"Dear Australian Blue Mountains: I love you"

An update on my new apartment and roommates will be soon, but after returning from an amazing day in the Mountains I absolutely must spout about my time. The day was long and exhausting, but hands down my favorite day in Australia thus far. Alexis and I met at Central Station at 7:45am and caught the 8:15 train to the Blue Mountains. Sydney’s City Rail has set up a great deal for a 2 way ticket to the Blue Mountains plus an unlimited on and off pass for the tour bus that travels around the town of Katoomba. I only spent a small amount of time in Katoomba before our bus tour, but the small-town in the mountains reminded me of Boone and warmed my heart. There we ate brunch at an amazing coffee shop where we each had a pot of tea and a giant meal. It was absolutely exquisite and perfect before the long day we had ahead of us.

On the train- excited to see green and not buildings.

Epic breakfast

Alexis!

We then hopped on the double-decker bus (on the top level, of course) and headed to our first stop at Scenic World. Silly name, but freaking cool. The first part was a ride across the valley in a gondola-esque Skyway train. Inside the Skyway was a glass bottom floor to re-emphasize how high we were. Alexis was such a champ despite her fear of heights.

We had the top floor of the tour bus to ourselves. Such tourists!

A nice overlook before getting on the Skyway.


Glass Floor!

At the other side of the valley we got another gondola down into the basin. From there we went on a nice hike on their wood-covered path through the bush. The vegetation was incredibly beautiful and reminded me a lot of the rainforests of Costa Rica. On our bushwalk we learned about the coal-mining hayday of the Australian Blue Mountains. Because it is now a national forest, most mining remains have been removed, but there were some remnants left for the enjoyment of tourists like me. We got to see into one of the mines as well as a recreated coal-miner’s hut. At the end of our hour-long hike we made our way out of the valley on the steepest railway in the world, named the “Mountain Devil.”
I was surprised at how much fun I had at Scenic World, but it might just be the fact that I was itching to leave the city and the first sight of Mountains made me feel more at home than I’ve felt since I’ve been in Australia. It’s funny to me that I have become such a mountain girl, because as a kid I would hate it when we had to go on our day trips to the mountains when all I wanted to do was go the other direction to the ocean. Now, here I am 30 minutes from the beach and I would rather take a 2-hour train ride to see the mountainous skyline.

"Mary's Lookout"- For you, mom!

Beginning of the ride down...

...Descending...

...At the bottom looking back.

Miner's cabin.
(You can see me in the window waving!)

Natural spring with delicious water.

View from the Railroad as we creep backwards up the mountain.

Riding the train. Alexis afraid of heights? It doesn't look like it!

So before the big red bus came to scoop us and carry us to the next stop, Alexis and I took a brief afternoon break to enjoy the sun and a tall cone of gelato. I can’t explain the draw that Australia has on me that causes me to crave ice cream, but this day was the worst I had ever had. I’m not usually a sweet-toothed girl, but I think the hot sun mixed with a bushwalk made the ice cream look ever so enticing. There was no way to say no to this cone either- it was the cheapest I had seen in Australia thus far.

This is the exact reason I gave up ice cream for lent.

Next stop was at the 3-Sisters where a few options for hiking are given to the tourists. Being the risk-takers that we are, Alexis and I opted for the toughest hike possible. The name “The Great Stairway” is a bit intimidating, but Great doesn’t begin to describe the staircase that we attempted to conquer. I think “Crazy-ridiculous Stairway” might be more fitting. Alexis and I huff and puffed down about ¾ of the mountain-side stairway before we realized that there was another bus to catch within the half-hour and going up was going to be a lot more strenuous than our descent. We made it back to the top alive and literally sprinted to catch the bus. Exhaustion overwhelmed us but we still attempted another hike at the next bus stop. The signage was a bit unclear and we weren’t about to blaze our own trail through the Australian bush, so we succumbed to our fatigue and took the bus to the next town, Leura.
Leura= candy store + cute jewelry + great vintage shop.

The 3-Sisters.

The Crazy-Ridiculous Stairway

The rock on the right is one of the 3-Sisters. From here the staircase began.

We (kind of) conquered the staircase!!!

It was a really wonderful day and much needed for Alexis and I as we both had our Missing-Boone Blues. I tried to capture the beauty that the Blue Mountains hold, but there is not a camera in the world that can accurately summarize their splendor.

