Last week in the Gold Coast

It seems like the talk of the town is how few days we have left here. What you're most excited for when you get home/least excited for. What are you going to miss here/miss the least here?

Friday morning I facetimed with mom for awhile which was really nice and I felt like I really got to catch up with her!

On Saturday I had my first exam and I think it went pretty well - I should pass.

Saturday afternoon a bunch of us went to Byron Bay to spend the night. We went shopping a bit and got dinner at a mexican restaurant. Then some people from Bond rented a house for the night so we went there for a bit before we went out.

Sunday morning we got some acai bowls and ate them by the ocean. Then we headed back to Bond.

Sunday afternoon I felt pretty bad. I had a really bad tummy ache and fever. I went to the doctor Tuesday for Malarai pills for SE Asis and the doctor thinks I might have got something from Bali so I will take medicine for the stomach ache and hopefully that gets better before I leave for Thailand!

Monday I facetimed both the rents and caught up with them on everything. In the afternoon I mainly just studied for my exam which was Tuesday morning.

Tuesday I had my exam and went to the doctor. This exam was definitely tougher but I should pass the class. hahaha that sounds so bad but grades don't transfer only credits.

Wednesday night after leaving the library it was weird walking back home through campus knowing that school was basically over. I felt kind of sad and was trying to take pictures of campus because it looks really pretty at night but the pictures don't do it justice.


Picture is just outside of the dorms.




Thursday morning I had my last exam and I was officially done with the semester! I headed to the mall to run my last errands.

Friday morning I got breakfast with Hannah and Jenna and then went to the beach with Hannah. For dinner Jenna, Hannah, and I went to the Cardamon Pod.



Friday night (now) I am packing up my room. It is a very weird feeling to realize that my time in Australia is over. I am very very slowly packing haha. I am also packing for Southeast Asia so it is also weird that I am leaving Australia and I am sad, but I am also excited to travel to Thailand tomorrow. Very mixed emotions.

April 25th, the day that was built up to be the end of my time here, is tomorrow. In a way it felt like this day would never come because of how accustomed I got to living here. There are so many people that I just won't ever see again. Which, obviously, is a fact of life for a lot of things, but since I came on this trip alone they are all the people that I created my life in Australia with.

Weird is honestly the only adjective that could describe how this all feels. I am also definitely sad. However, I do look forward to coming home and for the things that I have planned this summer. But at this moment it is hard to fully comprehend the reality of leaving Australia.

I'm really going to miss this campus and view.

I have heard so many people say that when you get back home you feel like you have changed, but not much at all changed back home. I can 100% see that being true. I am excited that two of my roommates studied abroad though so we can talk about it all.

I'm officially a senior! So weird to think. How fast my semester at Bond went but as well as college having only one more year left.

For SE Asia, I don't really know what to expect. I am excited. It's funny because my mom thinks that I am going to die, but the people that helped me plan my trip are saying like I'm going to have a blast and its beautiful and I'm going to love it. Haha two very different expectations.

Anyway, there isn't much that I would have done differently while here. I wish more people came alone rather than with friends or schools from home. I think that created a lot of separation between people and groups before even arriving. Other than that, I am so appreciative of how much I've been able to experience and see and loved my time in Australia.
It's crazy to think of how on edge I was about coming to Australia. I didn't really think about what my experience would be like much because it was so hard to even imagine Australia and life abroad. Before leaving people would ask me what day I was leaving and I would say the date as if it would never actually come. As if I wasn't actually leaving.

The days before I left I hung out with a lot of friends and family. I had so much fun and was so happy to be with everyone. I was in the moment and was so content with life and questioned why I was leaving. But the only reason why I was so in the moment was because there was such few days left until I was leaving. There wasn't anything but the idea of Australia to look forward to. So I wanted to focus on the now and not think about leaving.
Looking back, I was beyond nervous to leave and to avoid the nerves I tried to not really even imagine being gone. It's like I put up a mental block. I knew I was going, but the concept was too large and I couldn't wrap my head around it. I thought I'd like studying abroad, and I knew I'd learn a lot, but didn't want to think about it much.
Now, I couldn't even imagine not studying abroad. To experience what I've experienced and becoming more independent are things that I wouldn't have gotten back home in the comfort of the familiar. I can't put into words how happy I am that I was able to study abroad and that I went through with it.

