With a Little Help From My Friends

Normally by this point on a trip, I would be counting down the days until I got to go home. Don’t get me wrong; I am missing my family, dogs, friends, and hometown very much. However, there is still so much I want to do and see in Sydney, Australia. Our group has already been through so much and seen many amazing spectacles in this beautiful city. All of the people on this trip have become so close to each other and are now some of my close friends. Without this trip, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet them and other amazing people in the city. The reality is, traveling to a foreign country has taught and shown me many things about myself and about the world. I want to learn as much as I can in order to create the best and most professional version of myself. In order to do that, I want to never say no to an opportunity that will teach me valuable lessons or situations where I can network and meet new people.

If I continue to live my life with this philosophy in mind, I think that I will be very happy and successful in the future. Even though I am a communications major, my internship is at an Advertisement agency. Despite the difference, I am using this experience to learn new things and expand my mind. We have about three weeks left until the end of our trip and I still have a lot of information to gain from my time here. It has been an amazing journey, but sadly it will be ending soon. Before I leave, I hope that I can continue to learn, grow, and help my friends/coworkers in any ways that I can. Without the help of those who made it possible for me to be here I would have missed out on one of the best trips of my life. If I did not have the professors that taught me here and the coworkers that helped me assimilate into the culture at Bashful, I would not have grown so much over the course of this trip. I am so thankful for all the people that have made this trip so special for me and all the friends I have made during my time here.         

Australian Tea

So anybody from the south should drink tea. At the very least we drink sweet tea but occasionally we channel our inner brit and whip up a cup of hot tea. Peppermint, green, breakfast or even lemon tea. At work there are different flavors of tea stashed everywhere in the office that anyone is welcome to. So one day I get a thing of peppermint tea and fill up the wizard of oz mug I found with water and put it in the microwave. When I came back approximately a minute and 45 seconds later my supervisor was waiting for me in the kitchen. Now, she is from England and makes tea at the office several times a day. So when she saw that I had the audacity to heat up my tea in the microwave, boy did I get an awakening. I got a full on, hilarious lecture about using an electric kettle to make a proper cup o tea and not the “s***” I was used to. 

She then poured out my original cup and made me a new one the proper way. THEN went into the main room and informed the whole office what the intern did. So it turned into about twenty minutes of jokes about tea and the whole office being in shock. We have learned over our time here that Australians cuss more freely than Americans, so I have censored the language. THEN the whole office told everyone they knew about the incident and so every five minutes for the rest of the day I was still getting picked on. (All in good fun, my coworkers are great, I was laughing the whole time).

As you can see, Australia is still treating me well! I have watched Furnace and the Fundamentals tear it up at The Soda Factory, explored Newtown, celebrated St Patty’s Day, walked on the whitest sand in the world, vibes at reggae Monday at Lansdowne and enjoyed ice cream and haunted houses at Luna park. Hard to believe that we have less than a month left Down Under and there is so much more I want to do. However, I have started my bucket list of things I miss from home that I am eager to start crossing off. MISS YOU MOM!

Cheers, 

Carson

Surfing in 'Straya

I had not planned on surfing being one of my excursions while in Australia. To be honest, the idea kind of scared me. I am not a very good swimmer and last time I participated in an adventures activity I broke some bones. But when the opportunity of surf camp came up, I could not say no. When else would I learn how to surf in Australia? So, I worked up the nerve to sign up and travel four hours to Bennelong Point for surf camp.

The first of many amazing experiences I had at surf camp was climbing out of the van and getting my breath taken away by the number of stars in the sky. The beach was far away from the city lights and was just a vast expansion of some of the brightest stars I have ever seen. Seeing and camping under the stars of the southern hemisphere was amazing. The campfire turned into a stargazing night where we learned all that we could about the new stars in front of our eyes.

Waking up and walking out of my tent in the morning and seeing three kangaroos laying outside was also incredible. Getting to pet a kangaroo is always a huge boost to your day. The wildlife at surf camp was probably my favorite part. Not only did we get to love on many kangaroos, we fed giant stingrays and got to surf with dolphins.