Aussie Adventures: Lynch style

Living at the Lynches has been the greatest 3 days since my arrival down under. They have done so much to help us get settled and feel more at home in this new country. Not only have they made life easier but also more fun! I've made a new best friend and he's the cutest boy I've ever seen. I've got a crush... His name is Austin Lynch and he is three and a half.

Here he is at his best! Austin was super shy when we first met but he's since opened up and let me be his friend. I've connected well with a handful of kids in my life, but Austin is the first that I immediately fell in love with. Living with him and getting to play outside together, go on trips around Sydney sitting beside each other, and help his mother care for him has made me feel extra connected to him. He couldn't remember my name for the longest time, but when searching for me he would ask his mom, "Mum, whays dat biggah big gurl?" because I'm taller than Lauren. He's got the most adorable lisp mixed with an aussie accent. I am so tempted to spend all my time in Sydney babysitting him instead of at the University of Sydney. Because of my love for him and his parents amazing hospitality, I've offered my free babysitting services to let Teresa and Ian go out for date nights or a mom's day out for Teresa when Ian is away on business. They totally deserve it and I can't wait to spend more time with big man (the nickname I gave him after I accidentally called him "little-man" and he responded with- "Im not lyttle, I'm a big mayn!").

Isn't he lovely?


Austin would steal my camera any time that I would have it out in the car, so here are a few shots from his two photo sessions. I just love the point of view of a 3.5 year old...

Some authentic Aussie experiences while under the Lynch family care were: a day at Manly Beach, the Sydney Fish Market (with a first taste of oysters and fried octopus), Bundaberg Rum (Dark & Stormies and Bundy & Coke), Victoria Bitter, Vegemite, and a big night out at the Mounties Cassino-club including slots, drinks, big-screen rugby game, and dinner.

The Sydney Fish Market

Some fish were almost the same size as Big Man.

Ginger Beer, Grilled Tuna Steak & Chips before...

...and after.

Out on Manly Beach with Lauren.

Pretty Lauren and pretty beach!

A week of ups and downs. But it's the Southern Hemisphere, so is it downs and ups?

A lot has happened in my new life down under during the last 5 days but it is much better that I write this now, as I am comfortable for the first time, a bit more tan, and a billion times happier than earlier this week. A rollercoaster of emotions have flowed through me while tirelessly searching for comfort in this foreign country. No matter the similarities in language and culture, Australia is not an easy place to adjust to when you’ve got no family, best friends, or even a tiny bit of security to fall back on. Writing this entry at the end of today is a way better idea than a few days ago because my heavy words might have caused a few freak-outs back home.

