Wow, what an amazing semester it's been! I am not quite finished with finals yet...I had my first exam on this morning at 9 am, and I have one more on Thursday. My climate and the environment exam was alright...the physics portion was horrible, but I am just happy to have it over with! I am almost all packed, just a few more things to shove in here and there. I can't believe I am packing up and leaving in 3 days!!!! The past couple of months have absolutely flown by. It's tough because now that my time is basically over, I am trying to fit in as many 'lasts' as possible in Sydney. I went to Paddy's Markets one last time on Friday, enjoyed the botanical gardens for the last time (and even fed the cockatoos!), had my last Thai dish...you get the idea. On Wednesday my friends and I are having our own Thanksgiving dinner here in our apartment village. All of us are traveling to either New Zealand, Fiji, or other places in Australia before we head back, so we're all going to miss Thanksgiving :( I wish I could be with you, family in Indy! I will be thinking about you as I am hiking around in NZ. Anyway, after our dinner we're all going to venture one last time to the Harbour to take some pictures together and take in the gorgeous view of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
I'm going to miss my friends here a lot, since we're each other's family and I have spent everyday with them. But thankfully two of them live in Ohio so we'll be close enough to visit each other at home or at school. I am really really looking forward to being back though, because I cannot wait to see my family and friends!! I have missed them so much here--it will be wonderful to give them all big hugs and see them in person rather than through Skype!
Sooo, this will end my Aussie Blog, but I may write again to update you on New Zealand, once I return to the States. I hope you enjoyed living vicariously through me in my Aussie Adventure :) It was more than I could have ever hoped for, and I can honestly say that living in another country for four and a half months has changed my perspective of the world, and has changed me. If you're thinking of going abroad all I can say is DO IT. You will be stretched out of your comfort zone and will learn to embrace and love a completely different culture from the U.S. It is amazing. Thanks for reading everyone! God Bless
xoxo Megs
p.s. All of the pictures I've taken since last time are up!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Where has the time gone?!
I have officially finished classes at Sydney Uni! woohoo!!!!! This week was the last week of class, next week we have "study" break, and then the following two weeks are for final exams. I have a music listening test this coming Tuesday, and then on Wednesday I am leaving to go to Fraser Island and Hervey Bay with Ashley and Sarah for a few days. I am so excited that everything school wise is winding down! School was tougher than I expected, but there was not as much day to day work which made it much less stressful. Grading here is much harder and weighted differently, so it will be interesting to see how that turns out. But no worries, I tried my best and worked hard, so I should be good to go!
It's been an awesome experience to go to a big school for a semester, but I am really looking forward to going back to my small campus at Hope. It's weird to think that just three and a half months ago I had NO idea what Australia would be like, and now I am here and have gotten to know Sydney so well. It's sad to think that my study abroad experience that I have waited for for literally 3 years, is now coming to an end. It's been quite an adventure to say the least, but through all of the good and tough times, I have really grown up and learned more about myself. It's really amazing to me how living in another country for a few months really opens your eyes to the world. It's such a big place with so many different people from different cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs. It's stretched me so much from my comfort at Hope College and in St. Charles, and I couldn't be more thankful for it.
I have finals on November 17 and 20, and then I leave also on the 20th (a crazzy day!) for New Zealand. My final is scheduled from 9:00-11:10, so when it is over I will probably be jumping up and down because that means that school is offically over for 2008, and more importantly, I will be on my way to what I've heard is the most beautiful country I will ever see. I fly out of Sydney at 4:30, so between packing up my life and going to the airport, it should be an experience!Aussie is incredible and I will be sad to leave it, especially because I have so so many great memories here. BUT...all good things must come to an end I guess, and I couldn't be more excited to really unleash my adventurous spontaneous self in Queenstown--bungy jumping, jet boating, luging, zorbing, biking, and hiking. woohooo!!
I hope all is going well back home in IL and MI. Thank you for your continued prayers and for keeping in touch. I will still be posting some more before I get back on Dec. 7 to the States, so please keep reading :) Love you lots!!!!
xxx Megs
It's been an awesome experience to go to a big school for a semester, but I am really looking forward to going back to my small campus at Hope. It's weird to think that just three and a half months ago I had NO idea what Australia would be like, and now I am here and have gotten to know Sydney so well. It's sad to think that my study abroad experience that I have waited for for literally 3 years, is now coming to an end. It's been quite an adventure to say the least, but through all of the good and tough times, I have really grown up and learned more about myself. It's really amazing to me how living in another country for a few months really opens your eyes to the world. It's such a big place with so many different people from different cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs. It's stretched me so much from my comfort at Hope College and in St. Charles, and I couldn't be more thankful for it.
I have finals on November 17 and 20, and then I leave also on the 20th (a crazzy day!) for New Zealand. My final is scheduled from 9:00-11:10, so when it is over I will probably be jumping up and down because that means that school is offically over for 2008, and more importantly, I will be on my way to what I've heard is the most beautiful country I will ever see. I fly out of Sydney at 4:30, so between packing up my life and going to the airport, it should be an experience!Aussie is incredible and I will be sad to leave it, especially because I have so so many great memories here. BUT...all good things must come to an end I guess, and I couldn't be more excited to really unleash my adventurous spontaneous self in Queenstown--bungy jumping, jet boating, luging, zorbing, biking, and hiking. woohooo!!
I hope all is going well back home in IL and MI. Thank you for your continued prayers and for keeping in touch. I will still be posting some more before I get back on Dec. 7 to the States, so please keep reading :) Love you lots!!!!
xxx Megs
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Passion World Tour: Sydney
Inside my mind:
Oh my gosh. I just got back from the Passion World Tour and it was absolutely incredible. Christian musicians Chris Tomlin, David Crowder Band, and speaker Louie Giglio have traveled to 17 major cities across the world in every continent, performing and leading worship for a one night event aimed at university students. Sydney was their last stop on the tour, so it was really awesome to be there. Some of you may have heard of or been to a Passion tour; this was the first time I’ve gone and I cannot describe how powerful it was.
It’s been difficult for me to see God working here in Australia, because religion feels so non-existent. People never talk about going to church or even about believing in God. It’s been an adjustment to say the least. After tonight though, wow, God is really doing/ going to do some amazing things in Sydney.
My friend Ashley and my roommate Sarah are both Christians, so it’s been a huge blessing to have them in my life. Sarah heard about the tour randomly when talking with an STA travel agent, so she told Ashley and I about it. The three of us took the bus to the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Darling Harbour for the four hour event.
The place was packed with 8,000 people from all over Australia and New Zealand. It was overwhelming to see so many students all there to worship God. Louie Giglio, a renowned speaker, spoke in between Chris Tomlin and David Crowder, and I have to say that he is probably one of the best Christian speakers I have ever heard. The focus of the night was on reconciliation and how God is Mighty to Save. He read from 2 Corinthians 5:11-21. Verse 21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” If you study that verse it is really mind-blowing. Jesus died for us so that we could become reconciled in him. Perfection took on our sin, our shame, all of our imperfections…because he loves us and wants us to be united with him in a personal relationship. I just think that’s so cool.
Anyway, Louie Giglio mainly read a girl named Ashley’s journal, a senior from the University of Florida. Bear with me- this is a long, but powerful story. In her journal she wrote about her life—her parents were divorced; her dad was an atheist and her mom remarried a Christian man, and together they raised their son. Ashley lived with her dad growing up, wanting nothing to do with Christianity. So anyway, Ashley describes herself as a huge party girl that likes to get drunk a lot. She also talks about her boyfriend and how she finds him in their apartment cheating on her with another girl. She kicks him out and decides that she wants another roommate to keep her company. Kristen responds to her ad and moves in. Kristen is a Christian, and for the first time, Ashley gets a different perspective on Christianity. Kristen (aka ‘Fruitcake’ according to Ashley) listens to Ashley when she rambles on about her “screwed up” life, rather than judge her as she feels her mom and brother do. After a few days of living together, Kristen and Ashley start talking and Kristen shares that she’s a Christian, and is living her life for God. Ashley just thinks it’s such a joke and the most absurd thing, hence the reason she calls her a Fruitcake. As time goes on though, Ashley becomes more curious about Christianity, and Kristen says to watch Louie Giglio speak because he can explain her questions better. They watch the Passion DVDs together, and something in Ashley changes. For the first time, she really understands that God loves her for who she is and for everything that she has ever done, good and bad. Ashley decides that she wants new life and restoration from her past. She asks Jesus to come into her life, and from then on God really transforms her; she deepens her relationships with her mom and brother and gets involved in a small group Bible study. She wrote out all of the lyrics of “Mighty to Save”, a worship song by Hillsong that the group sang together. It really touched her.
Some of the lyrics are:
So take me as You find me All my fears and failures Fill my life again I give my life to follow Everything I believe in Now I surrender Shine Your light and let the whole world see
We’re singing
For the glory of the risen King
At the end of the night Louie answered everyone’s question: Why on earth does he have Ashley’s journal? The answer: three months after Ashley became a Christian she was in a serious car accident, and sadly she lost too much blood to live. Ashley died in April at the age of 22. Ashley’s dad, who is now seeking faith in God, gave the journal to Louie and asked him to share it with as many people as he could, because that’s what Ashley would have wanted. That’s amazing to me. And what’s even more amazing is that Ashley’s dream of bringing God to the world is coming true through her very own words. She was an extremely talented writer. Although not physically here with us on earth, Ashley’s light is shining and the whole world can see.
I don’t know how many of you made it all the way through, but I had too many thoughts from the night in my head that I didn’t want to forget. So for my own sake, I’m glad it’s long J God IS working in Australia. It was so uplifting for me to be standing there thinking, “I’m in Australia surrounded by people of all races and backgrounds, worshipping the God of the Universe.” What an indescribable night.
Xxx Megs
Oh my gosh. I just got back from the Passion World Tour and it was absolutely incredible. Christian musicians Chris Tomlin, David Crowder Band, and speaker Louie Giglio have traveled to 17 major cities across the world in every continent, performing and leading worship for a one night event aimed at university students. Sydney was their last stop on the tour, so it was really awesome to be there. Some of you may have heard of or been to a Passion tour; this was the first time I’ve gone and I cannot describe how powerful it was.
It’s been difficult for me to see God working here in Australia, because religion feels so non-existent. People never talk about going to church or even about believing in God. It’s been an adjustment to say the least. After tonight though, wow, God is really doing/ going to do some amazing things in Sydney.
My friend Ashley and my roommate Sarah are both Christians, so it’s been a huge blessing to have them in my life. Sarah heard about the tour randomly when talking with an STA travel agent, so she told Ashley and I about it. The three of us took the bus to the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Darling Harbour for the four hour event.
The place was packed with 8,000 people from all over Australia and New Zealand. It was overwhelming to see so many students all there to worship God. Louie Giglio, a renowned speaker, spoke in between Chris Tomlin and David Crowder, and I have to say that he is probably one of the best Christian speakers I have ever heard. The focus of the night was on reconciliation and how God is Mighty to Save. He read from 2 Corinthians 5:11-21. Verse 21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” If you study that verse it is really mind-blowing. Jesus died for us so that we could become reconciled in him. Perfection took on our sin, our shame, all of our imperfections…because he loves us and wants us to be united with him in a personal relationship. I just think that’s so cool.
Anyway, Louie Giglio mainly read a girl named Ashley’s journal, a senior from the University of Florida. Bear with me- this is a long, but powerful story. In her journal she wrote about her life—her parents were divorced; her dad was an atheist and her mom remarried a Christian man, and together they raised their son. Ashley lived with her dad growing up, wanting nothing to do with Christianity. So anyway, Ashley describes herself as a huge party girl that likes to get drunk a lot. She also talks about her boyfriend and how she finds him in their apartment cheating on her with another girl. She kicks him out and decides that she wants another roommate to keep her company. Kristen responds to her ad and moves in. Kristen is a Christian, and for the first time, Ashley gets a different perspective on Christianity. Kristen (aka ‘Fruitcake’ according to Ashley) listens to Ashley when she rambles on about her “screwed up” life, rather than judge her as she feels her mom and brother do. After a few days of living together, Kristen and Ashley start talking and Kristen shares that she’s a Christian, and is living her life for God. Ashley just thinks it’s such a joke and the most absurd thing, hence the reason she calls her a Fruitcake. As time goes on though, Ashley becomes more curious about Christianity, and Kristen says to watch Louie Giglio speak because he can explain her questions better. They watch the Passion DVDs together, and something in Ashley changes. For the first time, she really understands that God loves her for who she is and for everything that she has ever done, good and bad. Ashley decides that she wants new life and restoration from her past. She asks Jesus to come into her life, and from then on God really transforms her; she deepens her relationships with her mom and brother and gets involved in a small group Bible study. She wrote out all of the lyrics of “Mighty to Save”, a worship song by Hillsong that the group sang together. It really touched her.
