HUGE NOTE: Due to technical/internet difficulties, this didn’t post before I left for my travels…original post date was meant to be November 16th. So please keep in mind while reading <3
Weeks 13 to 15 – October 25th to November 15th
YIKES.
APOLOGIES. Sorry, dear readers, for neglecting my blogging duties as of late. I’ll hope you’ll understand – the end of semester hit me pretty hard, with a GIANT assignment due right at the start of StuVac (the week long Study Vacation before exams) and the following studying for exams exam (singular), planning trips, packing and last minute oh-jeeze-I-only-have-two-weeks-left-in-Sydney-what-haven’t-I-done-yet rush kept me go-go-go-ing leaving blogging at the bottom of my priorities list. So, I’ll try to keep this post brief seeing as I have a few weeks to get caught up on, and only bore you with some of the more important/fun things (at least I think they were fun) I’ve experienced as my time in Sydney has wrapped up.
October 25th – Family Dinner
On Sunday arvo (“afternoon” for you non-Aussies) I hopped on the train out to Liverpool to join my cousin Diane and her family for swimming and dinner. Diane, my dad’s older cousin, moved to Australia as a young woman, met the love of her life (another Canadian, who would have thought!) and settled down to raise her family here. It’s been wonderful having some family connection so close while living here in Sydney; and after my previous week of homesickness, family time was MUCH needed. Little did I know, however, that two birthdays were being celebrated that afternoon – Diane’s daughter Samantha (who drove me to Queen Mary MONTHS and MONTHS ago ((was it really that long ago?!?))) and granddaughter Adele. Think regular family birthday dinner – crazy kids running around, delicious BBQ dinner and tasty, OH-so-tasty cake. It really was a much needed escape from QMB for the evening and exactly the family atmosphere I was craving after Thanksgiving.
October 31st – Halloween
Since having to tragically give up trick-or-treating at he ripe age of 16 (or 17…or 18…but who’s counting) Halloween had never been much of a going-out event for me as for others. I had never been keen to dress up, drink copious amounts of alcohol and go off to clubs charging over-priced cover and drinks. This year however, our very own accommodations were putting on a bit of a shin-ding themselves. And with the promise of food, cupcakes and (of course) candy, how could I say no?
Not to mention, a group of us devised the BEST group costume (or at least in our books it was). Fish scale tights, bathing suits and lots of glitter – oh yes – mermaids. BUT, not just any old mermaids. Ariel from The Little Mermaid and her sisters. Not going to lie; We. Were. FABULOUS. I don’t care what anyone says, we definitely should have won the costume contest over the boring old vampires. I mean, anyone can put on a camp, throw in some fangs and splatter on some fake blood. Mermaids scales take some real talent.
November 7th – 9th – Byron Bay
Having missed out on my previously planned trip to Byron Bay in August due to unforeseen circumstances, I was still determined to get there – one bad day wasn’t going to keep me from getting there! Friday evening I caught an overnight bus bound for 7am the next morning in Byron, full of hope and dreams and all the cool things I would get to do there. Well. Dreams crushed.
You know when something gets a ton of hype and you end up having HUGE expectations for said-thing? But, when that thing happens, and it doesn’t live up to its expectations, it feels extra disappointing? Yeah. That was Byron Bay for me. Unless you live a fairly “spiritual” lifestyle or enjoy partaking in a certain illicit herbal drug (both of which I do not), there really isn’t too much to do there… I saw the light house. I stood in the most-easterly mainland spot in Australia. I tanned on the beach and bought some souvenirs – and that was about it. Not to mention it POURED two out of the three days I was there. In some regards, I’m glad I went. I was determined to get there, and I did. Not to mention I went snorkelling near Julian Rocks in Byron Bay and saw a turtle, wobbegong sharks, sting rays, multitudes of colourful fish, a hammerhead shark and an unidentified whale. However, in other regards, I really could have skipped it – I spent most of the time walking around town since it was too wet for the beach, and because of my opposing lifestyle to the norm, I found the hostel quite lonely. Mais, c’est la vie – you win some, you lose some.
November 10th – well…now, I guess
And here I am, writing my last blog post in the Queen Mary building on my floor lounge. I can’t believe I leave the building in two days…this building that’s been my home for the past four and a half months. Seems like just yesterday I was lugging my 20 kilo bag up the steps into this brand new building in which I was supposed to somehow call my home while on exchange. But alas, it truly has become home. Despite the constant fire alarms, alarming lack of TP in the bathrooms, messy kitchen and absurdly low internet allowance, I’m going to miss this place. A LOT. It is my home here in Sydney, and its residents like family (WOMBOMBS I’m looking at you guys). Of course I’m missing my family back home (DUH) but it’s going to be so strange not seeing all of my fellow QMB residents at dinner or in the study room or going out for breakfast/lunch/dinner/coffee on an (almost) daily basis. As much as moving here was a change, leaving is going to be just as big. Two days doesn’t feel like enough to say good bye to this place, but I have my travels to look forward to. I’m seriously hoping that’ll help me get through the ACTUAL emotional pain of leaving this place and its inhabitants. Sigh :’(
Much, much, much, MUCH, much love,
Steph
(ON A SIDE NOTE: My last exam is Monday – yessssss. Monday is also my first day of travels. I will not have a computer during the duration of said travels so it might be a while until my next blog post. I’ll try to keep you guys updated if possible, but if not – until the next post!)