The Last Australia Post

Goodbye (for now) Australia

written from LAX airport in between flights to get back home.

I've come to the end of my Australian adventures.  It feels like I've been away from home for so long, but at the same time, part of me wishes I had more time in Australia.  However, I got to see as much as I possibly could over 4 months and balanced it all pretty well... and I have a very good feeling I'll be back to the Australian side of the world sooner rather than later.

To keep this short and sweet (well, as short as can be by Jo Jo standards) I'd like to play a little game called "Give Me a Hand" or "Give Me Five"...
All I get is 5 words to describe my experience this semester.  Here you go.

Two Handfuls of Words

5.  NATURE

4.  AWE

3.  LEARNING

2.  FRIENDS

1.  LAUGHTER

and, just for fun, an alternate list of things that also describe the past 4 months, that somehow all start with the letter B.

5.  BAR CRAWLS

4.  BUNGY

3.  BEACHES

2.  BOX OF GOON

1.  BRISSIE

me, Sarah, Jenna & Emmi at the Brisbane sign

Tips / Things I Learned

·      Bring your comfiest pair of sweatpants. It’ll be worth the extra space in your suitcase.

·      Don’t eat a kangaroo burger one day and then pet a live one the next.

·      Drinking boxed wine will get old fast.  Sometimes you’ve gotta splurge a little and treat yo self.

·      You’ll never get tired of hearing different accents and languages every day.

·      Join as many free travel rewards programs as possible!

·      Public transportation can be your best friend or your worst nightmare.  Make it your best friend most of the time.

·      If you have a really early flight, just stay up all night and face the consequences of sleep deprivation later.

·      Pepper spray is not necessary (or legal) in Australia.

·      It’s a weird feeling to walk home from class at 5 or 6pm and not be able to call anybody from home because they’re all fast asleep.

·      Sometimes, take advantage of the local places near where you live, even if they are more expensive than Hungry Jacks or Subway.

Last Thoughts

·      I never saw any deadly snakes or spiders or sharks, but I did see a whole lot of koalas, kangaroos, and fish.

·      I didn’t become a vegemite addict, but I did convert some non-Americans to the joys of peanut butter (with oreos).

·      I didn’t learn much more about cooking than the little I already knew, but I did create a mean recipe for Tim Tam Brownies.

·      I didn’t get too much better at navigation and directions, but I did travel across Australia, New Zealand, and Bali without getting lost too many times... and I made it out safe and sound.

·      I didn’t meet a guy in Australia and choose to stay here forever with him (even though a bunch of people said I would ;) ) but I did make the BEST friends I could’ve asked for to share this semester with me and act as a family.

At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter how we pronounce "aluminum" or what we call a “bell pepper” or if we'd choose vegemite over peanut butter… does it?  It only matters that we're willing to share those things.  It only matters that we're willing to get over those small variances—and even the big differences—and form new friendships with people from completely different backgrounds than our own.

And finally... thanks Mom & Dad for EVERYTHING.

I'm finally coming home to you, Linds, Paul, Luke and the puppies!

Time to take off towards the land of liberty, justice, and Panera for all.

I cannot wait to eat BREAD CO, toasted ravioli, frozen custard, and mac n cheese.

I cannot wait for baseball games in the hot sun, afternoons by the pool, and spending countless hours on my couch watching TV or driving in my car.

Like most goodbyes, this has been very bittersweet, but it's time to go!

See you soon, 'MURICA!!!

Be Excellent.

xoxo

Jo Jo

PS ... if you somewhat enjoyed any of my blog posts this semester, please check out my other page HERE which I'll be revamping and updating more regularly.

Thanks for reading! :)

Bali: Part 2

PART 2: Solo Travel

Solo travel is weird. It's mostly exciting and adventurous, but it can be boring. It's busy and a bit stressful, but also pretty relaxing. I'd much rather travel with at least 1 or 2 friends or family members, but traveling alone has its perks. Going where you want when you want. Only being concerned about getting 1 ticket to a tour or 1 bed in a hotel. Having more flexibility to change your plans.

Meeting People

Because I did this trip alone, my strategy was to spend a couple days in each place I visited and meet people at the hostels. Most of the time, it was a pretty effortless task, due to the fact that 1) Bali is actually VERY safe for tourists and 2) there are tourists EVERYWHERE. 

I ended up making some great connections with people. 

Realistically, I'm not actually going to be best friends with any of these people that I only hung out with for 1 or 2 days. However, that time limit shouldn't decrease the value of that new friendship. I met some people who I had a feeling would have been some of my closest friends if we had met at work or in college. 

