Bittersweet is the only way to describe this day. We woke up late, hit the mall for a bit, grabbed some lunch, went to 8456473822 souvenir shops, hung out by the pier and got some sunshine, had gelato and then our last group meal together. I am going to miss this but I am ready to go home.
Looking back to day 1 in Auckland, New Zealand, I never would have guessed I would be where I am today. Not in the physical/geographical sense, but more of the personal development sense. I was so hell bent on being authoritarian so the students would understand the boundaries we have I forgot to be a person, I was a policy robot. I was still quite uptight in Rotorua and Wellington before I started to relax. "They're adults...they can make their own choices and deal with consequences." Well, as the trip progressed I tried to relax more. Once I gave up on those ridiculous boundaries I started to really get to know the 13 unique people on this trip.
We all make snap judgements about people, it is how we are hard wired. We try to make judgments and assumptions so we can anticipate action/behavior to help ease anxiety of the unknown. Through getting to know everyone, I realized I was way off on a few of the group members.
It is humbling and exciting to realize what we were hoping students would get out of the intercultural experience, I got out of spending time with them. I enjoyed meeting people from all over the world, and believe it or not, I am even more outgoing now. I am more confidant in myself as a leader for this experience and I find myself attached to each and every student. There have been days when they drove me crazy and days I would laugh so hard my stomach hurt and tears rolled down my face. I have watched them learn and experience the world and grow as people. That alone is worth the price of admission.
Most of them will never realize the connection or attribute their growth to this trip. They will simply feel the same as they did 33 days ago, even though I can vouch their eyes have opened. Maybe not to big global issues, but to the every day differences, struggles, similarities, and taken for granted thy have in life. Their behavior speaks to growth but more importantly is what they say. I can tell they are all changing their ideas about the world and how even though it is huge, we are a global community.
I have learned one important thing I heard years ago but it never stuck: don't take life too seriously, you will never get out alive. I focused a lot on the little things and missed the bigger picture at times. I took some time to realize I needed to get back in the flow of the universe, perpetuate my attitude of gratitude, and take life in stride while loving what is. That way....I know I will make it out alive.
1.7.11
Cairns...again...
So we are on round two of Cairns which only means one thing...our trip is coming to a close. Tomorrow (Saturday) is our last day in Australia. Sunday begins the hellacious travel day we call July 3rd. We leave Cairns at 5:30 am....we land in Chicago at 5:20 pm....here is the twist: our flight to Brisbane is 2 hrs...a 2 hrs layover...13 hrs to Los Angeles...quick layover...then 4 hours home. Add that to the 3 hr wait for our shuttle plus a 4 hr drive to Champaign and July 3rd becomes the longest day of my year. 28 hours travel time...all happening on July 3rd. Oh international date line, you heartless bitch.
We have all put travel to the back of our minds and are enjoying what we can while we can. Today was a relaxing day of shopping, chatting on Skype Isaiah, souvenir hunting, a delicious Italian meal cooked by the 5 guys; and then after playing beauty parlor with the girls and making Kyle a hemp necklace, a few of us went to see Bridesmaids. The souvenirs were plentiful, the meal...ridiculously amazing, Hailey's hair was fin to d and the movie was hilarious.
Tomorrow Sarah, Sean, Mowgli (stuffed panther mascot) and I plan to hit the beach to get a little more sun to top off the tans we got at the Great Barrier Reef. We have another group meal tomorrow night so I won't get to stay at the beach all day, I have to take the cooking group shopping. Hopefully some people will till be around since most of the students are going to Kuranda to hold a Koala bear. We fed kangaroos in the rainforest at a restaurant....no need to do it twice and this time it super isn't free. I would rather enjoy the ocean for one last day.
My only stressor at this point: one 50 lb. suitcase, one carryon and one personal item....how do I condense ALL this stuff into that baggage maximum......I need Harry Potter or something! Excited to be heading home soon, though. I miss Isaiah and Sipper and the Walsh family. To go from seeing them daily to not at all for 33 days is tough! I'm coming home and i'm bringing goodies!!!!
