Just Dance ;)

Today was awesome! I went to my first lecture for Anthropology and received a huge surprise!! The lecturer started the class by showing a video of last year's first day of class, and it showed dancers disguised as students coming out of the desks and DANCING. Flash Mob dancing is what it is called. The lecturer then went on to say, "I was supposed to plan something better than last year for our lecture today, but I didn't." Then all the sudden six people got up out of their seats and started yelling horrible things at the teacher. Then music started, and one of them started to play the drums for us. Then they all went up and danced on stage!! The song was an African song about peace, and it was sooo cool. Then the rest of the students joined in with them. It really put a whole new meaning to learning about different cultures, because music it one of the major components of a culture. It was wonderful!! After having the coolest lecture of my life, I went to Office Works with my Australian friends and then took a nap when I returned home. I had a tutorial or recitation for that same class later on. The room was full of people from ALL parts of the world, and I cannot wait to learn about the different cultures. I am sooo excited. Speaking of new cultures, I have a new neighbor who is from China! She is very nice, and we talked all night about Australian, Chinese and American traditions. I am learning so much, and I think I understand why God sent me here. I feel like I have met so many wonderful people and have learned so much about the customs of other cultures. I feel like I am opening my mind more and more everyday. Plus, I feel so relaxed. I am blessed. Period. :)

Good Times

Hi guys! I had a great day! I started off the day by getting up to conquer the bookstore. The line was sooo long even though I went early! Then I came back to my room and slept...hahaha...I was a little lazy. I had my Normal Communication class, and it was long but fun. Then I came home and hung out with my Aussie friends on my floor. We watched "Bridesmaids," and  I was assessing their speech tonight, too. I think the Speech-Language Pathologist in me is coming out. Haha. By the way, they called Speech Language Pathology majors here, "Speechies." It really makes me laugh, and I started calling myself that the other day. Here lately, I have caught myself talking like an Australian. The other day, I was on skype with my mom, and she asked what I was up to. I said, "I am working on this bloody paper!" It just came out!! Haha. So, for those of you at home, I may say some phrases differently. It was a wonderful day, and it is cold outside. I was running around in a t-shirt and shorts this morning, and other people, probably locals, kept looking at me funny. Tons of people were wearing sweatshirts and jeans today, and I was just running around in shorts and a shirt. Haha! That's all for now! :)

Good Day! :)

Today was amazing! First, I went with my next door neighbor to join the chaos at the university bookstore. Then I found out that the paper that was up all night writing wasn't supposed to be assigned to me! Ha! It was frustrating, but it is okay! I had my first Australian Sign Langauge class and learned many new phrases, and it was soooo cool! The professor for that class is deaf which makes it even better, and talking is not allowed at all because she considers it cheating. We can only use sign language, and man, it is a learning experience. The professor was hilarious and said funny things in Sign Language. It made me giggle, and I was proud that I actually knew what she was saying most of the time. After class, I just did a few housekeeping things like laundry...blahh. Then  I sat down and talked to my Aussie friends on my floor all night. They were all soooo funny!! One told me that he wanted to come to Iowa because they actually ship/deliver live chicks to people in the mail. I about cried because I was laughing so hard. It was a good night. I met another new friend, who just got here yesterday. We talked about the differences between Australian and American sports. Then we talked about the healthcare and educational systems in our countries. I know this part sounds boring but actually, it was quite interesting. My Aussie friends want to take me to a Aussie football game soon and that should be interesting. I also set up a trip today! I am going on the "Great Ocean Road Trip" on March 10. This is the beach that contains the "Twelve Apostles." I am beyond excited, and I start my Normal Communication and Swallowing Processes class tomorrow. I. CAN'T. WAIT. This is the class that I have been the most excited for! I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to be a good day. Plus, it rained allll night, and I cut up my fresh watermelon from the market. It was wonderful! Life is good!