Sunday was spent in a coffee shop with mediocre/intermittent wi-fi access where Lauren and I began the search for housing in Sydney. It didn’t take us long to realize that this was not going to be an easy task. Both equipped with computers and cell phones, we secured a corner of the coffee shop as our temporary office. 8 hours, 1 latte, a plate of delicious French toast, and 1 pot of hot tea later we were no closer to having a home than when the day began. We weren’t there the whole 8 hours, because after many failed attempts to look at homes near the Uni, we began to seriously consider and look into living at the beach. In our minds we figured that if we had to commute to school, it might as well be from a great location. So, we expanded our search, stumbled across a perfect apartment on Bondi beach (pronounced “Bond-eye”), and we left our coffee shop office for 2 hours to venture across the city to the coast. On a normal day with trains running and with previous experience navigating this path, one leg of the trip should have taken between 20 and 40 minutes. We had been in Sydney for 3 days so it is needless to say it took us a bit longer. Lauren and I finally arrived at the beachfront apartment and our guts dropped as the landlord showed us everything that we had been wanting in an apartment. It was beautiful but with beauty comes price. The advertised price was just barely within our budget but with extra costs and the heavy amount of travel costs, we would be sacrificing a lot to live there. Plus, I personally cannot afford to spend 2 hours a day on a bus/train- my time is worth money to me. We went back, set up shop again, and sat until we had at least one more place lined up to look at. On our way back to the hostel we visited an apartment so nasty that I don’t even want to stir the memory enough to write about it. I hope “gross” suffices in a description.
We awoke to yet another rainy day on Monday and made our way to Uni Syd for the first day of International Student Orientation. Being a senior where in Boone I know every in and out, every shortcut and backwards way, and a large group of friends that I can always call on in any situation, I wasn’t exactly looking forward to being the freshman again. I actually got the beginnings of an anxiety attack as I was walking towards this large group of unfamiliar faces, and for a brief moment I ran through my head to find a way that I could get myself out of this whole predicament. My nerves calmed as I reminded myself that I was going to be a stronger person at the end of this. The giant group of students convened in the cathedral-esque Great Hall, which was absolutely stunning. I didn’t want to be the nerd taking pictures, but I now regret it because the only time that students get the opportunity to meet in that hall is at graduation. Uni Syd is Australia’s first University, founded in 1850 and modeled after the gothic architecture of Oxford. The beauty of The University of Sydney is a bit overwhelming and I am still having a hard time believing that it is MY school. I am a registered student. This campus will soon be the background of my daily life. WHAT?!
They had teatime for us at 10:30 and the sun made an appearance for the hour of tea and cookies. So, I was able to enjoy the legendary Sydney sun while I sipped tea within the Quadrangle lawn meeting a few new friends and feeling a bit like I was in a Harry Potter movie. The information overload was intense but the day was full of accomplishments. After a campus tour in the pouring rain, Lauren and I met back up in the Library to do some more apartment hunting and we were able to line up two apartments to view that night. Both were total disasters, leaving us at square one once again. We passed out by 10pm, utterly worn out and frustrated.
Tuesday morning was not greeted warmly as we once again woke up to the sound of rain. 6 days of rain is enough to make someone go crazy…and it did. I can’t remember how long it’s been since I’ve had such a rotten mood. After a few failed attempts to call home with hopes of encouraging words, it was going to take a grace of god to lift my spirits. I went through the motions of orientation, just in a haze of frustration and hate towards ASU and UNCEP for allowing me to be thrown into a new country with no help or arrangement for accommodation. I felt so betrayed! We were able to finish the day on a good note when we lined up a few more apartment viewings for the next few days. Lauren and I took this opportunity to grasp the positive, so we left campus in high spirits, ate a really delicious dinner, and watched a movie back at the hostel before making it another really early night. Our bodies and minds were worn out from the consistent battle inside and out to try and make this place our new home.
Wednesday I slept in until 8:30 and spent a slow morning getting ready at my own pace. I knew it was going to be a good day because at the end I was going to be resting my head in the Lynch home and not a nasty hostel. I walked to campus to get my bank account set up and do some more apartment searching, and by 2pm the sun was out and here to stay! My heart lifted immediately with the sun out, but the heat was not helpful on our trek allllll around Sydney looking at apartments as Lauren and I had dressed for the morning’s rain. By then end of the walk I was badly blistered and sweaty, but we had two great living options and the Lynch family waiting at the hostel.
The Lynches are Ian, Teresa, Bynum (18), and Austin (3.5). They are the loveliest family that I have ever met and I have been absolutely blown away by their willingness to open their home to Lauren and Me. We were able to leave our hostel a week early and use their house as our refuge until a permanent place is secured. As much as I had insisted on doing this whole experience alone so that I might grow into a stronger person, I am SO very thankful to have this opportunity to stay with the Lynches and find a place of comfort along with a temporary family while so far away from my own. Today they so generously drove us to Manly for our first beach trip since our arrival. It was stunningly gorgeous and the moment I stepped foot into the Pacific Ocean I knew that I am where I need to be. Every inch of uncertainty was washed away as the surf ran over my feet. I layed back on my towel to take in more rays, put in my headphones, and sat content for the first time in months. Nothing in my life is certain and I need to learn to accept that it will always be like that. Waking up the next day is not even certain, so enjoying life, no matter how rotten it may seem, is the most important thing I can do. I finally feel like I have arrived in Australia.

The mantra of my week:
“With a sky blue sky
This rotten time
Wouldn’t seem so bad to me now
Oh, I didn’t die
I should be satisfied
I survived
That's good enough for now”
-Wilco

University of Sydney in 1870, twenty years after opening.

Look closely and you can see the city through the walkway.

Morning tea on the lawn.

Valentines and Kangaroo

Since my arrival I have made mental notes of the legitimacy of a few theories and stereotypes that had previously been ingrained into my mind. Some interesting conclusions have been made and I plan to update more with these during my entire time here. The mystery of authentic Australian culture must be unlocked and I am just the girl to do it.

Theory #1: Toilets flush in the opposite direction as in the US.
-Conclusion: No evidence to suggest the validity of those statement because every toilet that I’ve come in contact with has water that flushes from all sides and no water ever spins, just goes straight down. Side note: Every toilet has 2 buttons so that you can conserve water according to what waste is being flushed. Reason #1 that I believe Australian’s have got it all figured out.