We have all put travel to the back of our minds and are enjoying what we can while we can. Today was a relaxing day of shopping, chatting on Skype Isaiah, souvenir hunting, a delicious Italian meal cooked by the 5 guys; and then after playing beauty parlor with the girls and making Kyle a hemp necklace, a few of us went to see Bridesmaids. The souvenirs were plentiful, the meal...ridiculously amazing, Hailey's hair was fin to d and the movie was hilarious.
Tomorrow Sarah, Sean, Mowgli (stuffed panther mascot) and I plan to hit the beach to get a little more sun to top off the tans we got at the Great Barrier Reef. We have another group meal tomorrow night so I won't get to stay at the beach all day, I have to take the cooking group shopping. Hopefully some people will till be around since most of the students are going to Kuranda to hold a Koala bear. We fed kangaroos in the rainforest at a restaurant....no need to do it twice and this time it super isn't free. I would rather enjoy the ocean for one last day.
My only stressor at this point: one 50 lb. suitcase, one carryon and one personal item....how do I condense ALL this stuff into that baggage maximum......I need Harry Potter or something! Excited to be heading home soon, though. I miss Isaiah and Sipper and the Walsh family. To go from seeing them daily to not at all for 33 days is tough! I'm coming home and i'm bringing goodies!!!!
30.6.11
My trip to one of the 7 wonders of the world
I feel like the little boy at the end of the movie Incredibles. "THAT WAS TOTALLY WICKED!!!!!!". Snorkeling was crazy fun today, much as I anticipated. The boat ride out was not that bad. Pretty high swells but it took about 45 minutes for the motion to actually get to me. Then I felt like I was going to revisit breakfast at any second.
Once we made it to Low Isles, a small island on the reef, we were able to get our gear and head for shore. Low Isles is the place where Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter, was brought to meet a helicopter the day he was stabbed in the heart by a stingray at Batt Reef. Batt Reef is a huge reef about 1/4 mi from where we snorkeled and is so named because of e huge stingray population. They look like bats in the water.
Because of the season, the tide isn't super high during the day so we had to be careful swimming over the reef. There were a few times I had to quickly turn around because I was drifting over some coral that I definitely would have caught myself on! We snorkeled for about an hour and a half then headed back to the huge catamaran for lunch. Awesome lunch on board, all cold salads and chicken but I loved it. Fresh fruit for dessert was so fresh and sweet.
After lunch a few of us who had previously been afraid of swimming the 150 meters out to the last buoy decided we had no choice. We must go. We met up with Sean who was already snorkeling and headed for the furthest buoy. On our way we could see the reef a little closer since the water had begun going out and the fish were colorful! I saw some zebrafish and parrotfish. We saw Nemo and Dory too! The coral was crazy. I have seen it n tv and movies, but in person is so amazing. The variety and colors and to watch it move and eat and the fish swim and hide in it was an incredible sight.
Once we got to the buoy our hard work and courage was totally worth it! Two green sea turtles were just hanging out! The bigger of the two came up for air right next to me and he was humongous! I would say he was 3.5 feet in length and 2 feet wide! The smaller one was about 2.5 feet long and 1.5-2 feet wide. It was the highlight of my day!
The ride back was very choppy, so I took some motion sickness meds and passed out! Good thing, too, because I probably would have been miserable for the rest of the day! We did a little shopping and now we are relaxing, showering and grabbing dinner. I will most likely be going to bed early tonight! Snorkeling was so amazing, but exhausting as well. Those flippers move you faster, but fighting the current was hard work! Now I just have to hope the photos I took under water turned out ok!
Once we made it to Low Isles, a small island on the reef, we were able to get our gear and head for shore. Low Isles is the place where Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter, was brought to meet a helicopter the day he was stabbed in the heart by a stingray at Batt Reef. Batt Reef is a huge reef about 1/4 mi from where we snorkeled and is so named because of e huge stingray population. They look like bats in the water.
Because of the season, the tide isn't super high during the day so we had to be careful swimming over the reef. There were a few times I had to quickly turn around because I was drifting over some coral that I definitely would have caught myself on! We snorkeled for about an hour and a half then headed back to the huge catamaran for lunch. Awesome lunch on board, all cold salads and chicken but I loved it. Fresh fruit for dessert was so fresh and sweet.
