|
|
| Saturday, 2-Jul-2005 00:00 |
Email | Share |  | Bookmark |
|
Coming Home!!!
|
 |
|
From the plane from LA to Dallas
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
My cuz Jesse on the way to the airport to pick me up
|
|
 |
|
Caleb on the way to the airport to pick me up
|
|
 |
|
Buddy on the way to the airport to pick me up
|
|
 |
|
Family & friends at the airport, waiting for my plane to land
|
|
 |
|
Family waiting for my plane to arrive
|
| | View all 50 photos... |
|
A shuttle bus picked me up from Evatt House at 3:45am Newcastle Time on the morning of Saturday, July 2nd. I arrived at the Sydney airport before 7am, checked in, and waited for my flight to leave around 9:45am. After a 13.5-hour flight, I landed in Los Angeles around 6:15am Pacific Time... isn't it odd how I landed only "2.5" hours after I left Sydney? 
My next flight left LA around noon, and our stopover was in Dallas. I eventually arrived at the airport Cedar Rapids, Iowa around 9:10pm Central Time on Saturday, July 2nd. My family, aunts, uncles, cousins, and a few friends were waiting to hug me when I walked through the door. It was definitely a happy reunion! 
After about a million hugs and even more photos, we all piled into our various cars and drove the hour or so to Cedar Falls. Everyone came to my house for a little coming home party, and a few more friends and my cousin Nick showed up a little later. Thanks to everyone who was able to take part in my coming home shindig! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tuesday, 28-Jun-2005 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Last Day-Trip to Sydney
|
 |
|
Me in the Queen Victoria Building, which is now shops
|
|
 |
|
A building we passed... I thought it was pretty :-)
|
|
|
 |
|
Caryn & Me before it poured rain
|
|
 |
|
Views of Sydney Harbor from the ferry
|
|
 |
|
Sydney Harbor Bridge from the ferry
|
| | View all 70 photos... |
|
Caryn and I decided to make one last day-trip to Sydney on our last Tuesday in Australia. We hopped on a train, and then spent the day walking through Sydney's CBD (Central Business District) shopping for souvenirs and taking pictures. It wasn't the prettiest of days, and at one point it poured buckets of rain, but it was still a fun trip. We also went to the Aquarium, which has some spectacular displays. I'm definitely gonna miss Sydney!  
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tuesday, 21-Jun-2005 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Dominoes Pizza Night with the Unit Mates
|
|
|
This night my unit ordered Dominoes pizza and stayed in chatting and goofing around. It was a good time, just being with everyone (except Shana because he was away on prac, sad) before the end of the semester, and before I flew home to the States.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Monday, 20-Jun-2005 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Elissa's Hen's (aka Bachelorette) Party
|
 |
|
Katie, Pip, Alex, & Rachel decorating Ted's Cellar
|
|
 |
|
Fiona & Bree hanging the banner
|
|
 |
|
Katie hanging streamers
|
| | View all 41 photos... |
|
|
Amy & Bree, two girls from Reality, organized to have a Hen's Party (aka Bachelorette Party) for Elissa. Elissa is another American exchange student, and she had to leave her fiance at home during this semester. She's leaving soon, so some of us girls got together in Ted's Cellar to celebrate her soon-to-be wedding day that's at the end of July. Here are some of the photos from this night.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tuesday, 7-Jun-2005 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Reality Bible Study Farewell
|
 |
|
Me, Rachel, Mim, & Julie
|
|
 |
|
Jo & Me
|
|
 |
|
Bree, Amy, Me, & Rachel (Glen & Prue behind us haha)
|
| | View all 14 photos... |
|
|
Tonight was the last Reality Bible Study of the semester, which made it my last Reality ever! We didn't have an actual Bible study tonight, so instead we went into Newcastle to a little cafe place. It was good to have a little chat with everyone and to finally take some pictures of the group. Unfortunately, not many people came because everyone is getting so busy with the end of the semester. It's going to be a sad day to leave these wonderful people when I return to the States, although of course I'm excited to see my family and friends at home again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, 4-Jun-2005 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Wildlife Park, Phillip Island, & the Penguin Parade! :-)
|
 |
|
Rachel & Me waiting for the train at Huntingdale Station
|
|
 |
|
Chloe, a wombat, at the wildlife park
|
|
 |
|
Chloe, a wombat
|
| | View all 51 photos... |
|
On Saturday, Rachel and I went with Duck Truck Tours to Phillip Island. Our guide took us to a wildlife park before we reached Phillip Island. The wildlife park actually rescues injured Australian animals and nurses them back to health. Then many of them are taken to another place to be prepared to be released back into the wild.