But then again, I can't really make that judgement after spending 48 hours with someone, can I?  You hang out and act like you've been friends for months or even years, and then after 1 or 2 days you all disappear and continue with your own lives.

I've friended some of them on Facebook and I'd like to keep in touch with them, but most of them I'll never see again. But, as they say, "You never know."

Even some of the people who I only talked to for a few minutes or an hour, I found to be super interesting. They had great stories and just seemed like good people in general.

That Canadian girl who's been to every continent in 7 months. That Norwegian guy who's touring the outback from Adelaide all the way to Darwin. Those 2 British guys who arrived in Bali after 3 1/2 months venturing across India. The Californian who saved up and left her job to travel Asia for 6 months before making her next move. The 3 best friends from Wales who are on an island vacation. The Finnish girl who was a nanny in Australia and has now continued her travels across Asia. The English army officer who is on vacation and doing surf school.

All of these people are proof that everybody has a story, and also proof that it is worth it to put yourself out there and get to know people, even if you might never meet again.

One of the cool things about solo travelers, or even small groups of 2 or 3 backpackers, is that they understand each other's situation. You're all trying to save a little bit of money so you book similar tours, eat at cheaper restaurants, and stay in the same accommodation. You may not have a phone SIM card and only have wifi at restaurants, so you understand how to communicate the "old-fashioned way" and to be flexible. You want to see a lot of the same tourist attractions but are also often willing to be a bit adventurous. One thing that's strange though is while you're with your new, extremely temporary group of friends, you may suddenly miss being alone and making all your own decisions. Then later, when you're alone again, you wish you had people to eat dinner with, swim with, or go on a walk with. It's a weird dynamic, but I'm glad I sort of figured it out and made it work in my favor.

"Backpacking"

This week, I had one small backpack and one over-the-shoulder purse (I know, Mom & Dad, you can get over your shock now). One pair of shoes, two bikinis, as much sunscreen as TSA allowed me, a camera, and barely enough clothes for the week.  Some days I walked up and down the beach or through the little village streets with all my stuff because I was moving on to my next place and it was easy to carry.

This is the first time I've gone on a trip this long without checking luggage. I'd like to think I handled myself very well and (for once in my life) traveled lightly. However, I have learned that I am not, and do not want to be, a "backpacker." At least, not entirely. These past 4 months I have been "traveling" and "backpacking" in some instances, like the roadtrip around New Zealand and my trip from Melbourne to Adelaide, but I've also consistently had Brisbane as a home base. Even when I travel alone, I always know I have my Westella fam in Brisbane waiting for me. And, this whole time I've been abroad, my parents, family and friends have been back in the USA. I'm so excited to go home to them, and I know exactly when that will be.  The backpackers I've met have had some really cool stories about their travels, and they've spent a lot of time away from home. Personally, this 1 week of traveling alone and being a little spontaneous was a good start; it was just enough for me.

I watched 3 sunrises in a row this week.
This was as I landed in Brisbane.

I just got back to Brisbane. I have a few days to show Sarah, Jenna, & Emmi my city (YAY!) and to say goodbye to all the people I've spent time with this semester.  I am so happy to be back, but I'm also incredibly grateful for the crazy, beautiful, adventurous tropical vacation I just had and all the cool people I met.

Bali: Part 1

PART 1: An Overview of Bali

PART 2: My Thoughts on Solo Travel 

PART 3: (eventually) An itinerary and quick tips for the confused solo traveler in Bali 

PART 1:

No, this is not a tale of how I "found myself in Bali" or how I had "an eye-opening cultural experience," although some of things I describe will get a bit sappy... but, if you've visited my page before, you should've already seen that coming anyway :)

Bali: What's it Really Like?

I have a lot to say about Indonesia. In 7 days, I saw so much, and honestly, it's a lot to process in such a short time.  I'll try to give you a picture of what my week has been like.  Like most of my other blog posts this semester, this post is combo of my thoughts and pictures, creating a more interesting and efficient way to describe my experiences.  To me, this a lot better than the inadequate conversation of: 

"Hey, how was Bali?"

"Great! Super pretty. Lots of fun." 

That's pretty much how it goes, right?  But sometimes I need more time and more words to tell you how something really was.

