Friday, January 30, 2009
so far...
So I hope people read this or else I'm just wasting time... but I'm thinking this will be more efficient than writing multiple emails/facebook messages. not that I don't love you all, but well...Australia is awesome and I don't want to be on my laptop that often.
I'm going to start from the beginning...
Plane ride=loonnnngg and awful. It could have been worse...there was free alcohol which was much needed after the 45 mins of severe turbulence we experienced during the 13 hour flight from LAX to New Zealand. Each seat had a little screen and I was able to pick from like 30 movies to watch....so of course, I watched about 4 movies. The only thing that was awful about it was I was on the window seat so I couldn't get out as often as I would have liked but oh well.
We got here on Tuesday around noon...after stopping for lunch at a McDonalds. That's right, my first meal in australia was McDonalds....not even good MickeyD's...but stupid breakfast menu crap. After a short bus ride we arrived at Lake Ainsworth Sports and Recreation Centre...aka HOME. This place is AMAZING. There is the ocean on the one side, a beautiful tea tree oil lake on the other. (tea trees give off this oil that is really good for your skin and hair, but it leaves a reddish color to the water...but it's worth swimming in...BEAUTIFUL.) We also have a pool (about 5 lanes/25 meters...) which I've already swam laps everyday. There is something about this place that makes a person want to be active. I've even went running the past 2 days...which is something I don't evvveerrr do. I find it actually refreshing (and a bit painful) to run by the ocean. My cabinmate, Megan, is a crazy runner so she has been going with me to push me (and a few others.) I have 2 other cabin mates, Lisa (who I share a room with) and Nikki (who shares a room with Megan.) There are 4 old cabins and like 8 new cabins...and of course, I got put into an old one. It's very small and crowded (especially right now, since they overbooked a cabin and 2 extra girls are staying here with us) The new cabins are awesome...they have a dishwasher, waster/dryer, full range/stove (we have this crap thing that looks like a toaster oven with a burner on top...) their bathroom is also about 3 times bigger than the "toliet closet" we are sharing with 6 girls. ...they also have closets. The old cabins aren't awful, but defiantly not as nice as the new ones. I'm not too concerned because I don't plan on sitting inside the cabin too often...way too much other things to do!
We haven't done much of anything but relax, go to the beach, swim, work out, eat, drink, sleep...repeat. It's a great life! Everyone here seems to get along well and seems pretty nice. There are a few frat boys i could do without but whatever. Everyone here in Lennox Head is sooo nice...even the dogs are all nice. It seems everyone on the beach bring their dogs and let them run free. The dogs and the people aren't afraid to come over and say "g'day." Even walking down the beach, everyone you pass either says hello or flashes a smile. In town, everyone seems so relax and happy...but I guess there isn't anything to be mad about or stress over when you live here.
We drove to Ballina the other day (pronounce more like bell-na...but that's only because Aussies like to say all their cities completly different from how they are spelled.) In Ballina is where we did our grocery shopping...and I'm glad the US dollar sucks now b/c I spent A100 which is about equivalent to 60 US dollars...so not bad for buying a bunch of groceries! Alcohol is damn expensive here...a fifth of smirnoff vodka = 38 aussie dollars! The one bar (pardon me, i mean PUB) in town is pretty cool. I've only been once and met some locals. Lennox seems pretty secluded so I've been trying to talk to locals as much as I can. Aussies seem to have a great sense of humor...very sarcastic with a loving tease. I've been enjoying learning the new types of lingo (like a hug is "give a cuddle" and juice box is a "popper." There is a lot of subtle differences here, but all practical and it all makes perfect sense. I feel like Aussies don't like to mess around, they do what they want, how they want...but ALWAYS in a laid-back fashion. there is never a rush here for anything.
Today we went into Bryon Bay (the most eastern part of the country/continent. Awesome little tourist town with many great shops. Very grunge/hippy and interesting. I watched the surfers for a while and it made me very excited for my upcoming surfing lessons! I hope I can do it! it's one of the many things on my "OZ to do list."
Hope all is well back in the states!
LOVE
I'm going to start from the beginning...
