There's No Place Like Home

We have just arrived home after 30+ hours of travelling and we're exhausted but happy to be home.  I was excited to see my dad, brother and puppy, Kaiba waiting for us at Detroit's airport! Maybe the jetlag has made me a little fuzzy, but on the drive home I recognized everything, yet being back feels so surreal, like it isn't really happening..

Reflecting on everything that I feel I have learned and accomplished this semester, I'm more and more grateful for all the things that made this semester possible.

A quote from the best movie ever, Finding Nemo:

"Marlin: But how do you know when they're ready?
Crush: Well, you never really know, but when they know, you'll know, you know?"

Thanks to everyone who believed me when I said "I know" and who helped me actually believe it myself.

Saying Goodbye

After cleaning, packing, turning in my key and moving to our hotel, my mom and I went back to the city to have one last day of spontaneous activities in Sydney.  We took the train from the station near the hotel to Central station and then took a monorail tram to Paddy's Markets, a great spot for souvenirs and awesome, kitchy, touristy things.  Of course, Tuesday is the only day of the week that the markets aren't open, so that idea was scrapped quickly and sadly.  We continued on the tram line to the Sydney Fish Markets where we quite literally followed our nose to the warehouse of fresh fish, prawns, oysters, squids and lobsters...there was even a sign for "Bugs" but we didn't feel like finding out what that meant..  For lunch we fought off the seagulls outside while we split half of a grilled lobster that was covered in garlic butter..It was fresh and delicious and made me realize again how much my taste in food has drastically changed in the last few months.

Opera House Barbie; Although this is clearly
a "must-have" we just didn't think we had
enough space in our luggage...

Making our way to Circular Quay at the Sydney Cove harbor, we went to the Opera House to have a guided tour inside.  With some time to kill, we had some wine and people watched, then perused the Opera House gift shop, which has everything you could possibly want to own with an Opera House on it...including the one of a kind collector's item: Opera House Barbie!

During the tour we learned a lot of really interesting things about the Opera House, and I will now try to remember as many as I can:
-There are 2 large main shells which house the Concert Hall (for orchestras and concerts) and the Opera Hall (for operas and ballet) and a few small drama theaters and 1 small main shell which houses the restaurant
-The Concert Hall is the largest of all of them and is made of only Australian timber
-With over 1500 events a year, and open 7 days a week, there is always something happening at the Opera House
-2 out of every 3 people in the world can recognize the SOH
-The seats in all the halls and theaters are specifically designed to reflect sound when empty exactly the way they would if a person were seated there, allowing for perfect acoustics that are consistent from empty rehearsals to packed opening nights

In front of the 2 main shells of the Opera House

-The Grand Organ in the large Concert Hall has over 10,000 pipes ranging from pinky size to 3 stories tall.  It took 10 years to build and 2 years to tune.
-The outside "sails" are made of ceramic tiles of 17 different shades of beiges and creams and are self-cleaning.  The inside ceiling is made to look like the bottom of an upside-down boat and the windows in the shells are ideal for views of the harbor
-The architect (whose design was chosen from a world-wide competition) estimated that the construction would take 3 years and 7 million dollars...it actually took 16 years and 152 million dollars, which was paid off within the first 3 years of its opening
-Since his estimates were so wrong, the architect, Jorn Utson from Denmark, was removed from the project and left Sydney before it was finished
-Utson, who died a few years ago, never saw the final Opera House in person

While we were being shown the main Concert Hall, we got to listen to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra rehearsal...it was amazing and I don't even particularly enjoy orchestras.

Pizza and drinks at Manly Wharf Hotel

After our tour we took the ferry to Manly and walked to the beach.  Since the weather was taking a turn for the worse for the first time all week, we didn't stay long and went back towards the ferry docks to Manly Wharf Hotel where we got some unique and yummy pizzas (pumpkin, spinach, feta cheese, onion and sauce) and drinks and watched the clouds change colors with the sun as it set.

Back at Circular Quay, we met up with my best Aussie friend, Ben, to say goodbye.  We went to Oyster Bar right on the water with a great view of the bridge and chatted for awhile, trying to avoid the inevitable.  Eventually we had to part ways, promising to see each other sometime in the future, not knowing when that might be.  Waiting at the train station to go back to the hotel, I said my goodbyes to the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, but I think it will take some time to come to the full realization that this city I have fallen in love with will soon be much further than a bus ride away..

An Adventure of Her Own!

I am now officially done with my academic career at University of New South Wales!! My last exam went well (as it should have because I feel like I've been studying for years..) and now we are headed to my church to say goodbyes to people there, and then staying in to pack everything up.

