Looking Back

It didn't hit me I was coming home until my second to last plane flight from LA to Baltimore. It was midnight, and I stared out the window unable to sleep because frankly I had no clue what time it was, let alone what it should have felt like to my body. So as I looked out my small airplane window, I scanned the sky for a familiar constellation just as I had done every night down under. Only it wasn't there. Yes, I could only see a small portion from my window, but yet the constellation wasn't where I was accustomed. It hit me cold. I was not going to be able to see the Southern Cross anymore. I had made it back to the land of the North Star, Big and Small Dippers. That was the defining moment that I was back in the United States, that I was going home. I sunk back in my seat, closed the window flap, and tried to get acclimated to this new feeling.

When people ask me how was my trip, I struggle to find an answer other than amazing. It was simply the best experience I have ever had. I struggle to elaborate, instead my mind begins to wonder and reminisce. Its hard to relate just how spectacular that trip was to someone who wasn't there. Now with more time to digest the past four months, I have compiled my final list. Below is a summary of things I have learned from 3 amazing months abroad.

1) Limits. The more I looked back through this blog the more I feel in love with my limits post. It is my singular favorite piece of writing I have ever produced. This trip taught me so much about every type of limits imaginable. It brought me to my physical, emotional, spiritual, academic, and social limits. I learned the limit of hiking without my inhaler, which isn't much. I learned  the limit of my time with people, occasionally I just need me time. I  learned how to be pushed to my absolutely emotional limit away from home, without being able to immediately talk to someone who understands, without being able to get a hug from someone I loved. That was my toughest limit. However with every new limit tested, I found new strength and abilities.

2) Attitude is everything. It makes or breaks a weekend trip, a night out on the town, group work. How people approach things changes everyone's experiences around them. You cannot be an island. You affect people. Why not try to get the most out of your experience and go into everything with a positive outlook. No one enjoys a negative nancy. Be the positive Pollyanna.

3) Leeches are not fun. This only pertains to a small portion of the trip.  Yet it counts as an invaluable life lesson. If the teacher tells you to wear pants because of leeches, listen. Don't wear short running shorts and expect to come out of the rain forest unscathed. You will get your legs covered by leeches, you will have to wait until they get plump to squeeze them off, and you will have to deal with the scars that cover your legs. They don't hurt, but they aren't fun especially afterward when they begin to itch. Lesson learned, listen to the teacher who has done this before.

4) Home is where you make it and it always there for you waiting. Enough said.

5) My last a final numbered list. STUDY ABROAD. Every single person needs to go somewhere new and have an adventure. You will see incredible things, meet incredible people, and learn a whole heck of a lot. The Pacific Program has made my grow more in three months than I could have in three years at home. It is an individual journey. I can tell you all I have learned, experienced, seen, but until you get out there yourself, you are not going to learn as much. This is also my shamless plug for the amazing program that brought me all of these opportunities. The Pacific Program is amazing. Simple amazing. If you ever doubt that, I encourage you talk to some of the students who have gone. We all have amazing stories, pictures, and memories.

I have officially gone abroad. I have left Atlanta and explored the world. I spent three spectacular months in New Zealand and Australia. I have gone on one-of-a-kind adventures, seen more new places imaginable, and did a whole lot of focusing on classes. It was most definitely a trip of a life time, and I got to share me adventures. Now on to the next one.

My Spring Break

 

Spring Break. Facebook statuses slowly start to change from being about tests, classes, etc to about hitting the beach, roadtrips, a week of relaxation. This slow transition occurred at just the perfect moment. I got to read posts about people being in Panama City, Miami, hiking, etc while I packed for a week on the Great Barrier Reef, my own little spring break. Yes we still had classes. Yes we still had assignments. However, it was my break. It was my chance to rejuvenate, sit on a beach, snorkel, and relax. So I am sorry but no one could top my spring break.

Heron Island is a small coral reef island 70km off the northeastern coast of Australia. It is located on the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef. It is half five star resort and half University of Queensland's research station. It was 100% spectacular. White sands, clear blue water, shipwrecks, and a ton of research projects going on at once. It is my paradise. We spent a week on the island, with an intense biology focus. We has guest speakers, we took reef walks, we snorkeled for class. It was amazing (sorry Allie, please give me another word to abuse). This was my spring break but I still got course credit.

We traveled from Brisbane to Gladstone, an eight hour bus ride, hopped on a ferry and set sail. After two hours, the ferry approached this deserted island. It seemed untouched minus the shipwreck to the right, and the dock straight ahead. Welcome to Paradise. Welcome to my own LOST. With sun shining and the warm breeze, we were welcomed. We then toured the research station, got our snorkel gear, ate an amazing lunch, and headed straight for the beach. There was no wasting time. The beach immediately reminded me of Maho Bay in St. John's. I was immediately transported to family vacations of reading on the beach, mom and dad dragging us into the water, kayaking. It felt comforting. Susan and I then walked from one side of the island to the otherside preparing to snorkel.

This is when the epicness of this trip sunk in. This first snorkel tops almost any snorkel I have ever done. We were first greated by baby turtles swimming into the beach. They had just hatched and were crawling along the shore to the water. A few of them made it. A few were eaten by seagulls. However, that remained our introduction into the island. In all my years of visiting my grandparents on the beach in Florida, I have never once seen a sea turtle. Now, I get to see babies make it into the ocean. Good way to start a snorkel. The rest of the snorkel was just as perfect as the start. We went around the shipwreck. Saw sharks, rays, giant giraff spotted fish, lion fish galore. The coral is breathtaking when it isn't bleached out. The wreck itself is pretty  specatacular. Nothing like the ones underwater. But you can get up close and personal. I wish I would have had an underwater camera.

Dinner. Then out to the beach to star gaze. You can see everything. The southern cross, the milky way, every constalation imaginable. I went in with the notion that I would be able to find the big dipper, and just about every constellation I can see at home. I then realized I am down under, aka southern hemisphere. No north star. No big dipper. That is when it really hit me I was down under. I know understand how big that is. Even the entire sky is different. It was a duh-huh moment. We waited for the moon to rise. The stars went away. Then we went to bed thouroughly exhausted.