After lunch a few of us who had previously been afraid of swimming the 150 meters out to the last buoy decided we had no choice. We must go. We met up with Sean who was already snorkeling and headed for the furthest buoy. On our way we could see the reef a little closer since the water had begun going out and the fish were colorful! I saw some zebrafish and parrotfish. We saw Nemo and Dory too! The coral was crazy. I have seen it n tv and movies, but in person is so amazing. The variety and colors and to watch it move and eat and the fish swim and hide in it was an incredible sight.
Once we got to the buoy our hard work and courage was totally worth it! Two green sea turtles were just hanging out! The bigger of the two came up for air right next to me and he was humongous! I would say he was 3.5 feet in length and 2 feet wide! The smaller one was about 2.5 feet long and 1.5-2 feet wide. It was the highlight of my day!
The ride back was very choppy, so I took some motion sickness meds and passed out! Good thing, too, because I probably would have been miserable for the rest of the day! We did a little shopping and now we are relaxing, showering and grabbing dinner. I will most likely be going to bed early tonight! Snorkeling was so amazing, but exhausting as well. Those flippers move you faster, but fighting the current was hard work! Now I just have to hope the photos I took under water turned out ok!
29.6.11
Cultural day....but the coolest one yet!
Even though we knew our agenda today was painting a boomerang, beach walk, and spear fishing, we had no idea just how much fun it was going to be! We kicked off our day heading to Mossman, Queensland, the next town over, to go to the Janbal Gallery yo lear about Aboriginal dot painting. When we arrived we stepped into the gallery and the artist, Binna, had his work displayed everywhere. He is such a talented artist! His animals were beautiful and the colors were gorgeous. He took us out back where they had two tables set up with a black painted boomerang at each chair.
After a brief cultural explanation of the origins of Aborigine art we learned about Binna and his origins. He is of the Guguyulangee people who live from Port Douglas to Cooktown. South of then are the Tjapukai people. The Yulangees and Tjapukais met in Port Douglas to do battle, otherwise they remained in their respective areas. Now the Yulangees (Guguyulangee means speaker of Yulangee language) live in the sugar cane area and near e beaches. They are a fishing tribe and most of their food is fish. They also occupy the rainforest so they used to eat cassowaries, too. Their paintings are mostly of reef fish, crocodiles, cassowaries, and kangaroos.
Binna, his name means hearing impaired (which he is), still paints in a traditional method of dots. He makes his paints the same way they were made thousands of years ago, mixing ground rocks with water. He explained the significance of the colors and then gave us 1.5 hrs to work. We worked so diligently to dot paint not only attractive art, but in the way of the Aborigine people, our art had to have a story. They use art to tell stories and pass them to future generations. I have to say....our group did awesome on this task they were so creative and eir boomerangs are spectacular!
After we said goodbye to Binna and after a lunch in Mossman, we headed to meet Link at the beach for spear fishing. The general consensus was we would watch Link spear fish and teach us about technique, what they eat, where they hunt, and other Aborigine information. What we really did was so much cooler!
Link had 15 spears waiting for us! We learned throwing technique, what to look for, proper/safe care of a spear, and then set us to work. We meandered about the beach and found some scallops. The tide was out so we were in small pools no more than 3 inches deep. Wouldn't you know it...I caught the first crab! You look for divots in the sand about the size of a basket ball then you just sort of stab into the hole. If something comes out to fight, you stab it and put it in the bucket. If nothing comes out...go to the next divot. Our group got 9 crabs, 2 scallops, 2 razor shells, 20 or so mussels and some sea snails. Best part? WE ATE IT! Link's family cooked what we caught and we all got to eat it! So tasty!
Although we were exhausted, Sarah, Kyle, and I went shopping after fishing. I saw the perfect gift for Shatan while out and about but the store closed at 5pm (like most everything in Port Douglas!) so I had to get there quick! We made it...awesome gift purchased (there were only 3 left!) and them we got ice cream. Back at the hotel I ran around for an hour and a half...literally...organizing who is going snorkeling and which reef and making sure I hd all their deposit money....OY. It was worth it as tomorrow we are spending the majority of our day at the Great Barrier Reef!!! I am so excited!!!! To kill time between now and then we played some euchre. I am finally catching on to this game!