I look forward to bring what I've learned here, back home. I think I have a new perspective and appreciation for how fast time flies by and the importance of making the most of it.

Well, time to finish packing. See you all in 17 days.

Bali, Indonesia

Going into the trip there was a lot of different reviews. There were a few girls that I am acquaintances with who said that Bali wasn't their favorite and that they felt unsafe while there. Other people said that it was their favorite trip.

I thought Bali was great and at no time did I feel unsafe. Yes there were store shop people trying to get you to look at what they were selling and people on the streets but if you just said no to them they would stop trying to sell to you.

 We arrived in the afternoon in Kuta, Bali. Kuta is a more touristy city and much more knock off brands in stores. But very cheap. Before going we were told that Bali is very cheap and to negotiate for everything. They sell corn on the cob on the streets and I got a couple of those for $1.

The first night some of the girls decided they wanted to go to the Hard Rock Cafe. We got there and I looked at the prices and any meal was between $20-$30. I thought that was ridiculous since we were told how cheap Bali was. So we sat with the girls for a bit and then Jenna and I went to go to a different restaurant. We found a place just down the road that had a live band and it was really good! My meal was $5 for chicken with peanut sauce and rice and cocktails were $4! The chicken satay I got was a really common dish offered everywhere.

The next morning we got picked up early and taken to the ferry stop where we were taking it to Gili Trawangan, an island off Bali. A few of us sat on the top of the boat and it was just amazing views all around. We made a few stops before we were at the island we were getting off at. When we were pulling up to one of the stops at a different island there were Indonesian women trying to sell things to us on the top of the boat. They were like offering soda and pringles and trying to reach to us on the top of the boat. I thought it was really funny. I went down to go get money and got off to negotiate with them for a soda.


 Picture of me hanging out with the boat crew on top of the boat.







 I actually got kind of burnt just from that boat ride because I didn't notice how much more intense the sun was and we were moving so it wasn't super hot.


The island doesn't have any cars and is very small. Their taxi's were actually horses with a 2 wheel wagon attached to it!

When we got to our hotel we just hung out and laid by the ocean area.
 This is where we stayed. Each one had 2 bunk beds and then an outdoor shower.






We got an early dinner and went to these swings in the water. This is a common sunset there! I wish I could resubmit my high school year book picture with this one.

The next day we rented bikes and wanted to go around the whole island. It took under 2 hours to go around the whole thing.














We got a nice buffet breakfast with a view.
Then we stopped at one of the beaches. I got a 30 min massage for $8. There were also people selling bracelets and such.



We went back to the hotel and hung out there for a bit and then again got an early dinner because we were eating bigger breakfasts and skipping lunch and eating earlier dinners. It was one of the girls, Alison's, 21st birthday so we got cocktails at dinner and spent a couple hours eating there. Afterward, myself, Jenna and Alison went into the town for a little bit and a lot of places had promotions for your first drink free so we went to a few of those. There were a couple places with live bands and it was a lot of fun. It was interesting because almost everyone we met was Australian. Bali is a vacation place for Aussies.

On Sunday we got a breakfast again in town and then got on the boat to head back to Bali. Once back we wanted to go to this place that was suppose to be super pretty for sunset but we got there just past the sunset so we couldn't see too much. We explored it a bit and then got dinner there. I got a large Bintang beer - which is the beer of Bali and a large water. You can't drink the faucet water so I had to buy water bottles everywhere. I hated having to pay for water since I normally don't mind drinking tap water. At restaurants they upcharged the water bottles to like $2 for a small one where you can go to a convenience store and get a 1500ml water bottle for 80 cents!