The next morning we woke, headed straight for the beach, and went for a snorkel. In just forty minutes, we saw every major type of coral, more sharks, giant brightly colored clams, rays, and tons of fish. This was all 20meters off the beach. I am pretty lucky. Back to the beach for a nap. Lunch. Then more beach. On the way heading back for dinner, we ran across a baby turtle on the path. The researchers instructed us we could only touch them if they were too far from the beach. So we took this opportunity to save little Sally and help her get to the water. These baby turtles can melt any ones heart. Sally made it. Lets just pray she got passed all the sharks. After dinner, we got a chance to walk along to  beach again. This time I talked to one of TA's on this trip. The two TAs are a married couple both phd candidates for some type of marine ecology. They are the couple that every one wishes they could be. They are spectacular people, a better couple. I got to talk to Doug a lot about after college, graduate school, professors, research. He made me think about a lot of possibilities. This is what this trip boils down to. Possibilities. Each talk, each experience opens up new possibility.

The next day was more of the same. Went to a few classes. By classes I mean, we walked along the reef and got things explained to us as we went. That was class. I am extremely lucky. Add an intense game of movie charades and that is a spectacular day.

The next day, for once I didn't go the beach. It rains even in paradise. Instead, we went snrokeling off a boat. I got to go snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. That has not sunk in yet. Even writing this it doesn't seem real. It is the Great Barrier Reef. I got to go with a group of sevenish students, our TA's, and our professor. This doesn't happen in real life. Before I go into how amazing it was, let me first relay one of the biggest disappointments of my trip. When I wrote about limits, I talked about physical limits keeping you down. Well one of my biggest limits is a problem that I haven't thought twice about in a long time. When I was little, I ruptured my ear drum. No hearing loss, so not a big deal. Well that injury has meant I cannot sky dive and now I cannot SCUBA. It is just something that I won't be able to do because I cannot equalize my ears in one atmosphere, let alone more. So I wanted to scuba more than anything, but I cannot. It is disappointing, but this snorkel trip made it ok.

We snorkeling right where the coral reef dips off into the deep dark ocean. We got to see three giant momma turtles swimming around. 5 rays in a perfect 2-3 formation swiftly swimming. Three huge sharks. This are big sharks. Every time one popped up I would start singing Jaws. The people near me didn't appreciate that. I am not sure why. We saw plenty of Dory's, a few Nemos, lots of their friends. Brain corals. Branched coral. The visibility was a bit low due to the rain, but that didn't stop the group from exploring everything. We all exited the water shivering with cold, but it was well worth it. Well well worth it..

The rest of the day was filled with lecturers from scientists working at the research station. These people are incredible. We had scientists range from graduate students, to post-docs, to a woman who was featured on shark week. Shark Week! This woman is legit. I am  not that into marine eology but these talks are from the experts in the field. It is nice to hear the cream of the crop talk to you about something they love. It is refreshing to hear people excited about their work, to hear they love it. I want to be that passionate about what I do. I want to be that dedicated. I learned a lot about sharks, coral, shovel nose rays from the talks, but more importantly I got to learn more about science, more about passion, more about drive. They were incredible talks.


Saturday was still raining. However, we got to collect data on the coral reef. Again for class. I really could get use to this whole class on the beach thing. More class. Then for lectures we got to hear Doug and the most spectacular lady ever. First i felt like a proud parent when Doug went to talk. We have gotten to know both of them so well, I was proud and happy to let them show off. Doug and Rachel both love what they do, it is good to see that and ask them questions about their work. They both shone when they talked. Their demeanor got happier, they talked faster, they seemed confident. I want to get that point in something in my life. They next woman (I will apologize now for the extreme nerdyness that is about to erupt) works with coral virus and diseases. If I was smart enough to come in as bio, I would change from pre-med and go work for her. I want to snorkel all day collected samples, then do awesome chemistry, extract viruses and figure things out. How freakin awesome would that be? It is coral viruses. She gets to find out what they are, what diseases they cause, where they came from. I want to do that. She is the only one in her field. The only one, which isn't that surprising. She works out of Hawii, travels to other reefs around the world. She has the perfect job. I want to go intern in her lab. I would give anything to do that. Nerdiness over.

Sunday. Our last full day. We got to see a turtle hatching. We got to see them all crawl out of the nest and pour over the beach. It was a spectacular event. So many turtles. Hundreds they completely covered the beach. More class, then more talks, then group pictures, and just hanging out. Enjoying out last day in paradise. The next day we packed up, and head back to Brisbane.

This detailed account doesn't come close to the experience I just went through. It was a vacation, a learning experience, lots of people time, lots of amazing food, even more incredible sites. I learned a whole lot. Got a lot of me time. Read multiple books. Had lots of heart of hearts. Saw some of the most beautiful skies, turtle hatchings, ocean views. It was exactly how I needed this trip to end. This was the last horrah. It was a perfect one too.

So when people asked me what I did on my spring break, I can answer I went to Heron Island. I saw more, learned more, did more, and experienced more than I ever thought imaginable. What did you do?

The Best Moments

I am doing a lot of lists recently. I just like adding numbers to things. I cannot help it I am an engineer. There are a few things I have learned/ realized in the past few days. I also have noticed a digression in these posts from things I have done to thoughts. That will just have to be put up with. And so here is my list.

1) The best way to explore a new city is to take your map and rip it up. Toss it away. Shred it. Crumble it. Go ahead relief some stress. It works wonder to set out with no direction in mind and get lost. Our first night in Brisbane started with the search for dinner. We took random turns, talked to locals, asked for directions, but most importantly we didn't have a map. It didn't matter how long it took us to get to dinner, where we ended up, we just wanted to explore. We did end up at the most fantastic dinner place. Got cheap amazing pizza. Talked to a local about his life. Found out cheap things to do in the city. We even found out about free salsa lessons being held that night. So because we got lost, we found amazing food, something fun and different to do that night, and we could get ourselves around the city. I call that a successful dinner.

