First Day Back On Schedule (FINALLY)

Today was nothing out of the ordinary BUT I did start running again! I ran 2 miles and did the elliptical for 45 minutes, followed by my knee stretches. Slight soreness was expected but other than that I think my knee heeled. I registered on Nike+ today for training so I won't hurt myself THIS TIME. The training program is for the full marathon and is 28 weeks long. So my plans are to do the Austin HALF marathon February 20th (with my best friend Sydney of course) and then sign up for a full marathon around the time training ends. Hopefully somewhere cool in the states. Road Trip! 3 miles tomorrow!

The rest of my day was uneventful. I have been working on all my homework and watching...Star Wars....it is, let's say--interesting.

Vegetables were on the menu again today. I boiled broccoli, asparagus, and carrots and put them in a bowl with bow tie pasta and tomato sauce. They are tolerable, but I'm not sure I'll ever actually enjoy eating them. However, it is my goal to include some in at least one meal a day. 2 days of vegetable success so far...AND I hated them a little less today.

I'm thinking of backpacking on Saturday...where? I have no idea. Basically hike the city or hop on a train to surrounding cities. Maybe come back at night or just stay in a hostel somewhere? We'll see how far I get on my school work. I need some spontaneity.

Rain, Rain GO AWAY...and DO NOT come any other day

It is currently Wednesday September 29th here in Brisbane, Australia. Current weather: Cloudy and Rainy. Weather the previous week: Cloudy and Rainy. Forecast for weather ALL this week: Cloudy, Rainy, and Storming. So I am setting the record straight. Australia is not ALWAYS the hot and sunny country we believe it to be. An overcast sky and rain have haunted me for over a week now and are predicted to do so over our lovely spring break. But now that preconceived notions have been rectified I will move on.

The past couple of days have been rather insignificant. A lot of school work, readings, and movie watching on rainy days. Yesterday alone consisted of watching the movies: The Invention of Lying, Seven Pounds, Remember Me, Sex and the City, and Ice Age. I am not kidding. We watched all of these back to back while eating pizza, garlic bread, chocolate, fruit, and who knows what else. Today will consist of school work. I have 5 papers to complete by October 10th and will be in Melbourne the 7-11...translation: I must have my papers done by the 6th.

Fraser Island: "...is the world's largest sand island in the world. It is a lush paradise of wildflowers, rainforests, colored sand cliffs, freshwater lakes, and a vast array of wildlife." It is an 80-mile-long island situated just South of the Great Barrier Reef. I was supposed to go camping there over spring break, however, the weather there was similar to Brisbane weather. So I will be waiting to go on sunny weekend. The rest of my spring break will solely be me and my computer...WORKING. But I am attempting to like vegetables! I am determined to eat a few with every lunch and dinner...we'll see how that goes. But so far, I still think they are disgusting...acquired taste?

Only a few more days till I can start running again! Austin Marathon February 20th...AND I will not get injured before this one.

Finally Legal (In An Already Legal Country)

Yesterday and today was/ is (in the US) my 21st

BIRTHDAY! The day had its ups and downs. It started off with a free Boost strawberry squeeze smoothie and moved onto my lovely classes of the day. Here comes the downside...my computer crashed/corrupted my user name, making me unable to open anything on my computer. BUT I took it to the IT desk at school and the computer technician fixed it right up. The day was only up hill from there though. I received some great cards and gifts from friends and family and came home to a decorated apartment. That night a bunch of friends came over and we had cookies and cream ice cream cake and started the traditional "activities" of an American 21st birthday...I am legal for the record.

We went out to the Re, a bar we often go to, and had a relaxing and chill night of drinking with close friends in the beautiful city of Brisbane, Australia. From there details are trivial...however, I did get sick later on in the night. This for me is rare, I can count the number of times I have been sick from alcohol on one hand. BUT...What is a 21st birthday without a little mischief?

