The Final Entry: All Good Things Must Come To An End

10 December 2014

The Gang, Together One Last Time

It’s one in the morning, and I can’t sleep. Partly because my body hasn’t reset to “American time” but most likely because after a week of being back home, I still can’t wrap my mind around it. Last Wednesday, I was seeing my parents for the first time in over twenty weeks. Three hours later, I met my siblings and our overprotective dog. (I thought he was going to eat me at first but now we’re getting along quite well.) This week has been a blur of familiar faces and places and the start of getting back into the swing of my life at home. Still, there’s more to get used to than just driving on the right side of the road. 

Snorkeling in the
Great Barrier Reef!

So many people have come up and asked me about Australia and I’m afraid I’ve disappointed them. How can I relate the past 4.5 months in a 5 minute conversation? How can I recount movie nights at George Roberts, or tutoring every Wednesday, or the way I felt at home at Willows? How do I even begin to describe the sounds of what seems like thousands of different birds every morning, or listening to the echolocation of a flying fox, or seeing a wallaby in its natural habitat?  How do I tell someone about the hundreds of people I’ve met that I will never forget? Girl Unfolding has followed the most incredible five months of my entire life and I am deeply indebted to each and every one of you who has taken the time to read my blog. 

An American Thanksgiving,
Australian Style

Perhaps I’ve put off writing this last post because I didn’t want it all to end, but as the saying goes, “All good things must come to an end.” I am so blessed to have had this opportunity, and even more so to have family and friends to come back to in The States. What’s next? Who knows! Even so, I’m convinced that I’m not finished “unfolding” by a long shot! “No, this is not the beginning of a new chapter in my life; this is the beginning of a new book! That first book is already closed, ended, and tossed into the seas; this new book is newly opened, has just begun! Look, it is the first page! And it is a beautiful one!” ― C. JoyBell

Sincerely,

Girl Unfolding

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)

Day 130: Climbing An Impossible Hill, The Finale of Finals, And Why Not Finishing First Is Still Reason to Celebrate

22 November 2014

Halfway Up

“Finished last will always be better than did not finish, which always trumps did not start.” – Unknown

The Impossible Hill

Last Tuesday my friends convinced me to walk up the highest hill behind our college. (Don’t ask me why they call it a hill, it definitely fits the category for mountain in my opinion.) At first the climb was steep but not too exhausting, I mounted the first hill with ease. But as we rounded the second curve I could feel my body starting to protest. I had been up early that morning to study for a final exam and had had little to eat in the past 24 hours, I was beginning to feel the consequences of my choices. By the third crest I was experiencing back spasms, each step seemed an impossible task but I forced myself to put one foot in front of the other. As I silently berated myself for not being as fit as the others in the group, and feeling like an all-around failure, I finally realized, I was still going and that’s what mattered. Maybe they were a bit faster than I was, but we would all get to the top eventually. 

Sunset

I guess if there was one thing I could say I’ve learned in Australia, the culmination of all my growth over the past months, that story would just about narrate my entire journey. Before I left home I was used to finishing first, but as I look over the past five months I have learned to measure success not by the people in front of me, but by my personal best. Everything hasn’t come easy this semester. But though I felt I was climbing an impossible mountain at times, I am proud to say I made it. That same day I took my last final exam for the semester and after many breaks and pauses, and multiple sayings of, “You guys, go on, I’ll catch up,” I made it to the top of that impossible hill too. 

We Made It!!!

I’ve learned that sometimes in life you’re not going to be first but that’s no reason to give up. Surprisingly, not finishing first didn’t diminish the beauty of the hilltop, and not finishing as number one in all my classes hasn’t made me feel like I learned any less. For me, every grade, every moment I spend in Australia is precious because it was born not of IQ points and meticulously calculated plans, but of sweat, and tears, and out of many, many, MANY prayers. I may not be the smartest, fastest, put together Uni student in all of Australia, but maybe I don’t need to be. Maybe, just like with that crazy steep hill, I just need to continue to put one foot in front of the other. I need to stop gauging my success on the scales of others and fully embrace the person God has made and is slowly shaping me to be. That’s why I’m not proud to say that I finished first or last or third, but simply that I finished. That, in itself, is reason to celebrate.

