HELLO! :)
At this point I have been here for almost 3 weeks. I am seeing more and more differences everyday. I loved starting from nothing here. When I landed I knew nobody. I did not know where I was going to live, who my flatmates were, or who I was going to be hanging out with for these next 4.5 months. It was joyful sense of feeling lost.. and making a whole new life for yourself .. if that makes since.
When I got here I went to the store and bought things like tooth paste, shampoo, and other necessities. I bought little quantities thinking "I won't be here long, so I won't need that much". When in reality, I did. I need to think to myself now: yes I will be here long enough to go though a small tube of tooth paste and probably a big tube at that. I am here for 4 and a half months and I feel that it is just starting to hit me that thats actually a long time. I need to buy substantial food and grocery shop every week. I need to stop living out of my suit case and pack away things into my drawers. Time to get settled in and do some laundry. Thats what I feel that people that vacation here are not getting to experience. The day to day "living in Australia" experience. We will see what this really means in the end.
I am making a home for myself here. Trying new things, food, exercise, and classes. I LOVE the gym on campus. I have been doing workout classes everyday. On monday I did boxing for the first time LOVED IT. Then some type of odd yoga on tuesday against a wall... lol. Then today I did a workout class callled body pump. You workout with a barbell and do heaps of squats. I also got my Australian flatmate (Camilla) to join with me! My German flatmate (Mags) taught me out to make homemade pasta. Which I had no idea existed. He had dough out on the counter and I asked him if he was making rolls and he said "no, pasta" I was so confused. With the pasta we made Schnitzel and a mushroom, basil, onion cream sauce! It was incredible!
Since the climate is so hot here there are many outdoor shops and cafes to go to, which is nice. But, because it is so hot students here mostly do not have backpacks. If you wore a backpack by the time you get to class your whole back will be drenched in sweat. So I only take my backpack when necessary, which is not often.
Something I've noticed. This has happened to me about 5 times now: I am sitting waiting for a class and someone (random) will come up to me and ask me where a class room is. As always I say I have no idea. But I thought about it more, does this mean I fit in with everybody else and it looks like I know where I'm going? Its crazy because I have no idea. I always have a campus map on me and always have to ask people myself and I always ask the ones that look like they are from Australia.
Classes are going alright... my POL 108 class is going to be my toughest I think. Its and international relations class that transfers back to GV as a gened. When they are talking in class I feel as if they are talking in a different language... so I will have to keep up with my readings and hopefully it will get better. They also explained in lecture how the class would be taught in the US and how this class is different. He said that in the US they focus on the states and here they focus on more of the big picture rather than the states. I think its really awesome that I can take a class here that is going to transfer back as a class but the two classes be totally different from each other.
In my tut today for this class I was telling someone I was from Michigan and someone yells out from behind saying "No way! I am too!" This kid ended but being from GV also which was super weird because I thought it was only me and this girl Mallory. Pretty crazy to meet someone half way around the world from the same UNI that you didn't even know was here..
Which brings me to my next point of how many americans are here! I did not expect this many. I really don't like to be around people that are from my michigan or what not but I do hang out with a lot of other americans but all from different states.. I really like it in 2 of my 4 classes I am the ONLY exchange/ american there the rest are Australian.
There is heaps of americans. FYI everyone here says "heaps"it just means a lot. Like "Thats heaps cute" "I drank a heaps on Mardi Gras" Even my professors say all the "slang". Also along with some other words:
Flatmates= roommates
"This is my flatmate.... Mags"
Goon= cheep wine
"Boxes of Goon are on sale! 2 for 30!"
Mate= friend
Avro= afternoon
"Me and my mate are going to the beach tomorrow avro, want to come?"
I have decided to stay where I am for my living situation. A little fore story: Before I came I had signed a contract to live in an apartment complex on the east side, but when I arrived I was placed on the west side. To give you an idea to walk to campus from the east side would be about 5 min, and from the west (I timed myself yesterday) about 14 min. It is ALOT longer walk when carrying groceries because the cheapest grocery store is 30 min walk away from west side. Yet, an expensive grocery store is a 5 min walk away. It is always tempting to just go there but I make the trek to the cheeper one anyway. ANYWHO I have deiced to stay where I'm at because I really like my roommates. I don't want to move all my stuff again and have roommates that don't talk or whatnot. That goes to say I love my roommates! This weekend were all hoping in a car and headed to the blue mountains (2 hours away) to do some hiking!
I don't quite miss home yet, but I do miss the connivence of home. Oh! and I love the weather here.. that might help when at home its snowing and its 80 degrees here.
Miss Yall
Love,
Ally
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