In addition to the wonderful wildlife, the scenery of Bennelong Point was unbelievable. We were right next to Jervis Bay, the whitest beach in the world. The beaches were very calming and beautiful. We also had the opportunity to swim in breathtaking rock pools.

Even though I was really nervous before our surfing lessons, it was all so worth it. It was fun to get out into the water and to try something that you have never tried before. It was incredibly difficult, but the feeling of finally standing on the board as a wave pushed you towards the sandy shore was magnificent.

I feel like I can do anything now. I am living in another country on the other side of the world, overcame a fear and finally stood up on a surfboard. It was such a fulfilling and amazing experience. Getting out of the busy city of Sydney, interacting with all of the wildlife and enjoying the nature of Australia revealed a new side of the Land Down Under. It was both a calming and exhilarating adventure that will stick with me as a travel back to the states.


Cheers,
Victoria

  

Real Life in Sydney

Exciting news: I finally feel like I've settled into just living like a regular human being in Australia.

Disappointing news: I only have three more weeks to feel like I'm living like a normal person and actually have my life together here. But hey, I'll take what I can get, I guess.

Even though I'm still doing cool stuff here in Sydney, both alone and with the rest of the group, like going to surf camp, Jervis Bay, Luna Park, etc., I feel like overall, I've settled down into the routine of regular day-to-day life. Instead of going on excursions every couple of days, I've started doing normal things like I would at home - going out with people from work, hanging out with Joe and Sarah and binge-playing 48 races of Mario Kart until 2 am, watching Netflix with Sophie, going out to dinner and milkshakes with Liza and Cheyenne and JJ, and just...hanging out and taking some time for myself every once in a while. And it's been really nice.

At the beginning of the trip, I honestly felt kind of exhausted constantly. I loved getting to see everything in Sydney and getting to know everyone in the group better, but going to different excursions every weekend, even during the week sometimes, and being so excited to be in Sydney that we tried to do everything all the time was pretty draining, and I'm thankful that at this point, we've seen most of the touristy stuff, so it's totally acceptable to just come home and play video games and only go out once or twice a week without feeling like I'm missing out on what Australia has to offer.

As the rest of our trip continues and I try to wrap my brain fully around the idea that I will be home in three weeks (that's insane!), I'm really excited to keep hanging out with the friends that I've made here through the program and work and live a semi-normal, non-touristy life in Sydney, Australia. The past month or so has definitely been my favorite of the trip because being here is finally feeling normal and I've managed to fall in love with the feeling of Australian city life.

Pregnant Pause

Time is a weird thing that probably doesn't exist. 

Jesus Christ, Joe, shut up about time already. 

I WILL NOT! 

Time IS weird! It lives in this paradoxical thing where we always perceive it as moving forward-

"Unless you're at the DMV!"

~I dunno, Bill Maher, probably

-yet it's only a construct of human perception (see: Denis Villeneuve's Arrival). Even so, our perception, or at least MY perception, only goes so far. For me, it only nominally extends to Australia.

God, are you done? 

Not even close.

For me, it seems like time only moves forward around me and the greater Sydney area. As far as I'm concerned, everyone back in Tennessee lives in a sort of temporal Jello, floating around until I can grace them with my presence and bring that missing spark back into their lives. But again,

That's just perception.

Things are happening back home, despite their joie de vivre being across the galaxy globe. In some cases, nothing's going to change that much. I'll dust off my PS4, re-indent my couch, and pull my car out of the garage (unless somebody moved it, in which case, I will fly off the handle and no longer be responsible for my actions). But other things are going to have already changed.

For one, my sister's pregnant. I knew this before I left, but now she's showing and this kid won't stop kicking, apparently. 

It's weird.

It's weird for a lot of reasons, but most relevant, it's weird because that's such a dramatic change from January. When I get back, she'll be one month out from the due date.




Things aren't always in Jello.