Some of the lyrics are:
So take me as You find me All my fears and failures Fill my life again I give my life to follow Everything I believe in Now I surrender Shine Your light and let the whole world see
We’re singing
For the glory of the risen King
At the end of the night Louie answered everyone’s question: Why on earth does he have Ashley’s journal? The answer: three months after Ashley became a Christian she was in a serious car accident, and sadly she lost too much blood to live. Ashley died in April at the age of 22. Ashley’s dad, who is now seeking faith in God, gave the journal to Louie and asked him to share it with as many people as he could, because that’s what Ashley would have wanted. That’s amazing to me. And what’s even more amazing is that Ashley’s dream of bringing God to the world is coming true through her very own words. She was an extremely talented writer. Although not physically here with us on earth, Ashley’s light is shining and the whole world can see.
I don’t know how many of you made it all the way through, but I had too many thoughts from the night in my head that I didn’t want to forget. So for my own sake, I’m glad it’s long J God IS working in Australia. It was so uplifting for me to be standing there thinking, “I’m in Australia surrounded by people of all races and backgrounds, worshipping the God of the Universe.” What an indescribable night.
Xxx Megs
Sunday, October 19, 2008
2 Great Weeks (Mom and Dad & Surfing!)
There is so much to catch up on! My mom and dad came to see Katie and I last week and we had the BEST time! They traveled around Australia and New Zealand, and then stopped back in Sydney for a few days before going home. We stayed with them in their hotel on Circular Quay (enjoying great breakfast and cappuccinos from the cappuccino machine!), went out to dinner at the Rocks, went on a coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee Beach, and climbed the Harbour Bridge. The Bridgeclimb was probably my favorite thing that we did together. We got all geared up with our climbing suits, harnesses, and strings holding our sunglasses, hats, etc., and then did a practice climb before going out to the Bridge. It was fun because our family got to be right in front of our group of 10 people. So we had a longer time to look out at the incredible views! It was so cool to see the Harbour from so high up. Sydney is really such a gorgeous city. And I was very excited that Mom and Dad both loved it too, even though they were a little afraid of the height and climbing down the ladders of the bridge J It was such a wonderful four days with them, and I know that their visit will get me through the last month and a half here. I feel like I’ve been here quite a long time, and although it has been INCREDIBLE, I am missing friends, home, and life back in the States. I am really just trying to live it up here as much as possible though, because I know it will come soon enough.
Now for this weekend…I learned how to surf! I went to Mojo Surf Camp with my friends and Katie and a few of her friends. We went to Crescent Head, about 6 hours from Sydney. The beach was beautiful and the weather was perfect. On Friday night we arrived, and Saturday morning we started surfing. The morning waves were perfect for learning, so I was able to get up a few times. We all felt very hardcore in our wet suits with our boards J I was a little surprised though at how hard it was to just swim out and get ready for the wave. It takes a lot of work! Standing up was one of the easier parts, and once you get up it is not too difficult to balance (depending on your coordination of course!). I finished off the weekend with a few bruises and a nice black eye. A wave knocked Danielle’s board out of her control and it whacked me right in the left side of my face. It reminded me of the time I got hit in the face with the shovel in Ecuador! Haha… The waves later in the afternoon were huge, so we were glad that we had some small ones in the morning. I didn’t realize how scary waves could be. So many times the waves would build so much, that by the time they got closer to the shore, they were7 or 8 feet tall. And if they didn’t break before you went over them, they consumed you. The waves were so powerful that they flipped me around upside down in the water. It was scary!
Overall it was an amazing weekend of surfing, relaxing on the beach, eating good food, and having bonfires at night. The instructors were really nice (finally some cute Aussies!) and helpful, so it was a really great time. After a couple of fun weeks with my parents and surfing, I will be back to the books this week, finishing up these last couple of weeks of class. I can’t believe I am almost finished with class! Crazy… Lots to do before then :/ Thanks for your continued prayers. I am really looking forward to seeing you all in 7 weeks! God Bless,
Xxx Megs
Now for this weekend…I learned how to surf! I went to Mojo Surf Camp with my friends and Katie and a few of her friends. We went to Crescent Head, about 6 hours from Sydney. The beach was beautiful and the weather was perfect. On Friday night we arrived, and Saturday morning we started surfing. The morning waves were perfect for learning, so I was able to get up a few times. We all felt very hardcore in our wet suits with our boards J I was a little surprised though at how hard it was to just swim out and get ready for the wave. It takes a lot of work! Standing up was one of the easier parts, and once you get up it is not too difficult to balance (depending on your coordination of course!). I finished off the weekend with a few bruises and a nice black eye. A wave knocked Danielle’s board out of her control and it whacked me right in the left side of my face. It reminded me of the time I got hit in the face with the shovel in Ecuador! Haha… The waves later in the afternoon were huge, so we were glad that we had some small ones in the morning. I didn’t realize how scary waves could be. So many times the waves would build so much, that by the time they got closer to the shore, they were7 or 8 feet tall. And if they didn’t break before you went over them, they consumed you. The waves were so powerful that they flipped me around upside down in the water. It was scary!
Overall it was an amazing weekend of surfing, relaxing on the beach, eating good food, and having bonfires at night. The instructors were really nice (finally some cute Aussies!) and helpful, so it was a really great time. After a couple of fun weeks with my parents and surfing, I will be back to the books this week, finishing up these last couple of weeks of class. I can’t believe I am almost finished with class! Crazy… Lots to do before then :/ Thanks for your continued prayers. I am really looking forward to seeing you all in 7 weeks! God Bless,
Xxx Megs
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Mom and Dad's visit!
I just wanted you all to know that I uploaded photos onto the google website (below) from my mom and dad's visit! It was soooo great. I will write later to update you on this week, but I just wanted you to know that the pictures are up :) Have a great night!
xxx Megs
xxx Megs
Monday, October 6, 2008
More of the Outback
Day 2
The next morning we woke up at 5:45 to a beautiful rainbow and sunrise, ate brekkie, and then drove to Kata Tjuta where we did a 7 km hike for about 2.5 hours. This was by far my favorite hike. Kata Tjuta, also known as the Olgas, looks like a big clump of rocks from a distance, but up close there are trails that go in and out of the rocks. It is another sacred Aborigine ground along with Uluru. The lookout points on the hike were incredible.
Ashley and I had about 2 km left of the hike, and we decided to fill up our water bottles one last time to get us through to the end. I set my backpack and camera down on a bench to fill up my bottle at the water station, and then when I dragged my backpack off of the bench, my camera came out from underneath it and smacked into the ground. My heart stopped. I quickly picked it up, turned it on….and nothing. I stared at it in shock thinking that there was no way my camera could be broken. But, it was. Luckily all of my pictures were safe on my memory card, and Ashley said that I could take as many pictures with her camera as I wanted and she would take lots too for me. Most of you know that I love taking pictures, so to have this happen was a really big letdown. But I didn’t dwell on it, and told myself that I would enjoy every minute despite my loss.
After our hike, we drove to the Aborigine Cultural Center at the base of Uluru. We did a short walk-through, and then began our 2 km hike around part of Uluru. Craig talked a lot and pointed out the areas of the rock that the Aborigines used…the kitchen, lookout holes, wedding ceremony spot, etc. Everyone is given the option to climb up the rock; however it was closed because of high temperatures. Also, Uluru is very sacred land to the Aborigine people, so as an act of respect, they strongly encourage everyone NOT to climb. I asked Craig why they even offer climbing in the first place if it is disrespectful to the Aborigines, and he said that white man’s law is above Aboriginal law, so they can still offer it. This upset my friends and I because why is white man’s law above? The Aborigines were the first people to inhabit Australia, yet they are looked down on in society and disregarded because of their ‘stone age’ lifestyle. I am learning about them in my Australian Multicultures class, so hearing more about this on Aboriginal grounds was really intriguing.
After the hike we drove to the sunset viewing area of Uluru. We had dinner and spent time chatting with everyone on our tour…and watched tour bus after tour bus file in to park for the sunset. We had some time to kill, so Ashley and I took lots of jumping pictures with Uluru behind us. So fun! The sunset was unlike any other I have seen before. The clouds were perfectly positioned for the sunrays to beam out from them. Supposedly the rock changes color for sunrise and sunset, but all I could see was it getting darker as the light slowly disappeared. But it was amazing anyway.
We made our way to the Ayers Rock campground, were able to shower and use real toilets!, and then laid out our swags for bed. The stars were even better than the night before—I felt like I was being consumed by stars because they surrounded the entire sky, and were not just directly above me. I found the ‘southern cross’ and ‘scorpio,’ both constellations that we don’t have in the northern hemisphere. What a great end to another great day
xxx Megs
The next morning we woke up at 5:45 to a beautiful rainbow and sunrise, ate brekkie, and then drove to Kata Tjuta where we did a 7 km hike for about 2.5 hours. This was by far my favorite hike. Kata Tjuta, also known as the Olgas, looks like a big clump of rocks from a distance, but up close there are trails that go in and out of the rocks. It is another sacred Aborigine ground along with Uluru. The lookout points on the hike were incredible.
Ashley and I had about 2 km left of the hike, and we decided to fill up our water bottles one last time to get us through to the end. I set my backpack and camera down on a bench to fill up my bottle at the water station, and then when I dragged my backpack off of the bench, my camera came out from underneath it and smacked into the ground. My heart stopped. I quickly picked it up, turned it on….and nothing. I stared at it in shock thinking that there was no way my camera could be broken. But, it was. Luckily all of my pictures were safe on my memory card, and Ashley said that I could take as many pictures with her camera as I wanted and she would take lots too for me. Most of you know that I love taking pictures, so to have this happen was a really big letdown. But I didn’t dwell on it, and told myself that I would enjoy every minute despite my loss.
After our hike, we drove to the Aborigine Cultural Center at the base of Uluru. We did a short walk-through, and then began our 2 km hike around part of Uluru. Craig talked a lot and pointed out the areas of the rock that the Aborigines used…the kitchen, lookout holes, wedding ceremony spot, etc. Everyone is given the option to climb up the rock; however it was closed because of high temperatures. Also, Uluru is very sacred land to the Aborigine people, so as an act of respect, they strongly encourage everyone NOT to climb. I asked Craig why they even offer climbing in the first place if it is disrespectful to the Aborigines, and he said that white man’s law is above Aboriginal law, so they can still offer it. This upset my friends and I because why is white man’s law above? The Aborigines were the first people to inhabit Australia, yet they are looked down on in society and disregarded because of their ‘stone age’ lifestyle. I am learning about them in my Australian Multicultures class, so hearing more about this on Aboriginal grounds was really intriguing.
After the hike we drove to the sunset viewing area of Uluru. We had dinner and spent time chatting with everyone on our tour…and watched tour bus after tour bus file in to park for the sunset. We had some time to kill, so Ashley and I took lots of jumping pictures with Uluru behind us. So fun! The sunset was unlike any other I have seen before. The clouds were perfectly positioned for the sunrays to beam out from them. Supposedly the rock changes color for sunrise and sunset, but all I could see was it getting darker as the light slowly disappeared. But it was amazing anyway.
We made our way to the Ayers Rock campground, were able to shower and use real toilets!, and then laid out our swags for bed. The stars were even better than the night before—I felt like I was being consumed by stars because they surrounded the entire sky, and were not just directly above me. I found the ‘southern cross’ and ‘scorpio,’ both constellations that we don’t have in the northern hemisphere. What a great end to another great day
xxx Megs
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Spring Break 08 Part I: Melbourne
One of the ways I experience God is through His creation—and I cannot even explain to you the beauty of His creation that I saw this week on my spring break. I’m going to write a few different entries to distinguish the parts of my trip, so feel free to read as much or as little as you like.