After a brief cultural explanation of the origins of Aborigine art we learned about Binna and his origins. He is of the Guguyulangee people who live from Port Douglas to Cooktown. South of then are the Tjapukai people. The Yulangees and Tjapukais met in Port Douglas to do battle, otherwise they remained in their respective areas. Now the Yulangees (Guguyulangee means speaker of Yulangee language) live in the sugar cane area and near e beaches. They are a fishing tribe and most of their food is fish. They also occupy the rainforest so they used to eat cassowaries, too. Their paintings are mostly of reef fish, crocodiles, cassowaries, and kangaroos.
Binna, his name means hearing impaired (which he is), still paints in a traditional method of dots. He makes his paints the same way they were made thousands of years ago, mixing ground rocks with water. He explained the significance of the colors and then gave us 1.5 hrs to work. We worked so diligently to dot paint not only attractive art, but in the way of the Aborigine people, our art had to have a story. They use art to tell stories and pass them to future generations. I have to say....our group did awesome on this task they were so creative and eir boomerangs are spectacular!
After we said goodbye to Binna and after a lunch in Mossman, we headed to meet Link at the beach for spear fishing. The general consensus was we would watch Link spear fish and teach us about technique, what they eat, where they hunt, and other Aborigine information. What we really did was so much cooler!
Link had 15 spears waiting for us! We learned throwing technique, what to look for, proper/safe care of a spear, and then set us to work. We meandered about the beach and found some scallops. The tide was out so we were in small pools no more than 3 inches deep. Wouldn't you know it...I caught the first crab! You look for divots in the sand about the size of a basket ball then you just sort of stab into the hole. If something comes out to fight, you stab it and put it in the bucket. If nothing comes out...go to the next divot. Our group got 9 crabs, 2 scallops, 2 razor shells, 20 or so mussels and some sea snails. Best part? WE ATE IT! Link's family cooked what we caught and we all got to eat it! So tasty!
Although we were exhausted, Sarah, Kyle, and I went shopping after fishing. I saw the perfect gift for Shatan while out and about but the store closed at 5pm (like most everything in Port Douglas!) so I had to get there quick! We made it...awesome gift purchased (there were only 3 left!) and them we got ice cream. Back at the hotel I ran around for an hour and a half...literally...organizing who is going snorkeling and which reef and making sure I hd all their deposit money....OY. It was worth it as tomorrow we are spending the majority of our day at the Great Barrier Reef!!! I am so excited!!!! To kill time between now and then we played some euchre. I am finally catching on to this game!
28.6.11
Fun in the rainforest
The Daintree Rainforest is the world's oldest rainforest! We saw this amazing tree called a cassowary plum tree that drops a bluish-purple egg shaped fruit to the ground. This fruit is poisonous to all creatures except the cassowary. The cassowary is a wonderful vector for this plum tree as they will eat the fruit whole, digest it, and then poo in a clearing, the best spot for a seedling to start. If a fruit falls to the ground and isn't eaten, it simply rots and fertilizes the tree.
Other trees have evolved in creative ways too. Mangrove trees grow with their root system entirely under water. They have snorkel roots that become exposed during low tide and the tree sucks up oxygen it stores in spongy reserves for high tide. This tree lives exclusively along salt and brackish water areas and therefore absorbs salt water. To prevent this from killing the tree, it will consolidate all the salt into a few leaves and then they yellow and fall off. This helps desalinate the tree and then the leaves are eaten by animals and the circle of life continues.
We also went on a tour of a beach called ray bay. The tide comes in about 300 yards and when it goes out, stingrays get trapped in the shallows until the tide fully goes out. We saw the small divots they make as they sift for food and we saw tiny reef fish. Sean, Nathan, and I went with our guide out toward shore (only ones willing to take off socks and shoes) and we learned about the mangroves, the differences in coral now and 100 years ago, the largest threat to coral, and about the origins of the bay.
