Feel the Blonde

         I don’t know why, but I can’t quite get used to the time here. I keep waking up really early in the mornings, and it is really a drag.  My roommate came yesterday, so I can’t just jump on skype when I wake up because she might wake up to me talking or something. So now I just have to sit around thinking of things to fill up the time until breakfast.  I have never been so excited to get up in the morning before- anytime before now I have wanted to sleep in as late as possible.  I don’t know why I can’t sleep here…

         Anyway, yesterday was a big day.  My roommate arrived from a tour of Melbourne that her program took her on upon her arrival.  She comes from Roger Williams (?) in Rhode Island with about 12 other students who also came yesterday.  There are a total of 30 in their group, but they are spread out between the dormitories.  She is nice and has had a smooth time settling in.  I didn’t meet here until after I got back from orientation.

         Yesterday morning our CIEE director and assistant directors came and picked us all up from our dorms in a touring bus and drove us up to this beautiful Bulli Pass.  (I promise, I will post pictures soon!).  We took a group shot there and then grabbed lunch at a restaurant in town.  They told us all about certain academic things we need to know, gave us travel tips, and told us about our trip next week with the group to the mountains.  There are 8 of us in the group, and we are from all over, literally.  Two girls are from Wisconsin, another from Oregon, and Connecticut, and South Dakota, and  one guy is from California.  It interesting that our backgrounds are just as different as Australians’ backgrounds probably are, so we are bringing a lot of different experiences from a lot of different regions to the group. 

  Bulli Pass

    The Beach

         In Australia, students call professors ‘lecturers’ and refer to them by their first name. It is much more casual here than at home with lecturers, as they offer much less guidance and feedback during the semester.

         After orientation I came back to Weerona for dinner, then we went back out to look for some fabric because there is an upcoming toga party for the dorm.  It is super weird- all the shops close at 5pm on Saturday evenings, and we still don’t know what people do!  In the states it is totally normal to go hang out at the mall on Saturday night, but here no one is out.  !! I am going to have a hard time adjusting to the slow pace of Saturday afternoon… maybe I will head to the beach next weekend!

        ...Today we were planning on hiking around the pass again, but we couldn't figure out a good way to get there. I decided that I want to attempt to drive here at the end of the week, and we can drive there when I rent the car! How exciting :)  We actually ended up going to the mall again because there is a TOGA party tonight that the girls wanted to get fabric for!!  We went to a craft store and I got some cheap knitting needles to get me started knitting.  When we got back I took a lazy Sunday afternoon nap that was greatly needed. 

       My mom wrote me a note that she was proofreading all this in her head, and it was driving her crazy- so a note to those who are wishing I would be a better writer I AM SORRY. I am not even reading back over the things I have written before I post them, so if while I am typing about all the thoughts in my head I made mistakes I am very sorry. sincerely.  if any mistakes are totally driving you crazy please comment and i can fix!

       Anyway, on another note, I have decided that I need to return to blonde hair. This week, before school starts, I am bound and determined to get my hair done back blonde and make it healthy again.  This color is so drab, and I don't even know myself as a brunette! The color has faded to a boring reddish-brown-blonde, and I hate it.  Blondes REALLY do get more attention, get noticed more than brunettes, and have more fun. ... Now that I have gotten my frustration with this haircolor out on the blog, I feel better, and soon I will be blonde again. I will go to hair ER, and fix or improve this issue. the blonde in me loves and misses you all!

 Until next time.... Cheers!