The next day a couple of us had an off stomach. The food at that place was definitely the cheapest we ate at. I got chicken cordon bleu- I don't know why I thought that would be good because on the menu it was spelt "chicken gordon bleu" and it ended up having gravy on it. The water also tasted a little funky so I just stopped drinking that water and didn't get anything that would upset my stomach. By the end of the night I felt better.

So many people drove mopeds in Bali! Literally you would see an entire family on one. There was once a guy, a women, and their child on one. This was more common though with the parent driving with the kid in the front.







Monday morning we went shopping and I was able to get a tank top and a few things for really cheap. $4 for the tank top and a pair of shorts for $4. Then we got picked up to go to Ubud which is another city north of Kuta in Bali. It is a more spiritual and quiet area compared to Kuta.

We had a lot of our transportation set up before we went to Bali... it was nice to have it pre arranged but I think if we would have set it up there we could have got it for a lot cheaper because it is so easy to negotiate and I've heard that transportation is normally really cheap there.

Anyway, we got lunch right away and this was the view at lunch. There are a lot of rice fields there and it was very pretty.

 Picture of our hotel in Ubud. This is obviously only one angle but there was actually two pools and the otherside was just as pretty looking.

There were so many of these flower like things on the ground everywhere in Bali. Finally someone asked what they were and they are offerings put out by the people. Like something for their religion or beliefs.

Ubud also has a lot of wild monkeys. They told us not to leave anything on our balconies because the monkeys will take them. We were also told that some are nice but some can be mean so just to be careful. But when we were arrived they were literally everywhere! There were always like three on the streets just walking around and you could see a ton just on roofs and in the trees. This picture is one where a guy gave it a banana.








That day I got an hour massage on the street for $8! At night we just ate at the hotel because we got one free dinner. It was pretty good and just relaxing to hang out.

Tuesday we had a free buffet breakfast and then got picked up to go to the safari park to ride elephants.

Right when we got there we just walked in and they gave us food to feed them and we could touch them and then we just hopped on the elephant where the seat was. It's crazy how little rules they tell you compared to the states.

But it was a neat experience! Then we watched a show where the elephants did different tricks and like walked on a balance beam. 













 Afterward they had a buffet lunch for us which was super good! Then we got taken back to the hotel and we hung out by the pool for a bit.





Then we went shopping and we were then going to get dinner. While shopping it started down pouring! Since we were in Bali it rained almost everyday but typically for a short period of time. However, this time it was raining harder than any other time and it didn't look like it was going to stop. So we all just started sprinting to the restaurant. The monkeys were freaking out too and they were so loud running through the trees.

This picture was taken less than 20 minutes after it started raining and look at those puddles already! 


 But dinner was super good and we all reflected on our time in Bali so far.





 Wednesday, our last day, we again had buffet breakfast and got picked up for our rice field ATV trip. The description of the trip was something like, "enjoy a nice ATV ride with a view of the beautiful rice fields." Haha it was so intense and dangerous feeling! I got to ride on my own but most everyone else rode in doubles. One worker showed us how to shift gears by saying "up 1,2,3,4. Down 4,3,2,1" and that was the directions. Haha I have driven a bike with manual gears but no one else had so everyone was so confused! When we were driving at one point I could hear someones engine so loud because they weren't shifting gears but they just didn't know really when or why to shift gears.

Anyway, we were going down some very steep, narrow paths in the middle of the rainforest and the workers were often off their bikes directing us on how to get down the next hill and standing there in case anything happened. Going down a few hills they hooked up our ATVs to a rope so they could maneuver us down! It was a lot of fun. We would drive on the road where it was beautiful views going kind of slow and then we would go into these paths with the intense terrain.




Picture is of a man waving in the rice fields.







After our trip we had lunch at the place and then was taken back to the hotel. Everyone we encountered in Bali was so nice.