Day 110: The Last Day of Classes, Red-bellied Snakes, and A Box of Chocolates

1 November 2014

Soccer Championship!

It's been a long time since I’ve updated this blog. Life has been busy with huge assignments and exams on the horizon. Actually, this was the last week of classes. We get a week off to study for finals, and then a two week period in which our exams could be scheduled.

Part of the Paluma Group!

In the order of news though, George Roberts, the dorm I currently stay in, won the championship soccer tournament! (GO GR!) I also spent last weekend up in the Australian rainforest. (Bet you didn’t know Australia had one of those) Perhaps the most exciting event of the weekend was when a group of friends and I encountered a red-bellied snake which is HIGHLY VENOMOUS. (That’s what the book said when we came back to check it. Of course, we didn’t know that at the time.) I have a huge fear of snakes, so when I saw it I took off running and the others followed suit. Imagine my despair when after five minutes of intense sprinting, I realized I had dropped my phone on the way from the snake. My brave friend Sophie went all the way back to save my phone

The dreaded snake

from the reptile and survived to tell the tale. (She's the one who took the picture, not me.) We saw the same kind of snake a little farther down the path, but that experience was a lot less exciting. We ran, and I didn’t forget my phone.

The Lookout!

Besides those encounters, the field trip was quite relaxing. The sound of crickets chirping and the wind blowing through the trees was the perfect way to relax from the stresses of the past few weeks. Now that I’m back though, life has hit full-on. Besides exams, I’m struck with the realization that I’m leaving in approximately a month. (Hence the new countdown on my blog!) THERE’S SO MUCH I STILL WANT TO DO/SEE! I need to climb Castle Hill, see Mt. Stuart, and snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef! I'm also not convinced that everything I've accumulated in the past few months will fit in my suitcase...

In the famous words of Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're

What a Gorgeous View

gonna get.” It’s still a bit shocking that somehow I survived three months 10,000 miles away and now it’s time to come home. How did it go by so slowly, and yet so quickly all at the same time? Sometimes, I ask myself, if I had the chance to do this all over again, would I make the same decisions? I mean, if I actually knew how hard this would be, or how homesick I would get, or how tough classes would be, would I have had the guts to still come? Then I think of all the people I’ve met because of this, and I realize how much I’ve grown. I have been blessed with the experience of a lifetime. I can’t tell you about the rest of the “chocolates" in my box, but I am truly grateful for this one.

Day 85: The Sydney Trip - One Big City, Two Young Ladies, and a Four Day Adventure

7 October 2014

For all of you anxiously awaiting my return from Sydney, we’re back! (Been here for like, a week now!) It was a wonderful trip, but we packed so much into it that I needed a couple of days to process it all! Here’s a recap of all things Sydney:

Welcome to Sydney!

Where we stayed
(Well, sort of, there's the sign! )

The plane ride down was pretty great. For both Kessia and I, this  was our first trip without our parents or really any adults in general (besides, I guess, ourselves) and we were determined to prove we could do this. Though, after wandering around Sydney for two hours looking for a bus stop with our GPS pretending to know where we were, it looked like we should’ve spent a bit more time planning. Thankfully, we finally made it to the hostel which was like nothing I had ever experienced! There were so many people and languages that it took some getting used to. But it was so cool to mingle with people from so many different cultures and countries. 

