Koalas and Dugongs and Sharks, Oh My!

There are really, truly not enough hours in the day for Sydney, Australia.

Today began at 9:30am when Nathan, Megan, and I decided we'd head to the Sydney Aquarium and Wildlife center. If you buy the two tickets together you get a wicked good deal so we thought we could pack them both into one day before class at 4pm. It was amazing! The aquarium has so many fish from all around Australia, it was really great to see them up close and learn about everything from sea horses to box jellyfish (still the scariest thing in the world to me). There were crocodiles, little penguins, dugongs (which are like manatees), and sharks. The aquarium has these oceanariums where you can walk in giant glass tubes through the tanks so the marine life is swimming all around you. It's pretty fantastic, not to mention unsettling when there's a shark seemingly 12 inches above you. But they had that for both the shark and the dugong tank. The three of us spent about two hours wandering around the entire aquarium just soaking in all the marine life. It's definitely a must see attraction. I would go again in a heart beat.

Then, after the aquarium we went right next door to the Wildlife Center. It's not really a zoo, but it gives a really great overview of Australia's animal life. From spiders and insects (where I had to speed through because I swear to God I could feel them crawling on me) to snakes and lizards, the first half is all about creepy crawly things that could or could not be poisonous. Some of the geckos and lizards were so interesting looking, seeing a bearded dragon up close was really awesome and something I was excited about. After all the reptiles and such are the birds and butterflies - both of which are incredibly colorful and dynamic. You not only get to see them behind the glass but you get to walk through the habitat and have them land on you, which is really great for the butterflies, I sped through the birds. There were nocturnal animals and mammals like kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, and sugar gliders. There were also baby emus, which were so freaking cute, only before they become big giant mean birds that kick. But, the highlight of the center was the koala interaction, which was fantastic! We got to go into the koala habitat and pet them and get our pictures taken with them. They're really soft and lazy, but the one we took our picture with kept trying to hit us with eucalyptus branches. It was definitely a highlight of the week and the pictures turned out great. I can totally cross that off my bucket list.

Then we had lunch at Wagamama (I'm glad to be spreading the Wagamama gospel to others, Sarah!) and then headed back to BUSC for class. I'm thinking I'm really going to love this media class with Daryl. I'm going with him to a lecture given by Anthony Buckley the Australian film producer on Thursday, which should be really informative and hopefully allow me to pick Daryl's brain more about my internship possibilities. After class a bunch of us went and stuffed ourselves silly on Indian food and now I'm off to bed! Tomorrow is more trip planning and my first Australian Society and Culture class - I'm sure another eye-opener!

G'night from down under!

Bronte to Bondi

I start class tomorrow, yay! Is that an oxymoron? I'm actually really excited, though, and today was so much fun but so exhausting I'm glad to be curled up in sweats blogging.

We got up early and loaded on the bus to take us to Bronte Beach. It was about an hour bus ride out there but once we arrived it was breathtaking. Bronte is beautiful, the beach was in full swing with people having brunch and parties, kids and dogs everywhere. The beach was amazing, soft sand and gorgeous aqua water. It was chilly but so worth the wind. Then we walked the 2.5 kilometers to Bondi Beach but it wasn't just a quick walk, it was probably the most beautiful 2.5k I've ever seen. First you walk up these cliffs that look down into the crashing surf for a couple meters. Then you hit Tamarama Beach where everybody is playing beach volleyball and there are even more surfers. Did I mention that this is surf paradise? Fearless surfers in wet suits braving "winter" water for big waves. Then, you hit more and more cliffs that look straight down and out over the ocean. I've realized the definition of sea foam - color and occurrence. Then you walk down more and more cliffs until all of a sudden a huge salt water swimming pool juts out from the cliffs - that's The Icebreakers, a huge swim club right on the water. During high tide the waves crash into the pool mingling the waters. But, from the Icebreakers you get a huge, panoramic view of one of the most famous beaches in the world - Bondi Beach. The sand was so soft! Like powdered sugar but not sticky. We had lunch at the Surfish, a fish and chips bar that was delicious. A bunch of us sat on the beach for about an hour, talking and laughing at the couple people who decided to brave the icy water, but with no towels when they got back! I thought they were crazy, but I'll for sure go back to Bondi and swim when it's warmer. It was really great to just relax on the beach. Then we walked up and down the street closest to Bondi looking at all of the little surf shops and cafes. It was a long walk, especially when we decided to head back to Bronte to catch the bus. The walk back was just as gorgeous, especially because the sun was going down over the water, high tide was in, all the rocks were getting beaten with the surf, and it was much less crowded. These beaches are just breathtakingly beautiful, I can't even believe I'm here. I'm going to start posting my actual pictures on Flickr soon, so I'll post the link, but for now I'm going to organize for class, possibly have some dinner (food is expensive here! I've been skipping meals to save money for travel {and my ring} so I'll probably just pop wasabi peas) and then head to bed! :)

G'night from down under!

