sup friends! I meant to get this going when I first arrived but today seems as good a day as ever ... mainly because I'm in bed with a sinus infection thing and have nothing else to do. I've been here for about two weeks now--classes started last Monday and my schedule is the best ever. my school week begins on Monday and ends on Tuesday. in other words, I have a five day weekend. how-freaking-sick-is-that. I'll start from the beginning though,

my six hour flight from Newark to LAX was uncomfortable. the woman next to me probably should have booked two seats. however, my who-even-knows-how-long flight from LAX to Sydney was just swell. I fell asleep before we even took off and stayed asleep for most of the trip. during the dreamy bits I was half awake, this whole study abroad thing started to kick in. I remember shutting my eyes and trying to drift back into sleep while listening to Empire of the Sun (standing on the shore, we are the people), but the lyrics spoke to my life at the moment so directly. It's difficult to put into words, I could almost feel my life shifting .. shedding and letting go and moving back in the right direction, a new direction .. peace of mind the the most overwhelming way possible.

I woke up with only four or five hours to go so I befriended the two lovely Aussie girls (actually in their late 20s/early 30s, could have fooled me) next to me and laughed at pictures from their visit in NYC--including a whole string of pictures of the two of them wearing Princess Kate and Prince William masks while pretending to finger each other in the Met. they also showed me the matching tats they got after being abducted by a cab driver in the Bronx. wild. oh yeah, and there was a slightly traumatic event with my ear plugs involving car keys, a fork, and a flight attendant, but I'll save that one for another time.

I live with Chels (she goes to Rutgers too!) and three boys (Jimmy from Greece, James from Aussie, and I always forget where Cesar is from) -- they are all so sweet. we share the living room, kitchen, and backyard, and then we all have our own bedroom and bathroom. our complex is called the 'Village' and it's basically our own little neighborhood. everybody leaves their screen doors unlocked and open so people can walk in and out whenever, and you can't walk through the Village without seeing somebody you know.

my actual campus is beautiful. the library just opened and it almost makes me wish I had more classes so I could spend more time in there (almost). and Macquarie students are so down to make friends and chat with one another (complete opposite of Rutgers). last week I was sitting alone near the field after class when some girl came over and struck up a conversation. she turned out to be sort of a pessimistic rebel from England--she dropped out of high school at fifteen and enjoys binge drinking, a little too much. I don't know what it is about me that makes people spill their entire life story but we sat there for a solid hour and a half, lovely girl.

to be honest, I haven't done too many typical touristy things so far. I haven't held a koala or even been to the beach yet .. but I have shopped at Paddy's Market, eaten kangaroo, and cruised the Sydney Harbor at night. classic 'Australian' things are definitely to come though, so look out for pictures.

oh, and to all you twenty-one year old kids back at home who think Harrah's pool is the greatest ever: go to the Ivy in Sydney. it is beautiful and has what seems like a trillion levels, but that might be due to my state of mind and inability to process the insane decor and multiple dance floors. easily the nicest club I have ever been to.

I'm off to attempt sleep, but I'll wrap things up with a Nicole Wasilus inspired list <3:

1. people here only drink boxed wine because it's not taxed. we call it 'goon'.

2. to give you an idea of just how expensive alcohol other than wine here is, a standard bottle of Gordon's gin is around $40.

3. there is no such thing as central heat or air in Aussie.

4. people say 'straight away' instead of 'right away'.

5. 'BBQ' really just means there's only going to be sausage.

6. 'winter' in Aussie really just means you can tan during the day and might have to throw on a jacket at night.

7. birds that sound like dying babies wake me up at nine o' clock on the dot every morning.

8. campus is called 'Uni'.

9. there are very few homeless people in Sydney.

10. you won't find any malls/stores open past 5pm.

11. because everything closes early, nightlife happens early. pregames start at 7pm.

12. the pharmacy is referred to as the 'chemist'.
13. it is very easy to sneak on trains and buses without paying (watch as I get arrested now).

14. people don't really eat pizza. like you can find places that make little gourmet pies but you can't just go out and grab a slice. this is probably my hardest lifestyle change to adjust to but I'm probably just too used to living in New Brunswick.

:-)