2) Go for a run. Again without a map. You get exercise, you get happy endorphins, you get runners high all while seeing a new place. I figured out that I love cities a lot more if I run in them because I am happy running. I like looking around, I like exploring, I like seeing things while achieving a goal. It is all-encompassing activity. You achieve multiple goals. Multi-tasking. Love it.  Also you meet happy people running. Runners are just happy people. Take a run and you will receive more smiles then if you walk down the street. I promise.There is no way to have a bad day when you start it with a run. Yes, I also just realized how much I sound like my parents right now. It is freaky.

3) The best moments are those you wont have a camera for. They are the random afternoon walks where you happen upon a neat site, a run where you see an amazing sunset, a chat with a local at dinner. These are the moments you aren't going to whip out your camera and try to capture it. You are just going to live it. I began this trip taking so many more pictures then I do now. However, I also learned to put down the camera, walk away, and just look. Really see it. Yes a picture can say a 1000 words, but you have to remember the 1000 words that should be said. You have to remember the feelings, the sites, the memories that goes along with them. I have a really bad memory. I cannot memorize facts, names, places. Memorizing capitals was torture for me. But here it is so much easier to just live it and remember it. You aren't going to get those things through a camera. I promise.

Hope

I wear two pieces of jewelry constantly, if you don't count my sports watch. The first is a ring my parents gave me when I was 16. It sits perfectly on my right ring finger always reminding me of home. My second is a newer addition. A small silver disk with a simple four letter printed on the side of it. Hope. It is a simple reminder of an idea that can change everything. My necklace was given to me by someone who really taught me how to appreciate that word. They taught me the benefits to always having it and the power of giving it to someone.

This trip more than ever has showed me the powers of hope. My group has traveled close to the three biggest disasters of this year so far. 1) The Brisbane Floods 2) Christchurch Eathquake 3) Japan's recently earthquake and tsunamis. The one thing I have already seen is how hope can get people through.

Today, we were lucky enough to get to volunteer in a neighborhood that was greatly affected by the flood. A little back ground knowledge, most of which I learned today. The floods were caused by increased rains in the beginning of January. The last floods of this magnitude occurred in 1974.  The reasons these floods were not near as bad (shocking that these weren't comparatively bad) was that they had a two damn system. The first dam was in place in 1974 and helped some. The dam ahead of that was put in place after. The floods were better this time because that dam was able to keep back a lot of the water. It was filled to 190% capacity (so 100% is the normal level, but not the real capacity which is actually 200%). At 200%, the dam would have broken and everything would have spilled out. So the water that did get through was no where near what could have actually flooded the area.

The flood affected different areas differently. Some houses were completely covered. While others remained untouched. The area we went to today was a lower class suburb. On one half of the street, the water line was visible cutting across all the houses midway through windows. The other half was untouched. It was eerie. The stories these people have of their homes being washed completely away was devastating. But they all had a smile on when we came to help them. They were just grateful we were there. They had hope that today was better than the last, and tomorrow would be even better.

An interesting fact we learned was the order in which they fixed their homes. Most of these homes from the outside don't appear to be damaged. However, when you walk on the inside of things that is when you can see the bare walls, the water damage, the evidence that disaster struck. At first this seems a little backward. Fixing the appearance of something before the necessities. But when you look a little deeper, it makes perfect sense. They all want hope. They all want things to get back to normal. They don't want to be in a disaster any more. So by fixing their outsides they acheive a couple things. 1) Everyone's house looks the same. You cannot tell the difference between those who have had damage and those who have. Everyone is on the same page. 2) It builds a sense of unity, of strength in numbers. Even in your ravished house, you aren't alone when you walk outside. 3) It is an external sign that things will get back to the way they were. That things are getting better, they are all in it together, and everyone is willing to help.

These people have more courage and more hope than any group I have personally interacted with. They know things will get better, they keep going, and they move on with their lives. They aren't expecting any help, aren't asking for anything, being a burden on anyone. They have hope they will get back to where they were before and be able to move past them. It took me going to a place of disaster to realize it doesn't take much to have hope, but that even a little can work miracles.

Food and Religion

After a long hike in the Blue Mountains, a few of us started discussing what defines a culture. We came up with two major factors. Food and Religion. Food affects the day to day aspects of the culture. Religion determines the long term aspects.

Food. It is the single most driving factor, at least for me, on how you plan your day. You wake to eat, make sure you either pack a lunch or are able to get food around midday, then you make sure you finish your day in time to eat. Spanish cultures allow for a large break midday for lunch and then a nap. Each place has a food that defines them. You go to Italy to eat pizza and gelato and spaghetti. Food brings families together, celebrations are dotted with mass amount of food. It is simply just important.

I have always been willing to spend more on a nice meal than on clothes or anything else. To me I value eating. Call me a fat kid at heart, I really don't care. I just like food. So far I have noticed a few amazing things about Australia and their food.

1) Living in chinatown is the biggest blessing. Cheap food. Large quantities and it is authentic. I have loved it.
2) Pizza and Kebab places will always be cheap and always give you the most for your money. If you are looking for protein, go there. It will be good meat, lots of it, and cheap. The pizza is just a side product. On friday's, it works. Yay lent.

3) Thai is my new favorite type of food. I had the best dinner in their world. Six of us decided that a nice meal was in order. So we headed to an off the beaten trail to a tiny ity bity thai restaurant. It was packed so we knew it was going to be good. We had to wait an hour, and it was completely worth it. For those of you who know was Spoon is in Atlanta. It was sorta like that but better. We all got different decision, brought our own wine, and just ate. My staple Thai dish, Panang Curry, was even better here. It was spicy, delicious, and oh so good. Everyone else had completely different stuff. It was authentic, there was a lot of it, and it was cheap. Perfect meal in my book.

So if food defines the every day aspect of things, religion has to define the long term things. Think about it. Why did Australia start? Well, Britain needed a new place to send convicts. Why? The US just gained their independence so that was no longer available. The US was started in part for religious freedom. Why were aborigines treated as inferior, they were different. Their beliefs didn't match up with the Europeans. New Zealand was started to form a "Better England." Without all the troubles that Britain had, it was to start a place that had the potential to be better. Huge aglican churches dot these two countries, despite their natives not being Anglican or even being christian.