After our 4 wheel drive adventure back from the beach we had lunch at a roadside cafe. Amazing burgers! While we waited we went to see the kangaroos and wallabies and they let us feed them! One had really red eyes, he is blind, so you had to let him come to you. We fed them bread and carrot slices and they loved us for it. The wallabies are so small a piece of bread the size of your forefinger is too big. They hold on to it with their little hands and eat like we do. Absolutely adorable.
Lunch rocked, and then we headed for ice cream! We went to a small ice cream stand where you get 4 flavors in a cup pre made so you don't choose which kind you want. They use fruit grown on their farm to make it, you drive through their orchard to get to the business. We had raspberry, passion fruit, wattle seed, and soursop, a spiky green fruit that tastes citrus-y. The passion fruit was my favorite but wattle seed is also good! It has a creamy texture and tastes like mocha but has no coffee or chocolate in it!
Fun fact about wattle seeds: they grow on wattle trees as small yellow tennis ball looking fruit, about 1/3 the size of a tennis ball. They are fuzzy like one, too. The leaves are green as most trees are, and this tree is the national tree of Australia. This is why their sports teams are yellow and green even though their flag is red white and blue. Additionally, when a tragedy strikes Australia, they don't wear black arm bands or remembrance pins, they put a small spring of wattle on their lapel to show national pride!
After ice cream was a river tour for crocs and birds. We saw a huge stork, some black and white kites, and some cockatoos. On the other side of things we saw a few small and two huge crocodiles! One they said is over 15 years old and weighs 700 kilos! He was sunning himself on the beach because the water temperature is a little low since it is winter.
When all was said and done we had an amazing day on our tour and we learned tons! I hope I can remember it all! For dinner we had fresh reef fish and some chips as a group meal at the hotel. This fish was ridiculously good! We started talking about who is going to the inner reef and who is doing the outer reef in two days. I am going to the inner reef. Closer inland, more snorkel time, and green turtles.
Once it was good and dark I took all the students on a night walk to the beach. I was hoping for photos of the stars without light pollution but it was cloudy. We took our shoes off and played in the water....then about half of them got IN the water! Night swimming in the Pacific Ocean...no big deal. Lol. Tomorrow is going to be fun as well. Beach walk with the Aborigines! I am going to have so many pictures to go through when I get home! I am already at 2500+!!!
Other trees have evolved in creative ways too. Mangrove trees grow with their root system entirely under water. They have snorkel roots that become exposed during low tide and the tree sucks up oxygen it stores in spongy reserves for high tide. This tree lives exclusively along salt and brackish water areas and therefore absorbs salt water. To prevent this from killing the tree, it will consolidate all the salt into a few leaves and then they yellow and fall off. This helps desalinate the tree and then the leaves are eaten by animals and the circle of life continues.
We also went on a tour of a beach called ray bay. The tide comes in about 300 yards and when it goes out, stingrays get trapped in the shallows until the tide fully goes out. We saw the small divots they make as they sift for food and we saw tiny reef fish. Sean, Nathan, and I went with our guide out toward shore (only ones willing to take off socks and shoes) and we learned about the mangroves, the differences in coral now and 100 years ago, the largest threat to coral, and about the origins of the bay.
After our 4 wheel drive adventure back from the beach we had lunch at a roadside cafe. Amazing burgers! While we waited we went to see the kangaroos and wallabies and they let us feed them! One had really red eyes, he is blind, so you had to let him come to you. We fed them bread and carrot slices and they loved us for it. The wallabies are so small a piece of bread the size of your forefinger is too big. They hold on to it with their little hands and eat like we do. Absolutely adorable.
Lunch rocked, and then we headed for ice cream! We went to a small ice cream stand where you get 4 flavors in a cup pre made so you don't choose which kind you want. They use fruit grown on their farm to make it, you drive through their orchard to get to the business. We had raspberry, passion fruit, wattle seed, and soursop, a spiky green fruit that tastes citrus-y. The passion fruit was my favorite but wattle seed is also good! It has a creamy texture and tastes like mocha but has no coffee or chocolate in it!