Starting Classes

Well......My day was spent researching and writing a 5 page paper. The joys of starting school. :) I took a break for Kangaroo burgers, baked potatoes and dragon fruit for dessert. The Kangaroo burgers were lean, salty but tasty! The dragon fruit was AWFUL!!! Way too many seeds for my liking. My first class is at 3 tomorrow and goes until 6. Hopefully it will be fun! It is my Australian Sign Language class and it should be interesting.  I just have finish the paper that is due at 11:30 tomorrow night. Hopefully I can get it all done and done correctly. It was a HOT day, and it finally rained. The rain cooled things off, and I am hoping that it stays this way for awhile. Waking up, dripping in sweat is not a cool thing. I am happy that it is summer here but after this heat, rolling in snow sounds kind of nice for five seconds, only five seconds. That's how much I like snow...I can only take it in doses. I am feel better today and had a great day today. Yesterday was a relapse, but I think I am doing okay today. That's all for today! :)

Nerves :(

I had a long day. I started the day with falling down steps and spraining my ankle. Then I went to the Queen Victoria Market with my friends. That was one of the highlights of my day! :)  I bought tons of fresh fruit for low prices.Then cops in civilian clothing surprised us and checked our tickets on the tram. That was scary but interesting. Luckily, I had my ticket and student card ready! My ankle hurt all day, and I think I am starting to be homesick. Luckily, I have great friends that got me through the day. My friend and I went to pick up some more groceries and got the bus driver who can't drive. We both felt nauseous after that trip on the bus. We had a good time anyway. After that adventurous day, I was sitting and watching "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" with my friend and realized that I have an assignment due on Monday night, the first day of class. I feel like I don't know what I am doing, and I am nervous. I want to do well, but I am soo nervous. I feel like a foreigner, and I am missing my home and all things familiar. I just needed to vent. I still love it here, but I just miss my home. They say that all study abroad students go through this stage and get over it eventually. I know this experience is good for me and that I will never regret it. I just had a long day, and I am glad that a new one starts tomorrow.

HOT!!

It is soo hot here! 95 degrees today. I am happy because it is warmer than Kansas, but today was hot. I really didn't do too much, but I did get enrolled in my classes. I am taking Human and Animal Anthropology, Culture and Globalization, Normal Communication and Swallowing Processes and Australian Sign Language. I am looking forward to classes starting and can't wait to learn more about the culture. Tonight all of Chisholm College went out in the city which was sooo fun! I can't wait to do it again, and I met soo many cool people. I saw so many pubs and shops that I would like to visit. Tomorrow, I am going to the Victorian Market early in the morning. I plan on buying fresh peaches...Yum! I can't wait, and I hope I get a good deal. We are going in the morning so we don't get even more burnt...HA! On a side note, I guess Kansas people have a twang. Everyone says that I say, "I am from Kansas."funny! They say that I sound like a hick. Haha. Well that's all I have for now! :)

Lazy

Yesterday was a lazy day for me! I went to get my discount card for transportation. Then I talked to family and friends on Skype for a while. I went to a party for like two hours and came back to watch, "Grey's Anatomy." I felt like I was back in the U.S. again, and it was kind of nice. Then I watched the movie, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." It was hilarious, and then I passed out in bed. I was soooo tired. So boring day for me. :)

"Your mom tagged you as a cow!" Haha

Today was busy! First of all, I got a surprise in the morning! Collin added me on Skype, and I got to talk to him and Cody. Collin told me that he has a interview for an internship coming up. It was wonderful to hear from him and Cody.  After skype, I went shopping with a friend for a hair straightener...FINALLY! Now, I won't look like "Cousin It" running around campus and will feel like myself again. We finally are learning how to use the public transportation and got to the mall okay! After the mall, I sat in the kitchen and talked to my Aussie friends, Aaron and Fran, for a longggg time. They asked me questions about Kansas and my family. Then I asked them tons of questions. Fran actually invited me to see kangaroos on her farm tomorrow, but I already have plans. They always make me laugh..haha. Mom tagged me in a Facebook picture of a cow so that I could see the cow. Aaron says, "Your mom tagged you as a cow!" It just sounded really funny. Mom are you calling me a cow indirectly? Haha. They also introduced me to an Australian classic, "Milo." It is a chocolate powder that you pour into milk, and it does not dissolve. So essentially you have chocolate chucks in your milk. It was fantastic and many Aussie eat the powder plain! They are going to introduce me to Veggiemite tomorrow...:S...Tonight, I went to a glow in the dark party and then talked to Fran and my new friend, Chris, from Switzerland. He told me that he might hook me up with some Swiss Chocolate! Yum! I have had a great orientation week, but I think that I am ready for classes to start on Monday. I want a consistent schedule and want to learn something. I am ready for a regular schedule. I think that I am starting to miss home because my family, Nathan and friends keep coming up in allll of my conversations with my friends. Only 124 days left until I come home! Whoa! :S That's all for now! :)