Getting Started

When I exchanged money for the week in Bali, I started with $200 Australian dollars to convert to Indonesian rupiah, and that gave me $1.5 million rupiah. aka I was a millionaire by Bali standards.  But that didn't last long... It's true that Bali is very cheap, but you still obviously spend money every day and that adds up.  Handing over $50,000 IDR for lunch is only $5 AUD (so it's more like $3.50 in USD!) but at first, it feels like so much more than that and it takes some getting used to. The first full day I was not really used to it. 

I knew in my head how to convert the currency and how to bargain with vendors on the streets, but actually doing it was another story entirely.  There were 1 or 2 times where I paid quite a bit more than I should have for something.  It's not the end of the world... most things are pretty inexpensive to begin with, but it can be very frustrating. The Balinese love to bargain. I didn't enjoy it before, but once I got used to it, I thought it was pretty cool.  You bargain pretty much everywhere except places with posted set prices, like restaurants, chain convenient stores, and metered taxis.  I even bargained the price of my room at a nice chain hotel and got the "special price."  It was incredibly strange.  But also really awesome.

"genuine fake shop"

For me, the economy in Bali creates a blurred line between wanting to give money to these hardworking people or wanting to get a good deal for myself and to actually pay what I think the activity or item is worth.  For example, one morning a shop owner stopped me and shook my hand and before I knew it, he pulled me in to his tent-covered shop to look at the clothes.  It was a little uncomfortable how he grabbed my hand as I was walking down the street, but I didn't feel pressured.  Honestly, I could have politely said "No thank you" and walked straight out.  But I figured why not buy 1 thing? 

It would be the shop's first sale of the day, and in Bali, this signifies good luck and is often a cheaper price. I bought a romper ("playsuit" for you non-Americans) and bargained the price down from $12 to $5, and as much as I know that man could really use the extra $7, I also wanted to selfishly save it for myself, and I knew the outfit was really only worth $5. And, so I've been told, the Balinese really do expect you to bargain with them. There will be plenty of times that some tourists pay a lot extra, and some who pay a lot less, and this hopefully will balance out and give both the seller and the buyer what they want. This system of heckling and bargaining is such a strange way of life, but it's also super interesting and enticing.

Speaking of the economy, the poverty in Bali is one of the things that struck me most this week. Like many other tropical tourist destinations around the world, Bali's economy feeds on tourism but is still stuck in poverty. Bali is full of great resorts, nice restaurants, and tourist activities all juxtaposed to dirt-covered side streets, little concrete or wooden shacks behind shop fronts, and homeless starving people. It's heartbreaking. It's dizzying. It's something you expect to see, but you don't really get it until you actually walk through it.

Hindu offering on the sidewalk in front of a shop.
People burn incense & put these out every single morning.

Even though I stayed in fairly nice hostels in good locations, I was often face-to-face with the harsh reality of the living situations in Bali. Little old men pull their whole shop on a giant cart, trying to make sales. Countless injured dogs and skinny cats roam the streets looking for food, often putting themselves in danger of being hit by bikes and cars. Sad-looking women hold their babies in dark doorways or on street corners, begging for money. Amidst all this however, it's pretty unbelievable to walk through the streets and take note of how happy many of the people are, adults and children alike. 

One of my favorite moments of the whole week happened one night when I was walking out of the hostel to get dinner. I was walking with a few other people, and suddenly we were caught in the middle of about 20 little Indonesian kids running around the street.  They were playing tag- hiding, running, screaming, laughing, and having the time of their lives- with seemingly no rules of the game at all. These were the same boys I'd seen earlier riding bikes, 2 or 3 on one bike with no shoes and no helmet. The same girls I'd seen helping mom sweep up trash, barely tall enough to hold a broom. One of the little boys tagged me, and I laughed and tagged him back. As we made our way through the little crowd, I ran around tagging some of the others as they sped around me. I could've spent hours there.

                          

Traveling to a country like Indonesia gives you chances to do a lot of things, like trying new food (it's a lot of rice & noodles in Indonesia, but really good!) to see incredible natural sights (like the 2 volcanoes Mt Batur and Mt Angung), and even holding monkeys or swimming with turtles.  Aside from all those great things, I think visiting a place like Bali also gives you a chance to appreciate what you have at home.  As cheesy as it is, I think it's true. How could you not be more grateful for everything you have after seeing the conditions in which many families here are living.

      

Yesterday I learned something really cool from another American traveler. She donated blood at a children's hospital in Bali because when she goes back to America, her travel will prevent her from donating for a year anyway, so why not give blood in Indonesia where they have a huge need for donors? This woman told me that when she was sitting in the waiting area, an Indonesian mother and daughter were sitting near her, and she ended up finding out the little girl was in need of heart surgery. She was waiting for more blood donors before she could have the surgery, and they were hoping a tourist would walk in and donate, and that's exactly what happened.

