The Land of Aus

Enter AUS, a world of color and sunlit brilliance. The beaches never end and the water is sparkling blue. Flowers of magnificent shape and color line the roads and the walkways. Car's drive on the opposite side. Bats are 3 feet long. Spiders the size of mice with legs like bent wires spin webs in every garden. It truly is a wonder.

I have never seen a place like this. The weather is different. The atmosphere is different. The way people treat each other is different. As far as the weather goes, it is pretty unpredictable right now. Most every day has been about 35 degrees (Celsius that is!) from the hours of 11-3 and then faded off to a pleasant 25 or so. The funniest thing is, we've had more rain in the last few days than we did in California before I left. It dumps down like a shower. 2 seconds outside in that is the most liberating, wet, refreshing feeling of your life. 75 degrees and raining on the beach mid day. It doesn't get any better.

The atmosphere is relaxed. I think that is the best way to describe it. No one cares. About anything. Want to go to the beach? Oh sure. How about shopping? Why not. There is no sense of urgency or a strict time schedule at all. Even stores close at different times of night every night because they feel like it. You may get in one night at 7:30 and then see that their closed the next day at 6 for no other reason than because. It's very cool.

I can not even explain all the wonderful people I have met. Everyone is extremely friendly, even when I tell them I am from the US. So far I have only had one person really resent me for being American. It's interesting how some people really blame you personally for the last 8 years of the Bush regime. There is nothing you can do, they just don't want anything to do with you.

I was in a hostel for a few days here. I didn't have a room, like I said, so I slept on floors and open beds when people were passed out drunk in their friends rooms. All of the room mates that came through Brittney's flat were very nice. There were a few Canadian boys, a Norwegian guy, and some Korean girls all in the last few days. Also, our friend Austin's room mates were these really nice guys from down south in Australia who offered to show us around Surfers Paradise where we were staying. It was so fun walking around the streets and going into all the cool shops. There are a lot of interesting styles and such around here.

One of the nights in the hostel I thought we might go out but I passed out early and ended up missing it. The next night we were also going to go out but it started dumping rain and I wasn't really in the mood for a wet outing. The NEXT night we decided to stay in and drink with some Finnish kids who we had met in the lobby. We grilled Kangaroo (which is extremely chewy) and made shish-kabobs with some bell peppers and pineapple. They were delicious. It was pretty fun except for the American-hating Canadian girl sitting a table down from us. She went a little crazy and started telling us how we were closed minded Americans and disrespectful and rude and loud when we hadn't even said anything to her OR made any loud noises on the deck. It was fairly ironic how she was calling us closed minded JUST because were were Americans. Needless to say it was an interesting night.

Yesterday we FINALLY found a place to live. Me, Brittney, Austin, and Brandon (all Chico State students) came to the Metro on Central and got separate rooms so that we could try and meet as many new people as possible. I got a room with a really laid back Dutch girl and a really funny Iranian guy. He jokingly gave me crap about being American ("you aren't going to shoot me, right?") and then made us dinner. It was a very relaxing night for all of us.

Today I had orientation at the campus. It was SOOOOOOO long. There was a lot of talk about being safe. Apparently people get mugged a lot and girls get their drinks spiked with numerous different things on a fairly regular basis. There were a lot of basic safety tips and emergency numbers to call. It was kind of scary to be honest. After they freaked us out, there was a presentation about traveling around the country. I think I am going to book a trip to Sydney and see an opera if it isn't too expensive. I want to go to a lot of different places. Apparently it's not too expensive if you take the bus and stay at hostels or book flights early. I want to go to Melbourne to see my friend Anna and her son as well. It would be nice to see a familiar face.

Basically it's been fun. I am really tired from trying to get everything organized before school starts. I don't know where to go to get food and other supplies for my room. I am definitely going to have to figure that out before I starve. I miss everyone very much. I have been talking to Jordan a lot on Skype, which is great, but it is hard to see him right there and not be able to give him a big hug. I have also spoken to my parents and some other friends as well. I really appreciate how loving and supportive everyone is being.

I think that through all of this, I'll be able to make my way down this yellow brick road with the help of my wonderful friends onward into Aus. :)

A Crash Landing

If you have ever traveled, you will understand my frustration with how my transportation turned out. I was sad, mad, loved, hurt, afraid, excited, anxious, sleepy, quirky, and cranky all within 24 hours.

Backtrack here:

It was Wednesday the 18th and I had spent the whole morning crying, the whole afternoon running around to see my family, and the early evening stressing out about how heavy my bags were and how incredibly late I was to the airport. Let me chronicle my trip for you using bullets so I don't get riled up at the details.

