Lorne Beach Trip

So I went to Lorne, Australia for the beach trip orientation, and I have to say it was amazing. It is such a cute little beach town. Deakin international students pretty much took over the entire town. I am pretty sure we filled up four hotels/hostels. I stayed in the Ocean River Backpackers hostel. It was nicer than I thought it was going to be. I was in a room with 5 other girls. There were two bunk beds, a double bed,and a trundle. I was the first in the room, so I was able to get the double bed. I was able to meet 5 other girls that are also going to the burwood campus. They were all very nice and we were able to hang out. The first day we settled in and had a lot of free time. Some of us went and tried to lay out on the beach but then it got cloudy. Then I went with Leia and Christina on a walk around the town. Tuesday was extremely busy. The first thing we did was go on a hike through the forest, which I really enjoyed. It reminded me of hiking in the mountains at home. After that I went on a walk with Christina to the pier. After lunch we had surfing lessons. It was extremely hard! The waves were rough so I kept getting knocked down. I was able to get up on my knees but there were a couple of people that were able to get on their feet. It was exhausting. After that I went and layed out with a few girls. I became a little burned because I forgot to put on sunscreen again after surfing. The next day we went on a trip to see the twelve apostles. That was cool to see. We had lunch over there. I was able to get some really pretty pictures but then my camera broke. :-( I was sitting at the emergency exit and the bus driver came over and opened up the exit without warning us, and my camera was leaning against the wall so it fell out. Now I'm going to have to see if it can be fixed or if I need a new one. At least I was able to recover most of my pictures. Other than that the trip was really fun. It was laid back and I was able to meet new people. I really enjoyed it.

Flight and arrival

Let's just say, I'm exhausted. When I first arrived at the airport and went to check in at the kiosks, two of them froze on me. I then had to get help and of course the bag tags wouldn't print off. Doesn't that sound like a wonderful beginning? On the plane from Charlotte to Los Angeles I got a middle seat, which wasn't too much fun. When I got to LAX I didn't not know where to go. I was in terminal 1 and had to get to terminal 2. Of course the two didn't connect so I had to go outside and come back through security check. The 12 hour flight wasn't too bad. The plane was full, so it did feel cramped. But I had a nice couple sitting next to me that were going to New Zealand. They definitely supplied good meals and of course it had the individual tv's, which I really liked. I was able to watch Paranormal Activity, The Invention of Lying, Puch, and Zombieland among those twelve hours when I wasn't sleeping. And if you think it's hard to sleep in a car, I think trying to sleep on a plane is harder. Maybe it was because everyone was sitting so close together. But a plus of the flight from Auckland to Melbourne was that I got three seats all to myself, so I was able to stretch out. Then as I was making my way towards baggage claim my name was called to the baggage services, and they told me that the Los Angeles airport reported that one of my bags didn't make it on the Los Angeles to Auckland flight. My smaller bag with all of my bath stuff and shoes did not arrive. Another thing to worry about. The trip to my new home was smooth and I was able to meet some new people. Once I made it to the house I was rushed to fill out tenant paperwork. I guess I get to learn what it's like to have a landlord. After that I settled down and was able to meet my housemates before we headed into the city to meet other Deakin students to watch footy, or Australian football. Even though I didn't know the rules I was able to figure out what was going on and the crowd was really intense, which was exciting. It was a close game, the score being 100 to 99. After the game a large group of us went over to a bar and got some drinks. I ordered my first alcoholic drink, with the help of an older girl in the group. We then hung out there awhile before heading back to the house. That's all I have for now!

Cheers,

Brittany

Getting Ready

I can't believe that what I've been talking about and been waiting for is finally going to happen. It is the night before I'm leaving and I'm nervous and excited. But more excited than nervous. I've been wanting to study abroad since freshman year and it's hard to believe that it's finally going to happen. I'm going to be getting on a plane to go to Australia tomorrow! I know that I'm going to miss my family and friends, but I think I'm ready. I know this is going to be an experience I'm never going to forget. You guys should be hearing from me soon!

Cheers,

Brittany