Donating blood in another country is such a cool idea (when it's in a safe and legitimate place of course, like a children's hospital) but it's certainly not something I would've thought of on my own. Personally, my body needs 2 or 3 days to get myself feeling good enough to donate blood, so I wasn't prepared this time, but I'd love to do it someday on my next trip.

It's such an oxymoron isn't it?  People like me who come to islands like this don't want to leave.  We relax on tropical beaches or get to know the local culture and nature (in my fortunate case, both) and we are sad to depart from it.  Contrastingly, the workers on these islands, the people who work their asses off every day to try to sell their tourist services, handmade items, or even just bottled water and snacks, would kill to get a chance to leave these places and see a new part of the world.  They'd love to make enough money to travel, to get a new job, or even simply to get their family above the poverty line. 

I guess that's just the way it is, isn't it? We make the most of what we have, whether that's a little or a lot. 

Second to Last Trip, Second to Last Post

Two weeks from TODAY I'll be home in St. Louis.  

This time seemed a lot further away last time I wrote a blog and mentioned that I had 5 weeks left.

My family and friends have been asking me if I'm homesick.  This response is a difficult one.  I do miss home, but I just don't tend to get homesick.  I miss certain things and special foods from home.  I miss specific people.  I miss my dogs, I miss my pool, I miss my big bed.  I miss going out with my friends in Columbia and chilling at the Gamma Phi house.  But that doesn't make me feel homesick.  Also, I know the reverse will be true when I go home and miss Brisbane and the people and things that have been part of my new home here.


Melbourne, Great Ocean Road, and Adelaide

Before I get all sentimental, I'd like to add some pictures from my trip last week to Melbourne, the Great Ocean Road, and Adelaide.  I'm not going to give much detail because there are other things I'd rather talk about, but I hope you'll enjoy the pictures.  Also, if you're going on a trip to any of these places, there are lots of great blogs out there about it. [Melbourne, Great Ocean Road, Adelaide]

Flinders Street Station on the Yarra River

Penguin Parade at Phillip Island (No pics of penguins though.
You'll have to see it for yourself!)

Australia v Greece at Etihad Stadium

Beach huts at Brighton Beach

Cape Patton Lookout. This doesn't do it justice at all, but it was my favorite spot.

Two of the Twelve Apostles.  A lot more exciting than I expected! Great spot.

The Adelaide Oval for an AFL game. (Aussie rules football)

One of my favorite parts of the city, the parks along the River Torrens

Thanks Marte and Aila for the awesome tour recommendation for Great Ocean Road, and thanks to all the friends I got to see and stay with in Melbourne and Adelaide <3 You're wonderful.


Almost Over

In 2 weeks when I finally sit in my seat on the airplane and click that seatbelt, I'll be ready to go home.  I'll want to go back to Brisbane and be with my friends, to live the life where I can go to the beach one weekend and a waterfall the next and the Great Barrier Reef the next.  However, it'll be time to go back to America instead.  I'll want to sit on our crappy little porch drinking cheap wine and chatting with my Westella friends.  I'll want to have girls' nights with movies and chocolate and Beyonce songs.  But I'll be ready to go home, because I love my family, my university, and all my friends around the US.  It'll be an emotional ride home, but it'll be time to go.

I don't want to downplay the experience, but a semester abroad ultimately is just another semester.  I mean, I know it's different than a typical semester at USC.  It's an unreal, incomparable, incredible experience.  BUT it is also the 6th semester of my undergraduate experience, and I still have to 2 more to go.  Sometimes, when I think of the greatest times over these past 4 months, they've just been nights where I've hung out with people.  Sure, some of the best times have been out in the unbelievable nature of New Zealand or the mind blowing views of the Reef, but some have just been random and simple days.  I've talked, laughed, and danced with my friends, and those nights turned into some of the most significant memories.  I can do that anywhere, can't I?  I guess Australia just makes it all seem a little more exciting.


I was talking to one of my housemates yesterday and she said "This has hands down been the best 6 months of my life."  Then, a few housemates and I talked about how amazing the past months had been, how much fun we had, and how much we will miss everyone.  Something else we mentioned is, even if these are the best months of our lives, there will be more.  Anyway, there better be more!  Still, I realize that even though more good times are definitely coming, I do agree with my friend about this semester.  The times I've had here have been so indescribably awesome, and I'm sure they'll always stick out in my mind as some of my best memories.