The next morning we planned to go to Hillsong church, which houses my favorite worship group, like, EVER. I was supposed to meet some friends there as well and was super excited. Imagine my

HILLSONG!!!

surprise when I found out that there was more than one Hillsong church in Sydney. The one I wanted to go to was an hour away! I was crushed, but determined to enjoy the service anyway. The singing was great, but when it was time for the sermon, it was broadcasted, from the other side of town! We literally watched a webcast! Now, I am as Baptist as they come, and watching a preacher on a screen on a Sunday morning is not how I was brought up. Headstrong me decided to go to the other side of Sydney for the 11am service and actually see the preacher. A bus ride later, I wound up at the other Hillsong church. When it was time for the sermon though, the preacher had gone to the church I had just left, so I watched a webcast, again! It was still a pretty great message, guess God wanted me to hear it twice. (And the experience was pretty hilarious when you think about it!)

The super endangered Cassowary
(Taronga Zoo)

After my two church services, Kessia and I met at the Skywalk, which is a really high building that you can walk around the outside of and see all of Sydney. I found out that I have a pretty big fear of heights, but the view was amazing. Sydney is so pretty looking down. Kessia had never been to an IMAX before, so we spent the evening watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at the “Biggest IMAX in the World” (They were definitely lying, Charlotte’s is bigger). All in all it was a great day, but it had too many hangups for my liking. If we were going to be in a huge city all by ourselves for two more days, we needed a plan, and a good one at that. 

A view of Sydney

After spending the night planning for the next day, Monday went perfectly! We visited the Sydney Opera House that morning, the Taronga Zoo for most of the day, and watched the sun set over the Botanical Gardens, right next to the Sydney Harbour. That night we had a “nice dinner” (Kessia’s suggestion, not mine) at a Malaysian restaurant called Mamak. It looked like we were finally getting good at traveling on our own. 

Our last day in Sydney found us at the “right” Hillsong church for their Leadership College's Open Day. The campus was gorgeous, I got to meet my friends and go backstage to one of the most influential churches in worship music. I was finally satisfied. We had done everything on the list. We had proved that we could conduct ourselves well in not only a foreign land, but a bustling city. (Starbucks and Krispy Kreme doughnuts weren’t bad rewards for coming all the way down to Sydney as well.) After shopping for souvenirs and finally finding our way back to the airport, we boarded the plane to take us “home” or at-least, as close as I’m going to get for the next 55 days. 

Sunset from the Harbour

Sydney is a fabulous city, but Townsville is more to my liking. I might be a bit biased, but out of all the places I could have chosen to spend a semester in Australia, I think I picked the best one. No, Townsville may not be home, but it’s definitely an acceptable substitute. 

Day 71: The Downhill Journey Begins (The Victory Post)

23 September 2014

Another Wallaby Sighting!

Today is finally “Hump Day,” the countdown officially reads 71 days since I came to Australia and 69 days until I come home. Now, that might not mean so much to you, but for me it's definitely a reason to celebrate! It means the uphill climb has finally finished and the downhill journey can commence. 

Touch with my Australian 
Church Family

I refuse to say that everything's been terrible for the past month. There’s been some good times, like random movie nights with my new friends, bible studies, church, and of course tutoring. One of my favorites was a weekend camping trip to Bluewater with my Australian church family. I got to help out with the kids' programs and learned how to play Touch. You’re probably better off asking Google what Touch is because I’m still not really sure myself. All I know is they used a football to play the match and it was a lot of fun! 

Kim came up for a Visit!

I’m also not going to lie and say that everything's been peachy keen either. In fact, the past few weeks have been some of the most grueling of my entire existence. I never knew learning a new way of studying could be so hard. Even the simple things like writing a paper have come with new rules and spelling guidelines. But I made it. Surprisingly, my favorite subject this semester has been Physics, and so far all my grades have been decent. It’s just a testimony to God’s grace and mercy throughout this entire journey. You see, if it had been up to me, I would have been home weeks ago. Somehow I’m still here and I can finally see the sun peeking out behind the clouds. The past few weeks have shown me that some things in life aren’t always fun, but they are always worth it in the end. I’m so glad I didn't give up when I reached my breaking point. 