Just Content

Today was an amazing day! I went to orientation sessions for students this morning and ran errands alll day. My friend, Laura, and I walked 45 minutes to the train station to get our discount cards, and they told us, "We don't sell them at this time of day."Then we walked allll the way back. THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. I am getting a nice friend to take me there. Haha. The university cooked us a meal that was BBQ chicken and many salads. After the meal, I hung out with some friends, and two of them had birthdays. One of them was an American and turned 21, so she was pumped. It was great until I had to leave to help a friend. After helping a friend, I went back to my dormitory and watched "Sabrina," starring Harrison Ford. I watched the movie with my three Aussie friends, and one of them did not know who Harrison Ford was!! Well, I cultured her. Haha. We all watched the chick flick together and had so many laughs. They cultured me too!! I ate Tim Tam cookies for the first time! I am addicted. After the chick flick, we watched a movie at the university cinema with other students and had more laughs. It has be also been a great day because I got to talk to most of my family and my boyfriend. I feel happy and blessed.

Just Another Day

Yesterday, I was lazy! I went to a free breakfast for students. I went to a drug and alcohol meeting for the campus, and then I went shopping for groceries. My day was pretty simple and relaxed. I stayed up until 1:00 talking to my new Aussie friends on my floor. They are wonderful people and can't wait to get to know them better. That's all for now. :)

Busy Bee

Today was soooo fun! I braved the public transportation with my good friend, Ashton! We met another friend in the city and headed to the St. Kilda beach in Melbourne. It was gorgeous, and the sun loved my fair skin. I am burnt to a crisp, but I am still smiling. We explored the marina and walked around the beach area. The shops were fantastic, and there was quite the variety. When I got back to my dorm after a long day, my friend from Mexico invited me to go salsa dancing! It was sooooo fun, and I hope to go back again. She taught me the basics, and I think I somewhat can do it. I need a bit more practice. Ha! The music was AWESOME and very festive! I was a trombone player in high school, and the brass was loud and so clear! It was so fun to dance, and I feel like I am learning about many different cultures. I am blessed. Period.

Smiles :)

Hi guys! I am a little late on my blog! This blog is for two days! I had another wonderful day yesterday! I went to the Wild Life Sanctuary with my friends, and we all saw KANGAROOS and an Emu. Everything was so green and beautiful! It was sooo fun! I spent last night getting to know my new friends and meeting other people from around the world. I. AM. HAPPY. The people are so nice here and laid back. Anyone who knows me back home knows that I am NOT very laid back. I think this trip may help me relax when I get back to the U.S. and to have more confidence. Speaking of the U.S., I saw a mural of "The Wizard of Oz," and I thought about Kansas, my home. I am making tons of friends here, but there is still not place like home. I am proud to be from Kansas, and I tell my new acquaintances that. The homesickness hasn't settled in yet, but I am starting to miss UNL, my family, my boyfriend and friends. I just try to keep myself busy so I don't think about it. I am so blessed to be here and believe I won’t regret it. I am happy. :)

Today, I did an amazing race around the city and used the public transportation for the first time. I felt small and overwhelmed. While on the trip, I realized that I locked myself out of my room…bad way to start the day. The city of Melbourne is sooooo beautiful, and I am glad that it is my home. There were many shops, restaurants, markets and malls. I saw people running around eating fresh peaches from the market, and they looked delicious. We don’t have a huge market at home like they do here. It was wonderful, colorful and plentiful. The architecture is different here also, and one can tell that Melbourne is the cultural capital of Australia by it. You could tell that the city has be influenced by numerous cultures! I love it! The diversity of the people is mind blowing, but everyone is so nice. Tonight, I attended a dinner for the first year Australian students and international students in Chisholm College dorm. I met so many Australians, and they were so nice! They could not believe that we don’t make Pumpkin soup in the U.S.! Ha! I met an Australian woman who is a Speech Pathology major like me!! I have someone to nerd out with! I also met another Australian girl who is on my floor, and we talked about our families and pets. I think new friendships are in the making. Everyone is nice, and I am looking forward to starting the semester. :)