When I catch up with my friends from home, a lot of them say they are jealous of my pictures and it looks like I'm having "the time of my life."  Honestly, I am.  I absolutely love Australia, and I'm so grateful for every moment I've had here.  I'd love to come back (correction: I will come back) and I will travel other places to visit the friends I've met here, but this semester does have to end, and it's coming up.  Somehow, I have a good feeling I'll have the time of my life this year back in America, too.


Heading Home

• In 2 weeks, I'll be back home enjoying summer.
• A month after that, I'll be back in Cola getting ready for sorority recruitment.
• 2 weeks after that, I'll be welcoming a wonderful new pledge class to our sisterhood and officially kicking off my senior year at USC.
• And a month after that, I'll be submerged in a great Gamecock football season, be focused on my classes and internship, and I'll even start looking at job opportunities for after graduation in 2017.  Life will continue moving, and I'll be doing my best to enjoy every day just like I have been here in Australia.

Many of the friends I've made here have been living and studying in Brisbane for a year now.  Some have been here longer and are staying for their whole undergraduate career or even longer.  When you put that in perspective, 4 months doesn't seem like so much, does it?   4 months is a third of the year, and hopefully I'll have plenty more years to continue learning, traveling, and meeting people as cool as the friends I've made at USC and at UQ.


Sidenote / Reality Check

This part you might read and think, "Ugh, Jo Jo, is this really necessary?"  Well, I just feel like talking about it, so here you go.

I can imagine that many people are sick of the sadness and pure hate that has been going around our world and has been continually bombarding our news.  As I was writing this, it felt a little strange that I'd be posting this blog about what a good time I'm having when other people in our world, and recently in my own country, are dealing with so much suffering.  I'll do all I believe I can do at this point, which is to pray for everyone affected by the attack in Orlando.  I can be proactive and pay attention to what I can do to help, what I can do to relieve some of the suffering in the world.  However, this is another reminder to be incredibly grateful for the opportunities I have, for my safety, for my education, and to make the most of it.

Story Bridge in rainbow. Courtesy of Colin Davis
photography on Brisbane City Instagram.

Some of my favo(u)rite moments of my semester in Brisbane

 

Choices

Decisions Decisions

I made a lot of choices in the process of studying abroad.  First, I narrowed down my options and chose to study in Australia, specifically at UQ in Brisbane.  After being accepted, I chose to live with 2 girls from USC.  I met Marybeth and Haley through our study abroad orientation, and after finding out we had mutual friends and similar ideas about where to live, we found a share house and decided to be roommates.  Sort of a snap decision, but definitely the best decision I could've made.  Hopefully they'll agree :)

Glad we aren't sick of each other yet :)

Some of the other choices I made in coming to Australia included:

• what kind of travels I would do on the way to Australia, during my semester, and on the way back (tough to figure out sometimes, but so worth it)
• getting a job (more on this later)
• and, of course, because I'm studying abroad, what classes to take at UQ (also pretty happy about this one)

Every day, we make choices.  We all know this.  Some of them are small, seemingly insignificant, like "What should I eat for breakfast?"  Easy decision.  Nutella toast.
"Where should I go with my friends tonight?"  It may take a few minutes to decide, but it doesn't really make a big difference.

For example, I took some time to decide on which classes to take at UQ, but it didn't make a huge difference in the end.  I prioritized the time and schedule of the classes first, and then tried to choose some subjects that were interesting to me.  The best part of this decision-making process is that I'd saved some of my core classes and electives from freshman year to take abroad!  Try to DO THIS if you're going abroad, too.  Also, I ended up taking 5 classes instead of 4, which I wasn't super excited about at first, but it'll really lighten my load senior year.

But... some decisions are much more complicated.  "How should I spend my money?" "What am I going to do this summer when I'm only home for 4 weeks?" "Where should I live next year?"

These choices take more time to decide and involve a lot more factors like money, lifestyle, and other people.  They can sometimes put pressure and stress on us.  However, it's a good thing we can also choose family and friends who will support us, talk through decisions with us, and be there on the other side of whatever choice we end up making.

Coming to study in Australia was a pretty big decision.  Even after I decided to come here, it took a LOT of time getting everything organized and feeling prepared to make such a big move.  Now that I've lived here for 3 months, that study abroad application I sent in a year ago doesn't seem like that big of a deal.  It was just another step for the journey of exploring a new country.