 Back at the hotel I got one last massage. My forehead was peeling a little bit from being burnt earlier and during the massage everytime she touched my forehead I knew it was just getting worse. Haha afterward I looked in the mirror and she made it so much worse. It was kind of funny.

But we all got one last dinner in town and went shopping for a few last things before we got picked up that night to head to the Denpasar airport. Our flight left at 10:30pm and we arrived in Brisbane at 5:30am. The flight was only 5 hours but there was a two hour time difference. Luckily the flight wasn't full so I got an entire row to myself so I could sleep a bit. However once I finally got back to my room I took a 3 hour nap and was still pretty tired all Thursday.

Overall, Bali was a great trip and I had a lot of fun! It is crazy that, that was only 7 days and Southeast Asia is going to be about 15!

I've heard that the Vietnam airport employees rip you off when you try to return to the country... However, in Bali that didn't happen and I couldn't see how that would happen because it seemed like the employees were all pretty legit and we were in an international airport. I'm assuming SE Asia will have similarities to Bali but I could be completely wrong.

Also, when getting back to Bond I thought that I would just kind of be going my own way again and that I wouldn't really see anyone I knew. But right when I got back I saw a good amount of people that I've met here who asked me how my trip was and acknowledged they haven't seen me in awhile. It was weird to realize that I actually have made a network while being here with familiar faces and acquaintances.  


One girl went to both New Zealand and to Bali. She said that Bali was a better experience, but New Zealand was a better trip. Because in Bali she got to see more that she wouldn't normally see but New Zealand was like more where she could see herself living. I wish I could have fit New Zealand into my traveling but the more I think about it, I think it will be better that I do it at a later time. If I did it at the end I don't think I would be as appreciative of it because I would just be wanting to go home at that point. Where if I plan it for say, next year, I will be looking forward to it and it will be an exciting vacation!

One week left in the Gold Coast. For most people, they are going home in one week. I will write one last blog before I head off to SE Asia and leave Bond Uni forever!

Continuation of Week 10-12.5

Tuesday and Wednesday I had class so Kelsey hung out at the pool while I did school. We would have breakfast and then we would go our own ways. I think it worked out best. She would wake up earlier than me too but she would go into the lounge area and read a book.

Wednesday night we went to the Hub for trivia and the theme was Friends and Kelsey is an avid watcher. I am pretty bad at trivia but I really enjoy being in the atmosphere. We sat with 2 other girls I knew and Hannah met us there later. Kelsey was basically a one man team. We won a free jug (pitcher of beer) in the middle but overall we lost by half a point! It was really fun though.

Thursday I had a doctors appointment in the morning for my travels to get vaccinations and to take some drink so I don't get diarrhea. Afterward, Kelsey, Jenna, and I went to Burleigh Heads the beach and hiked up the hill/mountain to get to the other side and hung out there. We had dinner at BSKT cafe which was really good.

Friday we booked travels for the following weekend. Kelsey decided to extend her trip a week which is when Taylor was going to be here. It was nice that she did that because then her and Taylor could do a travel and see more of Australia and also I could go to class while they were gone and have some free time.

But for the following weekend we booked a travel to go to Byron Bay and Nimbin and rent a car. I was really excited to drive on the wrong side of the road! We would do this all with Taylor, Hannah and Jenna.

That night Kelsey and I went and saw the movie Focus at the movie theater. The movie was pretty good but it was fun to see how the theaters are and see a movie in Australia.

Saturday morning is when Taylor came. We had a lot planned right away for when she arrived. She dropped her suitcase off and her and Kelsey went to book their trip that Monday-Wednesday for Cairns at the Great Barrier Reef.

Then we met Hannah's friends who were in town that were long boarding the east coast of Australia. They started in Melbourne and were finishing in Brisbane so their stop in the Gold Coast was at the very end. They were very energetic!

We all went to get lunch at the country club place on the ocean near the koala park and then went to see the koalas and kangaroos. I think everyone enjoyed it. At night Kelsey, Taylor, and I went to the Hub and just got drinks and hung out.

