will continue to be. I love being able to share in experiences that are occurring at home, and seeing those who mean so much to me through simply two computer screens! I will not be cutting out these things from my life – on the contrary, they will be even more meaningful to me as I continue my experience and growth here.
While classes are definitely important (and I absolutely love them!), the point of study abroad is to further one’s horizons, to extend past their comfort zone, to make a difference in our own lives and the lives of others. Being in such an incredible location for Marine Biology research is inspiring me to take away more than just a binder full of notes and a check on my college requirements. Here, I can take a field trip to reef flats and examine, firsthand, of all of the animals I am learning about. We can volunteer with jellyfish, reef fishes and coral reefs that are literally on our doorstep. There are so many opportunities just within my grasp – and I can reach them with a just little more effort!
So I’m making a pact with myself. I will return not to my cowardly, unadventurous routine of saying “no” to Australia, but rather to my forgotten habit of truly living and taking advantage of this semester, and every minute from here on out! I want to continue becoming a part of the Townsville and Queensland culture. The bite of the “travel bug” will only continue to grow. With the expiration date on my Australian semester, I cannot bear to leave “incomplete” – I want to experience all that I can in this short amount of time.
Though I aim to grow and open my mind, I will not alter my core values and my morals. Nothing is worth comprising my true beliefs; widening my current outlook will benefit all aspects of my future immensely. This growth will solidify exactly what means the world to me, resulting in a complete, confident knowledge of who I am and what is truth.
Let’s make each day count, for we know not what tomorrow brings, but can only hope and pray for the best. I want to make the most of my experience – and I will! What will you make the most of?
Inspiration for this:
“(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” by Bill Medly and Jennifer Warnes
“I’ve had the time of my life,
I never felt this way before
Yes, I swear, its the truth
And I owe it all to you
Cause I’ve had the time of my life,
and I’ve searched through every open door
‘Til I found the truth”