Three Weeks Left To Go

Another week down, only three more left of the program and only five weeks left in Australia. I can’t believe how fast this time has gone by. It feels like we just arrived in Sydney yesterday but in reality, my flight home is closer now more than ever. Part of me is super excited to go home and see my family and friends, return back to normal life. The other part doesn’t want to leave Australia behind just yet because there is still so much to do. I still have so much I’d like to see in Sydney and the pressure is on now since I only have three weeks left.

So much has happened in the last few weeks. My weekends have been filled with adventures, from going to Surf Camp to traveling to Jervis Bay for a day to seeing an amazing band at Soda Factory and plenty of laughs. Like I’ve probably said before in these posts, I didn’t have a plan of what do to or what to see coming here and I’m so happy I didn’t because this has allowed me the freedom to just go with the flow. I have seen so much more than what I expected. I got to go to Surf Camp for a weekend where I fed kangaroos, got to pet stingrays, learned how to surf and actually caught a few waves. I got to go to Luna Park where I had an amazing time laughing on the rides. Honestly, Surf Camp was one of the best experiences I’ve had. I also got to go to Catmosphere, a cat café where for an hour I got to enjoy a chilled coffee and be surrounded by cats. I got to see one of the whitest beaches in the world at Jervis Bay, while being a part of our groups shenanigans. I’ve grown closer with friends that I wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t had joined this program. Throughout this entire experience I have been open to going with the flow and saying yes to experiences that I wouldn’t have had if I had stayed home.  

However, with each passing day, I feel a pressure to go out and do more, because who knows when I'll come back to Australia. I still want to go kayaking in the harbour, see some of the museums and check off more on my bucket list. I already can't wait to go to the Great Barrier Reef in a few weeks and to visit family after the program ends. It's funny how at the beginning of the program, we felt like we had so much time to go and do stuff, but now the end of the program is looming above us and there's still so much to do and see. 

My internship has been an interesting experience to say the least. It hasn’t been what I expected at any point. There is definitely never a dull moment at work and I definitely feel that it has helped me to improve my journalism skills. Coming into the internship I thought my time management skills were good, but after writing for Altmedia, I have learned how to better meet deadlines for articles and for other projects. I also feel that I have improved my writing skills, so that I am writing more “punchy” leading lines and more relevant stories. I’ve also learned more about my local community, how to research areas and then how to communicate with local businesses to try and get them to promote with us. I now have three weeks left of the internship and time is just flying by. Hopefully by the end of the next three weeks, I will have improved all my skills and reached my goals that I have set for this internship. Don’t get me wrong, it has been quite difficult adjusting to the cultural differences at the internship. I have felt super frustrated at times and confused, but it has taught me so much and I appreciate the opportunity so much.

So, with only three weeks left of the program, and five weeks left in Australia, I plan on enjoying every single day and making the most of them.

That’s all for now.

Cheers,

Gabi

Leaving home to go home

Here we are, a little less than a month away from saying goodbye to Australia.

People have stopped asking what it's like. People have adjusted to my being here. I mean, of course they have. I basically live here now. I say 'no worries', 'chuck it in', 'uni' etc.

It feels strange that my first grown-up, independent life experience happened in a foreign country across the world in a landscape wildly different from the one in which I grew up. I realise how fortunate I am to have brought both my best friend and my boyfriend, as well as some friends I've made through my journey at American uni, yet it still is the most isolated from my normal life I have ever been. 

The things that I miss that I knew I would miss: 

My mom's pancakes

My dogs

My friends

My Appalachian Mountains

The things that I did NOT know I would miss but do:

My dad's whistling

My cats (like, a lot)

My JC Menchie's

My regional music (yeah, I miss country music. Who'd have thought?)

My weekly contra dancing

My late night (and middle of the day and early morning) trips to Waffle House

I guess I thought that after three months, I would have gotten used to living in Australia, and maybe if I stayed here indefinitely, I would. As it is though, I am so grateful to have had this experience because it made me appreciate all the really little things that seemed part of every day life. 

I am ready to fully cherish the moments I have left and even more ready to go home and take advantage of all the wonderful things I have in my life. 

