Mid-Semester Break Down Under!

Wow!  Those 9 days were crazy and went fast, but were so much fun and I can't believe it's back to class,

working out, and writing papers tomorrow.  Anyway, I will try to summarize 9 days in Australia in one readable post (yeah, right)! Well, let's begin.

What I learned in Sydney...

1. Money goes fast there.  Very fast.  My friend told me it's the most expensive city in the world for American exchange students.  However, Sydney gets better!
2. Apparently, Aussies are pyromaniacs.  I saw fireworks both of my first two nights in Sydney.  Not sure why, but they were pretty!
3. There's a difference in being unsure where you are and being lost.  Sometimes, a bite to eat and a deep breath help tons... story to come later
4. Travelling alone is relaxing, but terrifying and freeing, but lonely.  There were times when I really enjoyed doing things at my own pace, and not waiting or planning around others, but other times were it would've been great to have someone.  My friend did come to the city with me one day!
5. Thank god they speak English.  It would've been rough in a completely new city, alone and not understanding the language!
6. Sydney is a beautiful area!  The harbour was gorgeous with the bridge and opera house and there are lots of nice beaches around as well!
7. There are tricks for transportation, but it may take a few days to learn.  For example, walking is free and when you're 20 and alone, walking distance can be huge!  Also, no one verifies that you're a New South Wales student, so I could get student tix for half price on bus/train/ferry!
8. Surfing is awesome, but hard.  I was able to get up on the learner board and feel comfortable renting a board from our rec centre and going to try it here!  However, spending the entire day in my sandy/wet bathing suit was not wise or comfortable..
9. There's nothing wrong with being out of your comfort zone.  Yes, this is related to numbers 3 and 4.
10. There are people from MD everywhere!  I met four people in Sydney from MD just because one guy wore a shirt with the MD flag from Green Turtle in Ocean City!

So, basically, I got off the plane in Sydney and my phone didn't work (surprise!) and I had no Australian cash, and had no idea where I was going.  That's where I was out of my comfort zone and being alone sucked, but them speaking English was amazing.  After I took a breath and relaxed (and ate), I figured it out and it was all fine.  Really after one day, I figured stuff out and didn't have much trouble at all.  The harbour is really pretty with the Opera House and Bridge.  My friend and I discussed how it's one of those places you'd see pictures of, but never really expect to be there.  It was a dream come true, really.  Also, if I was rich, I could really spoil myself in Sydney with $40/meals and hotels with Ferraris and Aston Martins out front.  However, even on a budget, I had an incredible time there and feel so fortunate to have gotten to see that city!  Plus, I went and spent a day hiking in the Blue Mountains National Park (so many loud birds!) and another day at a wildlife park--koalas, kangaroos, and wallabies are awesome!!  And, I visited Olympic Park, where the 2000 Summer Olympic Games were played! Very neat area with tons of arenas, stadiums, artifacts, etc!

Then, Wednesday, I headed even further north to Cairns and met up with Megan Bethge from home, who is studying abroad about 4 hours south of Cairns (pronounced "cans" by the way).  Thursday morning we got

picked up and spent 3 days on a 26.5m boat, the Taka, on the Great Barrier Reef and scuba dove 12 times.  How incredible!  We saw blue-spotted sting rays, white-tipped sharks, thousands of different types of fish including lionfish, turtles, giant clams, crustaceans, starfish, tons of types of coral.  It was unreal how much lives there!  Two of the most memorable dives were the second night dive (yes, it's completely dark except your flashlight), when there were 3 sharks circling around a group of fish just right in front of us and also swimming with Wally, a humphead Maori Wrasse, who loves to have his lips scratched if you stick your hand out!  Oh, and the food on the boat was extremely good too, so I was sure to get my money's worth out of each meal!! There are a few pictures here and a video, but I have many more and some of them are on facebook or can be shown when I come home!  They take ages to upload, so that's why it's limited, sorry...

 Now, after an 11 hour layover, in which I got 5 hours of sleep on an airport bench, I am back home!  A few final thoughts on Australia:

1. "Day pack" is a loose term.  I made it 9 days with just a school-sized backpack.
2. I, in fact, CAN go 9 days without a hoody--it was a struggle though...
3. Sunscreen only works on the places where you put it--my inner arms and shins wish I figured that out sooner...
4. The girls in Australia are much prettier than in NZ.
5. This whole trip has seemed like a dream--seeing Sydney and then scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef!  I can't get over how fortunate I am to have had the chance to do both!!!

I learned tons from this trip and had a spring break that will be very hard to top!!!