Saturday in Sydney

This whole trip keeps getting better!

Today, a bunch of us went to Paddington Markets (not to be confused with Patty's Market, to be explained later) to peruse the beautiful jewelry, clothing, and authentic Australian goods. Wow, it was amazing. Not only were there beautiful handbags (one of which I will be going back to get before my internship!) hand crafted by Australian artisans but there was food, textiles, art, and jewelry - my goodness the jewelry! My mother would've wet her pants in this market the bracelets were so beautiful. Me, I love rings, and I found my absolute dream ring - which I will be buying at the end of program. Right now I'm saving my money for trips, but if after everything I still have the money left over I'm going to get it. It's good for me to have something like that because it'll make me think twice before buying anything else. I'll go, "Hmm...I like this dress but do I like it enough to take x amount away from my ring?" So, kudos Paddo market for being a deterrent for my shopping habit. It was just such a gorgeous marketplace. I bought a tiny cupcake and some delicious apple, carrot, ginger juice and that was it for the day. Everything was so pretty, I'll definitely be going back there for Christmas presents. I already know that what I want to get Mom, Maddy, Ray, and Jenna are all there. I'm super excited. I'm really glad I got my butt out of bed and went.

Then, after Paddo Market we went to Patty's Market which is a HUGE marketplace filled with everything you could imagine from produce to cameras. It's like Canal Street on crack. Seriously. I bought some apples, an avocado, and some wasabi peas for under $10 which should hold me over at least for the week. But this market was seriously overwhelming. So many people, so many aisles, so many men and women screaming at you to check out their wares and that their oranges were cheaper than the other guy's. It was insanity. On our way home from Patty's I stopped over at my favorite place ever - Backpacker's World Travel to have one last sit down with Amanda before booking my trip. We have landed on....(drum roll please)....Auckland! Sail City! I'll be flying out there on Friday morning, then hopping on a beautiful catamaran on Saturday for an eight hour excursion around the Bay of Islands, New Zealand's Whitsundays. I get lunch and snorkeling and sunbathing on the bow - all things Dad loved to do. Then, on Sunday, I am doing a three hour America's Cup boat racing tour around the harbor. Something else Dad loved - big beautiful boats that go fast. I'm really excited to be doing it on my own, too. Dad traveled by himself all the time and although he loved traveling with people it's a skill to go somewhere brand new all alone and learn to enjoy it. I'm really looking forward to exploring the way he did, meeting people and making connections. It was a skill he wanted me to have - independence, adventurousness. So, I'm following in his footsteps, packing light, and hitting the ground running in Auckland, New Zealand. I'm sure if he had known it was Sail City he'd have been planning a trip out there as soon as he could. Now if only there was a Motorcycle City I could go to....or would that be Milwaukee? I'm revved to get out there and spend some time with myself and his memory on the ocean.

After the markets we all took some time to relax then met up for dinner. We found a Mexican Restaurant on Glebe street which was amazing! Margaritas, enchiladas, and tres leches cake! Three of my favorite things. I found a really great group of friends and we had a wonderful time laughing, eating, and drinking outside at the Baja Cafe. It was a perfect day all around. Now, tomorrow we're going to tour some of Sydney's beaches, weather permitting, then get ready for class on Monday! It's all going so fast, I hope I can hold on long enough to soak everything in!

G'night from down under!

Friday Funday

Today went by so quickly!

I still feel like a huge loser because I'm back in my room by 8pm but for those of you that know me well, you know that the "club" scene isn't really my thing. Maybe I should be experiencing it here in Sydney, and I'm sure I will eventually, but I feel better getting a routine going and figuring out my schedule and then going out than tiring myself to the point of no return. So, I'm being a fuddy duddy and hanging out in my room in the evenings! :) This isn't to say I'm not enjoying some fine Australian wine, but there have been no wet pussy shots (as are so famous here) for me.

