week one.

I'm here in Australia now and I've been here for one week exactly. The first day I was here was sorta rough... I got to the YHA hostel at 8am but couldn't check in until noon so I had these two huge bags plus a daypack backpack and 4 hours to kill. I had to put my stuff in lockers and that required paying $6 and lugging my stuff up the stairs and shoving it into these lockers. I almost cried it was so frustrating/seemingly impossible to do, but I made it happen. Then I grabbed breakfast and wandered around the city. I was all by myself and it got really lonely because at that point it had been two whole days since I had held a conversation with anyone. I spent the rest of the day (after checking in) down at Sydney Harbour (I'm not misspelling it, that's how they spell it here) and the Royal Botanic Gardens. There was a party at the hostel (celebrating 100 years of hosteling) and I met some nice English guys there, Nick and Philip. I was so glad to be talking to people again! haha

The next morning, Russo found me in line for breakfast and we went to our IEP orientation together. It was long and informative. Then we went to the bank and set up stuff and just found our way around the city some more. We went to Allie's (my new friend... from TEXAS which makes me feel lame... I come all the way here to meet someone from the same place) apartment and had "mexican" food and "margaritas" with her and her roommates. It was a BLAST but we both were totally exhausted and left around 10. The next day we went to the aquarium (sorry no pictures, Russo took some though) and I came to look at my apartment to see if I liked it. Turns out it's the apartment directly below Allie's apartment. I wasn't sure if I wanted it, so I thought about it over the weekend, then moved in on Monday. After the aquarium we went to Paddy's market and the mall above it and got these much needed 15 minute massages. I'm telling you, my shoulders were killing me from lugging all my crap around.

That evening we went and got dinner down at Sydney Harbour to see it at night all lit up. The food wasn't that great, but it was nice to sit by the water. We were talking and I was kinda upset about not knowing my purpose here. I feel very selfish and listless and like I left a place where I was sure about what I was doing (Austin). Russo did a great job of calming me down and now I feel way better because I've made some friends and found a place and I'm working toward figuring out why I am here. After dinner we came back to the hostel and met up with Nick and Philip and went to this club down at Darling Harbour. It was super fun and I like those guys a lot. Too bad I didn't get their last names or any other info so we could be facebook friends. :(

Saturday we went to the grocery store since we'd been eating out so much and the hostel has a kitchen. Then we sat down and made some plans about what we want to do in Sydney and then Allie called me! It was my first random call from a friend here in Oz and it made me so very happy. We met up with her and one of her roomies, Victoria, and went to Paddington Fair market on Oxford St. and The Rocks market down by Sydney Harbour. It was so much fun! We also sat and had a beer at The Rocks until Russo and I had to leave to go to the Sydney Swans (Aussie Rules Football) game. It was fun too! We shared an Aussie dog and a beer and learned all the rules and such for the game. It's very complicated but super fun. I met this guy, Jonas, who was sitting next to me at the game and he invited us to his housewarming party the next night. He is from Sweden and is studying at the University of Sydney. So, Sunday I went to church at Hillsong church with Allie and her housemate Paul which was totally fun. Very different from what I was expecting, but still a good message. We are going back next week. Then we went shopping at Paddy's market again (Allie really wanted this hat...) and then hung out for the rest of the day until that housewarming party. Russo went with me and it was SO much fun. It was like a regular house party so it really felt like I live here. We mostly hung out in the backyard and it was freezing that night so there was a fire in a trash can... probably not the safest thing but it was warm. We met all sorts of people, mostly Swedish people, and they were so interesting! One guy asked me if I wanted to go take a walk (he was really cool), but it made me nervous so I pretended like I didn't know what he meant and just said something lame about liking the fire. I don't even remember how I played that off, but then the dude left the party so I was glad I didn't go with him anywhere...at night...in a new city...yeah.

Monday I moved into my apartment!! I share my room with Manon from France and she is soooo cool! She's 20 and here on an internship with an NGO working for human rights. After Australia she's going to Argentina for another internship for the same thing I think. She's awesome. My other housemates are cool too! I'm the only native English speaker, so they were all super excited that I moved in so I could help them all with their English. Mostly they are great with it so they don't need help anyway.

After moving in, Russo and I went to Bondi Beach and checked it out. The water was ICE cold so I did not get more than a foot in. It was also only like 19 outside (Celsius, it still cracks me up) so it was pretty chilly with the breeze. We walked around, took pictures, and shopped a bit. Once we got back I went to the grocery store with Allie which was hilarious. It was an Asian market and all the food was crazy and in all sorts of other languages. I got some stuff that I can live on for now. I need to go to Coles, the other grocery store, soon to get some more basic, Americanish food.

Tuesday was amazing. Russo and I had booked a trip to go to the Blue Mountains for the day so we went and I SAW KANGAROOS!!!!!!! It was a mom, a baby (11 months), and another mom with a joey in her pouch. I could not have been happier. They are my new favorite animal. Then we went and had a great cup of coffee in the town and headed up to the mountains. We bush walked around for a few hours, had lunch, bush walked some more and then rode the steepest railway in the world back up to the bus. The pictures describe it better, so I'll post those to facebook soon. That night we went and had chinese food with my housemates and checked out the rest of the building. We met all the neighbors (up and down - I'm on the middle floor) and hung out. My apartment isn't laid out very well and does not encourage hanging out as much as the top floor does, so we all ended up there. Then I went to bed because I was exhausted.

And that brings us to today! I slept in (to 8:30), did nothing but look online at facebook, gmail, and such all morning and finally got out of the house around 1:30. Russo and I walked down to Darling Harbour to check out a place I might work since one of the girls upstairs is about to leave. Now I'm supposed to be looking for a job, but I figured you good people deserved an update since I had the time... ;)

OH! and one more thing! I have a phone here and it's free (for me) for you to call and text me!!! I can also call and text back, but that's not so free for me (but I will do it since I love you). So here's what you do... To call/text me this is my number: 0011 61 406 198 853 that includes all the country codes and everything... so call me or text me!!! It would make my day.

I love you all and miss you!!! I will write again soon (maybe). Until then, I'd love some emails or letters or anything letting me know how your life is going. I'm not exactly homesick... but I'm friendsick and I miss you awesome people!