Rainy

Tonight, I feel lame...I am staying in my dorm room. I was going to participate in a trip to the beach, but the event got cancelled due to rain. So, I am kind of sad, and the rain keeps pouring down. I had a great day with friends today and FINALLY enrolled in my classes. I am taking four classes altogether and am really excited! I have been thinking and hoping that I can do some traveling soon. I had to get all the academic things out of the way so now I hope the fun begins. The city is calling my name, but I don't know how to get there yet, and I don't want to get lost. I just need to meet a few more Aussies to help me out that's all! That's all for today! :)

Another beautiful day in Melbourne! :)

I had an amazing day that was EXTREMELY busy! I registered in the morning, went shopping at the mall and FINALLY figured out how to use the bus to get groceries. I feel like I am finally getting the hang of things around here. We attended academic sessions about Oz English (Aussie English), and It was great! My friend Ashton and I were sitting together in the session and the speaker asked us to translate..."I had a bingle on the way to work."Ashton and I thought it meant, "I had a bagel on the way to work." It actually meant, "I had a small car accident on the way to work." It was another international student moment and we just had to laugh at ourselves. We found  the BEST coffee shop on campus this morning, also. Ashton and I tried the creamy, wonderful mocha at Charley's on campus. It is my NEW favorite coffee shop and is the favorite of many locals. I also had my first legal drink today. My friend and I tried Jack Daniels Whiskey mixed with Lemonade. It was wonderful! :) I also received information about the fencing and scuba diving clubs here on campus, and I hope to participate in both. Yesterday was intimidating, but I feel like everything is falling into place today. All of us international students are sticking together, and I feel like I have another family forming. Life is good! :)

Wonderful but frustrating...:P

Today, I found that I don't know anything about anything. I am trying to register for classes and am learning how to enroll. The system is TOTALLY different. We started the international student festival today and received TONS of information on everything about everything. It is a bit overwhelming, but I am still happy. I suffered through all of it with my new friends. I met wonderful girls from Germany, Ecuador, Mexico, U.S.A. and Denmark, today. They are awesome and will be my travel partners but most importantly, my friends. We all ran around campus like chickens with our heads cut off and DEFINITELY looked like foreigners. We probably asked for directions about 10 times today! Haha! Today, I really felt like a weirdo just because of a sliding door. My friend and I thought the sliding door automatically opened and went in front of it as usual. It still wasn't opening after 10 seconds of waiting, and we just looked at each other in confusion. Finally I realized that there was a button by the door that said "OPEN."I was thinking "DUH!" and realized Australians were watching us the WHOLE time. It was a foreigner moment for sure, and I am sure it was amusing for the locals. I have learned that you just have laugh things off. Haha! I have a busy week ahead! I am taking a shopping trip to the Mall tomorrow, going out with friends on Thursday night, participating in the "Wild Life Walk" on Friday and taking a tour of the city on Saturday. Life is good, and God is good for giving me this opportunity. :)

Finally There!! :)

After an extremely long and exciting trip, I have finally made it to Melbourne. On my trip, I met numerous locals and many other students traveling to study abroad. I actually met a student who is going to participate in Biological Research in Tasmania and three others studying in Perth. We all suffered through a 16 hour plane ride, one the longest flights in the world. The flight was worth it! :)
Australia is wonderful, and the people are very welcoming. I feel like I have been hit by a bus after a 26 hour trip, and the time difference is killing me. Ahhh, but I am in Australia, and LOVE it. It so beautiful and green. Only one complaint, though. The birds won't be quiet so I can get sleep. I sounds like I live in a zoo! Speaking of zoos, La Trobe University invited a reptile company to speak to international students. I saw the most poisonous snake in world, a Taipan. Anyone that knows me knows that I loath snakes, and I was squirming throughout the whole presentation. I think have had enough excitement for one day. Goodnight, everyone! :)

Just Making Sure This Works

Hi again. :)

Hey guys!

Here is my blog that I will be using while in Australia. I hope you like it!

:)