Backlog Blog #2

Jumping Forward a Bit Now

I have found exactly two downsides to living in Australia. Don’t let me fool you – I really like it here. It’s beautiful and I’m so excited to start school, and I got to see kangaroo mobs and heard kookaburras sing and counted magpies and climbed a mountain (which was miserable in the doing but lovely in the end). I made a friend and talked with her about school and Sarah and the little funny things anyone talks about when they meet someone new. Her name’s Jenica, I mentioned her before – I’ve slipped into the Jenica-Aubra-Melissa-Weatherly group pretty easily. They make me happy.

Downside number one (which has now ceased to be a problem, since we’ve moved into one of the Colleges): Living with strangers is stressful! I forgot that. It totally slipped my mind how tough the first two weeks with Cassiel were, and WE got to unpack. I was living out of my suitcase, and so were they – and there was no room, and we were all still a bit jetlagged. I also think I’m a bit of a puzzle to them, because I did pack so little, and because I own no makeup, and because I brought books. Oh, and I know Stupid Australia Facts from the two books I read. Of course, this is basically the story of my life so far, so whatever. I like them, they seem to like me.

The second downside is AH HAH HAH I AM IN A DRINKING CULTURE WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING? I don’t drink. I do some. These next five months will be interesting. I’ll have to learn a new skill, which is intimidating, and somehow manage to both start and still keep my basic mentality, which is that drinking is not the end-all be-all of existence. It’ll be good for me. It’ll teach me to calm down a little bit.

Anyway. It’s been a long hard day. I’ll be okay as soon as I catch myself up on sleep and reserves and alone time. I’ve been with people 24/7 for the whole time I’ve been here. I’m ready for my own room in the International House.

Like whoa.

But in general, guys? I’m so excited. I feel completely at sea in this country, but I’m not scared. I want to strike out on my own, I want to push my limits, I want to find out more about who I am. I want to spend more time with Jen, and with the people I’m about to meet, and I want to go exploring on my own. I just need time to get my bearings, to figure out how far away I am from land. And in that time I need to do things in a way that gives me a bit of comfort and familiarity. And sometimes that’s going to mean not going along with things, and sometimes it will mean doing more.

But right now, it means going to sleep.

ADD IN THE CABDRIVER WHO JUMPED SHIP IN MELBOURNE. IRAQI.

Cheers, mates.

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