• I get to the airport at 5:40pm, my flight leaves at 6:05pm. Awesome.
• My bags are too heavy even though I had frantically taken half the stuff out of them 20 minutes earlier. Also awesome.
• I barely get to the gate in time and I am so happy to be there that I actually enjoy my flight from Sacramento to LA.
• In LA, I am supposed to transfer to Quantas through the international terminal and head to my gate to meet up with some other students. I have NO idea where my gate is and after 2 or 3 "lost in translation" moments I finally find out where I am going.
• On the way to my gate with my stuff I run into Tiffany. Tiffany is a blond, sorority loving, booze hound with a great sense of humor and attitude to spare. Let's be friends. :)
• We end up having martini's and talking about where we're from and why we're going to Australia. It was so nice to make a friend to travel with.
• We board the plane around midnight, but it's really late arriving. I'm exhausted (physically and mentally) and just want to sit down and sleep.
• I don't sleep on the plane. I went on a 14 hour flight to Sydney in the middle of the night, next to a very odd woman, running on 6 hours of sleep, getting none on the plane, only to end up missing my connecting flight out of Sydney and into Brisbane.
• Like I said, I missed my flight, and instead of going on the 10:45am flight to Brisbane I ended up on the 3pm flight in the airport by myself until a group of us girls gravitated towards each other again.
• On the way to Brisbane I thought we were going to drop out of the air. There was mad turbulence. At one point, I ended up jumping really hard and grabbing the arm of the 40-something businessman sitting next to me. It was awkwardly hilarious to say the least and he made fun of me the rest of the way down.
• Once on the ground, we sat for about 20 minutes waiting for a storm to pass because they couldn't pull out the loading dock for fear of lightening strikes.
• We got off the plane and got our luggage only to find that it was completely soaked through with rain water from the storm outside. Mildewed luggage is a pain in the butt. (It could have been worse though, our friend Brittney didn't even get her bags.)
• We got out bags and waited another half an hour for Keith, the nicest little Aussie man, to pick us up and take us to the Gold Coast.
• It took 2 hours in rush hour traffic to get to where we needed to go 40 miles away.
• Once at our hostel, I found out that my reservations had been somehow revoked (they claimed I did it) and that I didn't have a room. Hello Brittney's floor...

So, now here I am a few days later looking back on what could possibly be the most stressful experience of my entire life. I can't believe I am here. A rocky landing like that could crush you. I am happy to be here though. I just needed a lot of support (thanks Jordan) and a lot of time in the sun. Now that I've crashed here, it's time to enter the Wonderful World of Aus....

Up in the Air

Well, I'm still here. Trying to figure out what is going on. I am having a lot of trouble getting out of this country and into the next. All of my plans are kind of swirling out of control. My original leave date was February 18th. Now it may be pushed back to the 27th. I feel like all of my expectations are flying past an open window and all I can do is watch. I am having such a stressful experience. But I know that one day I'll be able to look back and realize that the stress and the state I am currently experiencing was a large part of how much more I appreciated my actual trip. It is actually kind of funny to me that I am going though so much before I even come close to my departure. It's complete and utter insanity.

I have been craving to go lately. I get very excited about it a lot more often and I have been having dreams about my trip. I sometimes have dreams about going in an apartment overlooking the beach. Sometimes I am at school. I've even had dreams about surfing. There are two defining qualities about these dreams that are present every time.

• One is that the campus or apartment or beach is always the same. My mind has created a place based on internal foresight and expectations. I don't know what the campus looks like, I have no idea where I'll live, and I haven't seen the beach I'll be living near. It's odd how the mind moves ahead of itself. Ahead of everything that's even going on at the promise of what's ahead.
• The second feature of these dreams is that Jordan is always there with me. I think that is part of the reason I get so excited. My mind has created a world where Jordan will be sharing, first hand, my experience in Australia along with me. Unfortunately, that's not true, as he is in school here and will be studying the entire time I am away. I feel that tells me a lot about what I want and what I expect. I guess communication will be high and emotions will be raging. I will miss him dearly as I go and create a real and true representation of Australia as it is, and not as my mind expects. My perception will be corrected and my trip will take hold in a way I can only imagine. Excitement, compassion, and fear suck the air from my lungs as I hold out for the next chapter in my trip.

My colorful landing in AUS awaits...

The Tornado

In a matter of weeks I am leaving for Australia. It's pretty far away from California. More than a swim, I'd say. I decided to write a blog because my best friend Alex has one from Italy and I get really really excited every time she makes a new post. Hopefully there will be a few of you who get just as excited about my trip. As a matter of fact, I stole her idea for a blog. I am supported through the same blog site AND I used a fairy tale as the preface for my blog theme. Damn, I am such a copy cat... But, it was a good idea, and good ideas are meant to be stolen. Thanks Alex. ;)

Anyway, like I said, I haven't left yet, so there isn't too much to say. I just figured I needed a place to start and today felt like a good day to sit down and get some thoughts down in writing. Here's a list of thoughts that are going through my head:

• I can NOT wait to get to Australia and see the ocean. It's going to be beautiful.
• I do NOT want to leave my friends behind. If you would, please pack yourselves away and send yourselves to me. Thanks.
• I am so afraid of the 18 hour flight ahead of me. I HATE flying and I get really panicky when I think about being up in the air that long above water.
• I wonder what kangaroo burgers taste like?
• Jordan isn't staying here. I'll find a way to bring him with me.
• I hope by the end I don't want to come back, because that will mean I had an excellent time.
• I hope I can get a job when I get there. I need the money BAD.
• Leaving the people I love is the hardest thing I have ever done. I don't like to think about because it makes me want to cry.
• Let's do this....

As you can see, it's quite the mess inside my head. There is a raging tornado of thoughts that I just can't gain control over. But I guess that's how it should be. If I wasn't excited, then why would I go? If I weren't scared, then why not just leave forever?

This is gonna be one hell of a trip...