Theory #2: Australians are the nicest people on Earth and are super friendly.
-Conclusion: Honestly, until today I would have called this false by all counts. In the Aussie defense, until today the only contact I had made was with people working in the travel industry- people at the airport, bus drivers, etc. Today I was blown away by the sincere effort made by numbers of people to help Lauren and me when we looked like sad and lost puppies trying to make our way across the entire city from Bondi Junction. We’d still be on a bus somewhere if it weren’t for them.

Theory #3: Kangaroo meat is delicious.
-Conclusion: Absolutely wonderful. Despite my 2.5year-long vegetarian diet, I had multiple requests for me to try it before my departure, so I did and was blown away! I only had a small couple of bites but that was enough for me to know how great it is. An interesting fact about kangaroo meat is that it is the leanest red meat in the world, with little to no fat. Also, kangaroo is not farm bred, only caught in the wild, so it is 100% organic and not injected with hormones. For those who think that eating kangaroo is cruel, try to identify them as the Aussie version of squirrels. Apparently they’re everywhere, but I have no chance of seeing one unless I get far from the city.

Theory #4: Australians are crazy alcoholics.
-Conclusion: Although it is obvious that the Aussies love their drink and the culture absolutely supports the use of alcohol as a social lubricant, the level of craziness is not as high as expected. Australian bars are extremely strict and do not promote drunkenness in the slightest. This makes no sense to me, being that the point of a pub is to sell drinks, but if you stumble or slur your words in the slightest you might find yourself scooped up by two security guards leading you towards the door in haste. Luke, you wouldn’t last two seconds in these bars. Your caliber of dancing might get you an express pass to jail. Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200!


Saturday, February 14th-
Ask anyone, Valentines Day has never been my favorite day of the year, but it was easy to enjoy because every day is great when you’re in Australia! Despite the unrelenting rain and the fact that the sun has yet to come from behind the clouds since my arrival, I was able to enjoy my time. One thing that I have noticed about Aussies is that people in relationships are more outwardly happy than the average American couple. It has been hard to find a couple that is not showing affection or fighting and I wonder if there is something different about the way people treat relationships down under. My cynicism holds me back from being quick to believe in the passion that has been shown, but it has been rather convincing- especially on Valentines day. I intend to investigate this further.
Alexis was our tour guide for the morning as we trekked across the city to Rose Bay, where she is currently staying. We got off the bus at Circular Quay (pronounced “key”), found a deli where I got best veggie sandwich of my life, and sat at the edge of the harbor where we ate and watched boats and ferries hustle through the water from one side to the other. To our right was the Opera House and to the left was the Harbor Bridge. Sitting in between these two world-renowned landmarks stirred a feeling that I cannot explain, but it made this all feel a bit more real. The rain continued on so I held off on taking any photos, because these views deserve to be preserved forever with a beautiful blue sky and sun in the background. My time here is pretty lengthy, so I intend to do these sights justice by waiting for the perfect shot. We then caught a ferry through the harbor to Rose Bay where we got ice cream, let Alexis change, and hopped another bus to Bondi Junction, a busy shopping area. Once we made it back to our hostel, we did a quick change and got picked up to go to dinner with the nicest family I have ever met. They cooked us a traditional Australian BBQ complete with lamb chops, grilled chicken, kangaroo, seasoned potatoes, and a fresh salad. Because I am vegetarian, they cooked me a salmon steak that was absolutely to die for. For desert we were served a traditional summertime desert that was a sugary bottom, thick whipped top, and covered with fruit and a drizzle of honey.

Aussie dinner and desert to die for.

Australia Day 2

Friday, February 13th-
With a laundry list of things to accomplish, we left the hostel by 9:45 headed for campus to attend two arrival information sessions that were back to back from 10:30-1:00. These sessions were a more or less a waste of our time but we did learn more about campus and what was at our disposal. We went to the library to do some apartment hunting but after an unsuccessful hour of internet searching we grabbed some lunch and then headed back to the room. With a few hours to kill before we were supposed to meet up with a family for dinner, Lauren and I decided to take a quick nap. What was supposed to be an hour power nap ended up being 3.5 hours and sleeping through our rendezvous with the family. The jet lag had finally set in. We felt terrible for missing dinner but it was more lack of communication than our overextended nap that messed us up, so plans were successfully made for the next night and we proceeded to get ready to go back out. A short bus ride later we found ourselves in the middle of Sydney city center in a place called The Rocks. There our mission was to find Alexis, my visiting friend who has spent the last 6 or so months teaching English in South Korea. We met up with her in a club/bar that was unlike any I have ever seen. It was 2 stories with 4 or more bars, an outdoor courtyard in the middle towards the entrance, and a dj in a glass box that was suspended from the ceiling. I ordered a drink that in Boone would cost around 5 or 6 dollars and when the bartender handed it to me and told me the price I must have looked like I saw a ghost fly out of my glass. 18 dollars later, I learned my lesson to always ASK the bartender how much a drink is before ordering. Needless to say, it was the only drink I had all night. With a few more excursions around the city, we made it back to our hostel fairly early with Alexis by our side. Our much-needed sleep was delayed by an accidental room lock-out, but all was well and we were fast asleep by 3.