To GO or Not to GO

**To any current or future college student, this blog is for you.

Opportunity is a funny thing. Sometimes, it comes when we least expect it. Like a missed shot by your opponent in pool. You may not have expected the person you are playing to miss (unless you are playing me), but they did and now you have an opportunity that you did not expect to have. So what do you do? You take that opportunity and make it yours.

Other times we expect for opportunity to be ahead. Like an extra credit assignment that you are expecting the the professor to announce soon. You know the opportunity is coming, but you are just waiting to see exactly what it is. And what happens when he or she informs the class? You take that opportunity, and you make it yours.

I am coming up on the final days of an opportunity that I have made my own. With just 23 days left to go here in Sydney, I can without a doubt in my mind say that this has been an experience and an opportunity of a lifetime. I have learned so much about the world, the people who call it home, and myself in general. It's tough to fully describe the experience as a whole since I am not quite through with it yet, but when I make it back to the States in a couple of weeks, I'll make sure to sit down with another blog and give everyone a full wrap up of this experience. However, I am ready to give some advice. So here it goes.

College is such a transformative time. It's constantly a barrage of new faces, new places, and new things going on. But just like anything, we find a way to find our comfort in our college experience. Easy Chick-Fla trips. Free and unlimited wifi. A car nearby to go anywhere at a snap of a finger.

And there is nothing wrong with those things. Believe me, if I could hop in my car right now and head to Chick-fla I would. But what is the challenge in that? It'd be easy, normal, and routine to do something like that. But what about hopping on a train to find this Portuguese chicken place that you keep hearing locals talk about? Or how about hopping off the wifi for a little bit and heading to the local market to see what awesome stuff that people from all different cultures have brought in?

So to the current or future college student, my advice to you is pretty simple. College teaches you so much in the short four years spent in undergrad. But one semester studying abroad can show you so, so much. Going abroad challenges you to step out of that comfort zone like a semester at home just can't simulate. You learn how to communicate cross-culturally in ways that you didn't think you could, even in predominately English speaking countries. Trust me, Aussies are hard to understand at first.

You learn how to work differently abroad. Expectations are very different in the workplace, in the classroom, and in other things as well. And you know what, that's alright. It's a challenge most assuredly, but why not embrace it? My Australian history class might possibly be the hardest collegiate course I have ever had. And I am probably not going to need Australian history at all in my work field. But I am a better student because of those expectations being challenged in the classroom. Just as I am a better worker for my expectancies being challenged in my first five weeks with the Sydney Blue Sox.

And lastly, you learn how to live differently abroad. No short five minute drives to Chick-fla. American food isn't sitting at every corner like at home. Grocery shopping is different. Living spaces are different. To be honest, 90 percent of the things that are familiar at home are different. But guess what? That's the fun part.

So when I said that advice was simple, I really meant that. So to the current or future college student, here is my advice. GO. Go for it. Embrace the challenge. Spend a semester or even a mini-term doing things differently. Because you know what, different experiences are just fine. And that's what new places, new things, and new people give you. So when that opportunity comes, don't let it run by.

GO

Cheers,

Jonathan

**By the way did I mention that you get to see views like this?

Queen of the Rally

About a month before I got on a plane to come to Sydney, I decided that my motto for the trip was going to be "say yes!" This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I didn’t want to turn anything down. So far, it’s been a killer strategy.

But it got seriously tested this past weekend.

Picture this: I collapse into bed at midnight on Saturday (or Sunday morning, if you prefer) and think “Gosh, why am I so tired?”

Then I realize, oh, it’s because I’ve only slept about four hours since Thursday morning.

Let me explain how this happened. Every Thursday night, a lot of our group goes out. Since Thursday is our Friday, it’s a great night to live it up and de-stress from the week. Everyone was going to Ivy, a giant club that is probably the bane of humanity but also kind of fun.

Here’s the thing. Thursday isn’t my Friday. I actually work Tuesday to Friday, so I have an alarm that goes off at 7:20 Friday morning.