You become more aware of what affects a culture the more time you travel. Even the surfers had an attitude towards life that contributes to the culture. Their carefree, get the most out of life, ambitious in regards to how much the fit into their lives feeds to the culture. They might not go to church, they might not have a faith, but they believe in something. That affects their culture. It affects how they live day to day. They also value beer as a food more than the average person, but that's a different story.

There are many other factors that goes into a culture. However, the two I have noticed the most that are universally large are those two things. I miss food from home. I am glad I am able to go to mass anywhere in the world. I am glad I have been able to experience a new culture and see different views from what I get at home. At the end of the day, as long as I can get edible delicious food I don't care where I am.

Even a bad day in Sydney....

My suitcases are packed. Hotel room picked up. I am ready to go to Brisbane. I am not sure if I am really ready though. I thoroughly explored the city. I saw an opera. I learned how to surf. I got to be a beach bum. My list of things I got to do says I am ready to leave. But a check list doesn't really say much. Sydney isn't my favorite city either, but I am not ready to leave. I want to explore more. I want to explore the culture more. I am not regretting any of my decisions regarding how I spent my time. I just always think there is something more to see. I am leaving with some incredible stories and lessons learned though.

1) We are super dependent on computers. For those of you who didn't know, my computer broke at the end of the first week here in Sdyney. I had to be grown up and deal with it all by myself. I found a laptop store, looked into the best one. Asked around to Dell. I was going to do this the right way, and as cheap as possible to. I was devastated when I realized I might not have a computer for a week. How was I going to communicate with home for those weeks? It was a blessing in disguise if you looked at it the right way. Part of the study abroad experience is getting out of your shell. To branch out, to not be at home. I needed that reminder. I miss home. I do. But my parents did not pay this much for me to stay in a hotel room on my computer. I am supposed to get out and explore. Learn things. So my computer being broken was a gentle reminder that I need to get the most out of this experience. Then it came back safe and sound. So now I have a reminder and my computer back. It is a double win win situation.

2) There are horrible things in everyone's past. Australia is a rough country with a rough past. But more than that it has deeply seeded racial problems as well. Compared to the Maori people who were treated with some respect, the aboriginals were given not even an once. Reforms didn't even start to happen until years ago. They just were considered a inferior people and treated as such. We went through the Australia museum that had an exhibit of their past. It was incredible. The children were taken from their homes and brought up in the white culture. They were stripped from their families, put into orphanages, and treated cruely. There was entire section of paintings dedicated to this "Lost Generation." Those kind of things make you realize how good you really have it. I cannot complain about anything ever. I am so lucky to be given all the things I have been, to have a family that loves me, fair treatment under the law, opportunities.

3) My people skills are also greatly expanding. It is  nice to figure out what you really value in a person. One characteristic is positivity. Someone who always looks at the bright side of things is so much more enjoyable to be around then someone who is constantly complaining. For lent, I want to complain less. Second, appreciation. When someone can look around and notice the little things and really appreciate them. That is one of the best qualities. I was talking to someone and he said that even a bad day in Australia is better than a good day in the States. It is so true. Even when things went wrong here, you cannot get that upset. You
are in Australia. People dream about coming here. Letting something get in the way of you enjoying it is just silly. Silly silly. Third, people who make the best out of any situation. We had our bus break down on the way back from surfing. For starters, we were at McDonalds in a well light area. So things could have been worse. But it was nice to be with people who didn't complain and made the best out of the situation. You come to appreciate those people.

I have loved my time here. I have learned a lot. Gotten close to different people. Seen a lot of amazing things. I am extremely lucky person. I cannot believe I get to see these things I have gotten. I love Australia. New Zealand has my heart. However, there has been a little space left for Australia. I am excited to explore a new city. Travel a little bit more north. See new things. I am ready to be home though. I cannot wait to get off that airplane hug my family. Until then, I am going to get the most out of this experience. Three weeks left.

A Night at the Opera

My first real production was a graduation gift from a family friend. They took me to see Phantom of the Opera in Charlotte. It was an amazing production, the singers were magnificent, the costumes amazing, the acting fantastic. That was my first taste, and let me tell you I was hooked right then and there. Since then, I have seen a few shows here and there, Wicked with my sisters and mom, Nutcracker with E. Those are all spectacular. However, nothing can quiet compare to what I was able to do here. It started with visiting the Sydney Opera House.

If I can recommend anything to architecture majors, if you come to Sydney go on the tour. You have to. First you get to hear the story behind the House. Second, you get to see the House up close and personal. Third, you get to ask all the questions you can imagine. The House was built in the 70's and the design came out of a contest. The guy who won drew really rough sketches had incomplete notes and it seemed liked it was just thrown together. However, he won because he was different. He dared to come up with something completely new and original. That is a lesson I think we can all learn from. Just be different, you might win the biggest commission of your life time. Also on a side note, I kept thinking of Fountainhead the entire time. Every time the mentioned the word commission, or never been done before, or original, or not expected, I had a flashback to some random page of some Roark design. Anywho, the story is incredible. The engineering more spectacular. Those sails are engineered beautifully out of the simple design of a circle. Take a circle make a bunch of slices, rearrange them, join them together and you have the Opera House. Seems simple right. It wasn't.


There is nothing simple about this building. Take the tiles for instance, you would think they are all white. They aren't. There are over 16 shades, all placed in a particular pattern so that they catch the light and glimmer. They are also self cleaning and require no gutters. Why? because the ground is engineered to hide all of that system, carry the water into sea, and it is never seen. Simple task, made not so simple. The only thing that was simple surprisingly was the appearance of the theaters. They took their time building each and every concert hall, opera stage, etc for their purpose. The concert hall where the Symphony plays has to be one of the best acoustical rooms ever. No echo, a single sound fills the entire room, it is perfect. The opera theaters are designed so that the singers do not need to use microphones. Their voices fill the entire room. The stage however is simple. It is just a black picture frame around the stage. It lets everything else stand out. That was seriously the only simple thing in that whole building.

The best part of the whole entire tour was that I got to see it in action. The House does this really neat thing with tickets. An hour before the show, they sell any unused tickets to students only for 50 dollars no matter where the seats are. That means you can get front row or even box seats for 50 bucks. We got the second best priced seats you can get, so 200 dollar tickets for 50 bucks. That incredible. Yep. So my night at the opera started off just splendidly. Run to McDonalds for a meatless dinner, thank you ash wednesday. This was the start of a great night.

