Goodbye Brisbane (for a week)

Off to Melbourne till Monday!

ALMOST DONE...

Only two days until we leave for Melbourne and the school work is slowly being conquered. 48 more hours of stress and intense library time and then I'm off for a nice long weekend.

8 miles today and my knee is holding up with only minor soreness! I'M BACK! However, my burn on my hand swelled and blistered up from the run. Maybe from the pressure or blood circulation from running? Either way, it is GROSS and painful.

I'm off to bed. Night!

The Rain Continues

The rain and cloud cover continue and the library is now my second home. The integration of vegetables into at least one meal a day is holding strong. I love cooking but still loathe vegetables, but they are becoming tolerable. However, today I burned my hand pretty badly. The stupid handles on our pots are metal and I, being my clumsy self, forgot and grabbed the handle. How is the burn? Well...let's just say I am currently typing with my left hand. Burns are so uncomfortable. If I take it off ice it burns sooo bad :(.... Aside from my little mishap things are great. We did get another roommate the other day...his name is Josh. He's Australian/Kiwi/Philippines/Spanish. We'll see how it turns out...

I have been running again for the past week and my knee is holding up really well. There is only slight soreness which is completely normal. This week 8 miles is on the program for Friday :) Half marathon February 20th here I come and full marathon by the summer!

School work is currently my life BUT we leave for Melbourne Wednesday and will be gone through Monday! So far these are my plans for the remainder of my trip:

Melbourne: October 7-11

Fraser Island October 22-25 (Hopefully)

Whitsunday Islands: October 27-November 2

Final Exams: November 8, 9, and 12th

New Zealand: November 12-20 (Possibly)

My ticket to go back to the Unites States is for November 21, but I'd really like to make it to New Zealand and participate in the Woofing program. So I might extend my stay and change my flight so I can incorporate it in my trip. Or I may just go to New Zealand right after my finals are over till the day before I leave so I can make it home for Thanksgiving. We'll see how it all plays out.

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.