Plane ride=loonnnngg and awful. It could have been worse...there was free alcohol which was much needed after the 45 mins of severe turbulence we experienced during the 13 hour flight from LAX to New Zealand. Each seat had a little screen and I was able to pick from like 30 movies to watch....so of course, I watched about 4 movies. The only thing that was awful about it was I was on the window seat so I couldn't get out as often as I would have liked but oh well.
We got here on Tuesday around noon...after stopping for lunch at a McDonalds. That's right, my first meal in australia was McDonalds....not even good MickeyD's...but stupid breakfast menu crap. After a short bus ride we arrived at Lake Ainsworth Sports and Recreation Centre...aka HOME. This place is AMAZING. There is the ocean on the one side, a beautiful tea tree oil lake on the other. (tea trees give off this oil that is really good for your skin and hair, but it leaves a reddish color to the water...but it's worth swimming in...BEAUTIFUL.) We also have a pool (about 5 lanes/25 meters...) which I've already swam laps everyday. There is something about this place that makes a person want to be active. I've even went running the past 2 days...which is something I don't evvveerrr do. I find it actually refreshing (and a bit painful) to run by the ocean. My cabinmate, Megan, is a crazy runner so she has been going with me to push me (and a few others.) I have 2 other cabin mates, Lisa (who I share a room with) and Nikki (who shares a room with Megan.) There are 4 old cabins and like 8 new cabins...and of course, I got put into an old one. It's very small and crowded (especially right now, since they overbooked a cabin and 2 extra girls are staying here with us) The new cabins are awesome...they have a dishwasher, waster/dryer, full range/stove (we have this crap thing that looks like a toaster oven with a burner on top...) their bathroom is also about 3 times bigger than the "toliet closet" we are sharing with 6 girls. ...they also have closets. The old cabins aren't awful, but defiantly not as nice as the new ones. I'm not too concerned because I don't plan on sitting inside the cabin too often...way too much other things to do!
We haven't done much of anything but relax, go to the beach, swim, work out, eat, drink, sleep...repeat. It's a great life! Everyone here seems to get along well and seems pretty nice. There are a few frat boys i could do without but whatever. Everyone here in Lennox Head is sooo nice...even the dogs are all nice. It seems everyone on the beach bring their dogs and let them run free. The dogs and the people aren't afraid to come over and say "g'day." Even walking down the beach, everyone you pass either says hello or flashes a smile. In town, everyone seems so relax and happy...but I guess there isn't anything to be mad about or stress over when you live here.
We drove to Ballina the other day (pronounce more like bell-na...but that's only because Aussies like to say all their cities completly different from how they are spelled.) In Ballina is where we did our grocery shopping...and I'm glad the US dollar sucks now b/c I spent A100 which is about equivalent to 60 US dollars...so not bad for buying a bunch of groceries! Alcohol is damn expensive here...a fifth of smirnoff vodka = 38 aussie dollars! The one bar (pardon me, i mean PUB) in town is pretty cool. I've only been once and met some locals. Lennox seems pretty secluded so I've been trying to talk to locals as much as I can. Aussies seem to have a great sense of humor...very sarcastic with a loving tease. I've been enjoying learning the new types of lingo (like a hug is "give a cuddle" and juice box is a "popper." There is a lot of subtle differences here, but all practical and it all makes perfect sense. I feel like Aussies don't like to mess around, they do what they want, how they want...but ALWAYS in a laid-back fashion. there is never a rush here for anything.
Today we went into Bryon Bay (the most eastern part of the country/continent. Awesome little tourist town with many great shops. Very grunge/hippy and interesting. I watched the surfers for a while and it made me very excited for my upcoming surfing lessons! I hope I can do it! it's one of the many things on my "OZ to do list."
Hope all is well back in the states!
LOVE
First Post...a little short.
There is too much to do here and not enough time to write several emails to my favorites back home so hopefully this blog will let you guys know I haven't been eaten by a shark, dingo, snake....whatever, mate.
I'm going to the beach now...
cheers!
I'm going to the beach now...
cheers!
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