Girls' Night Out

Now there’s so much to look forward to! My friend Kessia and I are spending four days of Lecture Recess in Sydney where we’ll go on a whirlwind trip sightseeing. There’s so much to do! The Sydney Harbour, Hillsong Church, The Sydney Opera House, the Zoo, the list goes on and on! Plus, this week marks only 22 more days of Uni and I am ready. Of course, each day brings me closer to my family and as the weeks go on, that sounds more and more inviting. 

Still Amazed at Australia's Beauty

I find myself humming, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and I can’t wait to finally be back in the States. I think the Wizard of Oz described it best — “No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. There is no place like home.” Not that my home is dreary and gray, actually it’s quite colorful, but I do agree with Baum that there is no place like home. No matter where I go, a huge chunk of my heart will always belong there. 

When I think back to my first days in Australia, I almost have to laugh. No, it hasn’t been a picnic, but it’s been an amazing ride. If this is what the first 71 days of my trip held, I can’t wait to see what wonders await the last 69. 

Day 58: Three Sentences

11 September 2014

I plan to update on my long absence soon, but this story I just had to blog! This is one of those moments I never want to forget. Sorry it's so long though!

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I think the first time I met Walter* while tutoring was about three weeks ago. When the teacher told me before he came in that he was one of the students I would be working with, I was excited. I have a cousin named Walter, he’s a nice kid, so I figured this would be easy. I was wrong. When Walter arrived, an Aboriginal student, he was about ten minutes late. The teacher told him to come sit by me in the front of the class which he refused. So, she gave him an ultimatum — Sit beside me (the tutor) in the front of the class, or go see the principal. He chose the principal. I felt a bit put out. I’ve never been thought of so negatively that a student would rather face disciplinary action than get help from me. Fine, I thought, have it your way. 

About thirty minutes later, Walter came back in the class. Hesitantly, I walked over to introduce myself and see if he was now willing to accept my help. When I got to his seat, I saw he was drawing the most amazing pictures. Clearing my throat, I spoke, “Cool picture, my brother likes to draw too.” No response. Okay, I thought, let’s try this again. “Hey, you want to do the assignment maybe?” 

“I don’t understand what we’re supposed to do.” 

Relieved, thinking, this is where I come in, I say, “Oh! I can help you, you know.” 

“No, that’s okay,” Walter replies going back to his drawing. 

Drat! This is not the way this was supposed to go. “I was a bit upset that you didn’t want to work with me today.”

No response.

“Well, if you ever want to work on the assignment, I’ll be right over here.”  

Walter's Paper

Returned with more silence. Like a rebuked puppy, I return to my seat. 

The next week was basically a repeat of the week before. The teacher didn’t ask me to work with Walter again. He came in twenty minutes late and I observed him from across the room. My mind was spinning. All the things I’ve studied about Aboriginal people came to mind, and I was afloat in a sea of facts, figures and procedures. I knew what he was doing because it’s a common response of many minority groups. When you feel you won’t do well on an assignment, you just don’t do it. That way someone can’t tell you how inadequate you are. I was all out of ideas. Yet another student I couldn’t help. 

This week began as a repeat of the week before. Walter came in ten minutes late, I wasn’t asked to help him, he sat in the back of the class like he did every week and drew his pictures. The students would laugh at one of his jokes every now and then, but basically he was ignored. In a sea of kids working on their English essays, there was Walter who chose to be different. Almost impulsively, I went over to his desk. “Hey.” 

No response.

“You know what would make me really happy? If you would write just one sentence.” 

He looked up, “That’s too hard.”

“No it’s not, all the sentence has to be about is the book we just read. Just tell me in one sentence what it was about. That’s all you have to do.”

“Didn’t read the book.”

“Okay, neither did I, but I’ve been here for the past couple of weeks and I feel like I know what it’s about, I’m sure you can guess.”

No response.

“One sentence Walter, just one," I plead as I go to help the other students.