Sunday morning we had to wake up at 3am because we were going hot air ballooning! It was an early start. We got picked up and drove out to where we were going up. It was crazy to just rise up into the air. It was so pretty out in the morning too. Really neat that I got to do that.

Afterward we were driven to O'Reileys winery to have a champagne breakfast which was super good. It was also a beautiful area where we were.

When we got back I was exhausted. Taylor and Kelsey went to the beach and I had to take a nap at my place before I met up with them a couple of hours later.





That night we got dinner at the Cardamon Pod which is the healthy restaurant that I actually think is really good with everyone and Jenna.
Afterward we just went back to my place and watched a movie because Kelsey and Taylor had to go to the airport early in the morning Monday.

Monday I had some class and it was really nice to just have some alone time. I also worked out for a bit both Monday and Tuesday which was nice to do.

Tuesday I also had class and in the afternoon Sydney and I went to the casino to play some blackjack. I lost but it was fun.

Wednesday I had class and finished an assignment that would be due while we were in Byron so I just finished it up before Kelsey and Taylor got back. It sounded like Taylor and Kelsey really enjoyed Cairns and it was nice to hear about their trip.

That night we got dinner at Slyders which was a new burger restaurant near campus and it was good. I got a fish burger and they had all different ones. Afterward we went to the Hub for trivia. The questions were more difficult and random and had more Harry Potter questions that neither Taylor or Kelsey really knew much about. But again, I just enjoy being around trivia... and I knew maybe one answer.

Thursday morning we got breakfast and then I went to go pick up the car. It took awhile to get the car because the worker was a bit chatty. He also told me that since I didn't want to pay for insurance I was signing off for liability of $3500. He then said that I was risky and that no one has taken that risk in a few years. Haha. He made me nervous so I took the $22 a day insurance. Even though I made it back safe and sound... now I wish I would have saved the $66 haha :)

It was pretty crazy to drive on the wrong side of the car and the wrong side of the road! It was exhilarating. I got back and picked everyone up and we were off. It was on and off rain and it said it was suppose to rain the whole time we were there but it ended up being very small times of rain and otherwise nice out!
Also, there was a festival going on in Byron Bay that we didn't have tickets for and we were unsure if the city would be blocked off or if it would be easy for us to find cheap tickets or what. We were mainly planning on not going to the festival because it was expensive. Turned out that the festival was a few miles away so the town itself wasn't too busy which was super nice. Even though all the hostels were booked out and we literally got the last beds.

We shopped a bit when we were there and got dinner. Then we went out at night and there was a lot of live bands performing and it was a really fun night.

In the morning we got breakfast and hung out. Byron Bay is just so relaxing and the town itself has such a calm feeling to it. We were walking toward the beach and there was a market going on. It ended up being like an Easter weekend market and it was really big and fun.
They also had these crazy portapotty bathrooms on the beach that was like an elevator. you push a button and the door slides open. Then inside there is elevator music and it tells you that you have a time limit of 10 minutes. Then you push a button for the toilet paper. Then to flush the toilet you have to put your hands under the sink. Everything was by the push of a button or swiping your hands.

We got a parking ticket because we were in a 2 hr spot and we spent well over that there. We tried to get out of it but we just had to split it.
(Don't worry mother).
 We then went to the lighthouse and hung out up there for awhile because its so pretty. 

We got dinner and it was my last goodbye to Byron Bay. Then we drove to Nimbin and the roads to get there is all side roads and super windy and like up mountains. My ears popped a few times but it was really pretty. But also intense since I was driving on the opposite side of the road. We go there kind of late and so we just hung out at the hostel. Our beds were in a teepee! It was raining a lot so it was loud in the teepee and night with the rain hitting the tarp like roof. It was actually not the greatest sleep. Definitely looked and sounded cooler than it actually was.

