Reflections Before I Leave Australia

Lao Tzu wrote that, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” As I am about to leave Australia and head back to the US, this quotation represents my journey both literally and figuratively. Literally, that final step I took onto the plane two and a half months ago lead me to the other side of the world thousands of miles away from home. Figuratively, that final step I took was all I needed to go far away from everything I knew. While I came to Australia expecting to work as an au pair and explore the country, I did not initially think of coming here as a “journey.” Losing my first job and having to figure out what the rest of my time would look like here helped me become more resilient and independent, as I tried to be mindful of how much money I spent, looked for another job, and took care of all the logistics related to my trips before settling with my host family in Melbourne.

A few weeks ago, I finally realized why I travel internationally. Sure, I have had the “travel bug” for as long as I can remember, but as a recent college grad trying to find my place in the world, traveling is more than just having fun and being able to post photos on facebook so my friends and family can see where I have been. I travel internationally so I can step out of my comfort zone and do things I previously was unsure I—and others—thought I could do. For example, traveling solo did not light my parents’ fire, but I felt capable enough to give it a go. After all, I had studied abroad twice, and I saw my study abroad trips as “stepping stones” for traveling solo. Despite the vulnerabilities I could have faced as a solo female traveler, for the first time in my life I learned (and put into action) that I cannot let doubts of others or my own hold me back from this amazing, rare opportunity to travel about a country that I had only seen on a map or in pictures. The decision to continue to travel solo in light of my parents’ concerns was not easy, but in no way do I regret it because I gained a whole new sense of independence and understanding about myself that I would not have if I spent the summer in Portland or Piedmont.

In less than 24 hours, I will leave Melbourne and begin my 22-hour journey home. In case you are wondering, my 22 hours of travel will include layovers in Auckland and LA. I am anticipating both culture shock and major jet lag. Though Australia is very similar to the US in many ways, it is also quite different, especially in how open, friendly, and laid-back people generally are. However, I predict that I might experience more “culture shock” when I am in DC because it is probably more fast-paced than here. While I have never had any trouble with jet lag when I came back from Europe, I expect to have a harder time adjusting to California time due to the 17 hour time difference between there and Australia. Two and a half months is the longest I have been out of the country, so sometimes it does not quite seem real that I am here. Many times I have been in my host family’s house or out and about around town, I felt as if I was somewhere in the US. Though many aspects of Melbourne remind me of home, I had to remind myself that I am on the other side of the globe. At times, I feel like these past two and a half months were a crazy dream, as I had never imagined that I would step foot into this amazing country. Deep down, I know I am the same Laura that I was got on that Air New Zealand flight on May 19, yet have changed so much.

Well, my friends, this entry concludes my blog posts from Australia. I will try to post an entry or two so you can see how my transition back to the US is going. But before I finish my last post, let me finish with a little help from singer/songwriter Cat Stevens.

Well, I left my happy home to see what I could find out

I left my folk and friends with the aim to clear my mind out

Well, I hit the rowdy road, and many kinds I met there

Many stories told me of the way to get there

So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out

There’s so much left to know, and I’m on the road to find out

Well, in the end I’ll know, but on the way I wonder

Through descending snow, and through the frost and thunder

Well, I listen to the wind come howl, telling me I have to hurry

I listen to the robin’s song saying not to worry

So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out

There’s so much left to know, and I’m on the road to find out

Thank you so much for following my adventures! Now let me say so long, farewell, au revoir, adios, auf wiedershen, and goodbye, Australia!

Thoughts on my Last Few Days Here

Greetings! I cannot believe how quickly time has flown since I have been here. In four days, I will wake up early to begin my 22-hour journey home.  This weekend I went shopping and bought an adorable black dress that was on sale and a perfect addition to my professional wardrobe. Now that I am about to enter the working world, jeans will no longer be a part of my everyday wardrobe. Getting out of the house and going shopping was quite relaxing, as I am exhausted. The past few days, Sophie and I have been moving furniture upstairs to the playroom downstairs. She is moving the kids downstairs because she wants to take in a boarder. Before we could move the furniture down, I spent many hours organizing the kids’ toys and books. The kids want to have a garage sale, and if we do, Sophie told me that I would get some of the money we earn as a reward for my hard work.