Fun fact about wattle seeds: they grow on wattle trees as small yellow tennis ball looking fruit, about 1/3 the size of a tennis ball. They are fuzzy like one, too. The leaves are green as most trees are, and this tree is the national tree of Australia. This is why their sports teams are yellow and green even though their flag is red white and blue. Additionally, when a tragedy strikes Australia, they don't wear black arm bands or remembrance pins, they put a small spring of wattle on their lapel to show national pride!
After ice cream was a river tour for crocs and birds. We saw a huge stork, some black and white kites, and some cockatoos. On the other side of things we saw a few small and two huge crocodiles! One they said is over 15 years old and weighs 700 kilos! He was sunning himself on the beach because the water temperature is a little low since it is winter.
When all was said and done we had an amazing day on our tour and we learned tons! I hope I can remember it all! For dinner we had fresh reef fish and some chips as a group meal at the hotel. This fish was ridiculously good! We started talking about who is going to the inner reef and who is doing the outer reef in two days. I am going to the inner reef. Closer inland, more snorkel time, and green turtles.
Once it was good and dark I took all the students on a night walk to the beach. I was hoping for photos of the stars without light pollution but it was cloudy. We took our shoes off and played in the water....then about half of them got IN the water! Night swimming in the Pacific Ocean...no big deal. Lol. Tomorrow is going to be fun as well. Beach walk with the Aborigines! I am going to have so many pictures to go through when I get home! I am already at 2500+!!!
27.6.11
Hidden treasure on the coast
Today was so laid back. A short leisurely drive along the beaches and rain forests brought us to beautiful Port Douglas, Queensland. We saw wallabies and a huge crocodile just on the drive! The beaches here are picturesque, the town is so incredibly touristy, and i totally love it.
Port o'Call, where we are staying, is such a gem! Beautiful lagoon pool, open air everything, huge rooms with private bathrooms, and the sweetest little nugget Jack Russell terrier, Jessie. She loves to give kisses and although I totally cheated on Skipper today....I was really missing puppy kisses and couldn't resist her sweet little face.
We went into town to get some lunch...always an adventure! Fish and chips is literally on every menu down here. Kyle had that, Sarah had a burger and I got wedges with sweet chili sauce. Yummy. We were talking at lunch about how we will have to control our spending when we get home. Everything is going to appear to be so cheap! Three good size chicken breasts at the grocery is $13.00. Box of cereal, $7.00. Want some cheese? It is only $12.00 a kilo......get my drift? I will see cereal for $2.39 and buy like 12, "oh my gosh it is soooo cheap!!!" lol.
I saw some more kangaroo hand back scratchers. For kangaroos being such a "pest" and all...their souvenirs sure are expensive! The one paw back scratcher is $35.00! Oy. You would think since they hunt and eat them as much as cows...they would have ready access to them all the time. I don't want to pay more than $15.00 for the severed plasticky paw of a kangaroo on a stick.
We hit the beach for a little it. The weather didn't stay super nice so we were only there about 30 minutes. Oh well...at least I can say I laid out on 4 mile beach in Australia. We saw a bunch of sand crabs rolling little sand balls...too funny! Kyle also triumphantly removed a coconut from a palm tree using a piece of driftwood. He was quite proud.
Minor shopping took place, them grocery shopping for dinner. We made huge salads and the boys added steak to theirs. Delicious. Tomorrow we are walking through the world's oldest rainforest and going on a crocodile river trip...it is going to be scary! I am really excited. I have been enjoying the environmental communication portions of this excursion. The efforts small groups of people go to in order to educate people. Simply amazing. They work so hard to preserve their small corner of the planet so the animals can thrive and be here for future generations to enjoy. Many times on is trip I feel like I am a pretty useless person; my effort could be used elsewhere. Puts things in perspective really quickly.
As our trip is coming to a closeI find myself reflecting back more and more frequently of all the places we have been, people I have met and the impact this short time down under has had on me. Even if I did this exact same study abroad trip every single year...I know I would get something out of it every time because of the people I have met along the way this time around. It really makes me excited to think of how it will go next time!