Saturday morning we went into the town and shopped around and had breakfast. Its an interesting town and Im glad Taylor and Kelsey got to see it. We weren't there too long and by noon or so we left to head back to campus.

Saturday afternoon we decided to return the car and then grab some dinner. I parked the car on campus and we got ready before we left. When we got out to the car the car didn't start... I realized I left the lights on. oops. Anyway most people were out of town because it was Easter weekend. We found a few people who wanted to help but no one had jumper cables. Finally one guy came and he helped and we got the car going!
Overall, driving a car in Australia I got one parking ticket, killed the battery only once, and got everyone home safely... I'd say it was a success.

Dinner was good but it was at a more healthy place. I've just been eating so healthy lately and its all really good food but more recently all I've been wanting was some substantial meals. Like a solid meat dinner or BW3 or Panera or something like that.

After dinner we just went back to my room and I taught Taylor and Kelsey how to play blackjack and poker.

Sunday morning (Easter) and the final four basketball game was on. We planned on watching the game in the lounge of my dorm drinking mimosas but we couldn't find the channel. So at half time we went to a bar near campus and watched the game there. So cool we won! We were the only 3 watching the game.

We went to the beach in the day and for dinner we went to a sushi train place. Neat you could just grab your food from the conveyor belt.






That night we went to a blockbuster just to check it out since all of them are gone in the states. It's funny because Netflix was never in Australia but it is in the states and thats most likely why Blockbusters are gone back home. Literally 2 weeks ago it came to Australia though so I'm curious how long the Blockbusters last!



Monday morning Taylor left. She left so quietly it was weird waking up to her not being there! I had some homework to do so Kelsey went to the beach all day and we met back up later. We went to the hub and had some drinks and dinner for her last meal.

Overall I think and hope that Taylor and Kelsey had fun! I'm pretty sure they did because I had a good time too with them here! They were here for a long time haha but it was fun to have people to do things with all the time. They got to spend some good amount of time with the friends I made here too so I'm glad we all mingled.

Tuesday was the Badger championship game so I went to the bar near campus with some friends. There was a better turn out of people to watch the game and it was fun even though we lost.

Wednesday (today - finally I'm all caught up on this blog) I had a lot to do before leaving for Bali tomorrow! I had class in the morning (my last class!!). Facetimed the parents while eating lunch. Went to the mall to run errands and then came back, worked out, and facetimed Julie. Glad I got to talk to everyone!

It is so weird that Bali is tomorrow. We planned this trip so early in the semester and I remember thinking that Bali signified the end of school... and now Bali is here. I extended my trip but it is still weird to think how fast things have flown by! I am excited for Bali but I also don't know what to expect. I think it will be a lot of fun. Their currency is like 10,000 rupees = 1 Australian dollar. So I exchanged money and I have millions of dollars!

I have talked to a good amount of people who are kind of homesick and are ready to go home. I wouldn't say I am ready to go home. However, I do have more thoughts now than in the beginning that I miss people and things back home. It is weird that if I hadn't extended my trip I would be going home in 18 days! Now it is 32.
When I fly back to Australia from Bangkok I have one last day in Australia before I fly home. I think I will feel very weird arriving back in Australia. Southeast Asia will be a big culture shock so returning back to Australia which has felt like home, will feel comfortable. But then to have the thought when getting back to Australia that I'm 'home' but really I am then leaving the country that I would call home the following day.
I am starting to be excited/nervous to return home. Since school has ended I feel like home is sooner than it actually is. Bali is a week and then I just have finals when I get back from Bali which is a week long.

I keep imagining the drive from O'hare to New Berlin and me just sitting there realizing that, that part of my life is completely over. The biggest chapter in my life, to date, has closed. I may have wrote this before haha but it is just the craziest thought! I can't even fathom the diverse amount of emotions I'll have. Anyway, writing this is making me over think it more than I already do. I will just have to continue living and appreciating every day I have here!

oops. Week 7-9 (Still behind)

Well I have a lot of catching up to do. Some things will be pretty brief since I have a lot to write and I don't really remember the small parts.