In our best dresses brought, which wasn't that nice, we entered the House with a reason to be there. We found our amazing seats, and the lights dimmed. First off, I have never seen an opera so I don't know what to expect. Second, my first opera is in the Sydney Opera House. You cannot cannot get better than that. There is humanly no possible way, no matter what the show was like, that anything can beat this. The curtain rose up, and the music of Carmen started playing. The orchestra was fantastic. The strings and flutes were amazing. They were also showcased throughout the night which was pretty impressive. Carmen is a french opera set in spain. They sing in french, but luckily enough they had English surtitles above the stage. The basic plot line is about this excuse my language but slutty gypsie. She is. I am not exaggerating. She sings a whole song about how boys love her and she uses that to her advantage. That to me is slutty. Anyway, she gets put in prison, convinces the guard to let her go, he falls in love with her, follows her, then goes mad with jealousy as she flirts with everyone else. She then falls in love with another guy, the guard goes mad and kills her. So typical love story right.

The voices were fantastic for the most part. Only, I cannot really judge because I don't know what counts as a good opera voice. Anyway, Carmen i thought could have been better. She had a powerful voice, I just didn't like her tone. Don Jose, the main guy role, had a spectacularly smooth voice. It was less operatic than the others, but I liked it so so much more. He was perfect for the part. The best voice of the night has to go hands down to a minor character. Micaela is a young girl from Don Jose's hometown that is sent to carry a message to him from his dying mother. She is in love with Don Jose, and they sing this epic song. Her voice was spectacular. I can see why she wasn't given the lead, she wasn't as dominating of a presence as Carmen; however, when she sang people listened. In a few years, I will not be surprised if she is a leading operatic singer. She just goes to show that even small parts have big impacts. She got the loudest ovation. Easily. I was glad to see people acknowledged it too.



So my first opera was spectacular. Thank you mommy and daddy, that was the best birthday present ever. I want to learn all those romantic languages now. I think had I understood french that it would have been even more pretty. However, it was amazing to see how you didn't need to understand the language to know what was going on. You could have not read the surtitles and still been able to pick up on exactly what was going on. That has a lot of credit to the acting. They portrayed the emotions perfectly. It was also a relief to not hear English for a solid three hours. Not once. I love our langugages and to be immersed like that was fantastic.

The next day was followed up by a trip to the blue mountains. The blue mountains are similar to the blue ridge mountains if you took added eucalyptus and removed the potential for bears. It was a very similar feeling hiking though. The most well known feature is the Three Sisters. How appropriate. Allie is the tall skinny one that looks like she is about to topple over. This is by no means a reflection on her, however, that is the one I picked for her. I am the cutest one of course. I get to be the fat one. I take up a lot of space. Then MJ is the short one. I want to super impose all of us beside our formation. I will make it a point to do that. I had a lot of fun there. It was nice to be constantly reminded of my sisters. The legend behind them is also appropriate for us. The three sisters fell in love with three men from another tribe, but they weren't allowed to  marry. So a battle ensued, and the sisters were turned into stone so that they were protected. However, no one ever could turn them back. Yep, that is pretty appropriate. Good job Maggie and Allie, getting us turned into stone...kidding.

The rest of the hike was amazing. Ferns, moss everywhere. Lyre birds. No koalas or snakes. Oh well. You win some you lose some. It was also nice to get back to hiking. I have missed being in New Zealand where I can hike to amazing scenery whenever I wanted. My boots got so much use. I want to use them more. I am making it a point to wear my boots in to the point where I need new ones. Plan of action

Sydney in a Nutshell

Now that I have told you about my last weekend, I am going to back track and tell you about the rest of Sydney. This is what I get for procrastinating on these posts. Feel free to send me angry comments for the confusion I have caused. However, back to the story. I have left you with my amazing two runs, and my amazing surfing weekend. There isn't much in life that can get better than those things.

Sydney has been amazing. I  love it here. It isn't a place I would like to live, but visiting would be just fine. These past three weeks have been a whirlwind. I just tried to keep pace with this city. It moves fast. I cannot really remember the order in which I did things, so I am just going to word vomit what I have done.

Classes are well classes. Not too much to say there. The study part of this program is funish. It is a learning experience. It is all about balance. How much time you want to put into school versus how much time you want to spend exploring. I have also had to learn how to adapt to different teaching styles. I am an engineer through and through. I like when teachers present the facts, show an example, let me work a few my self. Things are cut and dry and class structures don't change. Then I get over here. These are all my electives and no longer science classes. It has been a challenge to handle a class where a syllabus aren't set in stone, or when assignments are more loose in their interpretation, or when there will be no tests. I has been good for me to learn how to handle different subject areas with different types of teachers. It has also made me realize that I love being an engineer. There isn't anything I would want to switch to, maybe bio, but I love that teaching style.

St. Mary's Cathedral for high Mass. That is something I can elaborate on. I will admit that at school, I am not one to go to mass. Sorry parents, catholic school just didn't stick. Until this trip. Mass is amazing in a cathedral. Spectacular. Add chior boys who can really sing, an amazing priest who kept things positive, and the fact that outside those stain-glass windows is a beautiful garden, and you have the makings of a pretty amazing mass. One of the best decisions I have made on this trip. The building is a must see. It is so amazing (yes Allie, I apologize for using that world, but the synonym finder doesn't work on this program)

Aquarium and Wildlife Center. Do you remember when you were six and your entire living room was covered in legos. You could play for hours just building and building and building. Sometimes you followed the directions, sometimes you just figured out what you  could make. Each snap brought satisfaction. Well take that feeling, add gallons of water filled with the most amazing creatures, native wildlife and you have the most awesome two places ever. We were lucky enough to visit the Aquarium and Wildlife Center when they had lego creations brought in from Lego-world. It was like being a five year old again. I could watch a real life hugmongo shark swim by, and then go immediately see a life-size lego version. That has to be one of the coolest things you can. It is legos. You cannot help but smile. Aside from legos everything else was amazing. Manatee eating large amounts of lettuce, platypuses, starfish, puffer-fish, and more. Also I don't know how much you know about platypus but they are awkward. First off, they are mammals and lay eggs. So right off the gate that means they are about 1 in 3 species that can do that. Second of all, they have a duck bill but are mammals. Someone is a milkman's baby. That's all I have to say. Finally, they are much tinier than expected. They are iridescent and shimmer in the water and have the potential to be magnificent looking. That darned bill ruins it all. They just look silly. They cannot help it.