Departure & Arrival- February 10th-12th

Tuesday, February 10th-
Following a long night of last minute goodbyes and packing, I woke up early for extra packing and an easy drive out to Raleigh to catch my first flight. At 2:45 pm I began the longest journey of my life and flew the first leg of my trip to Washington D.C. There I met up with my traveling mate, Lauren and got on another plane for a 5-hour flight that was a joke compared to what was to come next. After a 3-hour layover in San Francisco we boarded our flight to Sydney at 10:00pm west coast time/ 1:00am east coast time- I had already been traveling for over 12 hours. The overseas flight was 13 hours and it was spent in the smallest seat I have ever seen in my life. I was literally about to get a mouthful of the man’s seat in front of me every time he leaned back (which was the entire flight). Despite the tiny seats, this was the biggest plane I have ever been on with 2 stories, 3 rows of seats, and a giant flat screen tv in the front of the middle rows. The service was incredible with 2 hot meals, a “midnight snack”, drink service every hour and a half or less, and a good number of movies and tv shows playing at all times. My favorite part was the on board GPS that they would display in-between every movie. It showed a map of the world and where our plane was positioned as well as a red line representing the path we had already traveled. Also on this screen was an update of outside temperature, plane altitude, distance traveled, and time remaining. Even after taking 2 sleeping pills, sleep was awful hard to come by. I would doze every so often for about an hour and wake up to something strange like a steaming dinner set in front of me or a crowd of flight attendants bumping me as they handle the lady across the aisle vomiting all over herself. Highlights were crossing the equator, the movie Sixty-Six, an hour-long sunrise, and seeing land for the first time. Along this trip we crossed the international date line and lost an entire day of our lives, but I look forward to getting it back in 5 months when I leave Sydney and arrive in Raleigh a mere 2 hours after I left.

A bit of pre-departure reading.


Samantha helping me pack.


First real haircut since I was 10! If I'm picking up and moving to the other side of the world, I figured I might as well shake it up a bit.



Mom and Dad seeing me off at the RDU airport.



Ipod vending machines? My mind was literally blown! These were in every airport I went through.


The sunrise I got to enjoy for a full hour.

Thursday, February 12th-
We filed off the plane as a couple of zombies, gathered our things, and made it through customs with absolutely no problems to speak of from our entire trip. As a pilot’s daughter I know that this is extremely rare and a blessing from above. I also knew at this point that the rest of the day was destined to be doomed- it had been too good to be true. After a few mean Aussies in the airport, a missed ride, and an hour-long wait for the “easy and free shuttle” (Note to self: There is no such thing as free or easy in Australia) we finally arrived at our hostel. Once dropping our things in our room we decided to check out our new town. Our hostel is in Glebe, a neighborhood right next to our Uni (Australians call every college a Uni), so we walked 20 minutes to get to campus and then get a bit acquainted with our new school grounds. If you’ve ever seen photos of The University of Sydney you can understand how breathtaking it is, but those photos don’t do it justice. The size and beauty are unparalled by any school that I have ever seen. UNC has got nothing on Uni Syd. Built in the late 1800’s as the first Uni in Australia, it was modeled after Oxford University with the gothic style buildings. It’s still hard for me to believe that I am going to be going to class on this campus. It is exactly the way I imagined college to look- I’m literally living in a dream.
On our way back from the Uni, we stopped in an adorable local coffee shop in Glebe called Free Trade where we each got a small pot of tea, sat at the open air window where we drank tea and watched the bustling life outside that we will soon become a part of. That night we ate Thai food for the second time that day and then went out with a few people we met on the flight who were from Kansas University and also staying at our hostel. Granted, a night out on the town after 2 days of traveling probably wasn’t the best idea, but there will never again be the first night in Australia. How could we not celebrate? We made friends with the Kansas folk and now have some great contacts in Newcastle (about 1 hour north of Sydney on the coast) for any traveling plans we might have there.