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/