When I come back to his desk twenty minutes later, there's a sentence! “The Chinese Cinderella is a story of a little girl brown as Adeline as she is unwanted by her family and is willing to fight for acceptance.” Not only was it a sentence, it was really good. I was overjoyed. I decided to push my good fortune: 

“That’s great Walter! Maybe you can write another one. This one’s easy too, just tell me about Adeline and another character in the story. Okay?”

“I don’t know anyone else in the story.”

“Yes you do. How about Niang?”

“Who’s Niang?”

“The evil stepmother, remember? She’s always really mean to Adeline. You’ve got this.” Taking a deep breath, I walk back to the others, but not before I hear him ask another student to explain who Niang is. (YES!) Twenty minutes later I come back to this: “Niang is the evil step mother of Adeline and has poor lack of positive communication between each other.” I was over the moon!

 "I’m so proud of you Walter!” The teacher comes over and is just as amazed as I am, "Good work Walter," she says, quite surprised at his effort. When she leaves, I give Walter a high-five. “That was weak,” I say, “Try again.” He hits my hand a second time. “Still wimpy, try one more time.” With the third hit I think I see a hint of the first smile I’ve ever gotten from Walter. 

“We have twenty more minutes of class. Can we write one more sentence?" I ask Walter before I have to leave again. "This one is just about how these two characters make you feel.” 
When I come back to his desk a few minutes later there’s another sentence! It seemed almost too good to be true! I jogged all the way across campus to get him a prize! This is definitely reward worthy. When I return, I hand him a pencil case full of markers. “So you can color your drawings.”  Though he shows no emotion, I know he likes them, when it's time to leave the class he won't get up because  he's too busy coloring!

 It was just three sentences, and for most ninth graders that’s nothing. But for me, three sentences made my entire day. I love what I get to do with my life when I leave Uni. When I think of how many moments like this I get to be part of as a future teacher, it makes all this studying worth it. 

*All names have been changed to protect the identity of the individual. 

Day 56: Guest Blog Post on UNCG Honors' Blog - There Be Dragons!

Hi Everyone!

Currently in Week 9 (out of 21) here in Townsville and JCU is in the midst of Mid-Terms. (More about that once I've finished all my assessments.) Anyways, I am so excited to inform you of my blog post for the UNCG Honors College! Our mascot is a Dragon so, Tim-Tam, (that's my dragon's name) got the chance to tell you all about our Study Abroad experience so far. Hope you enjoy it! LIHC Dragon Blog

Day 46: My Guest Post on the UNCG Study Abroad Blog!

30 August 2014

Hi Everyone!

Another wonderful week in Australia! I don't have a post up because I was too busy writing a post for the Study Abroad Blog for Education at UNCG! I am so honored to have been chosen to write for this blog and excited to share it with all of you. So please hop on over to: http://soe.uncg.edu/abroad/oh-places-youll-go/ 

Day 40: A Two-Week Recap & My Take on Serving Others

23 August 2014

It’s been about two weeks since my last post! (Where has the time gone?!) In the past fourteen days 

We Were Feeling Artistic @ Pallarenda!

so much has happened! Academically, I took my first quiz, completed my first two Physics Labs, wrote my first Biology paper, and  took my first Physics test. Monday, I’ll present my first group project. (Guess that’s why it’s called “Study Abroad” and not “Abroad Study,” can’t forget Uni!)

Still finding time to enjoy myself though. In the past two weeks I've gone swimming at River Way, Townsville’s “lagoon” swimming pool, been to Townsville’s Cultural Fest and tasted Torres Strait Islander food. Oh! And got lost for two hours with six other girls because the bus refused to stop for us on our way back home. (We got here though, just had to make a detour at

Townsville Cultural Fest

McDonald’s for 30 cent ice-cream first!) 

Friday we took a trip to the Pallarenda, which basically looks like our American beaches — very gray. Kessia refused to swim because it wasn’t “blue.” We got some great pictures out of it though! Plus I got to explain to one of the International Staff what food stamps and Welfare are. (Hopefully I got everything right!)