So that is the Aquarium. The wildlife center is equally amazing in legos and equally amazing in animals. If you didn't know this already, Australia is pretty weird when it comes to animals. They have tons are things that no other place has. Case impart kangaroos and koalas. The two things everyone thinks of when you say australia. They are so so so cute. Well koalas are, kangaroos are neat. Koalas remind me of small little old grandparents hugging a tree. They are not cute adorable just cute wrinkly. None the less they are something you need to see. Kangaroos well they are just exactly what you think. We have seen them growing up in movies so many times, or in skating rinks, or on tv that there really isn't much you see that you aren't expecting. That doesn't change the fact that they are amazing creatures. It is just something you've seen. My favorite exhibit by far though was the butterfly garden. It was spectacular. Michael and I went in and just watched. One by one they started to land on Michael. He had this  natural affinity for them. Up close, the butterfly is one of the most spectacular insects. It has fantastic wings that are dusted with something, that if I would have paid attention in bio I would know. I got amazing pictures too. It was fantastic. So aquarium and wildlife center = major thumbs up.

Manly Beach: If I could give up school, and officially become a beach bum I would probably do it on Manly Beach. Despite the name, there are women too don't worry. A thirty minute ferry ride through the Harbour leads you to this smaller quainter town. It is cute and petite and definitely a beach town. Ice cream places, small take away food places, surf shops, etc line the roads all leading to an amazing beach. Yes it is crowded, yes you can only swim in certain places, but it is still amazing. Plus now that I know how to surf, I will definitely be trying that there. Definitely.

We have also been fortunate enough to go on some fantastic field trips with the class. Australia has a rough past. Thanks to America, the British needed a new place to send their convicts. So where better than the newly discovered Australia. Convicts came in by the ship load. They served out their terms here, and then were able to continue on with their lives. Our first field trip was the barracks in Sydney. Basically their jail. It was a rough time. Hammocks squeezed in together, working from sunrise to sunset, diseases being brought in. The barracks was a spectacular building. Architecturally it is beautiful. Open windows, nail-less ceilings, stone walls, but it doesn't hide the fact that this was a jail. Also, outside the window you can see St. Mary's. Tell me that is not a bit eerie.

We also managed to go to the Quarantine Station on Manly. To stop disease from spreading, ships would be quarantined here. Passengers and shipments would be cleaned, if you were sick you were taken to the hospital, all for forty days. Medically this place was fantastically interesting. So the way it all worked was meticulous records were kept on board of how patients were doing. Because the journeys were twoish months, if someone carried a sickness on board with them it would show up on the trip. If that happened, the ship had to come to the quarantine station. The passengers would then be loaded off. They were split into three groups: those who were sick, those who had come in contact with the sick person but weren't sick, and those who weren't sick. Sick people went straight to the hospital. The second group went basically into isolation. The third went through an extensive washing, cleansing process. They were then kept for forty days. Then went to Sydney. This system worked so well that no diseases ever landed in Sydney. It worked that well. In a time where there is limited limited medicine that is impeccable. The system while harsh worked. The station itself shows the history in an interesting way. It is all open and breathtaking views, but harsh because well people did die here. People were stuck here for forty days. It isn't a happy place, but it isn't sad either. My favorite peice of equipment in the entire place, was the giant autoclaves to clean the clothes. It was soooo large, and so impressive, and I think Georgia Tech needs to get one immediately. It could do all of our autoclaving needs in one fell swoop. I am putting a request in now.

We went on one last field trip which I will save for my next post because well frankly it deserves its own post

FMO

These posts will  be out of order. However, I am going in order of memory, so I am beginning with this past weekend. I apologize for the confusion.

I have many role models. One of my favorite is the dynamic duo of Emily and Sarah. They taught me a lot about how just to relax and enjoy life. They would tell me stories about how they teamed up with people, went on crazy adventures, and have the most amazing life experiences out of them. It is a lifestyle that I dreamed I could have. A carefree, get the most out of life, do anything fun, kind of attitude. Well I got that this weekend, and more so. This weekend a group of eight of us went on a two night surf camping experience. It was a way to get away from Sydney, enjoy the beach, and maybe learn how to surf. Well, I really wanted to learn how to surf and may have had a few bets going on how well I was doing. But mainly it was about the other things.

We knew our experience was going to be authentic when our pick up arrived. Out popped a leathery tanned, scraggaly blond haired, obvious surfer with a thick Aussie accent. Yep this was definitely going to be the real deal. We hopped in a van with a group of Swedish exchange students,and  two German students and headed three hours up the coast. After a stop at the liquor store (these people enjoyed partying), McDonalds refueling session, and another long drive we arrived in the middle of no where. The middle of no where. However, what it was was amazing. The property was bought by the surfing camp from the government who took it from a huge drug lord. It would have been perfect for that kind of business. Nothing around. The perfect bachelor house, pool, volleyball, and it was all open and beachy. Perfect. The house was filled with a group of authentic surfers. This is what I wanted to get out of this experience. We didn't mingle much, and went straight to bed. Good thing too.

We awoke bright and early to see this camp site in full light. It was like I picture a bovine farm that my dad wants to go work. Open, mountains in the background, the house is simple and open. We are breakfast, got our wet suit, loaded up and headed to the beach. We drove for thirty minutes to Seal Rocks. Headed straight to the beach, and got ready for our first lesson. The first thing to learn how to paddle: not as easy at it seems. Surfing requires such a different muscle set than any sport I have ever done. It isn't like swimming, nothing near running, and nothing nothing nothing at all like soccer. It requires better back muscles, tons of arm strength, and not so much leg muscles. Second step, the four step stand up method. One, push up. Two, butt up in the air. Third, front foot. Fourth, back foot. You are up. Easy enough on sand. Water. Well thats another environment all together.

