Happy!

Sunset on Leeuwin II.

Last week was a goofy week. I think I went through my first ever phase of homesickness. There were a couple days where I didn't really feel like doing anything but sleeping and sitting inside, which was weird and I totally feel guilty about it now.  I guess it's fair to say that the 'honeymoon' period of being in Australia was done, the school work started piling up, and homesickness really kicked in. But,  besides the fact that I do miss all my friends and family terrible, this place is SO beautiful and being sad is just a waste of time. Time is flying by so fast, and I'll be home before I know it. Until then, it's important that I try to do as many things as possible and take advantage of everything I can :) Looking ahead at the rest of my time here, I realized I only have a handful of weekends left that activities are not planned, and there is still so much I want to do! It's somewhat overwhelming, but if I don't get everything accomplished then it will give me an excuse to come back. 

One of the best parts of the trip so far has been living at the P&O. I hardly knew any people going on this trip but now I can't imagine being with a better group of kids! We have all  bonded very well, and I've made some great friends that I would have never expected to! There is never a dull moment around here!


We have gone on some great excursions in the past two weeks! One was to a farm full of Australian animals. Dingos, kangaroos, chickens, llamas, camels, pigs, birds, joeys, Koalas, alligators, snakes, and peacocks were running/flying around everywhere! I got to play with the Kangaroos and hold a koala! If I could sneak a Kangaroo home, I totally would because they were awesome. 

Yesterday we went on a sunset boat tour which was also a great time! It looked like a giant pirate ship, but it was a giant sailboat called the Leeuwin II. We got to help pull the ropes and draw the sails which was a neat experience. To be honest, it was weird being on a boat and not listening to Jimmy Buffet and drinking Coors light, but it was still a great time! I got to steer the boat for awhile! Dad, you would have been proud! Unfortunately, my camera broke about an hour before we left for the boat so hopefully I'll be able to get that fixed soon! This afternoon I caught the train to Perth to try and get it fixed but the repair shop was closed, so  I'll be making another trip in soon! I still managed to sneak a few pictures on other people's cameras thankfully. 

Dad, you would have loved this boat!

The Boat

Testing my Orienteering skills

I climbed that net!

Freo Docks at night!

The rest of march and April are going to be filled with some very exciting activities! In two weeks, we head up to Broome, where we will spend 5 days in the Kimberly living with the Aborigines. Many people who have done this trip say their trip to the Kimberly was the highlight of studying abroad. It's a very unique and special experience that kids who have previously gone don't  talk about, just to keep it special for everyone else. The only thing I have been told is to bring sunscreen, a water bottle, and a hat as it's on average over 110 degrees. We'll be camping the entire time, and rumor has it we have to hunt and kill all of our own food.  I'm extremely excited for this trip and can't wait to tell you a little bit about it at least.


Shortly after we return from Broome, we will be going on our Spring break road trip.  We still only have 3 people who know how to drive a manual RV, so I'll be devoting a few hours of my beach time to reading and googling how to drive a manual RV on the left side of the road. Should be an interesting week, to say the least. 


I also booked a trip to Thailand over our study week in June! I'll be spending 5 days in Phuket, Thailand with 30 people from Notre Dame and CSB/SJU. We managed to luck out with our reservations and score 3 ten person villas at a 5 star Marriott next to the beach in Phuket thanks to a friend's Time Share (Rebecca if you read this, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!) It's going to be our last big hooray before we all head home since once we get back it's final exam time then sadly time to leave :( 


I also learned how to jazz up my blog! It's kinda fun :)

Ostraya

I'm still working on perfecting my Australian accent, but I learned that if you pronounce Australia like 'Ostraya' then you get good practice. it's also really funny to hear people try and do an American accent, because they either have a thick southern drawl or sound like their from Canada. It's quite entertaining.

Aside from trying to become an Australian, I've been managing to keep busy with school work, helping to plan a spring break trip, celebrating birthdays, and just exploring the various beaches, pubs, and cool sites that Freo has to offer. I haven't had to turn in any work for school this semester, which makes me very nervous but I have 3 big assignments due in two weeks. One of them involves making a movie--- which is hard! Oh the joys of a 'liberal arts' education...

For spring break we are rented 3 RVs and road tripping up the northern coast of Western Australia. It will be very interesting because only one person from each van knows how to drive a manual. Apparently it's tricky, especially when you are driving on the left side of the road, but it will be a learning experience.  We are starting in Perth, and making our way up to coral bay and back. It should take a total of 8 days, and we'll get a lot of camping, diving, sand boarding, snorkeling, and swimming in! I'm so excited!

I had a wonderful birthday last week that I will never forget! Rather that going out to eat, we all ordered pizza, went downt to the beach, and watched the sunset. It was something I'll never forget. After, some of the girls in my group rented out a room at Bar Orient, so all of the study abroad kids from our school as well as other american students (and a few of our aussie friends) came along to join the fun! It was a ton of fun :)

<-- Popping a bottle of Champagne!

It's been a lot of fun getting to know the kids from other schools studying abroad. We are already planning trips to visit each other. The Notre Dame kids said that we can come visit them during a football game, so I'm pretty sure we'll take them up on that! Who wouldn't? We're also trying to find a way to meet up with our  New York friends!



There are lots of fun things to look forward to in the next few weeks! On Saturday, we are going to a Zoo where we get to play with Koalas and Kangaroos! Plenty of pictures to come! We made friends with a rugby player at University of Western Australia so I believe next Friday we are going to watch a Rugby tournament! Then that Saturday, we rented a sail boat and are going to learn how to sail! AHHH I can't wait!

I believe that is all for now! Hope all is well at home! Miss you all tons!

-Lez

Stuff

Looking at my calendar this morning, I couldn't believe that it was mid-march and I have already been gone for a month and a half. New Zealand seemed like such a long time ago, but at the same time my experience abroad has gone SO fast. Although I will still be here here for another three months i'm nervous about not getting to experience everything I would like to and am not sure how to make the time stop going by so fast! 

With two weeks of school under my belt and three weeks of living in Freo, I can finally say that I feel well acclimated with my surroundings. It doesn't seem weird anymore that cars drive on the left side, and I don't get nervous when I see a steering wheel on the right side of a car. Everyday I learn new terms and concepts of Australian culture. For example, you don't tip for anything here. Not for drinks, food, taxi's... not for anything! Also, everything closes at 5 pm sharp so don't plan to shop or get any food past that point. Even the bars close really early! You can't find anyplace to get a drink after 12:00 am. I guess whoever decided that rule and my mom have the same philosophy: nothing good happens after midnight! Going to watch a sunset is a daily activity for many people, which is something I don't do NEAR enough and I know I will regret. People always look good and are dressed up, which is something i'm trying to get better at (easier said than done). Chook=chicken. Brekke= breakfast. Goon= box of wine. The list could go onnnnnn.............

Anyway, school has not gotten to difficult yet. I just have a ton of reading for each class, but it's easily do-able at the beach :) Last night we celebrated Mardi Gras at a bar by our Hotels. Ironically enough, it was Mexican themed, which didn't make sense to any of us.... but we all loved the free sombreros and stick-on mustaches! Tonight we are heading to the old Fremantle Prison, which is supposed to be haunted. I'm not too sure how I feel about this.... but we will make the most of it!

That's about all I can think of now. Hopefully something exciting happens soon so I have another excuse to blog.

Oh yes, I turn 21 next week---Watch out America! You'll be in for a real treat when I get back in June :)

Miss you all!