Job-Hunting

Before I flew across the ocean, I applied to some part-time jobs in Brisbane.  I used seek.com and UQ's job website to find possibilities.  I sent tons of emails to various coffee shops and daycare centers that looked suitable, and I waited for responses.  I hadn't gotten any offers by the time I showed up in Brisbane.  Most places had either hired new staff over their summer months or didn't want to hire me because of my short-term stay here.  Eventually, I came across the placement options that UQ has and got in touch with the placements office, and they gave me a list of contacts they had at agencies that have previously had student interns.  I applied to 3 of those places as well, but after coming to Brisbane and making it to the 3rd week of the semester, I was still out of luck.

Then I got a call from BBS Communications.  I was very excited to hear from this PR agency, especially since I was having trouble finding somewhere else to work.  I'd heard good things about them, and everything I researched about them seemed great.  Two weeks later, I started my internship at BBS.  I knew it'd be awesome opportunity, despite the fact it was unpaid, and I decided to accept the position and get some valuable work experience in Australia.

I've really enjoyed it so far, and I have one week left!  I go every Thursday for the whole day, and it's such a neat experience to walk around the city with all the professionals heading to and from work.  The people at the BBS office are so hospitable, helpful and fun.  They have so much knowledge and passion for what they do.  I hope to visit them when I make a trip back to Australia some day :)
So, after some trying and waiting, and weighing of pros and cons, I definitely made a good choice.

So even though being busy in Australia is not at all the same level of being busy at USC, there are some weeks that are tiring.  In the midst of a busy week, sometimes the best choice of what to do for a few hours is simply to lay in bed and write.  Nap at the beach.  Watch a movie with my roommates.  Text my friends at home or call my family.  That's the best kind of laziness, and I'll absolutely consider that living to the fullest.  I just can't do it too often or I'll miss out on what's happening outside my door.

Life is Short

We can do so much with our time (or we can do a whole lot of nothing).  Life is short.  I shouldn't need a reminder to make the most of every day (although sometimes life does give me a nice slap in the face reminding me that I only have so many hours in a day.)  Ultimately, we just need to stop thinking about it so much and get out there and live, right?  Easier said than done.

Throughout my time here, I've noticed that I've had to forego a lot of little extra luxuries.  Things that you really don't need but sometimes just want, like a manicure, your favorite alcohol, or fresh bagels rather than an 85 cent loaf of white bread.  I notice small things I'd love to have from home like a favorite blanket, a big comfy couch, and a kitchen where all the appliances actually work.  These things are just a little more noticeable than at USC because Australia is more expensive in general.  Decisions regarding time and money are a little easier in Columbia, a place that's my home for 4 years, not just 4 months.




Ultimately though, these little things don't make a big difference in my day.  They're just nice to have.  There are other things I need to do with my time and money that I wouldn't even get a chance to do at home, like fly to Sydney for a weekend or scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef.  The opportunity to be in Australia for a whole semester, to travel, and to meet new people is infinitely greater than getting a pedicure or having a nice blender in the kitchen. :)

The People You Choose

One of the best choices I can make every day is to talk to people.  Get to know them, ask them questions, see what I can learn from them.  You just never know.  I met some girls at the koala sanctuary the other day who are on an Environmental Journalism trip from UT Austin, and one of the girl's uncles helped build the Arch in STL!  How cool is that?

The people I've chosen to spend time with in Australia have completely made my experience here, just like the friends I made in high school, my friends from camp, and my best friends from USC, have made my life spectacular and have shaped who I am.

I chose to study abroad during this 2nd semester of my junior year and so did 5 of my closest girl friends.  Three are in Australia and two are in South America.  The rest of our group of friends is back in South Carolina, and although all of our experiences are different this semester, I'm so glad we actively choose to keep in touch.  I'm lucky to know I have all of them to go back to.

Just in case you haven't seen enough cheesy quotes in awhile, here's one from one of my favorite authors, Sarah Dessen.

I love the people I've chosen to spend time with, to keep in touch with, and to have as a support system.  I could not be more grateful for my friends and family back home, and I am truly fortunate to have found people in Brisbane who are also wonderful and who have become a new family to me.

I'm proud of the choices I've made throughout college to get me to this point, and I'm also pretty content with the choices I've made about how to spend my time this semester.  Of course, not every choice is the right one and not every result is perfect, but I guess that's part of learning.

Thanks for reading.  Check back again in a week to see what I think of Melbourne and Adelaide!

Can't wait to reunite with Finn & James after 2 and 3 years of being on the other side of the world!

Be Excellent.

xoxo

Jo Jo