That first day in the water was unlike anything else I have ever experienced. It was a lot tougher than I thought. However, it was also exhilarating. After about my third or fourth attempt, I managed to stand up by myself. It wasn't for long. However, I got up.  Then the instructors pushed us onto the waves, and I will got to stand up. I rode multiple multiple multiple waves. It was fantastic. Exhilarating. Each wave I learned more about the board, more about positioning, and more about how to control it. By the end of the day, I got it. I was exhuasted, couldn't move my arms, I had rashes, brusises, banged up knees. But I got surfing. We hoped on the bus, and went back to camp. I was happy.

Dinner and the bus rides was when we were able to get to know our other surfers. 1st) I am the lucky to be study abroad where things are planned out for me. Doing an exhange program would have to be the most difficult thing in the world. They live in hostels until they can figure out housing, they don't even know who is coming from their own university. They are on their own. At this stage in my life, I wonder if I could do it. I would like to think I could, but my program has ensure that I would never have to. I am extremely lucky for that. 2) Because of their attitude towards traveling, other people across the world seem so much more mature than college kids from the US. Yes we are about the same age, however, they have seen the world. Their views on life are much more open and broad. 3) This doesn't mean that some things aren't universal. The need for a microwave because thats all we can cook with, the missing of fastfood joints, home cooking. These are all things that college kids miss. It was great to talk to them about those types of things.

I asked one Swedish guy what he missed most from home. He answered "FMO." I thought I miss heard because of the accent, but no he said FMO. He didn't miss things, rather he had a Fear of Missing Out. He feared missing things at home. What his friends were doing, how they were getting along, their stories. He was fearful of how they move on without him. But he was also fearful that he would miss something from this experience. He wasn't going to give anything up that would take away from this experience. He was afraid that one fear would affect his experience.

This acronym came at just the right timing. I miss home. I am dreadfully homesick. It is a feeling I am not use to at all. I am independent, or so I thought. When I would go away for summer camps, some lasting for four weeks, I would never get sad or upset or homesick. I thrived in those types of environments. Here, I am homesick. I want to be at home helping my sister buy her first prom dress, I want to be at home for formals, for date nights, I want to be there for all the action. I miss it. However, I cannot let that fear of missing out cause me to miss out on something here. There is a chance that I will only be in Australia once in my entire life. I cannot miss out on something. I can't. So random sweden guy, thank you for giving me one of the best sayings. It is going to help me make the most out of these next three weeks.

Running

So I know I have been slack with my blogging. However short story made even shorter. My computer broke and I to get it fixed. It is safely back in my arms. I missed it greatly. I started to write this post during my break from connection to the real world. I promise I will have more posts coming soon. However until then I wanted to relay my best two runs in my entire life. This means that Sydney has one over Wellington. That means the score is Wellington-1 Sydney-1. Close race.

The first one was Sunday afternoon. I was stressed with a lab report I hadn't started. I was stressed with trying to plan things at home. I was stressed with life. Needless to say, I couldn't focus. So I tied my shoes. Put on my favorite running tank top. Placed my ear phones in, stepped outside my hotel, pressed play, and just ran. The air was hot and humid, a welcoming feeling after living in Atlanta. There was a slight breeze. Sun was shining, but it had to fight through the clouds. Perfect running conditions. So I turned left and went. I found myself running through Hyde Park, past the most architecturally amazing hospital I have ever seen in my life, past an amazing public library, through the Botanical Gardens. My pace was fast, my breathing getting a little heavier than I'd like, and I was starting to tire. However, I pushed through getting lost in the paths. As I turned a corner, two amazing things happened. One the sky opened up and it began to pour. The most welcoming feeling in the world for a runner. Cures just about any pain. The second I stumbled across the Syndey Harbour with the Opera House front and center. Perfect. I stood against the wall looking across to the bridge, the house, the water and just thought. Most amazing stumble. Not to mention, my Ipod was playing the most amazing songs possible. That was my first good run.

My second is a little less adventuresome, however, no less amazing. I was again stressed. Clearly perfect run number one didn't help with that. So what does stressed annie do, she runs. So again tied my shoes, ear phones in, press play, go. This time I had a direction. Same run. Same playlist. Looking for the same feeling. I got a little better this time. It was much later, cooler, even better weather. Ran through the park, to the gardens, through the paths, to the Opera House. Same look out spot. No rain this time. It was ok though because I saw the most amazing sunset. I just sat and watched. Sky perfectly marbled. How can you not believe life is going to be at those moments? It just takes away ever fear, doubt, worry. Someone has to be watching out over you with moments like that. Then I ran back. I saw the city like I had never before. Bathed in pink. If you have ever run with a smile on your face you will know this feeling, but I laughed while running. I was grinning ear to ear. It was amazingly breathtaking, beautiful, and I could just run. I ended up doing a cartwheel in the part spontaneously because I couldn't believe I was that lucky. Perfect run number 2.

I cannot thank my parents enough for what they instilled in me. I love running, granted during highschool my dad would have laughed at that statement. However, these runs have defined my trips. You figure out a lot about yourself, the places around you, and you just learn to go. Also, I am lucky enough to be running through Sydney. I am an extremely lucky girl. Extremely.

Hitting home

It is funny the things I now consider home. What I now have incorporated into a word that means a lot more than the walls that I grew up. However, when something hits you close to home it doesn't matter how newly incorporated that piece was, it still hurts. I was fourteen when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. I was vaguely aware of the damage that it caused. I was not personally affected, nor knew anyone who was affected until college. It was a huge disaster that just didn't hit close to home. It was a horrible tragedy, but as a fourteen year old I didn't feel it.

The past earthquake hit a lot more close to home. Christchurch is a spectacular city  in the South Island of amazing New Zealand. I was lucky enough to spend close to 24 hours in the area. At the time I visited, it was a stopping ground before my next adventure. I got a chance to explore the city a bit, walk around the town square, see the famous church. On those walks, I saw the damage of an earthquake that occured this past September. Buildings still laid in rubble, signs still declared  buildings unsafe, some were just left untouched. Shops had moved, closed signs still stayed up, things were forgotten. Most of the city, however, was booming. The city had a livelihood, a quick pace, a laid back attitude that defines the entire country. The square gave it a more European feel. The towering skyscrapers provided an amazing contrast. This is how I last remember seeing the city on Monday February the 14th. A city with amazing vigor, life, and hope.

