And the Winner is...

DEVILED EGGS!!! (start cheering, applauding, woo-hooing now)

I thought, why not make the one thing I've made for almost every Thanksgiving since middle school? And when I asked the Aussies if they've ever had one, they looked at me dumbfounded so there you have it! The picture up top for some reason won't let me rotate but that is my lecturer, Baden and my eggs. Please tilt your head to the left now.

This is my class. Countries represented in this photo: Australia, Spain, China, Japan, Germany, and of course, USA! I am going to miss this class very much because it taught me a lot about Australia and its history as well as the acceptance of other cultures around us. I learned so much from all of these people and I am so glad I got this experience. Thank you!

American Food-- Suggestions?

I am having my last lecture and tutorial for the course Australia, Asia, and the World this week. The final paper (that I already finished thank you very MUCH!) is due on Friday and then the class is officially over for the semester. So each tutorial we always bring in snacks to share with the class, makes things a bit more relaxed and let's people talk more openly about topics. Yeah food is pretty powerful in our class.

So for our last tutorial our teacher has asked us to bring in a dish that is uniquely tied to our country. What on earth can I bring food-wise that is represented by the United States? Please leave comments and let me know, I need some help with this one! Think American!

Race Day

What happens when you take Southern Cross uni students to a horse race with free drinks? Lots and lots of madness! Once each year, race day occurs and uni students take over the turf. We get dressed up and cheer on for those ponies. See it for yourself, our own "Kentucky Derby" in Lismore.

Conversations with an Australian, Pt. 4

Australian: "Peanut butter and bread, that is so American."
Me: "Well I would've added jelly but I didn't have any."
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Australian: (reading my t-shirt) "Is that a sorority? Gamma Phi Beta?"
Me: "Yeah, it is."
Australian: "Oh cool, so what's it like? Do they actually hit people to make you join?"

Whitsundays and the greetings from Grandpa

Proof that Grandpa Wallis indeed sailed with me: First of all, getting onto the plane from Brisbane to Proserpine, I am sitting in a middle seat with Trace to my right and an empty seat to my left. An elderly gentleman comes to sit down next to me in the aisle seat and as I'm adjusting in my seat to give him some room, I see that his hands are identical to Grandpa's. And granted I was twelve when Grandpa passed, but I remember those hands. And once we're in Airlie Beach, Keri, Trace and I sit at a bar where we discuss our life stories. Keri is in the U.S. Navy. And was stationed in California. Do you believe in coincidences? Because I don't. You may take this as just a "coincidence" but I like to think this was Grandpa's way of saying "hey girl, I'm right here with you!"

Now aside with my contact with the 'other side', the islands are amazing. Our Captain Chris told us stories underneath the stars of how he's been stuck in the middle of the ocean with an approaching hurricane and how he's made a hut on a Samoan island. Talk about intense! The two skippers, Gemma 1 & 2 were so entertaining. Gemma 1 is from Scotland and she knew so much about the islands and put up the sails with an effort from me and some volunteers. Gemma 2 a.k.a Duckie is a kiwi and is the craziest person I've met from NZ. She made delicious dinners for us and told us about Elvis the fish which we got to see when we snorkeled later that day.

The beaches, islands and wildlife are so indescribable! We saw so many dolphins and sea turtles, and on the last day on the Reef, I got to swim with a sea turtle! The scuba diving was great, the coral reefs tower over you and I felt like I was in an episode of Planet Earth. These reefs with colors so bright- orange, purple, pink, red, white. These are things humans were never supposed to see. Whoever invented the concept of scuba diving: thank you.

Airlie Beach

The hostel we stayed at in Airlies called Beaches

Welcome to Paradise

Me and my Navy girl, Keri!

Whitehaven Beach, softest & whitest sand in the world!

Lookout point down onto Whitehaven

Our boat, the British Defender a.k.a The Defy!

Getting ready to put up the sail on the grinders

It's All Downhill From Here

8 weeks. That's all I have left. 8 glorious more weeks of parrots in my backyard, walking past Mt. Warning on the way to uni, eating $12 steak at the Richmond Hotel, dancing it out at the Unibar every Thursday night, and living my double life as a faux-Aussie. Can this be real? Am I really past the "hump" of my study abroad experience? The thought of leaving Australia makes my heart hurt. Literally, it's giving me heartburn. All the amazing people I've met and the beautiful things I have seen and experienced-- I'm not ready to put that in the past. So I won't.

Not for now anyways.

Tomorrow will be a great day. Besides escaping the chatty landlady as I slide out the door to class and the outdoor education exam that I've been preparing for-- tomorrow will be glorious. It marks the start of my journey to the Whitsunday Islands. My accomplices Texas and Keri will join me as we sail for 2 days/2 nights among the British Defender maxi yacht. This is what Grandpa Wallis has been leading me to, I can feel it! I have been looking forward to this trip the most because I know he would be right there with me on that boat, basking in all its glory.

And truth is, he's probably gonna be at the Whitsundays ready to go sailing with me.

Techno--Not for Me

Okay, whoever thought that blaring techno music for three hours straight had serious mental problems. A little bump, bump, bump every now and then is just fine and dandy with me- ask my friends they know I love to dance! But seriously after the 5th or 6th techno song I'm about ready to hit the hay. While we were in Sydney, we made it out to a nightclub in Darling Harbour and paid a ridiculous amount of money to get in only to find a mass amount of gay guys (and no, I don't have a problem with gays, I was just making an observation) and everyone sweatin' it out to the electronic beats and neon lights. As we were walking back from the club, we passed another house of dance and what do I hear? The sweet American hip hop I know and love. Now why didn't we go to that club? I blame it on the Canadians that were traveling with me.

But enough about techno.

Sydney and Melbourne were amazing! My travel buddies Trace (a.k.a Texas) and Thade were extremely fun to see the sights with and we managed to get some good travelling stories as well. Sydney consisted of: Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Tower, a viewing of Monsters vs. Aliens in 3D at the iMAX theatre, and the nightclub I mentioned earlier. We then proceeded to the Opera House and walked along Harbour Bridge then took a ferry back to Darling Harbour. There is so much to see in this city! The Asian population is enormous at times I felt that I was actually in an Asian country. Chinatown and all the markets are overwhelming but I was thrilled to take in all the sights. Sydney is definitely an international city with many diverse groups of people doing exactly what I was doing- being a tourist.

Melbourne is the art capital of Australia with many sculptures lining the city. I loved the atmosphere down there, very laid back, tons of historic landmarks including the Melbourne Gaol where the famous criminal Ned Kelly was hung. We even visited an ice bar where everything is made out of (you guessed it) ice! We witnessed our first AFL game (Australian Football League) and figured out what was going on by the 2nd quarter.

Needless to say, the trip was awesome and hopefully I'll be back to these cities, especially Melbourne because we didn't get to see all that we wanted to. I am now catching up on my sleep, school work, and I feel a sickness coming on. P.S. I've never seen my Australian bank account take a rapid plunge like it did after Sydney & Melbourne. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

Infront of the Opera House!

Texas and I contemplating our lives in Australia on the Opera House steps.

Standing on the Harbour Bridge at sunset.

Alex, Texas, Thade, and I with the Harbour Bridge in the background. Who knew I was so short?

The AFL game in Melbourne. This is what the goal posts look like.

Me, Texas, and Thade at the ice bar in Melbourne with cocktails in hand!

Sitting on the ice throne in downtown Melbourne.