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. :)