First, my friends and I went to Melbourne where we spent Saturday through Monday. I traveled with my friends Ashley, Jana, and Lauren. Ashley and Jana are two of my close friends from my program, and Lauren is my Canadian friend from Toronto who we all met at our orientation in July.
It was great because we spent time with Ashley’s flatmate, Gigi, and her two friends. We also had dinner with Jana’s flatmate, Tanya and her friends—they both live outside of Melbourne. It was the first time we had been shown around a city by locals, so it was awesome. Melbourne (MEL-BIN) is very different from Sydney; it is smaller, and therefore easier to travel on foot rather than on buses. They use a tram system instead of buses, so we rode that once to check it out. The city also has more of a European feel with several side streets, cafés, and small shops. I really liked it because it felt a lot less touristy than Sydney, making us feel like we blended in more as locals too.
The city is laid out in a grid, so we found our way around easily. We went to Chinatown with Gigi and her friends for Dim Sum, walked around the botanical gardens, took naps back at our dark-dreary-and gross hostel, and then went out to a Japanese dinner at Chocolate Buddha in Federation Square (with Tanya and her friends). Lots of Asian food in one day!
Melbourne is known for its huge sport culture, and it just so happened that the AFL (Australian Footy League), equivalent to our NFL, had their ‘superbowl’ on Saturday afternoon. The Hawthorne Hawks defeated Geelong (both Melbourne suburbs), and since the Hawks were the underdog, it was an even bigger victory! Fans were celebrating in Federation Square, so it was fun to be part of the excitement.
On Monday morning after our Great Ocean Road tour, I went for a run on the path in the botanical gardens, and then Lauren and I went to the top of the Rialto Towers to see a view of the city on the 360 degree skydeck. It is such a beautiful city, and if you ever get the chance to go there, don’t pass up the opportunity! That night we had dinner with Gigi and her friends again (who were the sweetest girls ever), at this Italian restaurant where they reluctantly gave us a free bottle of wine and 20% off for their horrible service (we had to wait an hour to order because there was this big Uni sports team there, and then another hour and a half for our food!) I think all of us were a little surprised because the employees were really the first rude Australians we had encountered! I guess I shouldn’t expect everyone to live up to the Australian stereotype as the ‘friendliest people you’ll ever meet’
I walked around Melbourne Uni with the girls, while my friends stopped to get books at Border’s. It seemed smaller than Sydney Uni, and although it had cool architecture too, I am definitely biased toward Sydney. But I am glad that I could see where my friend Ben studied when he was here in Australia last semester.
Okay, now it’s off to The Great Ocean Road tour that we took on Sunday! Unbelievable.
First, my friends and I went to Melbourne where we spent Saturday through Monday. I traveled with my friends Ashley, Jana, and Lauren. Ashley and Jana are two of my close friends from my program, and Lauren is my Canadian friend from Toronto who we all met at our orientation in July.
It was great because we spent time with Ashley’s flatmate, Gigi, and her two friends. We also had dinner with Jana’s flatmate, Tanya and her friends—they both live outside of Melbourne. It was the first time we had been shown around a city by locals, so it was awesome. Melbourne (MEL-BIN) is very different from Sydney; it is smaller, and therefore easier to travel on foot rather than on buses. They use a tram system instead of buses, so we rode that once to check it out. The city also has more of a European feel with several side streets, cafés, and small shops. I really liked it because it felt a lot less touristy than Sydney, making us feel like we blended in more as locals too.
The city is laid out in a grid, so we found our way around easily. We went to Chinatown with Gigi and her friends for Dim Sum, walked around the botanical gardens, took naps back at our dark-dreary-and gross hostel, and then went out to a Japanese dinner at Chocolate Buddha in Federation Square (with Tanya and her friends). Lots of Asian food in one day!
Melbourne is known for its huge sport culture, and it just so happened that the AFL (Australian Footy League), equivalent to our NFL, had their ‘superbowl’ on Saturday afternoon. The Hawthorne Hawks defeated Geelong (both Melbourne suburbs), and since the Hawks were the underdog, it was an even bigger victory! Fans were celebrating in Federation Square, so it was fun to be part of the excitement.
On Monday morning after our Great Ocean Road tour, I went for a run on the path in the botanical gardens, and then Lauren and I went to the top of the Rialto Towers to see a view of the city on the 360 degree skydeck. It is such a beautiful city, and if you ever get the chance to go there, don’t pass up the opportunity! That night we had dinner with Gigi and her friends again (who were the sweetest girls ever), at this Italian restaurant where they reluctantly gave us a free bottle of wine and 20% off for their horrible service (we had to wait an hour to order because there was this big Uni sports team there, and then another hour and a half for our food!) I think all of us were a little surprised because the employees were really the first rude Australians we had encountered! I guess I shouldn’t expect everyone to live up to the Australian stereotype as the ‘friendliest people you’ll ever meet’
I walked around Melbourne Uni with the girls, while my friends stopped to get books at Border’s. It seemed smaller than Sydney Uni, and although it had cool architecture too, I am definitely biased toward Sydney. But I am glad that I could see where my friend Ben studied when he was here in Australia last semester.
Okay, now it’s off to The Great Ocean Road tour that we took on Sunday! Unbelievable.
Part II: The Great Ocean Road…I don’t think anything could be greater
On Sunday morning my friends and I got picked up from our hostel at 7:30 am by the ‘Go West’ tour bus. There were about 20 of us on the day-trip, and all of us absolutely loved it. All I can say is…stunning. I really can’t put into words how beautiful the drive on Great Ocean Road is, which in total is about 3 hours from Melbourne and goes all along the coast. We stopped at Bells Beach on our way, had tea and bikkies (biscuits), and then kept driving to the start of The Great Ocean Road. The hills and the valleys were SO green, cattle grazed in the open fields, and small towns overlooked the Pacific Ocean. It’s weird to think that it’s still the Pacific Ocean way down here in Australia…but very cool to think that even though I’m so far, we still have that in common!
We stopped in Apollo Bay, one of the cute towns, for lunch and then made our way to Otway National Park, where we did a short hike through a rainforest. We also stopped to see koalas just hanging out in eucalyptus trees too. Very cool.
Now for the best part: the 12 Apostles. The 12 Apostles are a group of twelve rock formations that sit in the water just off of the coast. I smile every time I think about them, which may sound weird, but it is literally the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen in my life (even though the Grand Canyon is up there too…). Oh, it’s amazing! If you are ever going to Melbourne, you MUST do a tour of the Great Ocean Road just to see this. It was really windy and cold, but the wind made the waves breach more, making the Apostles look even prettier. To think that God created this makes me even more anxious to see heaven someday—how beautiful and magnificent He is. I don’t understand how people can see scenery like this and not believe in God. It blows my mind.
To end a great trip, Ashley, Jana, and I spontaneously decided that we wanted to ride in a helicopter over the 12 Apostles. It was optional in our tour, and we thought that since we loved it so much, how cool would it be to see the entire coast from up above? Plus, none of us had ever been in a helicopter, so that made it that much more perfect. It was spectacular. I was so excited because we got to wear the microphone headsets, and I sat in the front next to the pilot. It reminded me of ‘The Bachelorette’ when Deanna took my favorite bachelor Jason up in the helicopter haha. The views were incredible, so you will have to check out my pictures to get a small glimpse of what it was like. All in all, it was a wonderful trip that I would recommend to anyone.
Now onto another huge highlight of my spring break…The Outback!!
We stopped in Apollo Bay, one of the cute towns, for lunch and then made our way to Otway National Park, where we did a short hike through a rainforest. We also stopped to see koalas just hanging out in eucalyptus trees too. Very cool.
Now for the best part: the 12 Apostles. The 12 Apostles are a group of twelve rock formations that sit in the water just off of the coast. I smile every time I think about them, which may sound weird, but it is literally the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen in my life (even though the Grand Canyon is up there too…). Oh, it’s amazing! If you are ever going to Melbourne, you MUST do a tour of the Great Ocean Road just to see this. It was really windy and cold, but the wind made the waves breach more, making the Apostles look even prettier. To think that God created this makes me even more anxious to see heaven someday—how beautiful and magnificent He is. I don’t understand how people can see scenery like this and not believe in God. It blows my mind.
To end a great trip, Ashley, Jana, and I spontaneously decided that we wanted to ride in a helicopter over the 12 Apostles. It was optional in our tour, and we thought that since we loved it so much, how cool would it be to see the entire coast from up above? Plus, none of us had ever been in a helicopter, so that made it that much more perfect. It was spectacular. I was so excited because we got to wear the microphone headsets, and I sat in the front next to the pilot. It reminded me of ‘The Bachelorette’ when Deanna took my favorite bachelor Jason up in the helicopter haha. The views were incredible, so you will have to check out my pictures to get a small glimpse of what it was like. All in all, it was a wonderful trip that I would recommend to anyone.
Now onto another huge highlight of my spring break…The Outback!!
Part III: Camping in the Outback...I am living my dreams
Some of you may know that I absolutely love doing adventurous things (I guess skydiving and scuba diving kinda give that away ). But I’ve got to tell you, camping in the Outback has probably been my favorite.
My friends and I flew from Melbourne to Alice Springs, Northern Territory (central Australia). Let’s just say that everything you hear about the Outback is true, 100%. I looked out of the plane window and saw red desert sand scattered with bushes and sticks…for miles and miles and miles. It literally was never ending! It seemed that there was absolutely nothing there—no wonder everyone lives on the east coast—plus it is not technically summer yet, and it was already in the mid-40s (°C), which is about 110°F.
We all walked off the plane inside to the small terminal (only one), grabbed our bags, and then took a shuttle to our YHA hostel. After our hostel in Melbourne, this one looked like a resort! It was small, but looked like a little community. There was a pool in the center, with the rooms surrounding it. I even got to lay out for a little while! We somehow got an eight person room for just us four, so it was nice to have the extra space. We repacked our camping clothes into our backpacks for the tour (we were leaving early the next morning on The Rock Tour, a 3-day 2-night camping trip to Uluru, the largest rock in the world, Kings Canyon, Kata Tjuta, etc.), and then headed off to Woolworth’s, our favorite grocery store. After going out for meals in Melbourne, all of us decided that we were going to spend the least amount possible on food for the two nights we were in Alice Springs. Good thing I love peanut butter and jelly.
Day 1
Craig, our Aussie tour guide, picked us up in The Rock Tour bus from our hostel at 6 am. After picking everyone else up from their accommodation, we were on our way to Kings Canyon and Curtain Springs. There were 18 other people on the tour from all over the world: two young couples from Denmark and Italy, girls from Japan, Korea, Germany, South Africa, a few from the U.S. too, a guy from England, and my favorite new friend, Hanneke Duisterwinkel. Any guess where she’s from?! Holland! Go Dutch. I was so excited when she told me that, and of course I told her that I go to school in Holland, Michigan…and then I began to list off all of the crazy Dutch last names of my friends. I asked what her last name was, and she had to write it down for me to understand what she was saying in her accent. Haha. Oh Dutch people…I love you
Anyway, our first hike was through Kings Canyon, which I will describe as a large rock formation in the middle of the Outback. There were a couple of trails that you could follow, depending on how far you wanted to go. We hiked for 3.5 hours (7.5 km), stopping for lunch and to see the ‘Garden of Eden’, a small body of water. We hiked up Heartbreak Hill (bringing back memories of my City2Surf run!), and then enjoyed the beautiful lookout at the top. Everyone had to carry 3 liters of water, and drink at least 2 to avoid dehydration. Thankfully it was a little cloudy and breezy, so the weather was very bearable, and actually pretty nice. I realized my love for hiking all over again when I was out there with my backpack, bandana, and water bottles…no wonder moving out West appeals to me! It’s too bad that there aren’t any mountains to climb and hike in Illinois or Michigan. It was a great hike, and by the end we were all ready to head off to camp and make dinner.
I should tell you that when I say ‘camping,’ I don’t mean luxurious summer camp like Covenant Harbor in Lake Geneva, WI. No…this was REAL camping. I mean intense! Obviously the Outback has a few petrol (gas) stations off of the main (and only paved) road, but besides that there is nothing but flat desert land. So after all of the water we drank, everyone had to go to the bathroom. Craig nonchalantly said, “Oh yeah, there’s tons of toilets out here…just grab some paper if you need it!” So that was that, and we all wandered out of the bus and found a toilet (aka a dead shrub/bush) where we could dig a hole…I’ll leave you to imagine the rest ;) I was laughing when I was out there, just thinking, “wow, I’m in the middle of the Outback…” haha it was an experience for sure, but I didn’t mind, and got used to it for the rest of the trip.