Overall it was a birthday to remember. My friends here made it memorable and special and friends and family back home were here in spirit. I missed my mom's traditional Redwine festivities, the bluebonnet birthday cake, and family around the table, but the cookies and cream ice cream cake my roommate concocted was amazing and the room was full of genuine friends I've made. I can't believe I'm 21...I'm soo old. Soon I'll need a cane to walk around on.

Today will consist of school work and relaxation. It has been cloudy, overcast, humid, and rainy for over a week straight here in Brisbane...I don't recall what the sun even looks like. Hopefully the weather will clear by the weekend. My roommate leaves for New Zealand for 2 weeks today and others have left for Perth, Fiji, Ciarns, and Heron Island. I leave for Fraser Island Monday so I will be using the weekend to finish papers and pack. I'll keep you posted on my schenanigans.

Trips:

Fraser Island: September 27-30

Melbourne: October 7-11

Whitsunday Islands: October 27-November 2

New Zealand: After finals and THEN home for Christmas

Love ya'll. Thanks for all the birthday wishes! Thanks for all the letters I get throughout the semester and the recent birthday cards. They really make me feel at home! My wall continues to grow!

(Big E, Skelly, Egg, Red, Zorko)

A Rainy Day in Brisbane

The weather forecast for the upcoming week, beginning today, is cloud cover and rain. Perfect weather to be study oriented and productive. I woke up relatively early this morning and went with a few friends to the Pancake Manor. It is one of the ONLY 24 hour places we have found to eat in Australia...even fast food here closes at 10:00 p.m. It is famous here in Brisbane and located in the central part of the city. I've been told that after a night of bar hopping many people go there for a late night snack. The pancakes this morning were AMAZING and we all had homemade milkshakes. I got banana and it was one of the best shakes I've had in quite some time. The coolest fact about the restaurant is that it used to be a church! It was once called St. Luke's Church decades ago and used for normal Catholic sermons and practices. The insides were all made of brick with columns lining the walls and wood paneling, giving it the impression of the interior of a historical cathedral. It also had stained glass windows and arches reaching across the ceilings. It satisfied my cravings of hunger and a little history.

The remainder of the day will be spent studying. I have:

1. Journalism Paper (4 forums to complete)

2. Art History Project

3. Art History Review Paper

4. Marine Science Coral Reef Report

5. Terrestrial Environment Report

6. Upper Division Application and Essays

Basically the week will consist of study, study, oh and more studying...

But I will be taking a break later tonight to continue watching the Lord of the Rings series.

Tuesday night I think we are having a Mexican food night to celebrate my birthday in honor of my Texas origins and then probably going out for a bit Wednesday...we'll see how studying goes. I'll update on my schenanigans after I'm finally the big 2-1.

Toowoomba Flower Festival

Today started off bright and early at 6:00 a.m. with an egg white omelet, homemade potatoes, and cereal for breakfast. I went for a 5 mile run and it went really well...UNTIL...I was walking back up the hill to my apartment and got a piercing pain in my knee that ran up through my leg. I doubled over completely in pain...I even shed a few tears :( Then it happened a few more times to where I had to limp back home. I'm not sure what is wrong with my knee/leg but I am going to head to the doctor Monday morning at the clinic on campus. I think I may have to pull out of the race in Melbourne...it's only 3 weeks away and if I can't run now I won't be ready...and I don't want to create a serious injury by pushing myself. However, the doctor may say it is something I just push through the pain and it will get better? HOPEFULLY...but I'm thinking I might need a type of cloth brace or something...theyll be able totell me what I need to do.

Well enough of the complaining. Later in the morning I left Brisbane to go to the city of Toowoomba to see the Flower Festival with a friend. We left not realizing for 1. it was in another city and for 2. it was 2 hours away! That caught me by surprise but once I accepted it the fact it would be a long day, it was really fun! The flower displays were throughout the city in multiple parks and there was also a nearby carnival going on with rides, games, and of course the usual carnival foods. To top it off there was live entertainment; belly dancers were strutting their stuff as they made their way from park to park. After a long day of walking around we went to a nice little cafe and had hot chocolate and tea (I had hot chocolate of course).