Organizing the kids’ new room is not the only job that has made me exhausted. Trying to keep up with the kids’ and household routines is not easy, and though I like kids, I have learned from both jobs that being an au pair is not for me. As I reflect on the jobs I previously had that I enjoyed most, I realize that I prefer working at a school because there is more structure—and with older kids! Although my JVC job will not be easy, I think it will be easier than being an au pair because I connect better with older kids, will enjoy more of the responsibilities as a Reading Coordinator, and feel challenged. Best of all, I will work with an experienced teacher who will give me guidance (hopefully!) with the understanding that I am a volunteer straight out of college, not a credentialed teacher. Aside from the difficulties of both jobs and the pressure to try to do everything perfectly, another reason being an au pair is not for me is that it is not intellectually stimulating. Since the routine is always the same, I feel like I have been on “autopilot” and maybe my exhaustion is a result of not feeling challenged.

My two au pair jobs remind me of a passage from Catcher in the Rye that I quoted in my thesis. At the end of the book, Holden mentions the “psychoanalyst guy” who asks if he is going to apply himself when he goes back to school next year. Holden tells his readers, “It’s such a stupid question, in my opinion. How do you know what you are going to do until you do it?”  His response is “you don’t.” Sometimes I hear a voice in my head telling me what was I thinking when I decided to accept these jobs, especially since my parents had concerns. Even though being an au pair has not been perfect, Holden is right in that one cannot know how something works until one does it. In my case, I would not have known whether or not I liked being an au pair until I did it.

One of the lessons I have learned during my time in Australia is to not let other people determine what I can or cannot do, but decide for myself what I am capable of doing. Recognizing my own strengths or weaknesses have not always been easy when others have often told me I could not do things I knew I could do. Although I may not have accomplished everything I thought I could do, such as driving on the left side of the road, I am proud of myself for not letting that stop me from coming to Australia and giving it a try. By letting myself have new experiences, I learned that I can do more than both others and myself think I can do. On Wednesday, Sophie told me she did not think I would be able to get the playroom organized by the time I left. I had no idea that she did not think I could get the job done, but the fact that I accomplished something she thought I could not do suddenly made me feel as if I could do anything.

As always, thank you for reading! Keep your eye out for my last post of my time in Australia in a few days. :-)

Life with my New Host Family

Greetings! I have been at my host family for a little over a week, and I have been quite busy learning their routines and more recently, getting over being sick. Not that I’m trying to put this in the Guinness Book of World Records, but my this weekend was the THIRD time I have been sick here. So not cool! Thankfully, tea with lemon and honey, soup, and cough medicine all seem to help so I should be 100% better in the next few days. Sincere apologizes in advance if I send anyone germs in this recent blog post.

My host family lives in St. Kilda, a suburb in Melbourne. The houses are quite charming and remind me of my aunt’s (mom’s sister) neighborhood. Both the skyline of the buildings along the park where the dog can run off leash and the beach look like various “Windy City” buildings and Navy Pier, respectively. Though I still have a lot of exploring to do, my impressions of Melbourne/St. Kilda so far is that it is a more laid back, less busy version of Chicago.

Ella and Jack are adorable. Ella is 9 and loves to read, draw, paint, and watch Friends. Jack is 4 and is at the age where he thinks everything is a gun or a light saber. He is a big fan of Star Wars and Spiderman, among other action heroes. Although Jack can get a little fussy or does not put his toy gun or light saber down the first time one asks, both kids are very easy going and well behaved—they are MUCH better behaved than the two kids who made my last job difficult. The parents are both very nice as well. Sophie owns a yoga studio and Jamie is a business consultant. They have a dog, Dusty, and a cat, Jazzy.

