So I made it. I know there were a few of you out there that didn't think it would happen what with my mom commenting on the book of face about how I was air-drying when she talked to me due to my forgetting my towels and how I mentioned that I forgot my socks...good thing it's a million degrees here with 10000% humidity. I don't think I'll be needing the socks for a while.
So it was a little nerve wracking getting here, I flew by myself and got on a bus with a bunch of people who had all come with someone, I talked to a few but I don't think I made any lasting impressions (HAH!). O and for those of you who are eagerly awaiting my comments on how I walked through the airport with a million pounds worth of stuff, give or take a few, well sorry to disappoint but airports have it down I just grabbed a nifty cart and pushed them on through customs, driving the cart was an adventure for sure because it was one where to release the break you had to push the handle down, easy enough right? Wrong. So soo wrong. After I realized that it was actually telling me to push down and thinking that that made a lot more sense then having to lift it up and push it, have you ever tried to push a cart while lifting the handle up ya doesn't work too well. So after I figured that out and quietly laughed to myself at myself I set out towards the carousel that was supposed to be bringing my bags out. Then I realized how not helpful it is to have brakes that activate when ever I lift up the handle, it stops, right away, and I run into it, everytime. It never stops when I want it to and when it does stop, it's two seconds before I meant for it to and so I run into it, again. Frustration. For a little while I just pushed it with the brakes on, at least it stopped when I wanted it to. :) I'll skip past the part where I stood there for a half hour waiting to catch a glimpse of my bags while people continually pushed their way past me because they are, obviously, much more important than me, and get the part where I get my bags and start moving towards customs.
Just a side note, how awesome does it feel to see your bags come out of the depths of the airport? I always feel like I won something, but like it's kinda a private thing so I don't want to start yelling and make a big speech, I just quietly push past people, muttering polite excuse me's with a smirk on my face that clearly says, "don't worry, your time will come, just not now :-p" and I pick up my bag and I'm out of there. I should fly more often if not solely for the joy that comes with getting my checked luggage.
So anyway I get through customs without a glitch, but not before I tell them I have candy in my bags and they ask me if it's beef jerky....ummm noooo? I didn't realize that qualified as a candy? I find my way to where my bus is picking all the Wollongongers up, wait for a bit and then walk to the bus. We all gave out bags to the driver and he loaded them in the back and then he said, "we need two smaller girls to sit in the front...you'll do" pointing to the girl in front of me, "and...you." pointing to me, yes I am a smaller girl damn it! The ride was uneventful and when we got to Campus East, where I will be residing for the next 4 months, we got out and got handed our luggage, only there were no carts here, so I tried hard to not look like a ridiculously off balanced fool and put a 30 lb duffle over one shoulder, which also had my 15-20 lb carry on plus my backpack on my back, and then I pulled my rollie bag with the other hand...did I mention my shoes were untied and it was only a 50 foot journey from the curb to the door where we left our stuff to check in and I only tripped...about a billion times, but I made it. Checked in and got the room keys and made our way to the rooms which were up another 2 flights of stairs, but this time an RA was helping, she took the duffle while I pulled the rollie one up...ask me how many times I lost my balance and fell against the railing coming dangerously close to falling all the way down...once...but once is enough.
Welp then I unpacked and waited for my friends to get here while my mother anxiously paced the house waiting to see if I made it ok, since my phone was dead and I had no access to the internet sawwwwy o:-). Then we went shopping, I exchanged my money for colorful cool Australian money, bought a couple towels (no more air drying for me!) and then came back and had some dinner, which wasn't very good and will probably make me gain the...international exchange student 15 :-/ all in all a good first day in the land down under. Plans to go to the beach tomorrow are in the making and I got the biggest jug of sunscreen anyone's ever seen so I think I'm good. Talk to you later America.
~Toni =)
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