Naturally computer failures and hard drive replacements had to occur when I decided to venture across the world, but none the less here we are!
So, at this point of the semester I have almost been in Australia for three weeks (mind blowing to think)! In just the past three weeks alone I have created great friendships with people who I know I will be in touch with for a while and years to come. I have seen some incredible places already and none of them are the big trips I have planned so I know I am in for a treat! But let's start back from the beginning so I can fill you in on some things
Day 1: January 4th 2016
Today is the day, I am officially venturing to the other side of the world but for some reason I still cannot believe it. I wake up this morning excited to embark on a journey that I know will be life changing. As I collect my things, SQUEEZE my luggage shut and double (triple) check I have everything I am ready to jump into the car to get the ball rolling. I start to say the hardest goodbyes before I even leave the house to both my brother and my little puppy, its going to be a long four months with out them. On the way to Newark I have my mom driving and my sister in the back seat (complaining of a head ache lol) and the entire way I still don't feel anything clicking. We fly to Newark with no traffic, so far so good. I jump out of the car and now one of the hardest goodbyes has to come. I hug my sister and immediately start crying, how am I going to leave her for four months? Sure I do it at school but Australia, really?! I feel more comfortable knowing I am following her footsteps and am aware of the trip I am about to have as she still cannot stop talking about going to Gold Coast just two years ago. After a tearful separation I am ready to walk in. I check in at the Kiosk and place the luggages on the scale.. problem #1 has no been endured.
One luggage is 47 lbs (blessed) and than the other one is 60 (aw, so cute!). So there me and my are in the middle of Newark Airport with both of my luggages wide open (thats a cute pair underwear and aw Gas X in the pocket, adorable!) With some quick traveling expertise skills my mom and I are able to save the day and the man at the counters lets me get away with 51 lbs for each bag. So up the stairs I go to security, obviously the longest line. Well, the worst part of the trip has come -- saying goodbye to the one person I can count on at any minute, any hour and any day, my twin, workout buddy, cooking/baking partner and absolute role model.. my mother. We stand hugging (crying) each other for a good 3.5 minutes. She stands there squeezing me telling me to be safe, make friends and that if I want to come home she would send me home in a heart beat even if it cost a million dollars. We finally part from each other but there she is standing at the security line waiting for me to go through <3
I finally make it out of security and to the Continental Lounge, oh yeah. I sit here for a good hour and half relaxing, indulging in some yummy snacks and sipping on some seltzer (RIGHT ON MAN). And than it is time to find my gate for my first flight to Los Angeles. I sit in my seat, the window seat (the perfect seat for the girl with a tiny bladder) with an Asian man next to me and a frantic Franny at the isle. As we are on the runway (nearly off the ground) Franny is yelling at the Asian man for using his phone, "ARENT YOU SUPPOSED TO PUT THAT OFF?! ON AIRPLANE MODE?!" Oh jeez this should be interesting. Well, luckily the flight goes smoothly and I get to LA an hour early. I collect my bags, recheck them and make my way to the next gate to wait for a few hours. After getting some food to eat (thank you United for giving 0 free food items on a 6 hour flight) I decide to venture to the gate to meet the ~TEAN people.~
"Are you a TEAN?" the only words I hear for the next few hours as new girls trickle in. I begin to talk to girls, all of them seem so nice! Here is where I meet Hannah Sibel and Lianne Villaincourt (I stalked you both on FB lol). I also meet Claire and Sarah a hilarious pair of roommates. As we sit there and break the ice we finally are able to board the double decker Qantas Flight to Melbourne! All of us questioning how the fuck we are going to last 16 hours but here goes nothing. I decided earlier on in the airport to move from seat 84F to 54C so I depart from most of the girls and am placed next to a not so happy english (or Australian, hard to tell) older couple. They are "secretly" talking about me, honestly the man could not make it more obvious. At one point I get up to get myself a water bottle, sit back down and strap in to than have the old man ask me if I could get him an his wife a bottle each. Sorry, wasn't aware my ticket also came with a complimentary "Become a Qantas Flight Attendant for your flight!" (I did it though, ugh an angel).
We land in Melbourne, also an hour early, and now it is time to find my way through the customs line. Super easy which was confusing but I make it through Customs and to the baggage claim where I am in a shear panic, thinking I am in the wrong place, but than lo and behold is Hannah Sibel! Together we get our luggages, make it through customs and RUN to the next gate for our flight to Sydney. I am now sweating. Anything after a 15 hour flight feels like a short break so up in the air and back down we go, finally we are in Sydney!
We arrive to ICMS, the place we are staying for Orientation week and fun fact: is also where they filmed the Great Gatsby. For the next week I am in a single in a very dingy dorm with weird food but its just a week right? Here I start to find a solid group of girls and finally meet all of the roommates. Throughout this week we take trips to Manly beach, Sydney, Darling Harbor, the aquarium and Bondi Beach (what a beauty that was!). We have a fun night out in Sydney after we were given dinner thanks to TEAN at the Blackbird Cafe. Afterward we decide to listen to Todd and go to the Scary Carnari for a night out which was filled with tourist from all over the world but mostly people from our program! I even took a Yager bomb shot with a random Aussie man. We make our way to Featherdale Wild Life Zoo where I get (attempt) to get a good picture with the koalas and the kangaroos. And we end the week with a dinner cruise with all the new friends and a final good bye from Todd.
The week goes and flies and than it is time for another airport (ugh) but finally to GOLD COAST! After arriving in Brisbane airport we go to the baggage claim but obviously I am given 1 of my 2 bags. Ends up, if all of the TEAN bags were placed on the flight the flight would have been too heavy and too dangerous so I didn't mind waiting the extra half hour to it from the next flight. Almost there, now just a bus ride away, an hour bus ride to be exact. And than there it is, Peppers, the place I can call home for the next 4 months, holy shit.