I love ending my weekend evenings at movie nights with my new friends.  Perhaps the most memorable one was last night when I asked my Australian friend Eva to show me the most American movie she had ever seen, and she pulled out “Sydney White,” a movie about sorority and fraternity wars. We have got to do better America!

River Way Lagoon

Volunteer-wise, I started tutoring through an organization called ARTIE, which helps Indigenous children succeed in school. It just happens to be at the biggest high school in Townsville. I’ve only gotten lost about twice at this point though!

This morning Kessia and I got up at 8am to work on the Neighbor to Neighbor initiative along with a couple of people from the bible study we go to. This organization helps elderly people keep up their homes. The guys did the outside stuff, but all these lovely Australians wanted us to do inside was wash their windows, dust their shelves, oh, and put a computer together, which Kes and I were able to do! (YES! Didn’t know we had it in us!) My favorite memory of the day was when the lady at the last house we did found out I was an American. She exclaimed, “You’re an American?! I haven’t seen one since the War!” It goes without saying that she was pretty happy to see me. 

The Strand

When I came to Australia I made a promise to myself to not just be a tourist. I didn’t want to just go to the attractions and see what Australia has to offer on just a visitor perspective. I wanted to give back, I wanted to visit the elderly, help the students, and learn about the Australia that you’ll never read about in a textbook or see in a movie. The same lady at the last house told us a story that has stuck with me all day:  “My mom used to work for an American once. One day there were about 52 orphans which the orphanage was taking to the beach. The American noticed them and asked who they were and where they were going, so my mother explained. Then the American told her to buy fish and chips for all the orphans and pack them into 52 little packets so each child could have one.”

New Places with New Friends

I think it’s pretty cool that this is what an elderly woman could remember about my country, and it made me feel so great to hear about my land caring for others. That’s what life’s about, no matter where you are, seeing the needy and helping out in any way you can. Even if it’s just a little packet of fish and chips for an orphan. This is what I’m determined to spend the rest of my life doing. Learning, and growing, and caring for others, no matter where I find myself. Because caring is the same no matter where you go. It’s the little things you know, that make the biggest difference. 

Day 25: The Day I Heard My Own Accent

9 August 2014

Bridge over the River @ JCU

Wednesday I heard my own accent for the first time. I can’t explain how you view yourself differently after such an experience. All my life I’ve grown up thinking that I was “normal” and everyone else spoke differently. Even when I came to Australia, I found it weird that everyone could always pick me out as an American, I just thought they were just really good guessers. But Wednesday evening at Bible Study that all changed. As I was reading a verse aloud, for the first time in nineteen years, my own voice didn’t sound familiar; it sounded foreign. 

The Scenery Here Is Breathtaking!

Ever since then my life seems different. For the the past few days I’ve viewed myself as a foreigner and it’s the weirdest thing ever. It leads me to questions like, who decides what is normal? And, why do people in one country do things one way and those in other countries do things totally different? And even more personally, Why do I do things the way I do? 

Sunset from my College on Campus

Danny Kaye once said, “To travel is to take a journey into yourself.”  It’s a wonderful thing to go searching for something exotic and international, only to find that you are the exotic and international one. That the way you speak is just as fascinating and enjoyable as listening to a British, Caribbean or even Australian accent. It’s like after nineteen years I’m just now discovering myself. I can only compare it to looking into a mirror all your life, and suddenly you see someone totally new. I admit it’s a bit freakish at first, but how exciting, how refreshing to find that the person you thought you knew best is more complicated and intricate than previously thought. 

Day 20: One Heart, Two Worlds

4 August 2014

My Favorite Study Spot

So, I finished my first week of Uni and started the second one! So far I’ve gotten to all my classes semi on time, watched “Frozen” at JCU’s Amphitheater, gone to countless bible studies and hosted numerous movie nights, roasted marshmallows and tasted Chinese “desert soup” and calamari. This weekend I went to a rugby game. (We won - 28 to 8, Go Cowboys!)  

