More pics

After my last message, I felt a little silly that I hadn't done much yet since I'd been back so I went through the pictures from the first week I was in Australia.... There's still a ton, but if you have free time, feel free to check them out here. Otherwise, the photobucket link at the bottom of my last message is just a bunch of pictures from my entire trip! I'm waiting for my 2nd memory card to be salvage (I reformatted it half way through taking pictures... which means everything I had previously taken was deleted) So I'll have more pictures soon! xoxo

Back to reality....

I can't believe it's been three weeks since I left Australia. It seems like yesterday I was feeding kangaroos and snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef! Since getting back to the US, I've been working like crazy for my grad school assistantship and have hardly had time to unpack! I still haven't gone through my pictures either! But.. I did take the time to think of a few of the things I've missed the most from Oz, and thought I'd share:

1) Salad sandwiches. I was really confused at first, but it really is like a salad on your sandwich. So when you order a chicken salad sandwich, it's literally a salad with some chicken on bread. Not the chicken salad I was expecting, but good none the less.

2) Boots and bonnets, vegemite, tomato sauce, biscuits... really, all things weird and Australian.... I'd eat a Vegemite sandwich if it meant I could go back to Australia right now.

3) Espresso... everywhere. I never thought I'd say it, but I'd really like a Long Black or Flat White right now.

4) Sleeping in hostels. Who knew!?! I never got bedbugs (thankfully :) ) And met amazing people in the hostels, so despite the lack of creature comforts, a little part of me wishes I was back in the hostel.

5) Water. I miss driving along the ocean for hours, swimming in the ocean, surfing in the ocean, sunbathing by the ocean. Essentially anything to do with the water...

6) My backpack. Technically, Katie's backpack... but I do miss having an excuse for wearing the same shirt twice or not wearing any makeup... For some reason my 'I had to pack light' excuse just doesn't cut it any more...

and last but not least...

7) My friends. I met SO many amazing people and made some really good friends. The experiences I had there were incredible and I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend such a large chunk of time in such a wonderful place.

Since I've been back, I've had so many people ask how my trip was. Some of those unlucky souls got 4 hours of blubbering about the land down under. If you were one of those, I'm sorry. But it can't be summed up into anything longer than a two day conversation.... it was absolutely indescribable.....

So, thank you for following me on this crazy adventure. It meant alot to know there were people back home who cared about what I was doing. And you saved yourself a long winded description of my trip ;) Stay tuned for my next adventure. I have 9 months of school and then nothing ahead of me but the open road..... money permitting, of course.

xoxo

http://s788.photobucket.com/albums/yy167/australiapics/

4 weeks ends in 2 hours...

G'day mates! I officially have 2 hours left in Australia... crazy. I got into Sydney at 11 last night and spent a luxurious evening in the airport. yes. We got locked into this area... kinda reminded me of The Langoliers (Stephen King movie where they're stuck in the airport). The main area was closed from 11p-4a, and then we were able to get in so people could start checking in. I hung out with a couple of Canadians for the evening (they're everywhere!) and offended them to start by asking if they were American... oops. It got really cold in the airport last night, so I was thankful to have my new boots to wear and the warm weather clothes I had bought when I started my trip.

The international terminal has showers too... which is AMAZING. They were way nicer than any of the hostel showers I've seen, and they even had soap for you. And now free internet. So I'm happy and smell-free, which I'm sure is greatly appreciated by everyone around me! Now I've just been browsing duty free and avoiding the newly creepy Canadian people... apparently 8 hours locked into the airport turns some people into mad hatters!

If anyone has a last minute souvenir order, text me :) I can still get Ugg boots at the Duty Free, as well as plenty of fine Australian liquor... which may come in handy if I get bored! I did my souvenir shopping yesterday, though, so I think I'll just read/nap before we board. 

I am still in awe that I have been here for 4 weeks. It seems like yesterday that I was stepping off the plane into the Sydney airport. I'm a little nervous about the nearly 30 hours of travel time ahead of me, and wish I could just snap my fingers and get home. And also not be jet lagged, but I don't think that's very likely!

Happy days and I'll talk to all of you soon :) xoxo

ps- I can also bring you home crocodile jerky if anyone's interested... think about it.... ;)

time flies when you're having fun

I can't believe today is my last day in Australia!!! It has been an amazing 4 weeks and I'm going to be really sad to leave all of the friends I've made. I don't have too much internet time, but I just wanted to do a quick update since I haven't been on here in ages!

Magnetic Island was very quiet and relaxing. My hostel was pretty much an animal preserve and we had all of these birds and wildlife all over. Holding a koala was awesome (but smelly) and I also held a lizard, snake, small crocodile, and had a cockatoo take a seed from between my lips... so it was a VERY eventful day as far as wildlife is concerned! I have also licked the butt of an ant... there are green ants here and when you lick or eat them (I licked... no ant eating for me) they taste like citrus... it's crazy! Jayne, Emma, Annette, and I rented a mini moke (open convertible car thing) and cruised the island and had a beachside picnic.

Then after a stop at a croc farm to watch the croc feeding and hand feed kanagroos (awesome!). It was up to Cairns for a night and then further north to Cape Tribulation the next morning! I snorkeled on the reef again, despite a very rocky boat trip (everyone was green...) and got to see Nemo!! Since I'm 5 years old and love Finding Nemo, it was a highlight of the trip. I also did Jungle Surfing 15m up in the canopy of the rainforest and went on a night walk in the rainforest. It was a bit disappointing because all we saw were rats... The weather was rainy up in Cape Trib aside from the day I went on the reef, so my kayak got cancelled and I got to spend some time reading, relaxing, and collecting shells on the beach.

Yesterday was an amazing day trip to swim in the waterfalls- which was freezing but SO worth it. Also did a little more rainforest walking with a much better guide. Last night I did a little shopping at the Night Markets in Cairns, got some cheap Australian Uggs, and hung out with two Dutch girls. I'm staying in the hostel with Tanja-one of the girls I met in Cape Trib- and we're shopping today and just bumming around on my last day here. We planned to go to the lagoon, but its overcast and misty :( Australia is clearly upset about my departure.

See you stateside!

I promise to upload pictures and more fun details when I get back! xoxo