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!
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!
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!
Hello wonderful readers! This morning was tough for me as I received news from my host mom that has forced me to significantly change my travel plans. I don't want to describe in detail the reasons on a place as public as my blog, but feel free to message me on facebook or send me an email and I will be happy to give you more details. As the title of this post implies, having to significantly may be the "lemon," but the "lemonade" is the opportunity to travel around Australia, and possibly other islands in the South Pacific. Who knows when I will have another opportunity to come to this part of the world, especially when I start working, so I might as well take advantage of my time here! :)
Tomorrow I will leave for Brisbane, and will spend four nights in a hostel until Tuesday when I leave for Sydney. I will spend three nights in Sydney and fly to Melbourne on Friday. Although I am not sure exactly where I will go from Melbourne, I plan to stay for two nights and go to Cairns, and the Sunshine and/or Gold Coasts. Check for posts on my upcoming adventures to the above places--I'll post pictures so you can get a peek of where I am traveling. I have been bad about taking pictures these past few weeks, but now that I am going to the more "touristy" spots,
I will take more.
Good night (or day)!
Hello! Because many of you are enjoying the sunshine, I am a little envious because it is raining here. Although Australia is similar to the US in many ways,
there are differences I have noticed in the two weeks I have been here.
1. Weather: Too often I forget that the seasons here are opposite the US because Australia is below the equator. While the weather is not that much different from Piedmont or Portland, I often walk around my host family's house wearing shorts or cropped pants and a t-shirt because my mind is in summer mode. I usually wear a sweatshirt because I am cold, as the house is old and has timber. However, I rarely need a sweatshirt or sweater when I am outside. A few days ago, Bailey, the family dog, got out of the gated area where he is supposed to stay and chewed on my flip flops. Nicole and I went to Target to see if I could find a new pair of flip flops, but unfortunately, there was not a huge selection. Instead, I saw rain boots and coats, and thought, "DUH, it's WINTER here!"
2. Driving: Australians drive on the left side of the road, and for me, the issue is not learning how to drive, but re-orienting myself to the correct side of the road. Not only is the steering wheel on the opposite side of the car, but the turn signal and windshield wiper indicators are as well. Fortunately, the traffic in Toowoomba is not heavy and the roads are not narrow like they are in Piedmont. One difference between driving here and the US is that turning right on a red is illegal. Also, police can pull you over for going above the speed limit, but not below. So basically, I could drive 40 km on a 70 km highway and still drive safely. Parking on the grass is common here, something that I have never done back home. While I have yet to drive here alone and my driving is not as good as it is in the US, I have done much better than I thought I would do.
3. People: I have been impressed with how friendly people I met have been. Last weekend I went to church and not only were people very welcoming, but they even invited me to hang out at someone's house. When I was at church, people I met kept introducing me to their friends. In my experience, people I have met at churches in the US or Europe were nowhere near as friendly as these people were. My host mom says that for some reasons, Australians really like Americans. The warmth and openness of my new friends from church is helping me have a life outside of work and meet people my age.
4. Around the house: My host family has a gas stove and oven, which is not uniquely Australia, but I have not used either in my Piedmont or Portland homes. I have gotten the hang of using the stove, but sometimes I have to ask Nicole or Reegan to help me use the oven. Also, the doors do not open and close the way American and European doors do. I have turn the handle right to lock my door, and left to open it. If I want the door completely closed, shutting it is not enough as it will open.
Although English is the official language, the word usage can be different. Here is some Aussie lingo I have picked up in the few weeks I have been here.
Mate= Friend
Jumper= Jacket
Lift= Ride (same as in the UK)
Fuel= Gas
Barbie=BBQ
Dip Dip=Ketchup or BBQ sauce
Bullbar=bumper of a car
Contrary to popular belief, Australians do NOT call soccer "football." Also, they recognize Queen Elizabeth II as their monarch and even have a national holiday for her.
Hope you enjoyed learning a little more about my host country!