Frozen!!!!

 My how times have changed since I first stepped foot in Australia.  Aussie accents seem normal, wallaby sightings are everyday life, and navigating JCU’s expansive campus is a breeze most days. (I still get lost occasionally.) Even my roommates don’t seem as daunting as they did a week ago. New friends seem like old friends, and somehow I’ve come to the realization that this is my life, and I actually like it. Something I never thought would happen. If you had told me a month ago that I would actually be okay in a country other than America (as some of you did) I wouldn’t have believed you. Yet, here I am, not even an entire month later, living on my own and it isn’t as terrible as I previously thought. Each day I miss my family more, but each day I love Australia a little more than I did the day before and I become more attached to the people I’ve built friendships with in the past few weeks. I wonder how it’ll be in 119 days to leave all this. 

Rugby Game

Now I know you’re saying, “Live in the moment, don’t think about it.” But the fact is, I’m not staying here forever. One day I get to go back home. The problem is that this has become home. Maybe not the one with my brothers and sisters or where I took my baby pictures. But this is home in the sense that it’s where I did a lot of growing up in a short amount of time. It’s where I put my faith to the test and found that God was big enough. It’s the place where I felt like I gave up my entire life to go and was rewarded more than I ever dreamed. I guess Miriam Adney was right, “You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart always will be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.” 

BonFires & Friends

But even if my life is about to go through major changes all over again in just a few short months, I know it’ll be okay. When the time comes I’ll be ready. The same God that got me to Australia is the same God that will help me transition back to America. Until then, I’ll enjoy the time I have in this amazing country and make enough memories to last a lifetime. 

Day 14: The Suite Mate Chronicles, My First Day of Classes, and a General Blog Post About Settling In

28 July 2014

The Suite Mate Chronicles

My suite mates finally arrived yesterday. It was a bit scary at first since I was preceding to take my official Sunday afternoon nap when I heard the front door open. At first I panicked just a bit: Should I go in there? Should I not? What if it’s NOT my suite mates? (Because you’re privileged to that information you already know that it was them.) So I went out and met Kierra, Ashley and Benjamin. Well, I haven’t exactly MET Benjamin yet, I’ve heard him and his door was opened a crack last night so I kind of ASSUMED it was him. (I guess it could not be him, but we won’t think about that possibility.) 

Momma & Baby Kangaroo On My Way To Campus

The trying part about being in a dorm with suite mates for me, is that they all already know each other and then, here I come not knowing anyone. I feel like the odd one out. There’s also the tiny factor that I’m living with complete and total strangers. (Who’s bright idea was dorm life anyways?) But as Cath from church told me today on our lunch date, maybe this is for a reason. At least I sure hope so. 

Some of My Organizational Tools

School today was pretty normal. I had my first Physics class this morning which actually wasn’t that bad. Teaching Culturally Diverse Classrooms is a really interesting class as well. I loved the readings we had for this week all about Australian Indigenous People Groups and the struggles that they have had and are still experiencing here in Queensland. Do you know that many Aborigine children come to school without knowing standard English? The Aboriginal History is a diverse one as I’m learning and I’m excited to learn more about Australia’s Natives. Plus the class doesn’t have lectures every week. (Big plus!) 

JCU Campus

Honestly, studying abroad is the hardest thing I've ever done. Way harder than I imagined it would be. But I am learning to pace myself. I’m used to always being busy, but when I start to miss home or get overwhelmed, I'm beginning to allow myself to rest instead of trying to just push through it. I’m realizing that it’s okay to miss home, it’s okay that things are hard. And each day I discover a pocket of determination and perseverance that I never knew I had. I am learning to trust God even when I can’t feel Him and to realize that I’m going to be okay; maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday. For now, that’s all the assurance I need.  