When we got to camp (about half a mile off of the road) in Curtain Springs, Craig cooked an amazing dinner for us. We had a noodle and vegetable stir fry dish and sautéed chicken. He cooked it over the fire, and all of us took turns stirring the big pot. It was 9 pm by the time everything was ready, so you can imagine how hungry we were! Craig was like, “who’s first?” Then Ashley said, “Oh Meghan is” (of course I’m always first in line and will never miss a meal ;) And then Craig responded, “Oh great, you can be the server, thanks.” Haha I laughed in my head, and then gladly took the serving spoon. I liked serving everyone though, even though Craig said I was a little too generous with the serving sizes. Oh well
We cleaned up and then got our swags and sleeping bags out of the trailer. A swag is basically a mat with a covering so that you can put your sleeping bag inside of it. Very comfortable. It wasn’t cold like I thought it would be at night, so I just slept inside my sleeping bag on top of the swag. When I looked up at the night sky I saw millions and millions of stars. It was incredible. And before I fell asleep, I was thinking about how much my fellow adventurous friends would love this experience. I wish you could’ve been there with me!
I will add the rest of the trip tomorrow!
My friends and I flew from Melbourne to Alice Springs, Northern Territory (central Australia). Let’s just say that everything you hear about the Outback is true, 100%. I looked out of the plane window and saw red desert sand scattered with bushes and sticks…for miles and miles and miles. It literally was never ending! It seemed that there was absolutely nothing there—no wonder everyone lives on the east coast—plus it is not technically summer yet, and it was already in the mid-40s (°C), which is about 110°F.
We all walked off the plane inside to the small terminal (only one), grabbed our bags, and then took a shuttle to our YHA hostel. After our hostel in Melbourne, this one looked like a resort! It was small, but looked like a little community. There was a pool in the center, with the rooms surrounding it. I even got to lay out for a little while! We somehow got an eight person room for just us four, so it was nice to have the extra space. We repacked our camping clothes into our backpacks for the tour (we were leaving early the next morning on The Rock Tour, a 3-day 2-night camping trip to Uluru, the largest rock in the world, Kings Canyon, Kata Tjuta, etc.), and then headed off to Woolworth’s, our favorite grocery store. After going out for meals in Melbourne, all of us decided that we were going to spend the least amount possible on food for the two nights we were in Alice Springs. Good thing I love peanut butter and jelly.
Day 1
Craig, our Aussie tour guide, picked us up in The Rock Tour bus from our hostel at 6 am. After picking everyone else up from their accommodation, we were on our way to Kings Canyon and Curtain Springs. There were 18 other people on the tour from all over the world: two young couples from Denmark and Italy, girls from Japan, Korea, Germany, South Africa, a few from the U.S. too, a guy from England, and my favorite new friend, Hanneke Duisterwinkel. Any guess where she’s from?! Holland! Go Dutch. I was so excited when she told me that, and of course I told her that I go to school in Holland, Michigan…and then I began to list off all of the crazy Dutch last names of my friends. I asked what her last name was, and she had to write it down for me to understand what she was saying in her accent. Haha. Oh Dutch people…I love you
Anyway, our first hike was through Kings Canyon, which I will describe as a large rock formation in the middle of the Outback. There were a couple of trails that you could follow, depending on how far you wanted to go. We hiked for 3.5 hours (7.5 km), stopping for lunch and to see the ‘Garden of Eden’, a small body of water. We hiked up Heartbreak Hill (bringing back memories of my City2Surf run!), and then enjoyed the beautiful lookout at the top. Everyone had to carry 3 liters of water, and drink at least 2 to avoid dehydration. Thankfully it was a little cloudy and breezy, so the weather was very bearable, and actually pretty nice. I realized my love for hiking all over again when I was out there with my backpack, bandana, and water bottles…no wonder moving out West appeals to me! It’s too bad that there aren’t any mountains to climb and hike in Illinois or Michigan. It was a great hike, and by the end we were all ready to head off to camp and make dinner.
I should tell you that when I say ‘camping,’ I don’t mean luxurious summer camp like Covenant Harbor in Lake Geneva, WI. No…this was REAL camping. I mean intense! Obviously the Outback has a few petrol (gas) stations off of the main (and only paved) road, but besides that there is nothing but flat desert land. So after all of the water we drank, everyone had to go to the bathroom. Craig nonchalantly said, “Oh yeah, there’s tons of toilets out here…just grab some paper if you need it!” So that was that, and we all wandered out of the bus and found a toilet (aka a dead shrub/bush) where we could dig a hole…I’ll leave you to imagine the rest ;) I was laughing when I was out there, just thinking, “wow, I’m in the middle of the Outback…” haha it was an experience for sure, but I didn’t mind, and got used to it for the rest of the trip.
When we got to camp (about half a mile off of the road) in Curtain Springs, Craig cooked an amazing dinner for us. We had a noodle and vegetable stir fry dish and sautéed chicken. He cooked it over the fire, and all of us took turns stirring the big pot. It was 9 pm by the time everything was ready, so you can imagine how hungry we were! Craig was like, “who’s first?” Then Ashley said, “Oh Meghan is” (of course I’m always first in line and will never miss a meal ;) And then Craig responded, “Oh great, you can be the server, thanks.” Haha I laughed in my head, and then gladly took the serving spoon. I liked serving everyone though, even though Craig said I was a little too generous with the serving sizes. Oh well
We cleaned up and then got our swags and sleeping bags out of the trailer. A swag is basically a mat with a covering so that you can put your sleeping bag inside of it. Very comfortable. It wasn’t cold like I thought it would be at night, so I just slept inside my sleeping bag on top of the swag. When I looked up at the night sky I saw millions and millions of stars. It was incredible. And before I fell asleep, I was thinking about how much my fellow adventurous friends would love this experience. I wish you could’ve been there with me!
I will add the rest of the trip tomorrow!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Beaches, friends, and the Kangaroo Valley
It has been way too long since I’ve written! So much has happened…
Last weekend Katie and I went to Manly beach together, just the two of us. It was fun to enjoy our first day at the beach! We rode the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly (30 min.). It was a beautiful day and the perfect temperature. We had fun getting tan and drinking diet cokes on the beach.
Quick story…In L.A. when I was in the long line to check-in at Qantas, I met a guy from England traveling on his own for 6 months around in the US, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, and China. We talked for about 40 minutes and exchanged emails so that he (Ryan) could contact me when he arrived in Sydney. Anyway, he arrived on Tuesday, so my friends and I met up with him at one of the bars downtown called Scruffy Murphy’s. It was so fun to catch up with him and his travels! It was such a random meet, but so fun.
I also met up with the Burchett family’s friend Liz Hawthorne. Liz is a student at Sydney Uni, and when the Burchett’s lived in Australia, the girls were friends with Liz, and have still stayed in touch with her. We finally had coffee on campus together after talking via facebook for awhile. She is such a sweet girl, and it was so fun to meet face-to-face! We are planning on getting together again before I leave.
This weekend was absolutely wonderful! I went with six other students from my program to the Kangaroo Valley. We volunteered for the weekend with CVA, Conservation Volunteers Australia, in Chakola, a camp recreation area. Chakola is Aboriginal for Lyrebird. It was a beautiful weekend—the weather was sunny and breezy, in the high seventies. We stayed in cabins with bunk beds and cooked together in the kitchen.
On our way to Chakola we stopped at Kiama Beach, home to the biggest blowhole in New South Wales. The beach and rocks were amazing. When we arrived we got settled and then got dressed in our “work” gear. This consisted of long sleeves, long pants, bright yellow neon vests, and fishermen’s hats—the traditional Aussie nature hat. We looked so goofy, but it was fun to get the whole Aussie experience. We raked the pathway down to Kangaroo River and stopped on the way to enjoy the green bush.
On Saturday we worked at a national park about an hour from Chakola. Our guide, Matt, came with us everywhere and we met up with another man from CVA and a girl from Wollongong. We went in the swampy area to pull these huge weeds that looked like mini trees, however, the land rover type vehicle got stuck in the mud! We spent most of our time there trying to get the car out, but finally managed to after a lot of stick gathering and digging. The rest of the day we chopped down weeds in the bush and poisoned them so that they wouldn’t grow back.
When we came back to Chakola my friend Lisa and I went to look for kangaroos and wallabies. The paddock (field) that was part of the property was filled with about 15 kangaroos/wallabies. It was hard to tell them apart since we were far away, but we saw them hopping around. We also saw a herd of cows, and they came running up to the fence, right by where we were standing. It was pretty cool to be face-to-face with six cows.
At night we had a bonfire with s’mores, and we also made muesli cookies for dessert. Muesli is my new favorite breakfast food. It’s similar to granola, but there’s more fruit and nuts. They have really good muesli bars here too…I’ll have to bring some back! Anyway, this morning we did some more weeding on the property near the river, and then ate lunch and headed back to Sydney. On our way we stopped at Fitzroy Falls, a gorgeous waterfall in the mountains (near the Blue Mountains). It was stunning! Australia is unbelievably beautiful. I have never seen such beautiful landscape. The mountains, green hills and valleys, rivers, waterfalls, etc. You all should spend the money and come sometime, because there is nothing else like it!
I was sick with a head cold most of the week, so I am finally feeling better. A weekend away did miracles. This week will be really tough since I have a consultancy report due for my science class, and a group media kit for my media relations class both due on Friday. My mom and dad arrive early Friday morning, and I absolutely cannot wait!!! Then it’s off to Melbourne and the Outback for SB 08 #2. Your prayers are always appreciated, and I will keep you in mine too.
xxx Megs
Last weekend Katie and I went to Manly beach together, just the two of us. It was fun to enjoy our first day at the beach! We rode the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly (30 min.). It was a beautiful day and the perfect temperature. We had fun getting tan and drinking diet cokes on the beach.
Quick story…In L.A. when I was in the long line to check-in at Qantas, I met a guy from England traveling on his own for 6 months around in the US, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, and China. We talked for about 40 minutes and exchanged emails so that he (Ryan) could contact me when he arrived in Sydney. Anyway, he arrived on Tuesday, so my friends and I met up with him at one of the bars downtown called Scruffy Murphy’s. It was so fun to catch up with him and his travels! It was such a random meet, but so fun.
I also met up with the Burchett family’s friend Liz Hawthorne. Liz is a student at Sydney Uni, and when the Burchett’s lived in Australia, the girls were friends with Liz, and have still stayed in touch with her. We finally had coffee on campus together after talking via facebook for awhile. She is such a sweet girl, and it was so fun to meet face-to-face! We are planning on getting together again before I leave.
This weekend was absolutely wonderful! I went with six other students from my program to the Kangaroo Valley. We volunteered for the weekend with CVA, Conservation Volunteers Australia, in Chakola, a camp recreation area. Chakola is Aboriginal for Lyrebird. It was a beautiful weekend—the weather was sunny and breezy, in the high seventies. We stayed in cabins with bunk beds and cooked together in the kitchen.
On our way to Chakola we stopped at Kiama Beach, home to the biggest blowhole in New South Wales. The beach and rocks were amazing. When we arrived we got settled and then got dressed in our “work” gear. This consisted of long sleeves, long pants, bright yellow neon vests, and fishermen’s hats—the traditional Aussie nature hat. We looked so goofy, but it was fun to get the whole Aussie experience. We raked the pathway down to Kangaroo River and stopped on the way to enjoy the green bush.
On Saturday we worked at a national park about an hour from Chakola. Our guide, Matt, came with us everywhere and we met up with another man from CVA and a girl from Wollongong. We went in the swampy area to pull these huge weeds that looked like mini trees, however, the land rover type vehicle got stuck in the mud! We spent most of our time there trying to get the car out, but finally managed to after a lot of stick gathering and digging. The rest of the day we chopped down weeds in the bush and poisoned them so that they wouldn’t grow back.
