Good Thing I'm Stayin A While

Saturday August 30, 2008
Wow, I can’t believe it has only been two days since I landed here! So much has happened since I last wrote from LAX. The flight from LA was looooooooooooong; so very very long. I kept reminding myself that I was staying for nine months so the plane ride was worth it. I don’t know it just felt sooo much longer than last time. Having to go the extra hour and a half or two hours to Sydney didn’t help nor did being trapped in the middle seat :( There were lots of students on the flight headed off to Bond so it was fun to talk to them. Lots of them asked if I was going and I was like “no but I have been there!” They were going through Arcadia University and headed down to Melbourne first for a few days orientation before going up to the Gold Coast. So I was seated between two Bondis to be! Poor things, they probably got sick of me – tossing and turning throughout the sleeping portion of the trip and just being antsy for the rest. They were both pretty much out though as they both had taken some sort of sleepy drug! I was sort of wishing I had too as I think I slept maybe 3 hours.

Don’t think I even breathed in Melbourne – lol. Landed at about 8:00, had to get off the plane and wait in the customs line, go through customs, wait at the baggage claim, get my bags onto a trolley (cart) and then onto the quarantine search place where they inspected my left over cookies, chocolate covered graham cracker . . . and told me I could keep it all. From their I rode the moving sidewalk up to the domestic departure area and joined many other Qantas fliers. I had to check in on a computer but it told me it didn’t work and to go to the service counter. Finally at 9:00am (my flight was boarding at 9:10 mind you) I asked a Qantas woman if I should be concerned that my flight was boarding in 10min and I still had not checked my bags. Sooo she pushed me to the front of the line where they sorted out my problem, checked my bags and onto gate #3 I ran, just in time to board the plane. Soo needless to say my bags did not make it to Sydney when did and I was glad I has packed some spare clothes in my carry-on!

Since my luggage hadn’t yet arrived, Mark (the guy who picked me up and oversees training for all of the Youthworks programs staff) brought me back to his house where I spent the night with his wife and three adorable, Aussie accent speaking kids; ages 4, 2, and 9mos. ish) We went to the Port Hacking site in the afternoon so I got to see their conference centres, meet some of the people there, and help out with their Friday clean up.

Picked up some meet to put “on the Barbie” for dinner! In bed by 8:30pm and slept til 5:00am – not bad! Think that’s pretty much what I did last time too – have to force yourself to stay awake that first day and it makes the rest easier.

Only one day and I already saw a wallaby, echidna (such a neat animal!), cockatiels, and a possum! I’d have to say the possum was the highlight as I have seen the others before. They are nothing like our Opossum – ewww- but quite cute and this one even took fruit right from my hand when I offered it – so cool!

So it looks kinda freaky here but it was really cute and nice in person :)



I HAVE MY OWN BATHROOM!!
Sunday August 31, 2008

So that was busy, long day one! Today we went to Cronulla (probably spelled wrong), a little town near Sydney that kind of reminded me of Burleigh Heads from up in Queensland; beautiful beaches and parks and an esplanade, or walkway along the beach. So we had breakfast outside at a café – kind of an exciting even with a four year old and two year old. Luckily the baby slept most of the time! After breakky we walked along the esplanade a bit, stopped at a neat salt water pool to feel the water – cold!! People were surfing but they had wetsuits – glad I brought mine!

Sitting on the edge of the beach pool with Mark's oldest daughter along the esplanade at Conulla.

Back at the house, played in the yard a bit with the girls until a couple with a 3 year old daughter and two girls from Shoalhaven came up. We all had lunch out on the porch then I said goodbye to Mark, his wife Roxy, and the kids and headed on down South with Julie and Mel, the two girls I will be living with while here!

Stopped at Tim’s house on the way down to visit and help make homemade pizza for dinner! Tim works at Shoalhaven in charge of programs and is actually from PA, although 7 years Down Under have rubbed off on him and you wouldn’t know by talking to him that he is American! They have a 1ishyear old son whom they call Linc, short for Lincoln – too cute – lots of young couples with kids – fun!

Finally made it to the house around 9, enough time for a shower in my VERY OWN BATHROOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can’t even tell you how excited I was as I was not really told much about my living conditions and therefore was preparing myself for the worst; living in a room of bunk beds with 12 girls and one bathroom. So my very own room with my very own bathroom – wow!!

So it is 11pm here and I can’t believe I am still awake! Tried to hook up to the dial-up since there is a phone jack right by my bed but no luck. Tim and his wife say they have wireless at their house so that will be nice and convenient! All the staff seem very close and friendly and open; really cool and really nice!! Everyone I’ve meet so far is really really nice, but then again, I am in Oz! :-P

Think I’m headed down to the beach tomorrow with Tim, his wife, and Linc, and Julie – fun!
Julie and I at the top of the coolest playground apparatus ever at Javis Bay!