Day 10: Updates, What's Ahead, and My Take on the American Dream

24 July 2014

Food from the Dining Hall

So I haven’t written in a while because I’ve had a bit of writer’s block. I mean, yes, everything’s quite different from the Americas, but nothing has happened that’s been particularly interesting. I've just been living, learning, growing and doing. 

I’ve met a couple of new friends, one named Kessia (pronounced “que-sea-uh”) from Mauritius (an island off the coast of Madagascar, they speak French) she's pretty great. We went bowling and laser tagging on Tuesday with a bunch of students from Uni which was a lot of fun. Yesterday Kessia and I went to a Young Adult Bible Study hosted by my “Australian Church” as I like to call it. Church at this point has become such a comfort for me. It’s like everything is so different and new but Christ is the same, the Bible is the same, and that’s a great revelation. 

Bowling and Laser Tag

A majority of my time has been spent in orientation. I get to learn how to study, AGAIN. I’m thankful for the refresher, but I am so ready for classes to start next week! Looking at my syllabi, it looks like things will be a bit different from Uni at home. For starters, there aren’t as many assignments. Most of my classes have only four assignments but they are much bigger and worth much more of my grade. It seems Australians really value time management skills! I am quite excited for the new challenge. 

I've also noticed what I call the “American Dream Syndrome” everywhere I go. I mean, I love my country, but I never realized how high we put ourselves in terms of other nations. I’ll give you some examples:

• Our country code is #1, and Australia’s #61.
• Our websites are just .com, .org, etc. All Australian websites end in .au to differentiate between American websites.
• Americans primarily watch “American” TV shows. (ie American Ninja Warrior, American Idol, America’s Got Talent, etc). Australians watch the exact same shows! Television-wise American TV shows dominate. 

The Bird That Stole My Lunch Today

Before I left I had no idea why anyone could despise our country, after all, we welcome everyone. But as I pay close attention, it’s things like these that have started to bother me. None of these examples are terrible in themselves, but when you start to stack up the evidence, it begins to look pretty incriminating. One of my lecturers made a comment today, “America is the center of the Universe.” Although I know she was joking, she might not be far from the truth. In a society where we pride ourselves on being open-minded and over prejudices, have we raised a country in which we think we are better than everyone else? This is a very dangerous ideology as you can see throughout history. I need not remind you of the dictators of nations who tried to control the entire world. (I am not insinuating that we as a country are trying to take over the world or anything! Just thinking out loud!)  

I feel as a society, it’s important for us to visit other countries and to live with other nations. It opens our eyes to the fact that America isn’t the only country that has a lot to offer. It helps us to see past ourselves and to embrace the other thousands of places people live. 

Study other languages, read about other places, and GO! See how the other half of the world lives, you might actually like it. 

Day 6 ½ : Learning to Fly

I'll include a "real" post later. But please pray for my parents safe travel as they journey back to the States. 

22 July 2014

Mom and I Walking Home From Church

As a little girl my biggest fear was to get left somewhere by my parents. 
 Although I loved to venture out and explore, you best believe I learned to always have an eye out for my Mom and Dad no matter how much fun I was having. But today I let them leave me in a foreign country, with people I didn’t know a week ago, to study for 4 ½ months. And it’s scary! I’m terrified I’ll make a mistake, or come against a problem that I can’t fix myself. 

Dad Touching the Coral Sea for the First Time

But I guess that’s where faith comes in. Why would we need God if we would always have parents? And some of you are laughing at that analogy but whatever, I’m grieving at this point. 

They're All Packed and Ready to Go

Last night I was thinking,“How does the baby bird feel when he flies out of the nest for the first time?” I’ve 
never been a baby bird before, but I imagine it feels like he (or she!) is falling for the first couple of seconds. Then they realize birds were meant to leave the nest, birds were meant to fly. Right now I feel as if I’ve been pushed out of the nest. I’m in that period of feeling like I’m falling. But I realize it won’t last forever. How can I know if I was meant to soar until I try it.