While I was taking my exam, my mom had some adventures of her own:

Carly's beautiful beach for the last 4 months (Coogee)

After seeing Carly off on the bus to Randwick Race Course for her last exam, I walked the few blocks east to Coogee Beach and started on the seaside walk to Maroubra Beach. This 5 k trail follows the beautiful cliffs that line the coast south of Coogee. It was another warm, breezy, blue sky day... not your typical winter afternoon here in the southern hemisphere!  The solitude and scenery made for a great hike, even though I got a little "lost" when the trail veered into the neighbourhoods a bit . But I found my way... keeping the ocean on my left, ending at another spectacular sweeping cove beach. Taking off my shoes and socks to stroll through the Pacific one more time, I then stopped to read a little in the sun. I even happened to look out at the ocean just in time to see a whale going by in the distance. Then, all by myself, I found the right bus to return to Coogee Beach, completing my adventure just as Carly was finishing her exam. We walked back to the beach a short time later to get a quick dinner from "Chish and Fips", and now we have the job of cramming everything into our suitcases in preparation for the return flight on Wednesday!

The aqua waters of Maroubra Beach.. end of the trail 

The Australian Weight Loss Plan: Day 4

Mom with a grey kangaroo!

In the morning we got up really early, had a small breakfast, packed up lunches and snacks and got on the bus to the train station where we caught a train out west.  What was supposed to be a flawless day of utilizing Sydney's public transport system quickly turned into a really long day of waiting around for Sydney's public transport to get itself together.  Delays on the tracks and trackwork made us late to arrive in Blacktown where we had to wait for a bus to Featherdale, but we finally got there (ahead of all the tour buses and screaming kids) to see the animals.  We saw, pet, and fed wallabies, kangaroos, dingos (even little dingo puppies!!), a tasmanian devil and wombats, emus, cassowaries, and of course, koalas.  We loved the dingo babies; they acted just like domestic dogs and reminded us a lot of our golden Kaiba who my mom decided is part dingo because she can dig just as much, and who we are both excited to see in just a few days!  It was so fun to see all the Australian animals again, who were all really hungry and knocked the food out of our hands within seconds, and I think my mom really enjoyed it too.

Mom and me at the base of Wentworth Falls in the
Blue Mountains; enjoying another beautiful day!

Then it was off to the train station where we had to wait for a bus to a nearby city so we could get a train further out to the mountains. Once there, we hiked the Charles Darwin Walk out to Wentworth Falls and I got to take in my last view of the Blue Mountains.  It was quite noticeably cooler and "autumn-like" out there, but when you can hike in the mountains in the middle of winter without a coat, you shouldn't complain...winter here is nothing compared to what we are used to in good ole Michigan!  We went to the bottom of the falls via the "Grand Stairway" and stayed there for awhile, snacking, talking and feeding the birds.  As the sun was setting, we made our way back up the steep stairs along the cliff with the valley at our backs and the waterfall to our left.  It was almost the end of yet another day of perfect weather, even with the crisp air of the mountains the sun was out all day and kept us warm.

Once back in the town of Wentworth Falls we caught the train and took it to another mountain town where we were meant to take a bus back to Sydney (because of the trackwork).  Here we were involved in a few stampedes as people from our packed, double decker, 8car train tried to make it onto one of 4 charter buses...Moral of the story: people are crazy and panic way too easily.  We got back to Sydney where we had to wait for yet another bus to take us back to my suburb..and of course missed the bus that goes right to my house by about a minute, so we had to take a different one and walk from the beach. At this point we started to joke that I had put my mom on the "Australian Weight Loss Plan"; walking everywhere all day, and eating only peanut butter and jelly for lunch.  All joking aside, I have really enjoyed feeling healthy and active here, a lifestyle I intend to maintain once I am stateside again.


We got to video chat with my dad, brother and Nana, and it was great to hear from them and made me even more excited to be home.  Today is my last day as a student at UNSW, my last exam is in two hours, and I am ready to be done and start packing.  Tomorrow I will turn in my key and we will check into a hotel near the airport for my last night in Sydney!

Sydney In A Day

Continuing to be touristy with yet another picture with the Opera House

Early this morning we got on a bus and went into the city, starting our day at my favorite restaurant; Pancakes on the Rocks.  Mom got the "Strawberry Patch", buttermilk pancakes with fresh berries, ice cream and cream and drizzled with strawberry coulis, and I got "Bavarian Apple", buttermilk pancakes with ice cream and cream, apples and sultanas (like raisins) and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.  It was sort of a poetic way to start my last weekend in Sydney since that was the way I started my very first weekend here way back in February..

After filling up on deliciousness we headed into The Rocks Markets to have a look around and try to walk off our huge meal.  Then, back in the harbour we took more pictures of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge before walking to the Royal Botanic Gardens, a beautifully landscaped stretch of green along the water's edge behind the Opera House.  We enjoyed yet another perfect and sunny afternoon strolling around the ponds, flowers and trees and found a spot called "Mrs. Macquaries Chair" the best spot in the gardens to see the Opera House and Bridge and named after the wife of a past governor of the convict settlement.  We took more pictures here and then made our way back to the ferry wharves where we caught a boat to Darling Harbour.