Today was mostly business again. It started with an internship meeting, which went well. I'm still hoping to work with Fremantle, but I'm going to be patient and trust Daryl my adviser. Then I ran to Backpackers World to try to finish planning this trip. The Whitsundays are still up in the air, I may be going to Auckland instead, but my fantastic travel agent is working everything out for me. I have faith I will be on a sailboat next weekend in one way or another. We'll see what pans out, I'll also be patient with that. In the afternoon I did some grocery shopping - $15 worth of necessary snacky stuff like granola bars - and grabbed a mirror for my room. I went back to the room, finished my CV and personal statement, then headed out to the Sydney Harbour cruise. It was fantastic. Beautiful, relaxing, perfect weather, good food, good conversation. It's been really great getting to know people and finding individuals who are like me, I'm excited to get started. All in all it was an uneventful day but enjoyable - I'm starting to get into my groove here, meet people, and really enjoy myself. Tomorrow we're going to go to some amazing flea markets, which will be a lot of fun. More of that then!

G'night from down under. :)

Mishaps and Misunderstandings

So, second day in Sydney has come and gone!

I really do love this city, despite the jet lag getting to me hardcore today.

The morning began with me trying to figure out my stupid T Mobile phone. After an hour on hold with customer service and then technical service trying to figure out why my "international" wireless hot spot plan wasn't working it took one guy to go "Oh, you have an unlocked phone? Yeah, that won't work." Awesome. Thanks T Mobile guy in San Diego for telling me a crock of shit. But, thanks to his mistake T Mobile is sending me a new, wireless hot spot enabled phone for a much reduced rate this week. That means (for those of you who care) I will be able to again BBM and call you (for free!) in a little over a week. Thank goodness. My other Blackberry will work fine with my Virgin Mobile SIM card, which had a hissy fit this afternoon and told me I had no minutes. Then, to top it off, AmEx put a hold on my credit card because even though I called them and told them a week a go I'd be in Sydney and that it was "unnecessary to alert them of my travel plans" they thought it was stolen. Baller. After a stern talking to with AmEx customer service that got handled, too, but it was a day chock full of huffy phone calls and firm tones of voice.

I bought my books and decided on over loading during the second teaching period of the semester. This is very unorthodox. See, our internships are second semester which, for a normal student, would mean one day of class and four days of internship. For me, being insane and probably slightly diluted it means two days and an evening of class and my internship. BUT - it means I get to take the wine class that I really wanted to take for fun (and, you know, awesome party tricks) and the brand marketing and advertising class that will help my career and my internship - which looks like it's going to be at the amazing distribution and acquisition company Fremantle Media. I'm so excited, it's not exactly what I saw myself doing but thanks to the guidance of my amazing adviser he convinced me that it will broaden my horizons and give me a much better view of the business end of executive production/network management/studio management, which is what I'd eventually like to do. It sounds fantastic. So two nights a week I get to drink some wine, and one day a week I study some marketing and advertising junk. It'll balance out. I'm so ready to start class.

I also signed up for surf camp! Gnarly! :) It's a three day surf excursion and I'm so excited to be going. It's going to be amazing. I also decided that next weekend (the 4th-7th) I'm going to go to the Whitsundays, a beautiful beach/island on my own to honor my dad's death with a sailing trip. The two wonderful girls at Backpackers World Travel helped me book an amazing trip for a couple days out there on a beautiful tall ship. I'm going to lay in the sun, read some books, and be on a boat - three of my dad's favorite things. I wish my mom could be with me but she'll be there in spirit - as will Dad. I'm so excited to do that by myself, meeting people and making friends, something else my dad was fantastic at. It'll be a perfect homage to his life and legacy.

Sam and I are also going to start planning some of our trips as well. I think I'm going to head to the Outback by myself as well (or with someone I meet here) because Sam doesn't really wanna go. But, I need to see some Aboriginal religious practices up close to cater to my religion credit here, so I should probably go. Otherwise it looks like Fiji, the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, and I'm thinking Vanuatu are my top destinations while I'm here. And New Zealand, definitely. It'll be a whirlwind first half, but it'll be amazing!

I didn't end up going out with Sam tonight for her birthday. I feel bad but my jet lag is just kicking in and the thought of going out partying kind of makes me wanna cry. Soon enough, I'm sure, I'll want to go, but for right now I need to keep my head on straight and not be hung over for meetings! All in good time.

Well, I'm off to temper that jet lag with a good night's sleep and then more meetings and a Sydney Harbor cruise tomorrow! G'night!

PS - Just so you know - that picture is where I'm going to be sailing next weekend. Jealous? :)

Arrival

Phew, I've finally arrived! It was an insane trip, seriously, insane.

It started at LAX at 4:30pm - six hours before our flight departed. Thankfully I got there early enough to check in my giant (and heavy) bags and get a slight upgrade to an exit row so I could stretch my sore knees out. I bummed around the airport for awhile, finishing some work and housekeeping stuff before finally getting on the flight at 10pm. With both knee braces on I was the first person on the plane, the flight attendants thought it was hilarious. But, I settled in then switched my seats so I could be closer to Sam, and hunkered down for the 15 hour flight.