Tonight will consist of a relaxing night curled up with the girls with a NOT so relaxing movie: Lord of the Rings...the movie really gives me the creeps after being traumatized by my brothers and sister when I was little. "Smigle" really scares me...need I say more. Ice cream and a movie Saturday night with some amazing friends? Who could ask for more.

All Work, Little Play

We only have one more week before mid semester break so the work has piled on. I've just finished a long day at the library researching for my 5 papers and presentation (only one paper and a presentation are due next week). I've officially made my plans to go to Fraser Island the 27-30 and will be camping the whole time! It has the most diverse wildlife, beautiful beaches, rainforests, and is the largest sand island in the world! I can't wait! I'm going with my friend Pieter and we will be roughing it the whole trip. We'll be pitching a tent, bringing cooking supplies, and backpacking all of the islands terrains. We are going to drive up in his car to Hervey Bay and then take a ferry to the island. It should take between 4-5 hours to get there. Road trip!

Tomorrow I am going to a flower show with a friend from Altitude (Sally) and a few other people I have yet to meet. I've never been to one, so it should be an experience. It is supposed to be an array of flower displays and a show to view really exotic ones? I think it'll be a lot of fun and nice to see other aspects of the city. No worries pictures and updates on this event without a doubt will be posted.

The rest of the night I will be working on my papers, presentation, and planning the Fraser Island trip with Pieter. For now though I am going to a friend's apartment to make chocolate chip pancakes for dinner! Hopefully they are just as good as home's.

ONLY 5 DAYS TILL I AM THE BIG 2-1! (not that it is a big deal here...)
Night!

A Day in the Realm of Australian Art

Today was full of art as I walked around the city from gallery to gallery. In my Australian Art History class I have a presentation on Tuesday in the Queensland Art Gallery and then have a review due next Friday. I also went to the Institute of Modern Art, Philip Bacon Gallery, and the Murphy Gallery. All of the galleries had interesting artwork EXCEPT the Institute of Modern Art which was extremely creepy...not recommended! Lastly, outside the Queensland Art Gallery was sooo cute! There were little men climbing all over the building! (pictures above) They were made out of different colored cartons! So creative.

The artwork I decided to do my PRESENTATION on is by Joe Rootsey. He was an aboriginal painter and had a beautiful exhibition of watercolor landscapes displayed in the Queensland Art Gallery. I decided to do my REVIEW PAPER on Karla Marchesi and her Left Behind exhibition. I feel like I will be able to relate to artwork in my review very well...in fact I think what I enjoyed most about her paintings is that we all can relate. Her theme throughout her work is "out with the old." She portrays the once treasured possessions of our past now being recycled in our present. Her artwork showed various "Queenslander" households with their insides in a disarray while others had the frivolous possessions out on the curb. In a nutshell she sums up the material lifestyle many of us get caught up in. We create the environments we live in and the environments we leave behind. Her pieces reminded me of the old saying of "you sleep in the bed you made."

All of the galleries were in Fortitude Valley except for the Queensland Art Gallery which was located in Southbank. It was my first experience in Fortitude Valley during daylight hours...and it was so different. It is bar hopping central in the city after the sun sets but during day light hours there are families, elderly, and actual shops and restaurants. I had no idea! Actually, it was quite enjoyable during the day. BUT of course at night very entertaining. Southbank was stunning as usual and it was a beautiful day to walk along the Brisbane beach and have lunch and ice cream.

After the work was done I went to see the movie Going the Distance. It was sweet but unrealistic...I don't know how I feel about fairy tale endings that are portrayed in movies like this. The movie creates a fanciful long distance relationship that ends up working out...I'm not saying that it can't happen or won't...but I'm saying I haven't seen it work out for anyone yet, including me. I loved the idea of the movie but actually watching it was more than I bargained for. It was rated M for mature here in Australia...obviously I'm not emotionally mature enough yet...despite the fact I turn 21 in a week and can't handle a simple movie. Possibly just young at heart? oorr emotionally worn down and incapable of light hearted romance? Either way not quite my age...