When we came back to Chakola my friend Lisa and I went to look for kangaroos and wallabies. The paddock (field) that was part of the property was filled with about 15 kangaroos/wallabies. It was hard to tell them apart since we were far away, but we saw them hopping around. We also saw a herd of cows, and they came running up to the fence, right by where we were standing. It was pretty cool to be face-to-face with six cows.
At night we had a bonfire with s’mores, and we also made muesli cookies for dessert. Muesli is my new favorite breakfast food. It’s similar to granola, but there’s more fruit and nuts. They have really good muesli bars here too…I’ll have to bring some back! Anyway, this morning we did some more weeding on the property near the river, and then ate lunch and headed back to Sydney. On our way we stopped at Fitzroy Falls, a gorgeous waterfall in the mountains (near the Blue Mountains). It was stunning! Australia is unbelievably beautiful. I have never seen such beautiful landscape. The mountains, green hills and valleys, rivers, waterfalls, etc. You all should spend the money and come sometime, because there is nothing else like it!
I was sick with a head cold most of the week, so I am finally feeling better. A weekend away did miracles. This week will be really tough since I have a consultancy report due for my science class, and a group media kit for my media relations class both due on Friday. My mom and dad arrive early Friday morning, and I absolutely cannot wait!!! Then it’s off to Melbourne and the Outback for SB 08 #2. Your prayers are always appreciated, and I will keep you in mine too.
xxx Megs
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Spring is coming...
Uni is in full swing and I am very ready for spring break. Only 2 more weeks! I am so excited to see my parents, explore Melbourne, and camp under the stars in the Outback.
This past weekend I went to Cronulla with my friends to enjoy a day at the beach! It wasn’t quite warm enough to wear a swimsuit, but it was fun to sit and lay out in the grass overlooking the beach with huge waves and Aussie surfers. It was about an hour train ride from Sydney Central Station, so we just spent the morning and into the afternoon exploring Cronulla, getting some sun, and admiring the cutest Australian family ever! It was Father’s Day on Sunday, so there were tons of families out walking, playing catch, and riding scooters. My friends and I sat on a grassy hill, and a young couple came with their three little boys to play catch. Noah, Joel, and baby Will were adorable Joel came over and talked to me and Danielle. His accent was so cute, even though it was hard to understand him since he was only 2. Noah was probably about 6 and he was playing catch with his dad. It was so funny because he was just learning to catch, and when his dad threw the baseball it almost hit his face. Noah said, “Dad, you nearly whacked me in the face!” We all tried not to laugh, but it was SO funny and cute. I love kids with accents.
On Tuesday I spent the night at Katie’s house in Gladesville, two bus rides away (about 40 minutes) so we had fun watching my skydiving video, eating Domino’s pizza, watching “The Guardian”, and relaxing. The next day I went to Kate’s favorite coffee place, Angela Jane’s, in Drummoyne where her school is, and studied for a bit before heading back to Sydney Uni for class. It was nice to get out of my apartment for the night and be with my sister. I am so happy that we are here together!
This weekend Kate and her friends and my friends and I are going to see a symphony perform at the Opera House. I am so excited, because although I have seen the Opera House many times, I have never been inside. The Sydney Symphony is performing a show called ‘Crime Time’, and they’re playing music from ‘crime’ movies like the Bond series, Secret Window, and the Sixth Sense. It should be great. I am also happy because it will count as one of my required concert viewings for my music class. It may be warmer this weekend as well (about 76 degrees) so I think my friends and I are going to go back to Wollongong and hang out on the beach.
I hope you are all doing well now that school has started and fall is on its way. I think about you often and miss you, no matter how much fun I am having! Have a great weekend.
Love,
Megs xxx
This past weekend I went to Cronulla with my friends to enjoy a day at the beach! It wasn’t quite warm enough to wear a swimsuit, but it was fun to sit and lay out in the grass overlooking the beach with huge waves and Aussie surfers. It was about an hour train ride from Sydney Central Station, so we just spent the morning and into the afternoon exploring Cronulla, getting some sun, and admiring the cutest Australian family ever! It was Father’s Day on Sunday, so there were tons of families out walking, playing catch, and riding scooters. My friends and I sat on a grassy hill, and a young couple came with their three little boys to play catch. Noah, Joel, and baby Will were adorable Joel came over and talked to me and Danielle. His accent was so cute, even though it was hard to understand him since he was only 2. Noah was probably about 6 and he was playing catch with his dad. It was so funny because he was just learning to catch, and when his dad threw the baseball it almost hit his face. Noah said, “Dad, you nearly whacked me in the face!” We all tried not to laugh, but it was SO funny and cute. I love kids with accents.
On Tuesday I spent the night at Katie’s house in Gladesville, two bus rides away (about 40 minutes) so we had fun watching my skydiving video, eating Domino’s pizza, watching “The Guardian”, and relaxing. The next day I went to Kate’s favorite coffee place, Angela Jane’s, in Drummoyne where her school is, and studied for a bit before heading back to Sydney Uni for class. It was nice to get out of my apartment for the night and be with my sister. I am so happy that we are here together!
This weekend Kate and her friends and my friends and I are going to see a symphony perform at the Opera House. I am so excited, because although I have seen the Opera House many times, I have never been inside. The Sydney Symphony is performing a show called ‘Crime Time’, and they’re playing music from ‘crime’ movies like the Bond series, Secret Window, and the Sixth Sense. It should be great. I am also happy because it will count as one of my required concert viewings for my music class. It may be warmer this weekend as well (about 76 degrees) so I think my friends and I are going to go back to Wollongong and hang out on the beach.
I hope you are all doing well now that school has started and fall is on its way. I think about you often and miss you, no matter how much fun I am having! Have a great weekend.
Love,
Megs xxx
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Picture Slideshow!
Hey all! I created a photo album/slideshow of my pictures thus far. I tried to put it directly into my blog, but couldn't figure it out. You can go to www.picasaweb.google.com/meghanfore to view the slideshow. Just copy and paste the URL into the browser, click the album, and then click the slideshow button in the left hand corner. Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
"You belong in Bondi!"
Today has just been one of those really good days. Nothing too exciting has happened, but as I walked around through the campus I was just thinking about the fact that I’m in Australia, across the other side of the world, meeting new people and interacting with people from all different backgrounds and places in life. How cool is that?
This morning I woke up, and instead of going to the gym like I would normally do, I decided to catch up on my journaling. I sat out on my apartment balcony, just reflecting on my life here while the sun shined on me coming in and out of the clouds. Then at 9 am two of my best friends Emma and Emma and I talked on Skype for an hour and a half. The video finally worked, so I got to see their beautiful faces! I cannot even tell you how great it was to talk to them. To talk to two girls—besides Kate of course—who really know me was so refreshing. We have a past and previous life together, whereas here, I’ve only known people for about two months.
Then I went to my Media class at 11 am, and afterward my group for the campaign proposal we have due on Friday got together. The three girls in my group are all really nice, and we all have worked well together, doing our share of the work (sometimes hard to come by these days!). One of the girls Emma is Australian, and Sarah is an international student from Singapore who has lived in Australia for a couple of years. Kim is also from the US, in Connecticut. I ate my ‘sack’ lunch, and then walked back to my apartment to put some jeans on (the weather is so weird!). I stopped at Hoochie Mammas, the café and coffee place that Sydney University Village students get money to, and bought a flat white coffee. The Aussie guys there are SO awesome…probably in their late 30s. Two of my favorite guys were working as usual (one of them always says “Hi darling” (“daling” with the accent) to all of the girls that come in. We all love it! Or like today, he said to me, “Thanks love” when I picked up my coffee. Anyway, while I was paying with my U-card, this guy (I should know his name by now…) said to George the other guy, “She could pass as an Aussie, couldn’t she Georgie?” He smiled and shook his head yeah, and then I laughed and said, “Why, because I have blonde hair?” And he shook his head yeah again and said, “You belong at Bondi.” (Bondi Beach). Haha I just laughed and smiled, thinking ‘Yes! I look like an Aussie! Now I just need to work on my accent!” Needless to say, it made me feel good, and kept me smiling till my next lecture.
We watched a movie in my Australian Multicultures lecture today about a Chinese family who moved to Australia. The unit we’re studying now is about Australasia. It was really interesting and funny to see the drama they faced when they first arrived from Hong Kong. I have another group project in that unit as well, and so my group met afterward to discuss our presentation. I got blessed with another good group, and the two girls are also really fun to talk to and hardworking. It’s refreshing to know that school isn’t meant to be a big stressor here, which I find SO amazing since studying sometimes consumes me at Hope. “No worries” is the mindset here, so I am constantly keeping that in mind and living life to the full! Tonight I am going to the Hillsong college group, and then just chilling and studying a bit. Thanks for your support and prayers everyday—they don’t go unnoticed!
Love, Megs
This morning I woke up, and instead of going to the gym like I would normally do, I decided to catch up on my journaling. I sat out on my apartment balcony, just reflecting on my life here while the sun shined on me coming in and out of the clouds. Then at 9 am two of my best friends Emma and Emma and I talked on Skype for an hour and a half. The video finally worked, so I got to see their beautiful faces! I cannot even tell you how great it was to talk to them. To talk to two girls—besides Kate of course—who really know me was so refreshing. We have a past and previous life together, whereas here, I’ve only known people for about two months.
Then I went to my Media class at 11 am, and afterward my group for the campaign proposal we have due on Friday got together. The three girls in my group are all really nice, and we all have worked well together, doing our share of the work (sometimes hard to come by these days!). One of the girls Emma is Australian, and Sarah is an international student from Singapore who has lived in Australia for a couple of years. Kim is also from the US, in Connecticut. I ate my ‘sack’ lunch, and then walked back to my apartment to put some jeans on (the weather is so weird!). I stopped at Hoochie Mammas, the café and coffee place that Sydney University Village students get money to, and bought a flat white coffee. The Aussie guys there are SO awesome…probably in their late 30s. Two of my favorite guys were working as usual (one of them always says “Hi darling” (“daling” with the accent) to all of the girls that come in. We all love it! Or like today, he said to me, “Thanks love” when I picked up my coffee. Anyway, while I was paying with my U-card, this guy (I should know his name by now…) said to George the other guy, “She could pass as an Aussie, couldn’t she Georgie?” He smiled and shook his head yeah, and then I laughed and said, “Why, because I have blonde hair?” And he shook his head yeah again and said, “You belong at Bondi.” (Bondi Beach). Haha I just laughed and smiled, thinking ‘Yes! I look like an Aussie! Now I just need to work on my accent!” Needless to say, it made me feel good, and kept me smiling till my next lecture.
We watched a movie in my Australian Multicultures lecture today about a Chinese family who moved to Australia. The unit we’re studying now is about Australasia. It was really interesting and funny to see the drama they faced when they first arrived from Hong Kong. I have another group project in that unit as well, and so my group met afterward to discuss our presentation. I got blessed with another good group, and the two girls are also really fun to talk to and hardworking. It’s refreshing to know that school isn’t meant to be a big stressor here, which I find SO amazing since studying sometimes consumes me at Hope. “No worries” is the mindset here, so I am constantly keeping that in mind and living life to the full! Tonight I am going to the Hillsong college group, and then just chilling and studying a bit. Thanks for your support and prayers everyday—they don’t go unnoticed!
Love, Megs
Saturday, August 30, 2008
I'm Free, Free Fallin'
On Tuesday I had the time of my life!!! I went SKYDIVING!! My friends and I went to North Wollongong to skydive with Skydive the Beach. We went up to 14,000 ft and fell for a 60 second freefall, overlooking the beach coastline from Sydney to Wollongong. It was absolutely beautiful. I was definitely nervous right before my instructor, Kevin, and I fell out of the plane, but once we had been falling for a few seconds, I got used to the feeling and just smiled the whole rest of the way I can’t even describe how it felt…my heart dropped when I first fell out of the plane, but after that, all I could think about was how crazy it was that I was falling through the sky! My goggles kept moving up, so that was annoying, but besides that, just looking down and seeing the beach was unbelievable. When the parachute came out Kevin let me take over the hand loops and steer us around in the sky. Ahhh it was SO amazing!!! I would do it again in a heartbeat. My friends Ashley, Sarah, Lauren, and I were all on the biggest high the rest of the day. We each got a CD of 430 pictures and a DVD of the entire experience from beginning to end. The DVD is awesome…pretty hilarious too. Kevin interviewed me throughout, and since the camera was attached to him the whole time, my entire fall is on it. I can’t wait to show it to you!
