It's currently 8pm here and I haven't slept in what feels like days. I know I got a couple of hours of sleep on the plane,but not near enough. I missed sunday completely so my body is just in overdrive trying to catch up or something.
To summarize the trip I met up with about 20 of the other US study abroad students in LA and we took the 14 and 1/2 hour flight over to Sydney where we were greeted by a man holding and ICMS sign. He had a small bus that sat 24 with a mini u-haul type attachment. Unfortunately no-one accounted for all of the "american's luggage" and we had to call a cab to come pick up 4 of our guys and take them as well as their bags to the school. When we got here the cars dropped us off at the outside gate to the school, leaving us to drag our bags about half a mile down an old cobble road up to the "castle" building. (The school is actually like an old Catholic monestary and is filled with a lot of history....we'll get to that later.) Finally, a lady greeted us and welcomed us inside to where we had an 'orientation' which consisted of being handed a room key and told what time lunch was.
I hiked up to the top floor of the Cathedral, suitcases in tow, to my very small cell block room. My room is extremely small and the "wardrobe" could fit inside the trunk of my honda. I don't know how I'm supposed to unpack. But the view makes everything worthwhile. It is absolutely breathtaking. I can look out at the hills straight ahead, the marina to my left and the beach to my right. As soon as I can I'll post pictures for you to see everything. It is beautiful.
Some of my fellow US study abroad students and I went down to the city today to buy a few items, like hangers and the like and might I say that everything here is VERY EXPENSIVE!! It was over $5 for a 12 pack of hangers. $7-10 for shampoo and things. Not to mention that the converters I brought aren't right. The fit the plugs, but there is something wrong with the watt transfer. I tried heating up my straigtner and it just wouldn't warm up. Then I tried to plug the hairdryer in and BAM!!! The thing kinda blew up. Not kidding, I had black all over my hands. I'm fine, but I'm guessing I'll need to find some new converters as well as a new straigtner and hairdryer. And I hear those can be expensive as well...just fantastic.
I haven't met a lot of people other than the students on my group flight. So far most of the students I met at my business suit fitting were Germen, swedish and korean. Its so crazy here. I feel like everyone is just an exchange student, but instead they only refer to us as the study abroad group.
That is about it for today. Just starting to find my way around and settle in. Hopefully I'll start getting used to things soon.
Night "ya'll!"
To summarize the trip I met up with about 20 of the other US study abroad students in LA and we took the 14 and 1/2 hour flight over to Sydney where we were greeted by a man holding and ICMS sign. He had a small bus that sat 24 with a mini u-haul type attachment. Unfortunately no-one accounted for all of the "american's luggage" and we had to call a cab to come pick up 4 of our guys and take them as well as their bags to the school. When we got here the cars dropped us off at the outside gate to the school, leaving us to drag our bags about half a mile down an old cobble road up to the "castle" building. (The school is actually like an old Catholic monestary and is filled with a lot of history....we'll get to that later.) Finally, a lady greeted us and welcomed us inside to where we had an 'orientation' which consisted of being handed a room key and told what time lunch was.
I hiked up to the top floor of the Cathedral, suitcases in tow, to my very small cell block room. My room is extremely small and the "wardrobe" could fit inside the trunk of my honda. I don't know how I'm supposed to unpack. But the view makes everything worthwhile. It is absolutely breathtaking. I can look out at the hills straight ahead, the marina to my left and the beach to my right. As soon as I can I'll post pictures for you to see everything. It is beautiful.
Some of my fellow US study abroad students and I went down to the city today to buy a few items, like hangers and the like and might I say that everything here is VERY EXPENSIVE!! It was over $5 for a 12 pack of hangers. $7-10 for shampoo and things. Not to mention that the converters I brought aren't right. The fit the plugs, but there is something wrong with the watt transfer. I tried heating up my straigtner and it just wouldn't warm up. Then I tried to plug the hairdryer in and BAM!!! The thing kinda blew up. Not kidding, I had black all over my hands. I'm fine, but I'm guessing I'll need to find some new converters as well as a new straigtner and hairdryer. And I hear those can be expensive as well...just fantastic.
I haven't met a lot of people other than the students on my group flight. So far most of the students I met at my business suit fitting were Germen, swedish and korean. Its so crazy here. I feel like everyone is just an exchange student, but instead they only refer to us as the study abroad group.
That is about it for today. Just starting to find my way around and settle in. Hopefully I'll start getting used to things soon.
Night "ya'll!"
7 comments:
Hi Amanda
I am glad you arrived safely and also that you were not hurt in the hair dryer blow-up. I cannot imagine pulling two 60+ pound bags over cobblestone, with a 30 pound backpack on your back!!
I hope you get settled in and catch up on some sleep soon! Jimmy says "hi"
I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH----Mom
Hello amanda,
You are in the most expensive area in all of australia so you may want to buy supplies when you venture out of sydney...or at least outside of manly beach. at least you have the exchange rate in your favor...
re: the view...it's good to be amanda!
wanda
I LOVE you,
Daddy
Hi Amanda,
I hope you are settle in a little by now, and I hope you have gotten some rest and sleep. Chad said he could give you the names of some good eating places. Email him at
mail@chadhargis.com. I hope you get this. Let me know if you did.
Love,
Nonnie
Only something like the blowdryer blowing up would happen to you!! Hope you are settling in ok....I love you, hope to hear from you soon!
Amanda, you do as much as you can while you are there, you may never get there again. Maybe I can get your daddy to send you more money!! I will send you a little if you need me too.
They should have told you what the temperature would be down there before you go there. Let me hear again soon.
Love You
Nonnie
hey baby daughter... I'm glad you are getting settled in. I don't think I could ever make it on that flight! I got back from FL yesterday. They had 7" of rain in one day. Needless to say, it was all work and no golf! It's beautiful here today (about 90 and sunny). I can't wait to see your pics. Take plenty of those swedish girls! :-) Welp, gotta run. We miss you. I love you all the way to eternity!!! Dad
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