My cold is much better and I am hoping it will be almost completely gone by the morning. My knee is doing...decent...but I don't know if I will be running on it tom. I might aim for Friday...it was sore after walking around all day, so I'm not sure it's ready for a run quite yet. The rest of my night will most likely consist of studying and starting some of my papers. However, quite a few people are going to the Re for a "chill night" (we'll see how that works out), so I might do that...BUT most likely a relaxing night of school work and movies.

Travel update: I am thinking I will be going to Fraser Island September 27-October 1 over mid semester break. I went ask at the Queensland Railway today! Now to just look at accommodations and activities! Can't wait!

Night!

"Miss Sicky"

After an amazing and beautiful weekend in Australia...I am sick...AGAIN. Sore throat, cough, headache, and no voice...lovely. However, on the upside...WHEN I recuperate from this I'm sure my knee will be ready for a run. Marathon training will recommence this week if it kills me...nothing else can go wrong!

Zero to report. I have been in bed ALL day.

Good News:
1. I got the highest grade so far on my research paper on the Holothuria Scabra
2. I got an A on my journalism paper
3. I am looking into going to Fraser Island over mid semester break

Byron Bay: A Memory to Never Forget

To start: This was my favorite trip despite the fact it was the cheapest excursion thus far and was only for two days.

We left for Byron Bay bright and early Saturday morning. It's only a mere two hours away from our sunshine city Brisbane. There were 11 of us total that went on this trip. One of our Australian friends rented a van and we road tripped down the coast. On the way down we listened to old school and Disney sound tracks. The views were mesmerizing the full two hours down. There were countless rolling hillsides filled with vineyards, farms, and plantations with rows of different vegetation. Houses were beautiful as they lined the ascending landscape. We spent our first day at the local beach right across from the main stretch in Byron Bay. There were cute, little shops and restaurants all across from the beach. The beach stretched for miles and had spectacular views on both sides; one had countless, overlapping hillsides leading up to its famous lighthouse and on the opposite side were mountains lining the horizon. It was a perfect mix of Australia's best landscapes.

Did I mention that nudity was not at all frowned upon farther down the stretch of the beach?

"When in Rome..."

We decided to participate in this "cultural experience" and let the bathing suite tops drop. To be frank, it was liberating.

After spending the entirety of the first day laying out, exploring, and participating in "self expression" on the central beach at Byron Bay, we drove to another spot called "7 mile beach" (interesting since they use kilometers instead of miles here right?). This beach was about 20 minutes away from the initial beach. We drove up through the mountains and a rainforest before heading back down the other side to our destination. Despite the fact there was a clear sign that deliberately said NO CAMPING, we camped out for the night right on the beach. It was amazing. We pitched our tent, built a fire, and "settled down" for the night with some music and drinks. The evening was filled with nothing but laughter and smiles and the night sky was remarkable. I've never seen so many stars. The distant galaxies were visible, the Milky Way, and eclipsing moon were as plain as the eye could see...AND I saw at least 10 shooting stars (one that was brilliant red) throughout the night.

A few even decided to experience the joys of skinny dipping. However, night times here tend to be a bit chilly, so I sat that one out...with reluctance of course. To top off a spectacular night, I went crabbing a few times (one of my favorite things to do with my family). There weren't many crabs, but we caught a few and decided to pull a prank or two while they were in our possession. Unfortunately, people didn't have their whits about them and didn't even let out a mere squeal with the unexpected crab crawling on them...they didn't even know it was a crab! They unknowingly threw it off over their shoulder or broke it in half thinking it was a stick or leaf that blew on them! After being up half the night, me and 3 others decided to brave the true outdoors and sleep out by the fire while the others retired to the tent. It was a cold night and the sand was far from comfortable, but we prevailed and made it through the whole night till sunrise the next morning. It was a true memory.

That day we drove back to the main beach in Byron, had some lunch, and caught up on our sleep under the sun. The trip was filled with spontaneity and true friendships. Memories were gained and my voice lost (from the freezing night and remnants of my previous cold).