The rest of the week was boring compared to that amazing day...I had my first paper due on Friday and I have a campaign proposal for my media relations class due next week. School’s getting harder, but it comes in spurts so thankfully it is not too stressful. Today my friends and I went to the Sydney Aquarium in Darling Harbour which was fantastic! The seals and the shark tank was definitely my favorite part. We saw Nemo, Dori, and the rest of the “Finding Nemo” fish. Life down under is still incredible, but I have been missing my friends from Hope more, now that everyone is back in Holland. As much as I love it here, I know I will be excited to come home and see all of my friends. I’m sure three months will fly by, so I must continue to enjoy every minute! I love you all…thanks for reading, and if you have any prayer requests or just want to say ‘hi’ I would love to hear from you! Peace and Love
xxx Megs
p.s. For some reason blog is not allowing me to post pictures...so once I figure that out I will be putting some more up. Sorry :(
The rest of the week was boring compared to that amazing day...I had my first paper due on Friday and I have a campaign proposal for my media relations class due next week. School’s getting harder, but it comes in spurts so thankfully it is not too stressful. Today my friends and I went to the Sydney Aquarium in Darling Harbour which was fantastic! The seals and the shark tank was definitely my favorite part. We saw Nemo, Dori, and the rest of the “Finding Nemo” fish. Life down under is still incredible, but I have been missing my friends from Hope more, now that everyone is back in Holland. As much as I love it here, I know I will be excited to come home and see all of my friends. I’m sure three months will fly by, so I must continue to enjoy every minute! I love you all…thanks for reading, and if you have any prayer requests or just want to say ‘hi’ I would love to hear from you! Peace and Love
xxx Megs
p.s. For some reason blog is not allowing me to post pictures...so once I figure that out I will be putting some more up. Sorry :(
Saturday, August 23, 2008
One month has already passed...only 3 left!
It’s been a while since I’ve written so I will update you on the past week here! Thankfully it was much less eventful! School has started to pick up, and my first paper is due on Friday (25% of my grade…). However, I am very excited because for my Australian Multicultures class, the disabilities services sent out an email because they needed someone to be the note-taker for a student. I decided that I would really like to help out someone, and since I take notes already, it’s not any more work besides that I have to type them. It’s also a paid position (which will compensate for my coffee money ) so I will get paid ten dollars per lecture for all of the lectures in the semester. I think it will help me pay even closer attention since I am responsible for someone else’s learning too!
My friends and I went out to dinner last night—our first nice dinner out. We went to a really good Italian restaurant in The Rocks, and we got to sit outside with the heated lamps while the harp music serenaded us. And the best part was that I got to order my first drink at a restaurant. I drank sangria and I really liked it! It was really nice to go all out and have a nice dinner, because during the week I usually just stay in and make my own food.
My favorite meal is probably pasta, but I’ve been eating chicken a lot and marinating it with teriyaki sauce, which has changed it up a bit. My favorite desserts/cookies are Tim Tams, and they are seriously the best store bought cookie I’ve ever eaten in my life. There are probably ten different kinds, and they’re pretty much just two chocolate wafers with a chocolate frosting type filling, all covered in chocolate. They’re not like Oreos though because they are lighter and a rectangular shape. Of course the dark chocolate ones are my favorite, and also the dark chocolate raspberry bliss. I will be bringing home as many boxes as I can fit, so don’t worry, you will probably get to try one Also, you can get them at the World Market store if you have one nearby.
This week will be very busy with due dates approaching, but that makes me all the more excited for spring break, which starts September 26. My parents are coming in that Friday and I cannot wait to see them!! I am really looking forward to showing them all around the city when they finish up their tours around Australia, and come back again to Sydney on October 12. On Saturday September 27th I will be flying to Melbourne and spending a few days sightseeing there with my friends. Then we are flying to Alice Springs (aka The Outback) to do a 3 day 2 night camping trip. We will get to see the biggest rock in the world, Uluru, watch the sunrise and sunset, sleep under the stars, and have the chance to go on a camel ride. I could not be more excited, especially because I will get to see what most of Australia really is…a desert! Have a great weekend everyone, God Bless
Love,
Megs
My friends and I went out to dinner last night—our first nice dinner out. We went to a really good Italian restaurant in The Rocks, and we got to sit outside with the heated lamps while the harp music serenaded us. And the best part was that I got to order my first drink at a restaurant. I drank sangria and I really liked it! It was really nice to go all out and have a nice dinner, because during the week I usually just stay in and make my own food.
My favorite meal is probably pasta, but I’ve been eating chicken a lot and marinating it with teriyaki sauce, which has changed it up a bit. My favorite desserts/cookies are Tim Tams, and they are seriously the best store bought cookie I’ve ever eaten in my life. There are probably ten different kinds, and they’re pretty much just two chocolate wafers with a chocolate frosting type filling, all covered in chocolate. They’re not like Oreos though because they are lighter and a rectangular shape. Of course the dark chocolate ones are my favorite, and also the dark chocolate raspberry bliss. I will be bringing home as many boxes as I can fit, so don’t worry, you will probably get to try one Also, you can get them at the World Market store if you have one nearby.
This week will be very busy with due dates approaching, but that makes me all the more excited for spring break, which starts September 26. My parents are coming in that Friday and I cannot wait to see them!! I am really looking forward to showing them all around the city when they finish up their tours around Australia, and come back again to Sydney on October 12. On Saturday September 27th I will be flying to Melbourne and spending a few days sightseeing there with my friends. Then we are flying to Alice Springs (aka The Outback) to do a 3 day 2 night camping trip. We will get to see the biggest rock in the world, Uluru, watch the sunrise and sunset, sleep under the stars, and have the chance to go on a camel ride. I could not be more excited, especially because I will get to see what most of Australia really is…a desert! Have a great weekend everyone, God Bless
Love,
Megs
Friday, August 15, 2008
Unexpected adventures seem to be my thing. I thought I wouldn’t have any more crazy days for awhile after my big race last week. Wrong! Haha I can’t help but laugh after this long day…luckily Danielle was with me this time!
Last weekend my computer started to have some problems. The screen kept dimming so I would not be able to see what I was typing, and after many attempts to figure out the problem, I decided to take it to the computer people on campus. They directed me to a man named Alen from The Monitor Hospital in West Ryde, about half an hour from here. Thankfully the company came and picked up my computer for repairs, but unfortunately I had to pick up the computer from him so I could pay him directly. Alen gave me directions and told me which train station to get off at.
Danielle and I figured out the train routes and soon we were on our way to West Ryde. We left around 10 AM because I have my 2 hour tutorial for my communication class at 2 PM. I knew we would have plenty of time to get the computer and get back. Wrong again. We took the bus to Central Station then rode the train to Strathfield. We waited at Strathfield to catch the train to Meadowbank, close to where the Monitor Hospital was located. Well, we were a little too excited to get on the train, because we ended up getting on the wrong train…the one sitting on the tracks was the train before ours, and our train was going to be coming in 5 minutes. We sat on the train for about 20 minutes, and finally we realized that we were totally not going the right way. We got off and went back to Strathfield, waited 20 minutes, then finally got on the correct train to Meadowbank. By now it was 1:15, and I began to freak out.
For those of you who know me, you know that I like to be on time to all of my classes and I never miss. It’s really not possible for me to miss because of the guilt I’ll feel and the thought of missing something important is not okay with me. SO, I tried to be optimistic and kept telling myself that we would make it back in time. But the frustration started rising, and Danielle pointed out that I was becoming a Negative Nancy! Ahh! My patience was tested like never before, and I had to go with flow and be okay with missing almost an hour of my class. Alen was so kind and he actually brought my computer to Victoria Rd. and drove us back to the station.
We waited for another 20 minutes before getting on the train directly back to Central. I quickly walked to the bus stop and hopped on the 422 bus, while Danielle took her time and caught the next bus. Once I made it to Victoria Park, I sprinted through the park with my backpack, working computer, and not a single book for my class. Needless to say, I came huffing and puffing in 50 minutes late—the class was sitting silently and staring at me—BUT… I made it just as the class began to pick groups for the campaign project. And, when I explained to my tutor that I would send her an email of why I was late, she just responded, “No Worries!” Ahh, I love the Australian culture. What another eventful day here in Australia...another day that I will never forget!
Quote of the Day: "On a panic scale of 1 to 10...you're a 13." -Danielle to me
Last weekend my computer started to have some problems. The screen kept dimming so I would not be able to see what I was typing, and after many attempts to figure out the problem, I decided to take it to the computer people on campus. They directed me to a man named Alen from The Monitor Hospital in West Ryde, about half an hour from here. Thankfully the company came and picked up my computer for repairs, but unfortunately I had to pick up the computer from him so I could pay him directly. Alen gave me directions and told me which train station to get off at.
Danielle and I figured out the train routes and soon we were on our way to West Ryde. We left around 10 AM because I have my 2 hour tutorial for my communication class at 2 PM. I knew we would have plenty of time to get the computer and get back. Wrong again. We took the bus to Central Station then rode the train to Strathfield. We waited at Strathfield to catch the train to Meadowbank, close to where the Monitor Hospital was located. Well, we were a little too excited to get on the train, because we ended up getting on the wrong train…the one sitting on the tracks was the train before ours, and our train was going to be coming in 5 minutes. We sat on the train for about 20 minutes, and finally we realized that we were totally not going the right way. We got off and went back to Strathfield, waited 20 minutes, then finally got on the correct train to Meadowbank. By now it was 1:15, and I began to freak out.
For those of you who know me, you know that I like to be on time to all of my classes and I never miss. It’s really not possible for me to miss because of the guilt I’ll feel and the thought of missing something important is not okay with me. SO, I tried to be optimistic and kept telling myself that we would make it back in time. But the frustration started rising, and Danielle pointed out that I was becoming a Negative Nancy! Ahh! My patience was tested like never before, and I had to go with flow and be okay with missing almost an hour of my class. Alen was so kind and he actually brought my computer to Victoria Rd. and drove us back to the station.
We waited for another 20 minutes before getting on the train directly back to Central. I quickly walked to the bus stop and hopped on the 422 bus, while Danielle took her time and caught the next bus. Once I made it to Victoria Park, I sprinted through the park with my backpack, working computer, and not a single book for my class. Needless to say, I came huffing and puffing in 50 minutes late—the class was sitting silently and staring at me—BUT… I made it just as the class began to pick groups for the campaign project. And, when I explained to my tutor that I would send her an email of why I was late, she just responded, “No Worries!” Ahh, I love the Australian culture. What another eventful day here in Australia...another day that I will never forget!
Quote of the Day: "On a panic scale of 1 to 10...you're a 13." -Danielle to me
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Where's Waldo? I'm 1 in 70,000
Today I ran the City2Surf, a 14k run from Hyde Park in downtown Sydney to Bondi Beach. Let's just say the day turned out a little different than I expected...
My friend Mitch and I both signed up for the race so we took the 8 AM bus to the starting line. Unfortunately we were in the “Back of the Pack” section so we had to wait around for about an hour and a half in the cold before we started. For those of you who have seen or run in the Chicago Marathon, this was ten times more chaotic. There were 70,000 runners, making City2Surf the largest chip-timed race in the world. It was absolutely insane! Mitch and I started together, both weaving in and out of people, and running a lot of the race on the sidewalk away from the masses of people walking/jogging. We stayed together for about half of the race until we got to Heartbreak Hill. I have never run a hillier course in my life. Right when you think you’re at the top, another long stretch is waiting to devour you. He took off ahead while I walked the steepest part of the hill.
