ALSO NOTE***

I should also note that the Australians find the way I talk very funny and they say they havent heard any American talk the way I do...its very funny but I tell them that people in the U.S. dont understand me half the time so its ok if they dont as well!! Also, the "Tina" phenomenon continues as several of the Aussies now call each other Tina!! I really am enjoying my time here...I was so worried about being homesick and sad after everything that had happened but I am slowly starting to realize that everything happens for a reason and even appreciate it. It's intoxicatingly liberating. I am also turning 21 next weekend which I am super pumped about--Im sad my family and friends from the states wont be here but I cant wait to see what they have in store for me when I come home!! Thats all.

Round 2

So the past few days have been pretty interesting---My friends and I went to our usual location of Cactus Jacks on Thursday and then came back and had a party with some random Aussies we met...it was pretty entertaining. Friday night there was a op shop party where everyone dresses up in clothes from a thrift shop or something...then they had a new student pic which luckily I didnt get in because they threw flour on everyone...it was so funny but then they threw water on everyone and sadly i didnt escape that!! We then headed to the UniBar where some random Aussies tried to get me to go to the lake with them today (saturday) but I told them they could be seriAL killers which seemed to offend them...lol. We came back to the dorms and hung out until pretty late in the morning where my friend *who chooses to remain anonymous* had her own crazy shannanigans!! Anyways...moving on from the "party" scene I got all of my classes figured out and am taking : Violence against women, Australian Women's Studies, Sex, Drugs, and Human Nature, and Linking Indigenousness....Im pretty excited about LI because we get to do field work and actually work with aboriginies--I met with my professor yesterday and she seems super nice so Im pretty stoked about that. I also got my student ID made so now I can get the bus fare for half price-THANK GOODNESS!! Im getting ready to purchase a bike even though Im scared of riding it...considering they drive on the opposite side of the road here I can see disaster in my future!! Also noteworthy the bugs which i have seen every morning were not beside me this morning--so maybe they have left!! the cleaning people said there is nothing they can do about them...so i just let them be lol. On other notes...I am going to Sydney in a couple of weeks to do a 5 day surf lesson which I am pretty stoked about....I think its going to be amazing!! We are still trying to figure out where we are going for Spring Break...several ideas have been thrown out but no one is for sure yet!! I am so excited about starting classes on Monday and meeting other anthro majors!! I am getting ready to go to a "Tarzan and Jane" themed pool party and then we are all heading the exchange for the "official afterparty" it makes me laugh because I feel like Im in Hollywood or something when they say that haha---oh and there is a BBQ at my trailor park tonight so i think i will do that as well!! haha---anyways I hope everything is well in the states!!

The First 2 weeks

So I have finally arrived in the Land Down Under...and I must say some very eventful things have happened in the process so I will just begin at the very beginning...

So I arrived in Cairns after nearly 21 hours in the air....we had a 7 hour layover at the LAX airport where I had the pleasure of seeing Daisy from Rock of Love---she was with an entourage of 2 people and it killed me to not go and ask for her autograph...anyways after my inital sighting of Daisy I became fast friends with two girls named Sam and Sara whom I have an absolute blast with. My time in Cairns brought some very interesting happenings in my life including:

1. Skydiving at 14,000 feet (the highest you can legally jump in Australia)
2. Going into the rainforst where Sara Sam and I were almost killed by Tina (The name we gave the driver of the "Army Duck" when she decided she could no longer see properly yet continued to drive the armyduck into water...I also held a koala and met aborginal people, learned how to throw a boomerang, saw a crocodile, was terrified by a snake and watched a tradional aborginal dance
3. Went to the Great Barrier reef where I snorkeled and scuba dived (I am now getting ready to get certified to dive) I also got really sunburned to the point that I didnt even want to go out that night so I knew I was sick!! My face blistered and I had to get some type of ointment called "Papa Cream" to help with the blisters.
4. I went to the "Wet Walrus" which I would later find out was actually called the Woodshed it was very fun
5. A girl at the hostel had bed bugs in her bed (obviously) and they had to wash all of her clothes and freeze them for 24 hours...sketch!
6. My friend Sam almost passed out due to her sunburn which shouldnt be funny at all but Sara and I seemed to get some type of laughter...but shes feeling better now!!

Now moving on...We started our decent to Townsville where we road a Greyhound for approx. 4 hours and while on our "lunch break" our Gray hound busy driver also acted as the chef at the local fish and chips place we stopped at *Sketch* anyways we have now arrived at Townsville and my life has been semi-unproductive yet eventful. Initially moving here I thought I would be living in an apartment...well I am now living in a trailor...actually a fourth of a trailor. Yes I live in a trailor park but ironically I've become quite fond of it! the people are super nice even though last night i woke up to banging on the door at 5 AM for "initiation." We went to Wal-Mart the first night we were here and basically bought out the store...I have made friends with a lot of awesome people! The nightlife here is amazing...everyone dresses up and I have never seen so many people out and about! I am about 10 minutes away from the beach and we went there the other day...we are suppose to wear stinger suits to protect us from the box jelly fish and irukandji which really scares me!! Anyways we are planning on going to the Moon party at Magnetic Island which is where you take a ferry and party for days---Im pretty excited and I have seen magnetic island just from the beach and it looks absoultely beautiful. I went to a toga party last night where I dont think I had ever been so hot...listerally it felt like 100 degrees but it was absolutely so much fun!! They have an actual bar on campus and a lot of students hang out there which is really cool!!

As far as myself goes, I am doing great and have really surprised myself with my indepedence...I really think this is going to be a life changing trip! I am excited that my parents are coming in April and ready to see Erich--its been really nice to stay in contact with everyone on skype and I really appreciate everyone's e-mails! I'll keep you posted---we dont start classes till next Monday so I still have a little bit of freedom...so far I am planning on getting my certification for skydiving and scuba diving..we'll see how it goes! Hope everyone is well!!!