But I went out anyways, because I wanted to say yes and be a part of the family. And guess what? I had a great time.

Friday morning dawns, and I’m so tired. But I’m still breathing, so I go to work and have a productive day.

For Friday night, I had two options. The whole group was planning to go to Luna Park, something we’ve been meaning to do forever. No way I was missing that! Creepy carnivals are my aesthetic.

So I could go to Luna Park until it closed at 10, then go home and go to bed like a human. BUT I’d been invited to a party in North Sydney that same night. I wanted to go, because it seemed like a rare opportunity to attend a party in a city where I barely knew anyone.

The only issue was that I was also planning to wake up at 4:30 the next morning for a trip to Jarvis Bay.

I was running on a solid three hours of shut-eye. I decided, like a maniac, to just say yes.

Luna Park was magical. The party was a cultural experience. I collapsed into bed at about 3 a.m.

My alarm rang at 4:20 Saturday morning, and I thought, “No way. I can’t do it. I can’t get up.”

But the white sands of Hyams Beach were calling, and my motto rang in my ears (along with my alarm): say yes!

I rallied, and our day in Jarvis Bay was a dream. It was one of the most gorgeous beaches I had ever seen.

At the end of our four-hour trip back to Sydney, I was practically salivating at the thought of my bed. We get into Urbanest, and I’m apprehended by my friend Allie.

I’m so tired I can barely comprehend what she’s saying to me. Saturday night. Newtown. $15 cocktail jugs.

“No way,” the logical side of me says.

“Say yes!” the maniac screamed.

An hour later, I’m sitting in Newtown Hotel nearly crying from laughter. It was one of the most fun, low-key nights out I’ve had in Sydney.

Lying in bed that night, I was tired down to my bones. But I considered what I had done over the three bleary-eyed days I had just lived through.

The images that played in my brain as I fell asleep were of the view of the Sydney Harbour from the top of the Luna Park Ferris Wheel; a whole group of my new friends doubled over with laughter as we headed out to Ivy; the view of the Opera House from a stranger’s home in North Sydney; the sun reflecting off the whitest sand I’d ever seen; a lively Newtown bar full of prime people-watching fodder.

I slept until 1 p.m. on Sunday with a smile on my face. But you know the thing about sleep? I can catch up on it anywhere. All the things I dream about are things I can only do here.

I’m grateful that I rallied, that I listened to the maniac.

I’m glad I said yes.

Three weeks to go! Thanks for reading,

Sophie 

Three More

As I sit here writing this blog post there are currently three more.

Three more what? You might ask.

Three more weeks left in the place that I have called home for the past three months.  Three more weekends left in my "endless" adventure traveling as a 20 year old.  Three more times I can go to Glebe, my favorite market in all of Sydney.  Three more Fridays I can spend dancing with my friends.  Three more weeks of my internship and commute as a local.  Three more weeks until this trip becomes a unforgettable memory.

I am not trying to make this blog post sad or to make home come faster, but simply to reminisce on the past three months.  This trip to Australia has been everything I could have asked for.  It has been unexpected, exciting, hilarious, bitter sweet but mostly unforgettable.  For everything in your life there will always be an end.  But to the end of something comes a memory, one that can be beautifully engraved in your mind for a lifetime.  Looking back, to say that I have followed and completed a dream of mine at 20 years old is something most people cannot say they have done.  I have laughed harder than I ever have trying to canyon down a mountain in New Zealand.  I have sung Rocky Top at the top of my lungs in a van on the way to the Royal National Park, when I found out the Vols were SEC Champs.  I have eaten way to many Tim Tams and binge watched Married at First Sight with people I can call forever friends.  I have been a part of the amazing Ukulele song a few of us made up one late night in the apartment.  All of these things probably mean little to the people reading this now but these are the little memories I will never forget.

So what am I gonna do for these last three weeks? Live it up for as long as I can.  Travel to the Great Barrier Reef.  Celebrate Christina's 21st birthday.  Go on a wine tour.  Take a yoga class in The Grounds.  See a ballet at the Opera House.  Spend way too many nights enjoying my beautiful home.  Spend Easter with everyone cooking for our highly anticipated pot luck (wish all of us cooking good luck).  Honestly just take in these last three weeks and make them the best three.

