so many odds and ends

Starting over on a new campus is turning out to be more work than I ever imagined. The basics, like my student id number and my bus pass, all have a new meaning here. The more complex issues, classes and feeding myself, seem too daunting right now to even tackle. On top of it all, I am in a strange place tying to absorb vocabulary, customs, and surroundings I don't know. A perfect example of this would be at the end of all my running around today when I got my first meeting with our school mascot, the quenda. I advise you to look up their photo to fully understand why I broke out screaming and threw something at the little guy. They appear to be large rats that hop. Apparently, if you throw them some bread, they will come up and lick your toes. No thank you, Mr. Quenda, I don't dig the toe licking. After the friendly murdoch welcome creature ran away, I just sat down on the ground and closed my eyes. It had been hours since I had started my day, and once again I had forgotten to slow down and enjoy my experience. I did what most of us do, rush through our to-do list while sacrificing our own personal well-being. I got up and returned to my flat, deciding to stay in as oppose to joining my other American friends in celebrating one of the boy's 21st birthday in the bars all night. I am smiling to myself, now a little more stable than I was one the way home, listening to my male flatmate sing along to "Arms of an Angel" in his room. A beautiful simple moment, just absorbing a cultural difference. Tomorrow, I will try and channel this peace when I return to the mall only a day after purchasing my cel phone because it is broken. Wish me luck!

Denmark, WA

I'm back from our short trip down south. It most certainly was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. We were not camping, just bushwalking for a few hours one day. Bushwalking is Aussie talk for hiking. We stayed in a beautiful log cabin deep in the forests of Denmark, Western Australia. On the way, we stopped at the south ocean and had a swim in the freezing water. I sliced the bottom of one of my toes open really deep, but I will live. The only problem I had was when we were hiking. Next stop was pentland, where you can pet and feed a wide variety of animals from kolas to bunnies. I also was able in interact one on one with a kangaroo. It was adorable the way they held your hand while eating feed. The farm has award-winning alpacas who were very shy. I recommend you check out their website at pentlandalpacafarm.com.au to see some cute pictures. Another thing to look up on google is the valley of the giants in Western Australia. This national park is home to the last of the red tingle trees. They are hundreds of feet tall, and are done no justice by the photos. To walk amongst the giants on steel bridges took my breath away. It is great feats of nature like this that remind me how insignificant some of our daily troubles are. Another great reminder of this fact was visiting the Gap in Albany, WA. This is the spot where Antarctica broke off from Australia millions of years ago. It is as far south as you can get, the edge of the world. The ocean roared beneath the staggering cliffs, showing no mercy to anything that may fall into it. I looked to the horizon, breathing in the ocean air and appreciating the gift of this journey. These hidden pockets of nature's finest are the reason I urge everyone to keep up the fight to save the planet. Australia is hit the hardest by the environmental changes, and they aren't doing most of the damage. Please remember that the extra effort you put into your day by recycling does make a difference. Returning to campus, we will spend the next few days sitting through lectures about what it is to be a MU student. It is very boring compared to where I have been.

freezing in Freo

I'm settled in and having a wonderful time. At first, my roommates seemed removed, but on my second night here they cooked me dinner. We are spending the evening chatting about school before I leave for my trip to the south tomorrow. We will be in Denmark, West Australia seeing some of beautiful parts of the countryside. To prepare, I braved public transportation and went into Freemantle to shop for some supplies. The town is lovely, and our family friends were right about the fish and chips. They were delicious! I was especially shocked to see a 30 foot yacht roll up to the restaurant and get carry-outs. I would have to say the worst part of the trip so far are the birds. They are loud and annoying, and apparently when it gets warm out they start nesting and attacking people. Get excited for that! I will write if I can while I am on the trip, otherwise I will report back on my return.

LAX

I'm sitting in the lounge waiting for my flight to leave for Australia. I had a magical time with mom at the resort these last few days ( except for all the LA traffic). We didn't have the internet, and that was probably a good thing since I was inspired to rant about so many things (plastic surgery, the way people treat the beach, and so on) but we are all better off if I keep that to myself. To sum it all up, California is beautiful, and nature is truly better off without human interference. The snails were my favorite part. I am sitting here with a mix of fear and excitement. Saying good bye to my mom was hard, and I will miss being tucked in at night. I am looking forward to the adventure and the learning experience, but fear not finding my place in a strange culture. I hope to use this trip as a path of self discovery. I look around me and everyone seems so certain of their path, their jobs, and their place in society. Striving to do the same, the new environment of Perth will hopefully provide me with a clearer view of my place.

In six days, my mom and I will be leaving for California. On the day I turn 20, I will fly to Australia and begin the biggest adventure of my life so far. I wanted to use this blog as a way to record this journey, and to stay in touch with the people I love. I hope you enjoy reading what I experience, and I warn you now I will be nothing short of honest.