News of the earthquake hit us during class on Tuesday 22nd in our new location of Sydney. A 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit the city. The death toll is now over 75 and still climbing as over 100 people are still missing. This disaster his a little closer to home compared to Katrina. New Zealand was a terrific host during the past six weeks to my study abroad program. Every Kiwi we came into contact with wanted to ensure we enjoyed our stay in their home, that we got the most out of our experience on their island, that we had a good impression of their country. New Zealand became part of my home. Looking through pictures of the devastation is unreal. It still hasn't sunk in that places like the Cathedral now lay in rubble. I have some of the last pictures of the city untouched by natural disaster. Those pictures are now a bit more precious than others I have taken. Those hold memories that some people may never get to experience. It is extremely unsettling.

Tuesday was proclaimed as one of the darkest days in New Zealand's history. They will need all the help they can get rebuilding. Power and water still remain off in most of the city. People are still being searched for in the rubble. Buildings are being evacuated for the fear they could still crumble. A National State of Emergency has been declared. New Zealand prime minister John Key urged for "the strongest possible focus of local, national and international resources working together to achieve the best possible response in the shortest timeframe." They are going to need all the help they can get rebuilding and getting back on their feet. It is not going to be an easy task, and nothing can completely recover their losses.

Professor Richard Barke, a professor that taught during the New Zealand portion of the program, sent us an email stating, "the Kiwis [can be characterized] as a warm, generous, fun-loving people, which makes the earthquake's loss of life and devastation even more painful to witness." He couldn't have phrased it any better. Seeing these places, meeting these people, and benefitting from both have made it a bit harder to watch the news, to hear about the distruction, to see pictures. This tragedy couldn't have happened to a better and more friendly country. Please remember to keep them in your prayers. New Zealand maybe home to only four million people; however, they have all been deeply affected. There is hope at the end of this story though, just pray it arrives quickly.

The above picture is a picture I took during my trip through Christchurch. The picture below is just some of the destruction caused by the earthquake

Hello Goodbye

I do not even  know how to begin this post. I am feeling so many emotions it is a bit overwhelming. Leaving New Zealand, to come to Australia was a lot harder than I ever dreamed it to be. Let me begin with my last few days. The first few days were filled with a lot of schooling. Two papers, quiz, and I am sure one other assignment. Those were a lot of fun.I am not joking about the school part. I have missed papers. I have missed discussion classes. I have missed not needing my calculator for a class. History and Ethics were both taught by the most amazing professors. It was the biggest blessing I have ever had. I will never be able to thank my professors enough. I wish I could write a creative argumentative paper for Chemical Engineering. I would be thrilled. I would be able to nerd out and write. I was channeling Mr. McAlister and all his wisdom. I am glad I was able to find it somewhere.

Besides school, we also went to New Zealand parliament. It was something that I am so glad I  got to do. Sitting in on a session was the most fascinating governmental thing I have witness so far. It was during their "Question" time, where members of Parliment get to ask a question to someone else. Basically, it is a giant shouting match. People talk whenever they want, try to drown out others when they are talking, their version of the speaker of the house is just shaking is head in amusement, fingers are being flipped, the witty insults are flying everywhere. Take the fastness of pinball, but that in a boxing ring and you have Parliment. Their government works in a spectacular way. I wish I knew more about mine. I will though. I will.

I also got to go explore the bay for the first time. I lived in Wellington and never say the waterfront until the last two days. It was sad and disappointed; however, those were also the best two days. They were perfect. The sun was shining, the air was warm, the breeze was calming, and the gelato was better than all of those things combined. It was spectacular. Wellington is a city everyone should come to once. It is a huge bustling city, but it is also quaint. That is the best word to describe it. It is the largest quaint city I have ever seen. Dear Wellington, I will be back. Love Annie.

I boarded the plane for Sydney with dread. I did not want to leave New Zealand. It is spectacular. By far, my favorite place I have ever been. I was upset I didn't get to see everything. Happy I got to experience a lot. Worried about a large city. Worried the people wouldn't be as friendly. Wanting more time. Wishing I could stop time, run all over the country do what I want then board the plane. New Zealand sewn itself permanently into my heart, and well Australia you just weren't in the cards. I didn't expect to be this emotionally attached to a place. However, I find myself with an immense amount of memories, places that remind me of home, sounds and sights that constantly make me think of New Zealand. 

I unboarded, and got off the plane . We traveled to our hotel. I still wasn't thrilled. Then we went to walk around town. Touche Sydney. You have won. I will admit to having falling in love with you within about two hours of walking around. I cannot come with words to describe it yet. You have the new and the old standing right next to each other. You have a chinatown nearby. You have gardens within walking distances. A huge beautiful church a block over. Lots and lots of sushi and Mexican restaurants. You really know how to win a girl over. Walking around, finding dinner, getting lost was a perfect introduction to the city. The next best introduction was my run this morning. A group of us set off towards Hyde Park. Not quiet the London one, but you know what its just as awesome. We ran through the park, towards the Botanical Gardens, towards the Harbor. Side note, these gardens not as good as wellington. Wellington 1 Sydney 0. Anyway, we ran towards Harbor. We decided to take a side trip up to the information desk. This was best idea yet. Cheap front row tickets because I am a student. Yes please. I cannot wait. Cannot wait. Then Bondi beach. A thirty minute bus ride takes you to the most famous beach. It is spectacular. Too many people for my taste, however, it is spectacular. Tons of sand, amazing waves, lots of cute shops. It was a lot of fun. Plus, I just missed the water. It was so nice to be able to get in again. I enjoyed it so so so much. So much. I will be spending so much time there. I have four more bus passes, and I plan on using them and then more. I am so so so excited.

I reserve my right to judge Australia, however Sydney you are doing a pretty good job of convincing me I will like it here. All I am going to need here is a bathing suit, a book, and a towel and I am set. I cannot wait. Goodbye New Zealand, Hello Sydney!