So here's to three more, may they be the best yet.

Cheers,
Katelyn

Wings and Deep Thoughts

Isn't it weird how every human is just a small piece of this vast and vibrant planet we live on? Some people make serious impacts for the world and others go through life unnoticed. It is such an interesting concept to me that I seem to always come back to. Will you live your life unnoticed or contribute to society in amazing ways? I just want you to resonate on that for a second and genuinely think about it.

Cal, JJ, Katelyn, and I went to have wings last Wednesday together. Typical American idea, but it was one of my favorite nights in Oz. We got to talking about humans, Earth, politics, issues in America, life, modern conspiracies, space, and everything in between. Yes, we have one major thing in common - we are all Americans. But at the end of the day, it was just four people having a mature conversation about pressing issues and similar viewpoints. We were all bouncing off of each other with these elaborate ideas and thoughts while eating American style wings....need I say more.

Furthermore, it makes me so sad when people tell me they will most likely never make it to Australia or this side of the world during their lifetime. I realize it is a long flight, but it is so worth it. You only get one life people.

Shameless plug: Explore new places. Experience new cultures. Meet new people. Create new friendships. Make new memories. Live your life to the fullest.

I know I sound like a pathetic motivational speaker right now, but being just comfortable around the people I am used to is not the life I want to live. Yes, I love my family and friends back at home and miss them dearly. However, there is a unique, sudden rush when you step off a plane into a new country...having no idea what to expect except that you are immensely excited to be there. For example, when I traveled to New Zealand for my week long holiday in February we stepped off the plane without a definite plan of what we were doing the whole week. This is so unlike me. I usually have a plan for everything. I mean right now I want to pursue a career in corporate event planning if that doesn't explain it enough. One of the major things I have learned here in Australia and especially from my trip to NZ is to enjoy the unplanned parts of life. These parts of life are definitely the most memorable. If you plan out everything, then what do you have to look forward to? The answer is nothing, and let me tell you it took me awhile to figure this out. It is so true though. If we went to NZ with a full itinerary then we wouldn't have experienced having nowhere to stay the second night and having zero wifi almost all week. Furthermore, I will never be able to put into words how much I loved New Zealand. The landscape is beyond unique, the people are so nice, and the best coffee I have ever had was in Te Anau. I will be back to visit the Kiwis very soon!

I believe my subpar motivational skills can resonate for any age, but for me, I instantly think about my four precious, younger cousins. They mean the world to me, and I want them to know there's so much more out there for them to explore and do. No offense to my amazing family, but we are not exactly what you would call avid world travelers. Our family vacations are always in the States or the Western Hemisphere (which do have beautiful places and people). However, we shouldn't discriminate against the Eastern Hemisphere fam!!!!! I already know my friends and family are going to have to tell me to shut up about Australia and New Zealand once I get home.

I don't want to leave Oz at all. I want everyone to come to me (no shame in being a little selfish).
Here's to my next adventure wherever that may be! I am already excited about it.

Cheers,
Cheyenne

Surf's Up

Surf camp this past weekend was one of the best experiences I’ve had during my time in Australia.

Australian Surf Tours picked myself and nine other UT students up from Central Station and we traveled about 4 hours south of Sydney to Bendalong Point. When we arrived the sky was pitch black and we were greeted with the most stars I’ve ever seen in my life.

When I say surf camp, I actually mean the camping part. We slept on cots in tents for two nights and embraced the nature that was around us. We even had a campfire on the beach one night.

Our weekend included three, two hour surf lessons with awesome instructors. I knew surfing would be hard, but I’m pretty athletic and figured I’d get the hang of it quickly. Boy was I wrong. I couldn’t stand on the board until the second session, and I didn’t ride a wave until the third. Major props to professional surfers because it’s a lot harder than it looks.

Interacting with the wildlife was the highlight of the trip for me.