Here we went to the aquarium (which I actually got to enjoy this time around) and saw lots of amazing marine life like sea dragons, jellyfish, mantarays, a platypus and tons of fish...including the ever-illusive Nemo!!!! We also saw Crush and Bruce (the sea turtle and shark in the movie) and I came to the realization that I am the oldest Finding Nemo obsessor in Pixar history.  One section of the aquarium is a touch-tank where we got to pet sea cucumbers and starfish, which were squishier and harder (respectively) than I expected them to be.  Besides what seemed like hundreds of screaming and crying kids at every exhibit, it was a fun afternoon activity with lots to see and do.

After four months, it's only right that I find him the last weekend I'm here!

At the Opera Bar for sunset

Leaving the aquarium we walked around Darling Harbour for awhile, got lost while trying to find the Sydney Fish Market, decided we didn't care about it all that much and took the ferry back to Circular Quay.  From there we found a spot at the Opera Bar and shared an appetizer and some wine while we talked, rested our feet and watched the sun set behind the bridge for the second cloudless night in a row.

When we got home we had dinner, changed into nicer clothes and are now awaiting the arrival of my friends who are joining us and my roommates for a good old fashioned college party..my mom's first one in 30 years, which I know she is really excited about! :)

More adventures tomorrow!

A Whale of A Tale

A fluke up dive (left) and pec wave (right) of two humpback whales

This morning I sat my second to last exam (and may or may not have used some Harry Potter spells to label parts of a mollusc that I didn't know...) and then after a quick lunch, mom and I went into the city for her first views of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge!  After weeks of rainy, grey, and in the words of Winnie the Pooh "blustery" days, we have had a few perfect, cloudless days in a row and today was no exception.  We took a whale watching cruise from the harbour that took us out into the ocean to have some close encounters with the migrating humpback whales.  The migration itself, from Antarctica to the North-east coast of Australia, is a long journey taken by the whales mostly in June and July away from cold waters to breed where their baby calfs won't freeze to death.  Alongside the boat we saw one whale fully breach and lots of tail flukes, pec fin waves, and blowhole spouts followed by the arched-back dives that are signature of humpback whales as we followed a few pods up the coast.  We learned that each humpback whale has a white "fingerprint" on the underside of its tail that is completely unique, which I thought was pretty incredible.  Our pictures weren't the greatest, but we had an amazing time together.  We were both awed by the size and sheer muscle of these beautiful marine creatures of the deep and I was definitely able to appreciate how majestic they are, in both their movements and ability to entertain.

Kangaroo pizza and "Taste of Australia" beer paddle
at the Australian Heritage Hotel in The Rocks

When we returned from the cruise, the sun was beginning to set so we found a spot along the side of the Opera House and watched the sun go down behind the bridge.  With still no clouds to be seen, it took a while to get dark and the sky was a perfect fade from orange to blue while the bridge became just a silhouette.  As the lights of the city started to come alive, we walked around to Campbell's Cove and into The Rocks and sat down at the Australian Heritage Hotel to have kangaroo pizza (mom's first experience with roo meat!) and we both loved it!  We even paired it with a "Taste of Australia" paddle with five different classic Australian beer brews.  The Australian is the oldest continuously licensed pub in Sydney since it was opened in 1834. Though the original building was destroyed in an attempt to stop the spread of the plague in the 1900s, it transferred its license to its current building and has been serving delicious gourmet pizzas and microbrews ever since!

Mom Arrives!

This morning I got to pick my mom up at the Sydney airport! I think I scared some people around me because when I saw her come out I squealed and started running to give her the biggest possible hug...I couldn't be happier :)

We started our day off with the Coogee to Bondi walk and enjoyed the warm, sunny afternoon along the coast.  Even in winter, the water is as blue as ever and it was a beautiful walk.  We found the Aboriginal carvings that I've been looking for all semester and then spent some time playing in the Pacific at Bondi Beach.  From there we took a bus to Bondi Junction where we bought carmelized peanuts and cashews and walked through the markets.  Another bus took us to the bottom of campus and I got to show her all my favorite spots while we walked from lower to upper campus.

Me with my beautiful mom; Sunset Point near Bondi Beach

Now she is taking a short nap before dinner while I study for my second to last exam, which is tomorrow morning.  I'm so glad she is finally here and that I'm getting to show her around my life for the last 4 months but in some ways it feels like the beginning of the end. But, we still have lots of adventures left in the next few days and I'm definitely ready to be done with these exams!!