I'm in Australia, sweet.

Hey all! This whole study abroad thing is crazy. Life is crazy. I don’t understand it. I couldn’t be happier that I decided to do this for myself. It’s incredible and amazing in so many ways, it’s insane. And it’s pretty dang difficult sometimes too! I’ve been thinking about the whole experience a lot lately because Carly is already home from Costa Rica and we now have less than two months here, it’s unbelievable. I don’t want to leave this place. There are definitely moments I wish I could be home and that I deeply miss some people, but I’m not ready to come home yet. It still feels like there is so much to experience here and friendships to strengthen even more. Maybe I’ll be ready when it’s time, but it doesn’t feel like it. Now I’m realizing all this since I have way too much homework to do and it’s getting in the way of my life! It’s crazy. I don’t know how to describe any of it to make sense. I thought I could imagine how it would be and understand it before I left, but I had absolutely no clue. There’s so much to it that I don’t even quite understand. Loretta and I decided we’ve already seen huge changes in ourselves, that we will never be the same person, but we don’t quite know what is different. Anyway, enough of that for now, that’s supposed to be for the end, I still have time to enjoy the best time of my life!!

It’s been fairly boring lately since school is starting to take over people’s lives. It’s not cool. I think it will be this way til the end of exams as well because after the homework is over this week, we’ll have to start our last papers and studying for those final exams that are looming. Motivation is hard to find! We’re all getting it done though. Let’s see, I left off last time after going to see Hayley in Melbourne for the day. Since then I’ve given my group oral presentation in Business Communication, and we’ve written our big report and turned it in. That was a bit stressful because I was given a bigger chunk to do than we had planned just a few days before it was due, but we got it in so whatever. I also had to write journals to turn in with that which needed to be analytical and include specific terms, again, I got it done. So all last weekend was busy doing that stuff that I really didn’t want to do! One of the nights was pretty good though. Donald helped me fix some stuff on my computer and gave me this new software to play around with my pictures, it’s really amazing! Then I went to get fish and chips for tea (dinner) with Loretta and Jared and we watched The Notebook and some footy on TV.

Last Wednesday was Resi Idol, like American Idol, or I reckon Australian Idol. There was happy’s first down at the Pond’s, that local bar across the highway the whole campus heads to every Wednesday! So I went down to happy hour and then to Resi Idol there after. It was really good, I love any kind of live music. Some of them were more of a joke and it was just really funny. Some people really had some talent though. One of my friends was in a band who did well singing No Woman No Cry, and three of my housemates were in two different bands that sounded pretty good, so that was cool. They also fed us munchies! The girl who won was an amazing singer and did Tina Turner’s Proud Mary, what a spectacular song! They had Dodgie Disco afterwards like they always do, but we were buggered so we headed back to campus. I stayed up for a lot longer just sitting around talking with my housemates, though. It was wonderful, some of them are really great. I needed a night out and it was quite a good time.

Not much else has been going on really. I’ve done way too much homework and I can’t even seem to get everything done! I guess it’s because I get distracted and spend hours talking to people. That’s a good thing though, I enjoy that more! It’s been both a very stressful couple of weeks, and somewhat relaxing, as strange as that sounds. I guess the breaks from working have been good, and we haven’t really gone out much or anything so that’s what makes it seem relaxing. Monday night my unit and the one next door all went out to dinner together. It was my neighbour, Ash’s birthday! That was a good time, some unit bonding time. Then it was Val’s birthday on Tuesday so we ate at the Bbar on campus instead of caf. Tuesday is Parmi night so we all got that and it was quality food! I got to talk to Mom and Grandma for Mother’s Day so that was wonderful! I am completely and utterly exhausted for some reason. It just seems like there is so much going on right now and for some reason I haven’t been sleeping too well. But it’s starting to wind down a little bit. Maybe. I guess there is plenty to do since we really only have a couple more weeks of school! Crazy! Somehow we’ll get through it all though. I’m strong! I am woman hear me roar, that’s what my friend Lee keeps telling me to tell myself!

Tonight is our unit function. Except it’s our unit and about half of Barton College as well! It should be a messy time full of laughs, drinks, and overall good times. I’m pretty excited. A wonderful way to end this week! Loretta also has their unit function which is the same thing with a bunch of units. After we’re all going to meet up at a nightclub, Statik, together so that should be the best time of it all! The only problem is that tomorrow we’re getting picked up to go to the airport at 3:30am!!! I’m not sure we’ll be sleeping tonight. It will all be good though. We’re going to Sydney and it will be an amazing weekend! I get to see Clay!! And in just a couple weeks I get to see Dad!!! I’m very excited about that.

Okay, I know this one was about the shortest, but I have been so busy! I wanted to get one in before I’ll have to write about Sydney. So I hope you’ve enjoyed my least exciting post yet perhaps. Hope to hear from you soon. I hope you all are enjoying SUMMER! Crazy, it’s been pretty rainy here as we’re practically in winter. Although the temperatures still haven’t been cold at all. Anyway, I must go! After my quotes.

“Someday may never come. So live each day better than the last. That way you'll wake up with so much excitement and anticipation you'll jump out of bed and shout 'I can't wait!'“ ~Bob Perks

“Risk more than others think is safe.Care more than others think is wise.Dream more than others think is practical.Expect more than others think is possible.“ ~Claude T. Bissell

Love, Alissa