G'day, mate!: Officially in Love

The last post that I had was slightly depressing, now that I just recently re-read it. That week was filled with some homesickness, but luckily, things seemed to take an instant turn-about, as I'm pretty sure I fell in love with Australia last weekend. I don't exactly know why I seemed to have such a strong change-of-heart at that time, but I was suddenly in a better mood, thinking less and less about home (still love you, Mom and Dad!). Maybe it's setting a more formal routine, or just feeling more comfortable around Currie Hall, or the combination of the two, but I had one of those "moments" the other day, and I call it "the moment I fell in love with Australia."

In all actuality, this isn't a riveting story by any means; it's actually quite anticlimactic, but for me, it had significance. I've been trying to spend a valuable portion of my time here doing things outdoors that I normally do inside at Illinois. I try to go running a few times a week along the Swan River, and last Saturday, I did just that, only I took a new route that went south (away from downtown) and towards the Indian Ocean instead. I ran for about 20 minutes, passing people doing Saturday-afternoon-esque things (barbecuing, playing frisbee, etc.) I kept running and came across a patch of trees that resembled a forest preserve. It was the middle of the afternoon and fully light outside (it has yet to rain here for the past 4 weeks...), so I felt safe to keep trekking on. Once the trees cleared, I ran into a bay area, where the winds were extremely strong. Because of this, there were windsurfers, kite surfers, and sailboats everywhere. I ran along the river for another 5 or so minutes, sat down on a bench, and just looked around at where I was. For anyone that knows me, you'd realize that this is something that I hate to do, as I'm notoriously impatient, always wanting to move onto the next thing. But this was an "aha" moment that really made me realize how fortunate I am to be in a foreign country for 5 months. As corny as this sounds, it took my breath away.

The weather here the past week has also been gorgeous, and I can finally sleep without my fan pointing at my face on full blast. Like I said earlier, I have yet to see a cloudy day in Perth. It blows my mind how trees can stay green and grass can survive under this kind of "drought," which in all reality, is normal for this area. Bizarre, but I can't complain!

On a different note, our group officially booked our mid-semester break to Bali! We'll be leaving Perth Monday, April 25th and returning Friday, April 29th, giving us 4 nights in Indonesia. We have yet to book our hotel...so it's getting to the point where we may just have to find a shack on some beach...kidding...but seriously...

The group of international students that we have (more accurately labeled "the exchanges") at Currie Hall is getting more and more close, and I can't tell you how many times I've found myself in near tears from laughing with them. We were all here about a week earlier than the other students, so we've become our own little nitch, yet have 'integrated' with the full-time students just as well. It's been a ton of fun, and reminds me a lot of my freshman year at U of I (shout-out to 4th Floor Hopkins!).

The colleges here also play inter-collegiate sports, and let's just say that Currie Hall (especially the women's teams) are known for being a little sub-par, and when I say 'little,' I mean 'really, really, really' below average. While the other colleges required try-outs and cuts for girls' basketball, we scrounged up the most random collection of 10 girls you could possibly find, me being the only one that has ever played. There is a time and place to know when to be competitive with sports, and I can safely say that this Sunday will most likely be one of the most hilarious and memorable games of basketball I ever take part in, and I can't tell you how excited we all are. Team headbands are in the making, we're kinda a big deal; more accurately like to think we'll provide a few good laughs for UWA colleges. :]

I'm starting to dread having to say goodbye to this paradise in a few months. Let's just hope that time goes slowly from this point on! A few random pictures below!