When I was younger I envisioned kangaroos to be everywhere in Australia. Kind of like squirrels in America. To my dismay, when I arrived in Sydney the closest place I could find a kangaroo was at Taronga Zoo. Sydney is like the New York of Australia, and if you want to interact with wildlife, you have to take a trip along the coast a few hours.

Bendalong is far enough from the city to be vibrant with wildlife. We practically shared a campsite with kangaroos. We fed them sunflower seeds and pet the ones who seemed friendly. We also got to feed stingrays that afternoon.

One of the best parts of the trip was being away from my phone for a whole weekend. With the exception of updating my mom, I tried to stay off my phone as much as possible. I have been spending so much time on my phone and the internet recently due to my internship, so I knew a weekend fully immersed in nature would be exactly what I needed to recharge.

After the weekend I’m nowhere near being a pro surfer, but I’ve gained a new interest. If I ever find myself living in a city close to a beach, I hope to improve my skills and pick up a new hobby.

All the Light We Are Yet to See

I can honestly say that I emerged from my week in New Zealand as a new version of myself. Constant action such as bungee jumping (twice), seeing the eighth Wonder of the World with my very own eyes, and driving the entire length of the South Island kept me on my toes and in such awe for the entire duration of my stay, however it wasn't until I took a glimpse into the most secret place I have ever experienced in my life that I truly fell in love with everything around me in such a passionate way.

When we decided to tour the famous glow worm caves in Te Anau, I was excited, but it was a snap decision and I did not know what to expect. We went on the night tour at 9:30 pm, so I was also a bit tired when we headed out on the boat to the caves. Immediately upon my arrival to the welcome centre, I could feel such a stillness and peace in the air that made me ever so eager to discover what was next. 

As soon as I was led into the caves, I was rendered absolutely speechless. It was as if I had walked into a time machine, millions of years back to the beginning go the formation of this incredible part of nature that was the cave. We had to be strictly silence, and no electronics were allowed, which made this even more special. It was such a raw experience like no other I have ever had.

My astonishment became intensified even further when we took a boat further into the darkest part of the cave, where the glow worms reside. It was absolutely silent, and I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face. What I could see, however, were constellations of lights from the worms above and beside me. How small these creatures are, but how small I was in their effervescent presence! I have never felt so finely tuned and integrated in nature before in my life, and it was honestly so euphoric.  It's the greatest show on Earth, and it's tucked away in a little cave in New Zealand, millions of years old, that I was lucky enough to stumble upon. 

Every second in New Zealand brought something truly beautiful into light for me, and I can't wait to be back again someday.

Until next time,

Christina 





In case you want to watch us bungee jump!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbG7yLFKW2c&t=168s

My Own Boss?

I work with a vet clinic in Sydney. The clinic has created a charity called Project Hope that raises money to help out homeless people's pets. I was brought on the team to take full charge of the charity because no one here has time to deal with it. Everyone that works here is either a vet, vet assistant, or a receptionist (and one person that manages finances). So although I was initially brought on just to manage Project Hope, it turns out they want me to do all marketing, promoting, advertising, writing, and anything else you can think of. When I got here on the first day, the head doctor and owner of the clinic sat me down and threw a TON of ideas at me. Things that he'd been thinking would be a good idea to do for the clinic and for Project Hope but he just has no time to work with them. So, he gave me a bunch of ideas, and left me to run with it.

So here I am, wrapping up week two of interning in Australia, left to my own devices on how to fundraise and how to promote the clinic. But I'd say I'm doing pretty well. I met with the owner of a local pub and I'm in the process of organising a fundraising event (going to be held on April 8th if any of you readers want to fly over here and attend) and I am also creating a new system for the clinic to get more reviews. I've had to be a serious self starter because I don't have any set tasks or deadlines. Setting goals for myself has been so important in keeping myself on track and attaining tangible results. 

Being in charge of myself can be intimidating because this is a huge world with so many options and opportunities for expansion. However, it can also be really thrilling because I am not limited by set tasks.