After the wildlife park, we went to Phillip Island to walk on Woolamai Beach. Then we had an early dinner at Amaroo Park. After dinner we drove to Point Grant to look across Bass Straight towards the Nobbies and Seal Rocks. We also saw a few fairy penguins hiding under the boardwalk. Then we headed to Phillip Island Nature Park for the Penguin Parade. It was awesome to see the penguins surfing up onto the beach from the ocean, then waddle their tiny bodies up the beach and along the sandy path to their nests. Unfortunately, cameras and videos are banned for the penguins' benefit, so I don't have any photos of the Penguin Parade to post online. But I bought a photo from a souvenir shop, along with some postcards. So maybe you can see those when I come home in July.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Thursday, 2-Jun-2005 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
My 22nd Birthday in Melbourne! :-)
|
 |
|
Just for Mama--the traditional b-day pose with my cards :-)
|
|
 |
|
St Paul's Cathedral (nearest to the camera)
|
|
 |
|
I think this was a performing arts center or something like that
|
| | View all 8 photos... |
|
|
On Wednesday night, my friend Rachel and I flew to Melbourne for a few days. We stayed on campus at Monash University with Rachel's friend, Jessi. On Thursday (my 22nd birthday), Rachel and I went into the city to walk the streets and do some shopping. I was told many times that Melbourne is known for its shopping and culture, so what better way to spend a birthday in Australia than looking for good deals in cute boutiques and outlet shops in the middle of Melbourne?
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tuesday, 31-May-2005 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
B-day celebration at Reality & in C1st
|
 |
|
Birthday girl Liz with Fiona at Reality
|
|
 |
|
Fi cutting the yummy cake
|
|
 |
|
Reality Bible study
|
| | View all 11 photos... |
|
|
On Tuesday night, I went to Reality Bible study as always. It was one girl's birthday that day and mine was later that week on Thursday, so Fiona brought cake and everyone sang to us. After Reality, when I got back to Evatt, my unit mates surprised me with the yummiest, gooiest chocolate cake ever! Then we went to CAT Room to watch "Remember the Titans". It was a great night.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Monday, 30-May-2005 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
C1st Sunrise at Nobby's Beach
|
 |
|
Sunrise at Nobby's Beach
|
|
|
 |
|
Shana, Justyne, Stevo, & Gerad walking to watch the sunrise
|
| | View all 28 photos... |
|
This morning my unit woke up around 6am to head for the sunrise at Nobby's Beach. It was kind of cloudy, so we were afraid we wouldn't be able to see the sun rising. But, to our delight, we saw the sun rise over the horizon and again over the clouds. It was like seeing 2 sunrises within 10 minutes! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Sunday, 22-May-2005 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Lovely words on the fridge...
|
 |
|
Shana's proud moment with our crossword masterpiece! ;-)
|
|
 |
|
Aren't we clever? Haha! :-)
|
|
|
We have some magnet letters on our fridge... and by "some", I mean not very many! We are especially lacking in the vowel area. But despite this, Shana has been determined to fit all of the letters together into one continuous crossword. On Sunday, this feat was accomplished by combining the geniuses of Erin, Sheany, Shana, & even my own slight input was considered in the final outcome. Haha!
Pay no attention to our slight cheat on the "Z" being turned into an "N" in the word "envy"! Haha, Shana's genius on that flip saved the day. Otherwise all we had to work with was a "Z", a "Y" and a "V", which wasn't looking promising til super-boy stepped in! 
|
|
|
|