Once I made it to the top and started running again, I looked out to my left and took in the gorgeous view in the distance of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. Oh my gosh, it was so cool. I smiled on the inside the whole rest of the way. And to finish out the race, I saw a beautiful view of Bondi Beach on the downhill coming into the last 2 km. It turned out to be sunny and warm, just perfect. I also reached my goal and finished under 70 minutes at 1:07:41. Sounds like a great day, right? Keep reading…
To make a long story short of the rest of the day…four of my friends came to watch me in the race and they were planning on meeting me in the E-H section of the reunion area. Well, it was hard to find because it was a small area much farther away from the finish line. They were looking for me near the finish while I waited for over an hour in the reunion area. It started to get cold, cloudy, and rainy so I decided to leave and catch the bus back to the city. Well, the line for the bus was about 4,000 people long and I didn’t have anything on me besides my bus pass. As I was waiting I heard the man behind me talking to his wife on the phone. He and his 11 year old son had just run the race and his wife was going to pick them up instead. I asked them if there was a quicker way to Bondi Junction where I could catch a bus back to the city, and they offered to give me a ride. So we walked a ways and then Tony, his son, Rodan, and I all hopped in the car. His wife was really nice and their other 6 year old son named Challum was absolutely adorable with his red hair and cute Australian accent . They dropped me off at a bus near Newtown, and I couldn’t thank them enough. I was so happy to be home after a very long day. And my friends had made it back safe and sound too after their unsuccessful search for me, 1 in 70,000.
All in all, it was quite an experience, but one that I will never forget!
My friend Mitch and I both signed up for the race so we took the 8 AM bus to the starting line. Unfortunately we were in the “Back of the Pack” section so we had to wait around for about an hour and a half in the cold before we started. For those of you who have seen or run in the Chicago Marathon, this was ten times more chaotic. There were 70,000 runners, making City2Surf the largest chip-timed race in the world. It was absolutely insane! Mitch and I started together, both weaving in and out of people, and running a lot of the race on the sidewalk away from the masses of people walking/jogging. We stayed together for about half of the race until we got to Heartbreak Hill. I have never run a hillier course in my life. Right when you think you’re at the top, another long stretch is waiting to devour you. He took off ahead while I walked the steepest part of the hill.
Once I made it to the top and started running again, I looked out to my left and took in the gorgeous view in the distance of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. Oh my gosh, it was so cool. I smiled on the inside the whole rest of the way. And to finish out the race, I saw a beautiful view of Bondi Beach on the downhill coming into the last 2 km. It turned out to be sunny and warm, just perfect. I also reached my goal and finished under 70 minutes at 1:07:41. Sounds like a great day, right? Keep reading…
To make a long story short of the rest of the day…four of my friends came to watch me in the race and they were planning on meeting me in the E-H section of the reunion area. Well, it was hard to find because it was a small area much farther away from the finish line. They were looking for me near the finish while I waited for over an hour in the reunion area. It started to get cold, cloudy, and rainy so I decided to leave and catch the bus back to the city. Well, the line for the bus was about 4,000 people long and I didn’t have anything on me besides my bus pass. As I was waiting I heard the man behind me talking to his wife on the phone. He and his 11 year old son had just run the race and his wife was going to pick them up instead. I asked them if there was a quicker way to Bondi Junction where I could catch a bus back to the city, and they offered to give me a ride. So we walked a ways and then Tony, his son, Rodan, and I all hopped in the car. His wife was really nice and their other 6 year old son named Challum was absolutely adorable with his red hair and cute Australian accent . They dropped me off at a bus near Newtown, and I couldn’t thank them enough. I was so happy to be home after a very long day. And my friends had made it back safe and sound too after their unsuccessful search for me, 1 in 70,000.
All in all, it was quite an experience, but one that I will never forget!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
My friend Danielle and I decided it was time for a change. On Tuesday morning we both walked to Scissor Sisters and got our hair chopped off!! Maybe it was when we were watching the movie "Just Like Heaven" that we decided we wanted our hair like Reese Witherspoon's...
So now I don't have my long hair anymore, which I'm actually kind of sad about because I was growing it out...But I know it will grow back. Plus, the City2 Surf race is this weekend, so now my ponytail won't get all knotted! And it's obviously much easier to deal with too :) Once I get over the shock of how short it is, I'm sure I will love it.
Today I had two lectures, one at 11 am and one at 2 pm. In between classes I went to Victoria Park to finish some reading, when it started to rain randomly. So I decided to go to this cute coffee place across the street to get something to drink. Of course I wanted to get something cheap, so I ordered a macchiato which was $2.50. I assumed it was probably like a caramel macchiato from Starbuck’s minus the caramel. Well, I was completely wrong.
I get comfortable at my table, and when the barista says “macchiato” I immediately stand up to get my drink. Well, I could hardly see it because it was so small! Haha…the cup was the size of a shot glass, and it was only half full. And to top it off it was the strongest coffee/espresso I have ever tasted. Wow, I won’t be getting that again J I’m learning new things everyday, even if it’s just the little things like which coffee not to order. Peace and love
Megs
So now I don't have my long hair anymore, which I'm actually kind of sad about because I was growing it out...But I know it will grow back. Plus, the City2 Surf race is this weekend, so now my ponytail won't get all knotted! And it's obviously much easier to deal with too :) Once I get over the shock of how short it is, I'm sure I will love it.
Today I had two lectures, one at 11 am and one at 2 pm. In between classes I went to Victoria Park to finish some reading, when it started to rain randomly. So I decided to go to this cute coffee place across the street to get something to drink. Of course I wanted to get something cheap, so I ordered a macchiato which was $2.50. I assumed it was probably like a caramel macchiato from Starbuck’s minus the caramel. Well, I was completely wrong.
I get comfortable at my table, and when the barista says “macchiato” I immediately stand up to get my drink. Well, I could hardly see it because it was so small! Haha…the cup was the size of a shot glass, and it was only half full. And to top it off it was the strongest coffee/espresso I have ever tasted. Wow, I won’t be getting that again J I’m learning new things everyday, even if it’s just the little things like which coffee not to order. Peace and love
Megs
Saturday, August 2, 2008
The Blue Mountains
This weekend Kate and I got to see each other again! We went on a daytrip to the Blue Mountains about two hours away. It was absolutely beautiful. Words and pictures cannot even describe the amazing views. A few of my friends and one of her friends came, so we had a blast hiking down to and around The Three Sisters (a famous landmark there), and taking the railway up when we finished. It was really refreshing to get out of the city for the day and see what the land and towns were like outside of Sydney. It was so much fun to hike again, since I haven’t really been in mountains since going to Ecuador three years ago.
Classes are going well…Uni starts tutorials this week, which if you don’t know, are basically smaller classes that discuss the lecture, give out homework, and hand out assessments. They will be similar to what I am used to at Hope, so I’m sure I will enjoy them! My professors are all very nice too. I’m excited for my communication class, because for our tutorials we get put into groups and we get to choose a company/organization, holding press conferences with the class. It’s called media relations, and the main subject we are focusing on is public relations. I have wanted to take a PR class, so I am really looking forward to learning more about it and getting hands on experience.
I still love living in Sydney; the city is feeling more like home, and I am starting to get more and more familiar with the campus and surrounding streets. I have also met some nice Aussies in my classes—and I hope to meet more in my tutorials this week too. Thanks for your continued prayers! Have a great weekend.
Love,
Megs
Classes are going well…Uni starts tutorials this week, which if you don’t know, are basically smaller classes that discuss the lecture, give out homework, and hand out assessments. They will be similar to what I am used to at Hope, so I’m sure I will enjoy them! My professors are all very nice too. I’m excited for my communication class, because for our tutorials we get put into groups and we get to choose a company/organization, holding press conferences with the class. It’s called media relations, and the main subject we are focusing on is public relations. I have wanted to take a PR class, so I am really looking forward to learning more about it and getting hands on experience.
I still love living in Sydney; the city is feeling more like home, and I am starting to get more and more familiar with the campus and surrounding streets. I have also met some nice Aussies in my classes—and I hope to meet more in my tutorials this week too. Thanks for your continued prayers! Have a great weekend.
Love,
Megs
Monday, July 28, 2008
First Day of Uni
Before I get into the school stuff...my weekend was amazing! On Friday afternoon my friends and I took the bus to The Rocks, the oldest part of Sydney. We walked through the market that they have every weekend, and then made our way to the Harbour Bridge. We walked across the bridge which I think is about a mile, and then we rode the ferry back. The view of the Opera House from the Bridge was incredible...I don't think I will ever have too many pictures of Circular Quay.
Then on Friday night my friends and I went to one of the biggest rugby games of the year. We got last minute tickets online to the Australia Wallabies vs. the New Zealand All Blacks. The game was at Olympic Stadium which was spectacular. We sat way up in the nose bleed section, but we were dead center looking at the field, so we saw everything perfectly. The fans were great too...it was awesome to hear Australia's national anthem (with everyone singing it loudly), and the Waltzing Matilda song/chant. And the best part is that the Wallabies won 34-19!
The biggest highlight of my weekend was that my friend Ashley and I went to Hillsong Church on Sunday morning. It’s a big church and it is known for the traveling band that sings worship music. It was very contemporary and different than I’m used to at home, but the people were all very welcoming and we even met a girl from Uni of Sydney who told us more about the church, Bible studies, and college group. I’m excited to get to know her more and try out all that the church offers. God really answered my prayers to find a Christian community here, and I am so thankful.
I started class today and it went really well. I had 2 lectures today which were bigger than I’m used to, maybe 50-60 students. On Mondays and Thursdays I have 3 classes (2 lectures and 1 tutorial), and then on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I have 2 classes, (a combination of lectures, tutorials, and a lab). It is weird having to leave for class 15 or 20 minutes early to get to where I need to go—since at Hope I can run out the door 2 minutes before class and still get there on time. But it is refreshing to experience something new, so I am learning to embrace all of the differences.
Have a great start to your week, everyone. Keep looking for updates because I will be posting every 3 or 4 days. God Bless!
Then on Friday night my friends and I went to one of the biggest rugby games of the year. We got last minute tickets online to the Australia Wallabies vs. the New Zealand All Blacks. The game was at Olympic Stadium which was spectacular. We sat way up in the nose bleed section, but we were dead center looking at the field, so we saw everything perfectly. The fans were great too...it was awesome to hear Australia's national anthem (with everyone singing it loudly), and the Waltzing Matilda song/chant. And the best part is that the Wallabies won 34-19!
The biggest highlight of my weekend was that my friend Ashley and I went to Hillsong Church on Sunday morning. It’s a big church and it is known for the traveling band that sings worship music. It was very contemporary and different than I’m used to at home, but the people were all very welcoming and we even met a girl from Uni of Sydney who told us more about the church, Bible studies, and college group. I’m excited to get to know her more and try out all that the church offers. God really answered my prayers to find a Christian community here, and I am so thankful.
I started class today and it went really well. I had 2 lectures today which were bigger than I’m used to, maybe 50-60 students. On Mondays and Thursdays I have 3 classes (2 lectures and 1 tutorial), and then on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I have 2 classes, (a combination of lectures, tutorials, and a lab). It is weird having to leave for class 15 or 20 minutes early to get to where I need to go—since at Hope I can run out the door 2 minutes before class and still get there on time. But it is refreshing to experience something new, so I am learning to embrace all of the differences.
Have a great start to your week, everyone. Keep looking for updates because I will be posting every 3 or 4 days. God Bless!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
A New and Exciting Culture
After being in Sydney for a week now, I am finally starting to get acclimated to the new culture here. I've learned so much already in the first week--from figuring out the bus and train systems to learning more of the Australian slang.
I visited the Harbour Bridge and Opera House and wow, is the harbor ever beautiful. My friends and I want to sit in the Botanical Gardens and study there sometime to enjoy the great views.
I had orientation for uni (Aussies are big on shortening words) on Monday and Tuesday. University of Sydney is the first university in Australia and students say that it is a mix between the campuses of Cambridge and Oxford...personally I think it looks like Hogwarts. Very beautiful inside and out. There's even gargoyles! I also finalized my class schedule today. I will be taking Australian Multicultures, Climate and the Environment, Media Relations, and Music in Western Culture. No days off like last semester, but still a good schedule.
I went to Bondi Beach on Wednesday too, which is the most popular beach in Australia. The waves were huge and the view of the cliffs off the coast was amazing. It's winter here so there wasn't anyone in the water or surfing. My friends and I just took lots of pictures and enjoyed the beauty all around us.
I got a gym membership today at the hospital down the street from my apartment. It's a short walk and much cheaper than joining the school's sport and fitness center. It's just what I need to stay motivated in my running...especially because I signed up for the City2Surf race here in Sydney. I am sooo excited because I really wanted to do a race when I came to Australia. It's a 14K on August 10, starting in Hyde Park downtown and ending at Bondi Beach. There will be lots of people (the race closes at 60,000) but I know it is going to be an awesome experience.