The surprising part? It went SO FAST. I literally ate dinner, watched three episodes of How I Met Your Mother (thank you V Australia) and then zonked out. Seriously, I slept from an hour after dinner until breakfast - two hours before the plane landed! No jet lag for me! It was fantastic. We had some issues at the Brisbane airport - getting bags, going through customs and quarantine, transferring our bags (which included a bus with lots of pissed off people who were thankfully willing to help me with my giant suitcases), transferring our tickets, delayed flights, then rescheduled to on-time flights, but we finally made it only an hour behind schedule. Sydney is beautiful! It's such an interesting mix of old architecture and modern buildings, an insane amalgamation. We unpacked in our little Unilodge room, not very exciting. I'm living in the little loft, I have my own pocket person lair, as I'm affectionately calling it. It's small, but it'll do. I wasn't expecting the Ritz. Everybody is so nice, I can't wait to get started with class. We joined a wine club down the street from our apartment - $50 for a lifetime membership and serious discounts on bottles of wine, including $50 worth of wine for free! Plus, I can cancel my membership for a full refund when I leave. I like this city already. After our introduction to the program people we went to KMart (crazy...I know) and got some forgotten essentials. Word to the wise - hair products are much more expensive here! I'm glad I got over my nice shampoo thing and am okay with buying the cheapest brand. I'll save that money for traveling. Things are definitely more expensive here, but I don't think it'll be too hard to live on a budget. After our shopping spree today (which included a hair dryer, hair straightener, wireless router, and ethernet cable, woohoo!) I'm pretty sure I can stick to my $5-7 a day budget.

Tonight we're having a welcome BBQ and tomorrow night (jet lag permitting) we're going to The Ivy for Sam's birthday. I'm not a huge club person so that'll be interesting. I guess if I get too exhausted I can always take a cab back to the UniLodge, no harm no foul.

I must run to the BBQ, have a couple beers, then go to bed! I'm exhausted, but hoping some food, conversation, and Strongbow will keep me awake long enough not to wake up at an ungodly hour tomorrow morning. Beating jet lag one hour at a time. :)

More when orientation ends and classes begin! G'day from down under!

On My Way!

So, it's 5pm in Los Angeles, 10am Tuesday in Sydney - and that is where I'm headed.

My bags have been checked thanks to a wonderful V Australia representative who was helpful and friendly, thank goodness. Four suitcases, two of which were overweight, cost me less to get to Australia than it did from Boston to San Diego! How does that make sense? But, whatever. I upgraded my seat to an exit row so I can stretch out a big and put my feet up so my knees won't get mangled in the process. The same kind gate agent also told me which side to sit on so I could see the view better. I love flying Virgin. God bless Richard Branson.

I can't believe I'm actually going! It's so exciting, I'm still not nervous at all! I'm just completely revved up. It's going to be an amazing five months and I can't wait to start. I have an awful sunburn from laying out yesterday but even that can't get me down, I'm going to Australia! Every person I've spoken with who's ever been there has adored it, I've heard many "That's my favorite city!"'s. I know it's going to be hard work, too, of course, with school, my internship, and continuing to work for two companies in the States, but it's all totally doable and I'm so excited. Is there a better word than excited? Probably not, but words don't really describe what I'm feeling. Yes, of course, I'm going to miss people - a lot of people - but the beauty of the 21st century is that even on another continent I can keep in touch. So keep in touch with me, too! :)

Well, I'm off now to eat some snacks and get some tea, hopefully I can fall asleep when I get on the plane. G'night - I'm off to the land down under! (Maybe I'll meet Colin Hay while I'm down there...)

And, as promised, a picture of my new tattoo.

New Beginnings!

Well, tomorrow I leave for San Diego, my last stop off before Australia! This summer has been an amazing whirlwind and I'm so excited to start this new chapter.

Surprisingly enough, I'm not really that nervous right now. Weird? Possibly. Unlike me? Yeah. I think it's because for the first time in a really long time I have almost complete faith in myself and my abilities. This is going to be such a huge learning experience and I'm ready for it. I can take on classes, internship, going out, traveling, everything. I'm ready for it.

I leave with a new tattoo on my left foot to remind me of who I am, what I'm doing, and who's behind me - "Small but strong." Something my dad used to call me and our family, it just made sense. I may be small, but I'm strong.

Check this blog for updates on my travels, experiences, and adventures - I'm going to try to post as much as I can. Sydney here I come! I hope the land down under is ready for me! :)