Day 1: Who's Bright Idea Was This Anyway?

We made it safely to Australia in case you were wondering. Sorry, last night we were so tired it was all I could do just to function much less blog. It’s amazing to think that I got here yesterday. So much has changed in just 24 hours! Just two days ago I had never been out of the country, now I’ve been to two! But let’s go back to the beginning…

16 July 2014

Day 1: Who’s Bright Idea Was This Anyway?

So yesterday, our plane was delayed a couple of hours but we finally got here after two days of extreme traveling. I loved looking down on the clouds and seeing all the tiny cities. If anything, this trip has convinced me that the world is HUGE! And I only got to see half of it! The international flights were amazing! Flying international is the way to travel; movies galore and awesome airline food, that was the highlight of my trip.

View from the Airplane on Our Way to Townsville

On the plane ride to Townsville I watched as the city of Brisbane faded and we traveled north. As our ride drew to a close, the pilot announced that we would touch down soon. Only for me, there was one problem, we were in the middle of NOWHERE. Like, literally, there was nothing out there but trees, dirt, and mountains, which, if you never realized, is just large heaps of more dirt. But finally I saw a city! I was appreciative that I wouldn’t be living with the kangaroos, but in the back of my head I knew there was no way out. We were surrounded by wilderness on three sides and an ocean on the other, great. 

When we arrived at our final destination, so jet-lagged we were like zombies, I got my room key and walked to my dorm excited  about a new place and…. Everything was concrete, daunting and plain. Not only that but it looked like I was at a summer camp! Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE camp, but not for 4 ½ months! This would not do. The entire campus is quite outdoorsy, and though I consider myself an outside type of person, I like to GO outdoors, not STAY outdoors. Plus, every time you attempt to turn on a light-switch the light sounds like it’s about to explode! I was crushed, 4 ½ months in a dump? A 22 hour plane ride for nothing? What had I signed myself up for?

I tried to cheer up as we finished our tour of the dorms. I walked back to my dorm and put the pictures I had brought of my friends and family up and made my bed. Although it wasn’t much, it was a definite improvement. Feeling somewhat better I decided we’d go to dinner. We walked to the cafeteria to get some dinner and I was sorely disappointed. This cafeteria is nothing like the college cafeteria I’m used to at home. Gone were all the choices, here, we had two, and one of them was lamb! By this point I was on the verge of tears. I was tired, there was nothing I wanted to eat, I was in a strange country with strange sounds and animals I’m quite sure would swallow me alive, my wifi password wouldn’t work and I was supposed to stay here, all alone and STUDY? I was ready to get on the next plane home. 

My dad and I went out to explore the rest of the campus and found a store called Woolworths. Now Woolworth's is something Uni has that my old college doesn’t. It's like a full-service grocery store in the middle of campus! Plus they have free wifi! Things were starting to look up. Well, until we walked back to my dorm. It was so dark outside I knew I wouldn’t be coming out alone anytime soon. I don’t know which I was more afraid of, a human messing with me or something else! I vowed to always bring a flashlight with me. ALWAYS. 

Heavy hearted and disappointed I took a shower and went to bed. (Correction: I fell asleep as soon as I touched the bed, got up a couple of hours later, took a shower and went back to sleep,) hoping maybe tomorrow things would be better. 

To be continued...