Have a great weekend everyone...you are always in my thoughts and prayers <3
I visited the Harbour Bridge and Opera House and wow, is the harbor ever beautiful. My friends and I want to sit in the Botanical Gardens and study there sometime to enjoy the great views.
I had orientation for uni (Aussies are big on shortening words) on Monday and Tuesday. University of Sydney is the first university in Australia and students say that it is a mix between the campuses of Cambridge and Oxford...personally I think it looks like Hogwarts. Very beautiful inside and out. There's even gargoyles! I also finalized my class schedule today. I will be taking Australian Multicultures, Climate and the Environment, Media Relations, and Music in Western Culture. No days off like last semester, but still a good schedule.
I went to Bondi Beach on Wednesday too, which is the most popular beach in Australia. The waves were huge and the view of the cliffs off the coast was amazing. It's winter here so there wasn't anyone in the water or surfing. My friends and I just took lots of pictures and enjoyed the beauty all around us.
I got a gym membership today at the hospital down the street from my apartment. It's a short walk and much cheaper than joining the school's sport and fitness center. It's just what I need to stay motivated in my running...especially because I signed up for the City2Surf race here in Sydney. I am sooo excited because I really wanted to do a race when I came to Australia. It's a 14K on August 10, starting in Hyde Park downtown and ending at Bondi Beach. There will be lots of people (the race closes at 60,000) but I know it is going to be an awesome experience.
Have a great weekend everyone...you are always in my thoughts and prayers <3
Friday, July 18, 2008
I Finally Made it to the Beautiful land of OZ
This past week has been absolutely crazy!! I will try to sum it up rather quickly since SO much has happened.
I left for Australia on Sunday the 13th, but with many delays our group did not arrive until late Tuesday night. It was the longest 2 days of my life!! We were delayed in LA for 3 hours, left at 3 am...and therefore missed our connecting flight from Melbourne to Cairns for our 4 day orientation. We had to be rerouted to Brisbane, and then flew to Cairns. So 4 planes in 2 days was pretty brutal. But nevertheless, everyone made it safe and sound to beautiful Australia!
We stayed at Gilligan's Backpackers and Resort, a big hostel in Cairns. It was really nice, but with 8 girls in a very tiny dorm room with big luggage, it was a little crammed. By the end of our stay everyone was ready to move in to their own rooms and stop living out of suitcases!
On Wednesday our AustraLearn group (40 students) went scuba diving and snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef! It was stunning. The Passions of Paradise company was so great, and the instructors were all very friendly and helpful. Simon, my instructor, got my friends and I safely to the bottom of the Reef in Michaelmass Cay. We saw lots of fish...including Nemo, and a huge sea turtle. It was unreal to see a completely new world under the sea! I also got to go snorkeling in Paradise Cove, another beautiful area. If you are ever in Australia, you must go to Cairns and see the Reef. I completely understand why it is the 7th wonder of the world...God is awesome!
On Thursday we went to RainforeStation, where we met native Aborigines, watched them play their tribal instrument, the Didgeridoo, and learned to throw a boomerang. The best part was that I got to hold a koala bear and feed kangaroos!! They were so cute, just eating out of my hand. We also saw a crocadile feeding, which only happens once a week, and even saw the wombat, who hardly ever comes out of his cave underground. We also went on a tour of the rainforest in an Army Duck, which reminded me a little bit of the jungle in Ecuador.
On Friday we packed up and finally headed to Sydney! We arrived last night around 5 PM to our apartment complex. It's called the Sydney University Village, and it's located just about a block from the Uni. I am living in a 5 bedroom apartment right next to my friend Danielle, so I am so happy about that! Let me just say that it was a little awkward to walk into my place...everyone was already moved in except for me, so I felt like I was intruding...haha.
I have 2 American roommates and 2 Aussie roommates. Sarah and Brendan are American...Sarah's from Cleveland and Brendan is from Flint, MI. Yeah Michigan!! He actually knew where Hope was which was quite exciting since hardly anyone has heard of it. I haven't met my Aussie roomies yet, but one is named Tim and he is a senior at the Uni. Don't worry Dad, he has a girlfriend! haha :) And Alex is the Aussie girl who is also a junior like me and the rest of my roommates. It's definitely weird living with strangers, but I know things will start to become familiar.
Last night some of the girls and I walked to this shopping center about a 15 minute walk away, and went to Kmart to get stuff for our rooms. I'm sure it was quite a sight to see 7 girls lugging huge bags down the street!
This is the first chance I have had to check my email and update my blog, so I apologize for the delay! When I register for classes on Monday I will get my pin number for the internet. I think I have found a new favorite coffee place down the street too. It's Gloria Jean's (I know...not that unique since we have it in the States), but you get free wifi for an hour when you purchase a drink (I'm on my 2nd coffee...). It feels amazing to finally be connected to you all, because honestly, I have never felt so far away from the US in my life. It's just such a comfort to lean on God and have Katie here too.
My friends and I are going to take the bus to Sydney Harbor right now...what we've all been looking forward to! We are going to try to learn the bus system today and get our SIM cards for our cell phones. The Pope is here for World Youth Week, so maybe we'll run into him! Katie and I have not been in contact yet because of my lack of internet or cell phone, but we are planning on meeting up in the city tomorrow. I can't wait to see her!!
The weather is beautiful, 60-65 and sunny, and the city has a different feel to any city I've been to in the US. It's really exciting to be here and I can't wait to go exploring today! I love you all and miss you. I will be putting up pictures soon! If you have facebook, I already put some up, so check them out! God Bless.
p.s. The accents are wonderful!! And hearing it all the time has made me start to think in an Australian accent :) I'm starting to pick up on the lingo which is used much more than I thought. I love it!
I left for Australia on Sunday the 13th, but with many delays our group did not arrive until late Tuesday night. It was the longest 2 days of my life!! We were delayed in LA for 3 hours, left at 3 am...and therefore missed our connecting flight from Melbourne to Cairns for our 4 day orientation. We had to be rerouted to Brisbane, and then flew to Cairns. So 4 planes in 2 days was pretty brutal. But nevertheless, everyone made it safe and sound to beautiful Australia!
We stayed at Gilligan's Backpackers and Resort, a big hostel in Cairns. It was really nice, but with 8 girls in a very tiny dorm room with big luggage, it was a little crammed. By the end of our stay everyone was ready to move in to their own rooms and stop living out of suitcases!
On Wednesday our AustraLearn group (40 students) went scuba diving and snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef! It was stunning. The Passions of Paradise company was so great, and the instructors were all very friendly and helpful. Simon, my instructor, got my friends and I safely to the bottom of the Reef in Michaelmass Cay. We saw lots of fish...including Nemo, and a huge sea turtle. It was unreal to see a completely new world under the sea! I also got to go snorkeling in Paradise Cove, another beautiful area. If you are ever in Australia, you must go to Cairns and see the Reef. I completely understand why it is the 7th wonder of the world...God is awesome!
On Thursday we went to RainforeStation, where we met native Aborigines, watched them play their tribal instrument, the Didgeridoo, and learned to throw a boomerang. The best part was that I got to hold a koala bear and feed kangaroos!! They were so cute, just eating out of my hand. We also saw a crocadile feeding, which only happens once a week, and even saw the wombat, who hardly ever comes out of his cave underground. We also went on a tour of the rainforest in an Army Duck, which reminded me a little bit of the jungle in Ecuador.
On Friday we packed up and finally headed to Sydney! We arrived last night around 5 PM to our apartment complex. It's called the Sydney University Village, and it's located just about a block from the Uni. I am living in a 5 bedroom apartment right next to my friend Danielle, so I am so happy about that! Let me just say that it was a little awkward to walk into my place...everyone was already moved in except for me, so I felt like I was intruding...haha.
I have 2 American roommates and 2 Aussie roommates. Sarah and Brendan are American...Sarah's from Cleveland and Brendan is from Flint, MI. Yeah Michigan!! He actually knew where Hope was which was quite exciting since hardly anyone has heard of it. I haven't met my Aussie roomies yet, but one is named Tim and he is a senior at the Uni. Don't worry Dad, he has a girlfriend! haha :) And Alex is the Aussie girl who is also a junior like me and the rest of my roommates. It's definitely weird living with strangers, but I know things will start to become familiar.
Last night some of the girls and I walked to this shopping center about a 15 minute walk away, and went to Kmart to get stuff for our rooms. I'm sure it was quite a sight to see 7 girls lugging huge bags down the street!
This is the first chance I have had to check my email and update my blog, so I apologize for the delay! When I register for classes on Monday I will get my pin number for the internet. I think I have found a new favorite coffee place down the street too. It's Gloria Jean's (I know...not that unique since we have it in the States), but you get free wifi for an hour when you purchase a drink (I'm on my 2nd coffee...). It feels amazing to finally be connected to you all, because honestly, I have never felt so far away from the US in my life. It's just such a comfort to lean on God and have Katie here too.
My friends and I are going to take the bus to Sydney Harbor right now...what we've all been looking forward to! We are going to try to learn the bus system today and get our SIM cards for our cell phones. The Pope is here for World Youth Week, so maybe we'll run into him! Katie and I have not been in contact yet because of my lack of internet or cell phone, but we are planning on meeting up in the city tomorrow. I can't wait to see her!!
The weather is beautiful, 60-65 and sunny, and the city has a different feel to any city I've been to in the US. It's really exciting to be here and I can't wait to go exploring today! I love you all and miss you. I will be putting up pictures soon! If you have facebook, I already put some up, so check them out! God Bless.
p.s. The accents are wonderful!! And hearing it all the time has made me start to think in an Australian accent :) I'm starting to pick up on the lingo which is used much more than I thought. I love it!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
1 Week to Go!
It's hard to believe that I will be on the plane heading "down under" to Australia in one week! My twin sister Katie is also going, which makes me less nervous and more excited! Our schools will be about 20 minutes away from each other, so we plan on hanging out and traveling together :) My packing is almost finished (hopefully not over the weight limit!) and I will be saying my good-byes shortly.
I will be studying at the University of Sydney about 5 minutes from the city's center. There are 47,000 students there, so it will be a big change from Hope's small campus! I am living in an apartment with 4 other students either from my program, AustraLearn, international students, or Australians. It should be quite interesting since it is supposedly a co-ed apartment...
I leave on July 13, but won't arrive in Australia until July 15. As I'm sure you are well aware of, the flight is extremely long! I am flying into Melbourne from L.A. which will be a 15.5 hour flight, and then I am flying to Cairns for my program orientation, a 3 hour flight. It's going to be one loooong day, but well worth it when I finally get there! For my four-day orientation my program group will be going snorkeling/scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, seeing the wildlife, and learning about the Australian culture. I have always wanted to see/pet a kangaroo and hold a baby joey(so cute!) so maybe my time has come :)
All in all, I can't wait for my Aussie Adventure to begin! I will probably be writing a couple times a week, but if you would like to post comments or email me, I would absolutely LOVE to hear from you and how your lives are back in the States. You will be in my thoughts and prayers, and I would greatly appreciate it if you could keep me in yours too. Thank you so much and God Bless!
I will be studying at the University of Sydney about 5 minutes from the city's center. There are 47,000 students there, so it will be a big change from Hope's small campus! I am living in an apartment with 4 other students either from my program, AustraLearn, international students, or Australians. It should be quite interesting since it is supposedly a co-ed apartment...
I leave on July 13, but won't arrive in Australia until July 15. As I'm sure you are well aware of, the flight is extremely long! I am flying into Melbourne from L.A. which will be a 15.5 hour flight, and then I am flying to Cairns for my program orientation, a 3 hour flight. It's going to be one loooong day, but well worth it when I finally get there! For my four-day orientation my program group will be going snorkeling/scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, seeing the wildlife, and learning about the Australian culture. I have always wanted to see/pet a kangaroo and hold a baby joey(so cute!) so maybe my time has come :)
All in all, I can't wait for my Aussie Adventure to begin! I will probably be writing a couple times a week, but if you would like to post comments or email me, I would absolutely LOVE to hear from you and how your lives are back in the States. You will be in my thoughts and prayers, and I would greatly appreciate it if you could keep me in yours too. Thank you so much and God Bless!
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