Though I am not dealing with driving on the opposite side of the road or kids not listening to me, I still have faced some challenges. Four years ago, Ella had a brain tumor and while she has made AMAZING progress with her recovery, she still needs extra help with things like getting dressed and walking up the stairs. Although I have many years of experience working with kids in different settings, I have never worked with kids who have had physical challenges like hers. Also, learning routines of another family is overwhelming. Trying to get the kids ready quickly in the morning or knowing where the dishes go have taken time to learn, but I’m slowly starting to get the hang of what I need to do. Because Sophie knows exactly how she wants things done, sometimes she forgets that what makes sense to a mom in her own house does not to someone who an au pair who does not know the home as well as she does! Despite these challenges, I’ve done many tasks well and have been able to put my mad organizational skills to use by organizing the kids’ playroom so she can turn it into a bedroom.

I don’t have to work this weekend, so I’ll have the opportunity to explore Melbourne! Besides this weekend, I’ll have a few days to sight see as I am finishing my job a week from tomorrow. I was going to stay until the 28^th, but for various reasons, Sophie and I thought ending early would be better for both of us. I’ll spend a few nights at a hostel and then it’s adios down under. :( I was supposed to go home on the 28^th, but decided to change my flight so I could have a full two weeks to prepare for my move to DC and allow my internal clock to adjust to CA time. We’ll see how I do with the latter since 17 hours is a HUGE time difference!


Let me end this post by leaving you with a highlight of my time here. Unlike most of you whose 4th of July involved parades, BBQ's, and anything else associated with the holiday, I got proposed to twice! Much to your disappointment, the proposals were NOT from hot Aussie men. Instead, Jack and his friend Reuben proposed to me at the playground. They told me they had a secret, which was that they both wanted me to marry them. As soon as I told them that only one of them could marry me, they fought over which one was going to do so. However, they ended up marrying each other but I officiated at the "wedding." Even though they ended up marrying each other, I still thought it was cute that they both wanted to marry me. :)


More soon!

Sydney!

Greetings from Melbourne! After spending a night at a lovely hostel, I have finally settled in with my new host family. Before coming here, I was in Cairns for 4 days and Sydney for 3 days. Although the weather was warm, there honestly was not much to do in Cairns. Sydney, on the other hand, is awesome. It reminded me of London and of all the cities I have been to so far, Sydney is definitely my favorite (although this may change depending on how I like Melbourne!).

I arrived in Sydney on Thursday night, so Friday began my adventures. Some internet research, a 30 minute train ride, and a 10 minute bus ride allowed me to engage in the once-in-a-lifetime activity of having a close encounter with koalas. Koala Park may have been a little out of the way from my hostel, but it was totally worth the trip, especially since I did not have to pay extra to have my photo taken with the koala. Unfortunately, New South Wales law only allows qualified zookeepers to hold a koala. Heads up for those of you wanting to go to Australia: Queensland is the only state that allows people to hold koalas. If you go to other states, you can still have contact with koalas, but you just can’t hold them. Although I could not hold the koala like I had hoped, I still got to pet it and have my picture taken with it. Besides koalas, I saw other native Australian animals such as grey kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, and various species of birds—including the kookaburra that sits in the old gum tree. I also got to pet the kangaroos, and though I have heard that they get scared easily, the ones I met were very calm.

For those of you who are interested, here are a few facts about koalas

1. Contrary to popular belief, koalas are NOT bears—they’re marsupials.

2. Koalas do not have the softest fur and large claws, yet they are adorable. However, if you do get close to/hold one, I would strongly advise washing your hands afterwards.

3. Koalas are only allowed to have human contact for 30 minutes a day. The back is the best place to pet it.

4. Throughout Australia, there are laws that regulate how close people can get to koalas. I think these laws might have something to do with them being endangered species.  However, the laws vary throughout the states. While Queensland allows people to hold koalas, both New South Wales and Victoria only allow non-zookeepers to pet it.