Port o'Call, where we are staying, is such a gem! Beautiful lagoon pool, open air everything, huge rooms with private bathrooms, and the sweetest little nugget Jack Russell terrier, Jessie. She loves to give kisses and although I totally cheated on Skipper today....I was really missing puppy kisses and couldn't resist her sweet little face.
We went into town to get some lunch...always an adventure! Fish and chips is literally on every menu down here. Kyle had that, Sarah had a burger and I got wedges with sweet chili sauce. Yummy. We were talking at lunch about how we will have to control our spending when we get home. Everything is going to appear to be so cheap! Three good size chicken breasts at the grocery is $13.00. Box of cereal, $7.00. Want some cheese? It is only $12.00 a kilo......get my drift? I will see cereal for $2.39 and buy like 12, "oh my gosh it is soooo cheap!!!" lol.
I saw some more kangaroo hand back scratchers. For kangaroos being such a "pest" and all...their souvenirs sure are expensive! The one paw back scratcher is $35.00! Oy. You would think since they hunt and eat them as much as cows...they would have ready access to them all the time. I don't want to pay more than $15.00 for the severed plasticky paw of a kangaroo on a stick.
We hit the beach for a little it. The weather didn't stay super nice so we were only there about 30 minutes. Oh well...at least I can say I laid out on 4 mile beach in Australia. We saw a bunch of sand crabs rolling little sand balls...too funny! Kyle also triumphantly removed a coconut from a palm tree using a piece of driftwood. He was quite proud.
Minor shopping took place, them grocery shopping for dinner. We made huge salads and the boys added steak to theirs. Delicious. Tomorrow we are walking through the world's oldest rainforest and going on a crocodile river trip...it is going to be scary! I am really excited. I have been enjoying the environmental communication portions of this excursion. The efforts small groups of people go to in order to educate people. Simply amazing. They work so hard to preserve their small corner of the planet so the animals can thrive and be here for future generations to enjoy. Many times on is trip I feel like I am a pretty useless person; my effort could be used elsewhere. Puts things in perspective really quickly.
As our trip is coming to a closeI find myself reflecting back more and more frequently of all the places we have been, people I have met and the impact this short time down under has had on me. Even if I did this exact same study abroad trip every single year...I know I would get something out of it every time because of the people I have met along the way this time around. It really makes me excited to think of how it will go next time!
26.6.11
Birthday cake and mustaches...yeah that's normal
It is winter here. A fact we noticed heavily as we headed further and further south in New Zealand. In Cairns....not so obvious. I enjoyed lounging by the pool listening to the schizophrenic mix tape that is my iPod and soaking up the sun (in moderation, mostly in the shade and wearing sunblock...not stupid, just missed warm sunshine!)
I hit the grocery store for all the makings of fajitas and spent the majority of my day poolside. Making fajitas was fun. Very relaxing to stand there and chop 8 peppers, 4 onions, a head of lettuce and some tomatoes....oh and 2.5 kilos of beef. Fortunately when I reached beef slicing stage someone finally decided to help. Group meals are slowly becoming a group eating and cleaning effort....but a me cooking effort. That's cool tho since I don't enjoy sitting by idly. I did get a blister tho. Ugh. Next time I am packing a really nice knife set since only one hostel has had a knife sharpener.
I cant complain about the prep time. I talked to some really interesting people and prior to that Sarah and I made a birthday cake for Emily. One woman was from Tokyo. Super cute kittle lady, reminded me exactly of Miss Swan from M.A.D. TV though. She had the same intonation to her voice, same speech pattern, and similar pronunciations. I was waiting for a "look-a like-a man" but it never happened. Damn. Would have made my day. Oh well...she was fun to talk to. Quite the world traveler! She was very fascinated by how much veggies I kept chopping. She chatted with every person that came in the kitchen. Very dissimilar from other Japanese travelers I have met.