At the end of Week 7, a few of us went to the Quiksilver/Roxy pro surf competition at Snapper Rocks. It was a longer bus ride away but it was neat to go. It was essentially just a beach day but cool to go to a different area and we got to see some professional surfers. At the end there was a small concert and the drummer from Foo Fighters was there.








ISA, the program I came on had a weekend trip to Stradbroke Island. It was a nice/free trip and something fun to do but it isn't something I would need to do again. We kayaked and it was nice to float around in the ocean. I actually saw a stingray and a turtle!

The hostel we stayed in was a cement room with 2 beds in it. We ate in a dining center. It reminded me of going to summer camp.. even though I never went to summer camp.

At night there was one local bar and it was very much like a Wisconsin up north kind of a place. 

We also sand boarded which was pretty neat! It was actually kind of funny. It was very hot that day and we had to walk a good distance to get to the sand dune. We had to walk through the forest and then on sand for a good 20 min in the middle of the day. Everyone was complaining and in a way it was comical.

Then after that we went to a red freshwater lake which was really fun and refreshing. Probably the best part of the trip.

The weekend was filled with a lot of activities and it was fun to do.





The following week was I'm assuming like the rest of my days at school. But it was nice to get readjusted to the routine.

The Wednesday I signed up for a FIFA tournament (video game soccer). It was $10 and it came with pizza. I figured it would just be something fun to do and I'd get a dinner out of it.
I was not surprisingly the token girl at the tournament. But... I did win my first game!! Haha. I think the guy was pretty mad he lost to me because it was a bracket tournament and if you lost you were out. I lost my second game but I was proud to just win one.

On Friday, Jenna, Hannah, and myself went to the beach but it was really windy so we didn't stay long. We went to this restaurant that was suppose to be good (organic or vegan or something healthy) called BSKT cafe. I got this pesto pasta zucchini dish. It was super good. half way through I was told that it wasn't actually pasta but zucchini in the shape of pasta. It was crazy. I didn't even realize.

We were going to meet up later that afternoon with other people but while eating dinner I realized I had a lot to do before my family came the next day early in the morning and that I should probably figure that stuff out. I had to leave my university at 4am to get to the airport in time for their arrival.. but that morning I realized that they were flying into the international airport and that they wouldn't actually come out at exactly 6:30am. They didn't come until about 8:30am. It was really nice to see them all. Mom made me cry a little. We all had a coffee and then got on the train to take us to the Gold Coast.

I was telling them on the train that the city never actually checks peoples tickets and you can easily just go on for free. About 3 stops later the transportation government people come on to check tickets. I accidentally didn't have money on my train/bus card which I kind of knew but I did scan onto the train so I wasn't sure if it worked. But it didn't so he was looking up if I had other reports. He gave me a warning but a ticket is $250!

When we got to the city we just got situated in their hotel and grabbed kebabs for lunch. Joe was a little crabby/hangry and I right away realized that even though we were in Australia and hadn't seen each other for 2 months... nothing changed. We still argued and we still had disagreements. Obviously we got along too. It was weird though... that nothing was different. It's almost like the first realization that not much changes. When I get home I will feel like everything should be different.. but everything will actually be the same.

On Sunday we went to the wildlife park so my fam got to see koalas and kangaroos. I think they really liked that. We also went to my favorite lunch place on the ocean and that was fun too.




My fam and I (minus mom) went to the casino and I won! It was funny when we were walking there we were all power walking. haha. It's nice to be around others who like to gamble too.

Kayte slept over at my room the two nights which was fun. Sister sleepover.

On Monday we got picked up to go to the Whitsundays. The Whitsundays, like Cairns, is a place that has boats to go to the Great Barrier Reef. However, the Whitsundays is WAY prettier. Slightly more expensive, but since I was already in Cairns I thought it'd be fun to experience something different with everyone.