One of the best things about Sydney is that they have free walking tours. Before these free walking tours were offered, the cheapest tours were $35. The people who started the tours did so because they wanted visitors to see the city regardless of their budget. In three hours, I saw many of Sydney’s most famous sites, which might have otherwise taken me a few days to see. Among these sites were the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and engaging and I learned a lot about Australia’s history. Though I won’t bore you with all the historical trivia, I will mention that once upon a time, Australia was a penal colony under British rule. Criminals were shipped there and forced to live under very harsh conditions. Thank goodness times have changed and millions of people from around the world come to Down Under.

Making friends with a grey kangaroo

Sydney Town Hall

St. Andrew's Cathedral

Highlight of my trip? Having a picture with a koala!

St. James Cathedral

Sydney Harbor Bridge

Sydney Opera House

Oh, The People You'll Meet Down Under

As I am sure many of you experienced travelers know, traveling can take you out of your comfort zone. Being out of your comfort zone may be a little nervewrecking, but it can actually be a good thing. Sure, trying to figure out how would spend the rest of my time was a little overwhelming, but I am very glad I did not bite the bullet and go home. Not only would I have been bored to tears at home (no offense, Mom and Dad, I still love you!), but I also would not have been able to grow as a person in the ways I have been able to here.


As many of you know, I was not the most social person growing up. However, I consider myself to be social now and some of my friends have even been surprised to learn that I was shy as a kid. Although I have come a long way in my ability socialize and make friends, I still feel shy around groups I am not a part of. Before I left for Australia, one of my goals was to meet people. While I have not been in any one place long enough to establish close relationships with people, even the brief interactions with people at the hostel are preparing me for the "real world"--particularly next year in DC--where I'll have to go out of my way to meet people.


One of my favorite things about Australia is how friendly people are. Unlike most places in the US, many Australians take the time to talk to you or go the extra mile to make your stay more pleasant. From the people at church in Toowoomba to my receptionist friend in Brisbane to those at my hostel, most everyone has been friendly, open, and genuine. I have had some very interesting conversations with people ranging from travel, religion, food, healthcare, and education. Also, people here are more open to talking about subjects that many Americans would consider "taboo," particularly homosexuality. 


I am currently staying in a hostel, and one of the perks is that I have been able to meet people from all over the world. So far, I have met people from Belgium, Japan, France, and Australia. Meeting the two guys from France was exciting because I had the opportunity to speak French with them. One of them even told me I speak French very well, which was nice to hear given that I have not taken formal language classes since high school (UP waived my language requirement due to taking French all four years of high school!). Yesterday evening, I got two new roommates and we stayed up late chatting. Jill and Taylor are originally from Brisbane, but are here on holiday because they had never been to Cairns. They are both very nice and I enjoyed learning from them about some of the differences between Australia and America.

Being able to get to know Australians and travelers is one of the reasons I like traveling on my own so much. While I had great experiences abroad, I feel like I missed out on meeting locals due to being in close proximity to other UP students. Being with the same students and staff almost 24/7 for six weeks, getting to know people outside of the UP bubble is hard. While I think the London program was a good stepping stone to traveling internationally independent of my parents, if I were to apply for a second study abroad program, I would have chosen one that would have allowed me to live with a host family instead of UP students. Although Salzburg is one of my favorite cities and I enjoyed my classes and excursions, I was not too fond of the social dynamics. Most of the people in my group were already friends, and to be quite honest, I did not feel like I fit in and often felt like I was back in high school. Even though I have often hung out with groups of people (mainly from church), I found them to be very welcoming and genuine. While everyone is different and group dynamics can be quite complex, traveling on my own has given me the opportunity--if not forced me--to take the initiative to meet and get to know other people because I can choose who I want to be with and not worry about fitting in with people who I have to see on a daily basis.


Tonight concludes my time in Cairns, as I'm off to Sydney tomorrow. As always, thanks for reading!

Update!