We had a fun birthday party for Emily. I bought fake mustaches for everyone to wear...even Mark wore one and he has quite the impressive REAL mustache. We giggled and talked like old men. Such fun. The cake was ridiculous and Sarah and I dubbed it, "The ugliest cake in the history of the world." It's ok...we coated it in sprinkles to hide the ugly. We are probably all going to have massive heart attacks tonight since it needed 2lbs of butter for two cakes and frosting. YIKES! We had small pieces tho...we should be ok!
I have finally reached that point where I am ready to be home. We have had a few days of down time and the less busy we are the more and ore I miss home and my husband. It sucks that most days end with, "I wish Isaiah could see this," so he will have to come some day. He would love meeting all the people and seeing amazing photo opportunities. I think the people more than the sights tho. He has never met a stranger and there are literally hundreds of people to meet in the hostels! Poor Skipper is missing out seeing her homeland lol. She is an Australian Cattle Dog after all...so I will make sure to show her all my pictures!
Only 6 days now. Even though day 7 is a full travel day that will feel like 6 days before it is over...we have 6 full days left down under. I seriously loved New Zealand, Australia is absolutely beautiful, but I am less of a beach bum and more of a temperate weather person. Looking back it seems like Auckland and Rotorua where ancient history, not 20 days ago! I have been making mental lists of what to do for next time. What to bring that I forgot this time, what to leave behind since I haven't used it in 26 days....the damn knife set....and matching T-shirts for my little shenaniganizers. Easier to count/keep track of them if they all match!
Off to pack and the bed. Getting ready to enjoy my last 6 days in the land down under.
I hit the grocery store for all the makings of fajitas and spent the majority of my day poolside. Making fajitas was fun. Very relaxing to stand there and chop 8 peppers, 4 onions, a head of lettuce and some tomatoes....oh and 2.5 kilos of beef. Fortunately when I reached beef slicing stage someone finally decided to help. Group meals are slowly becoming a group eating and cleaning effort....but a me cooking effort. That's cool tho since I don't enjoy sitting by idly. I did get a blister tho. Ugh. Next time I am packing a really nice knife set since only one hostel has had a knife sharpener.
I cant complain about the prep time. I talked to some really interesting people and prior to that Sarah and I made a birthday cake for Emily. One woman was from Tokyo. Super cute kittle lady, reminded me exactly of Miss Swan from M.A.D. TV though. She had the same intonation to her voice, same speech pattern, and similar pronunciations. I was waiting for a "look-a like-a man" but it never happened. Damn. Would have made my day. Oh well...she was fun to talk to. Quite the world traveler! She was very fascinated by how much veggies I kept chopping. She chatted with every person that came in the kitchen. Very dissimilar from other Japanese travelers I have met.
We had a fun birthday party for Emily. I bought fake mustaches for everyone to wear...even Mark wore one and he has quite the impressive REAL mustache. We giggled and talked like old men. Such fun. The cake was ridiculous and Sarah and I dubbed it, "The ugliest cake in the history of the world." It's ok...we coated it in sprinkles to hide the ugly. We are probably all going to have massive heart attacks tonight since it needed 2lbs of butter for two cakes and frosting. YIKES! We had small pieces tho...we should be ok!
I have finally reached that point where I am ready to be home. We have had a few days of down time and the less busy we are the more and ore I miss home and my husband. It sucks that most days end with, "I wish Isaiah could see this," so he will have to come some day. He would love meeting all the people and seeing amazing photo opportunities. I think the people more than the sights tho. He has never met a stranger and there are literally hundreds of people to meet in the hostels! Poor Skipper is missing out seeing her homeland lol. She is an Australian Cattle Dog after all...so I will make sure to show her all my pictures!
Only 6 days now. Even though day 7 is a full travel day that will feel like 6 days before it is over...we have 6 full days left down under. I seriously loved New Zealand, Australia is absolutely beautiful, but I am less of a beach bum and more of a temperate weather person. Looking back it seems like Auckland and Rotorua where ancient history, not 20 days ago! I have been making mental lists of what to do for next time. What to bring that I forgot this time, what to leave behind since I haven't used it in 26 days....the damn knife set....and matching T-shirts for my little shenaniganizers. Easier to count/keep track of them if they all match!
Off to pack and the bed. Getting ready to enjoy my last 6 days in the land down under.
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