In Australia they weigh your carry on bags too so we were all concerned about our weight being over so we were trying to split up our things into the checked bags along with the carry on bags. We figured it out... but for future note the Holtz clan would not be very good at a teamwork activity.  

The first day we just hung out at the pool and got dinner. Beautiful pool.
Tuesday we went to the Great Barrier Reef. It was my first time scubaing! Very different experience to scuba rather than just snorkel. Glad I did it.


At night we got a nice dinner for Mom's birthday ( a couple of days early).
Then after it was St. Pattys day so Joe, Kayte and I went to an Irish pub for a bit.

Wednesday we sailed to the Whitsunday Island and went to Whithaven beach which is the 9th prettiest beach in the world. It was very pretty! The sand is silicon or something like that so it never gets too hot. The water was so calm and refreshing!

A lot of the day people were tanning outside on the boat but I didn't too much. It's weird. At the beginning of being here I wanted to lay out and get tan but now that I am tan I don't feel the need to really go lay out or get more color. I've never felt this way because in Wisconsin there's only limited sun and once its gone, it's gone for awhile. Such a new thought process for me.

Anyway, Wednesday night we just cooled out and made pizza for dinner and played cards. Thursday was Mom's bday.
Thursday was when we were leaving the WhitSundays. Everyone else was flying to Sydney, but I was flying back to Brisbane because Kelsey was flying in on Friday morning. So then we were going to fly on Friday to meet them in Sydney.

We all went to the airport but I left slightly later. The shuttle to the airport was slightly a rush because we didn't know when we were getting picked up and then they told us the shuttle was waiting for us at the lobby but none of us were ready! It all worked out.

It was nice to get back to my school so I could catch up with what I needed to do even though I felt bad leaving my mother on her birthday.

Side note: I officially am going to travel Southeast Asia after school is done for two weeks. It is just myself and one other friend who is coincidentally from Wisconsin and studies at UWM. We are starting in Thailand and going through Cambodia and Vietnam.

So on Thursday I needed to get my forms together so I could send my passport out to get my visas for the countries.

Friday morning Kelsey arrived. It was nice to see her! She got ready and then her, Jenna, and I went to the airport to go to Sydney.

When we arrived it was a little rainy and very windy. We picked up pizza for dinner and then we went to a Sydney vs. Melbourne soccer game! It was a neat activity to do. Soccer isn't as important to Aussies but all of us like soccer so it was fun! Melbourne won 1-0.













Saturday we just walked around the city and explored and shopped. There was a lot of markets and tent sales which was fun. The girls went shopping and Dad and Joe did their own thing. I bought a hiking backpack for my SE Asia trip which was exciting!
In the afternoon we met back up and walked a little more before we got dinner on the Harbour. 




Sunday morning we just packed up and flew back to the Gold Coast. It was a nice trip and a good amount of time being there. Kelsey and I went back to my dorm and my fam went to the hotel. Later my fam came to my campus and I got to show them around. I liked being able to show them where I was going to school. After, we went to the Hub which is a hip restaurant right next door. They all agreed that it was a fun place and the food was great.

Originally it was suppose to rain on Monday but when we woke up it was actually beautiful out. So Kelsey and I met up with them at the hotel to lay out by the pool. It was fun to just relax and hang out. For dinner I took them to an italian restaurant I had ate at once before which was really good! When we got back to the hotel we went to the casino. haha. Had to get in one last family bonding!

It was tough to say bye but I will see them soon. When I got back to my room to unpack some things my mom gave me, she snuck some things in that I originally said no to. For example, she wanted to give me one of her shirts and I said no when we were together but when I got home I unpacked my bag and there the shirt was. Thanks mom... I actually wore it the other day.

I hope and I think they had fun and if nothing else they all made progress with their tans. 

I am still one week behind on posting but I will just post this now and catch up on the week I am in right now, later. I have just been so busy with guests. It has been fun but a lot of energy.