Just what I needed

There's no doubt that this weekend has been the highlight of my experience so far (that is except for getting caught in the pouring rain on an eight-mile hike). But, despite exhaustion and some homesickness, it was Sunday that really reminded me of how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to be in living and studying abroad in Sydney right now. 

I definitely wasn't in the mood, yet I convinced myself to commit to a two-hour bus ride to Palm Beach with a few fellow students on the trip on the first free day we had had in weeks. We woke up early for a Sunday and I dressed in my swimsuit, packed a beach bag full of essentials, and took off towards the train. When I say I "wasn't in the mood" I really mean that I might have cried a little on the bus really for no reason, so you can just imagine how I felt when we missed our bus stop and ended up walking in the rain. We hid for cover in the Palm Beach General Store which hosted a menu of about five total different food options- nothing to satisfy a picky eater. I ended up ordering a burger (the first beef burger I've actually had since I left Knoxville) and having a small, confusing moment with the cashier about "chips". Anyway, the entree soon arrived at our small table and looked promising. One bite in and I immediately noticed the strange taste of beetroot which was definitely a first and honestly pretty tasty. 

Luckily, the rain cleared up and appeared to be the perfect beach day, however, my friends had a different idea. Instead, we waited for a ferry which traveled to a National Park with a wallaby rescue reserve. In my mind, I imagined wallabies from a distance, but never would I think that we would actually be able to pet and hold a baby wallaby. "Chip" as we called her (possibly because she had a fondness for kettle cooked salt and vinegar chips) spent the whole afternoon with us and took a special liking for me (maybe it was because I had a bag of chips but who knows?). 

Once we left the sanctuary, we hiked up an extremely steep hill to a beautiful lighthouse overlooking the entire bay and town. When we finally returned to the bus home I was even more tired than I had been before but the happiest I've been on the trip so far. Not only did I get to have an amazing, unique experience but I felt more like myself than I had during the past three weeks. 

As we were riding the bus back to Sydney, my friend, Sophie thanked me for coming and mentioned that my roommate had asked her to make sure I didn't back out because I really needed a pick me up. The trip was something I didn't even know I needed but thankfully, everyone around me was really looking out for me. Again, I was reminded of just how lucky I am to be a part of such a wonderful program with great people in such a magnificent city. I can't wait to see what else lies ahead as I continue through the program from spontaneous day trips to new relationships. 

Talk soon,
Allie  

shameless Instagram plug: @allieclouse