Hey all! Pardon the lack of updates. As some of you know, I had to stay in Brisbane longer than I had planned due to having laryngitis for almost a week. Honestly, there is not much to report on when you spend most of your time at the hotel and can't talk (though I did go out to get food because I would have gone crazy staying in the hotel all day!). Even though being sick was not fun, the wonderful hotel staff made my stay more pleasant. One of the things I love about Australia is how nice people are, and the staff at the hotel was no exception. One receptionist even gave me tea and honey. My voice came back on Saturday, and I was chatting with her when I went down to get an Internet card. We were talking about my travel plans, and I told her I was looking into staying at a hostel on the Sunshine coast. She told me that this part of the country is remote and somewhat sketchy, so she invited me to stay with her. I spent a week with her, her partner and three adorable dogs in Booval, a small town about a half hour from Brisbane. This evening I arrived in Cairns, and will be here until Thursday. On Thursday, I'll fly to Sydney and will be there until Sunday. 

So where do I go on Sunday? Well, that's the highlight of this post! Many of you know that my previous au pair job was not a good fit for me. Given my limited time frame here and the fact that I cannot extend my stay due to starting my year of service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in August, the chances of finding a job seemed slim. However, I decided to search the au pair website because you don't know unless you try! I emailed a few families, and one emailed me back to say she was interested and gave me her number. I called her Friday, and she told me to call her back tomorrow so she figure out the logistics. When I call her back the next day, she tells me I have the job and can come sometime during the first few days in July! Though I have yet to actually book my flight, I will fly to Melbourne on Sunday and stay there until July 28. I just have to call Air New Zealand and change my flight to fly out of Melbourne instead of Brisbane on July 28, but otherwise, I know what the rest of my time in Down Under will look like.

It's late here so I think I'll end for tonight, but I'll write more in the next few days about my adventures in Cairns!

Brisbane: Familiar Yet Unfamiliar

Hello! I have been in Brisbane since Friday, and have enjoyed exploring the city despite losing my voice on Saturday. This city reminds me of a cross between San Francisco and London. The streets here are steep like those in San Francisco, and overlooking the city is a clock tower that is nearly identical to Big Ben in London. Also, the restaurants and stores are arranged in a similar fashion as those in SF. However, Brisbane is much more laid back and not as fast paced. On Friday, I went to Cathedral Park, which is not a park as much as a plaza in the middle of the city. Across from Cathedral Park is St. John's church, the major Anglican Cathedral. I love to visit churches when I travel, so I went inside and took pictures. When I was there that day, people were setting up for a concert, as the cathedral hosts concerts and lectures in addition to worship services and being open to the public. Let me tell you, there are many churches here representing several denominations--Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist, Church of Christ, and Chinese Christian.

On Saturday I went to the Museum of Brisbane, where I saw some paintings by Australian artists and artifacts that were important to Australia's history. Because the museum was small, there was not much to see so I unfortunately was not very impressed. But then again, I have been able to go to awesome museums such as the National Portrait Gallery and the British Museum so I was not that surprised that the Museum of Brisbane does not hold up to the same standards. 

After checking out the museum, I went to the City Botanic Gardens. These gardens are at the end of the main street that runs through the major downtown area, so it is the perfect place to get some peace and quiet from the busyness of the city. While these gardens may seem like any other major park, there are a few elements that are unique in comparison to places like Central Park in NY or Hyde and Regent's Parks in  London. First of all, there are bamboo trees when you enter the main park, which I had not seen previously (aside from my backyard). Second, there was also a "religious fig tree" that supposedly resembled the one Buddha sat under when he discovered enlightenment.  

Because my voice has been gone since Saturday, I mostly have been relaxing in my hotel room. That being said, I did go to St. John's for worship on Sunday morning. I have not been to an Episcopal (or Anglican, as we say here) church since Easter, so it was nice to go to a church where the liturgy was familiar and comfortable. Receiving communion was definitely the best part. :) While I planned to go to Sydney today, unfortunately I could not go as my voice has not come back. Hopefully, my voice will come back soon and then I can continue with my travels!