The month of October

Wow where has the time gone! I can't believe it is already the end of October!! HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY TO LAUREN!

This month flew by with my trip to Melbourne, the end of school and my trip to Cairns!! I only have 2.5 weeks left! My trip to Melbourne was a few weeks ago and it was a lot of fun. Six of us made our way down to the southern part of Australia and explored for a long weekend. We went on the Great Ocean Road tour and saw the 12 Apostles, it was awesome! It was fun to spend a weekend away from Sydney and explore another city in Australia. Melbourne was a lot more artsy than Sydney and known for their markets so we spent all of Saturday walking around the city! 

Joe, Noah, Peter, Jesse, Maja and I 

Jesse, Maja and I in Melbourne 

So far I have had two of my four finals, my easiest (Marine Environment) and hardest (International Business Finance). I am so happy they are done because I have two weeks until my last two! Time to relax and enjoy Australia!

I just got back from a week long trip to Cairns! At UNSW they give you a "study week" before exams (which last 3 weeks) so we decided why not travel then! We all knew we would have it off and decided that would be the best time to go before the rainy season! At DU, I am use to classes going right up until finals so I knew I would be fine! Maja, Jen and I went up to Cairns and did so many fun and adventurous things! We went on a two-day scuba dive boat trip where we spent the night on the boat and did six dives! I was a little nervous for it because I had not dove since my certification but as soon as we got in the water for the first dive it all came back to me and I had a blast! Luckily the boat was fairly empty so we had our own personal dive masters come out with us! They were able to show us some really awesome things! The Great Barrier Reef is so beautiful. I have some photos and videos but the quality of them does not do it justice. If you want to see some amazing breathtaking sites, go to the Great Barrier Reef, you won't be disappointed! It was by far my favorite part of the trip! We also went into the rainforest for two days and spent the night. We went to lots of waterfalls and learned about the stinging tree! On the second day of the trip we woke up at 7am and went canoeing where we saw a platypus! After canoeing we went mountain biking which reminded me of the time I went biking with my family in Hawaii! The open farmland and the rolling hills were really pretty! It was a lot of fun but it was getting really hot and the humidity was intense but we didn't stop there, we went wake boarding! I was so excited because I didn't get a chance this year to go to Vermont and get out on the boat there so I couldn't wait! It was a long day filled with lots of activities but definitely a great time to remember in Cairns!  On our tour you had the option to make it a 2 day tour or just a day trip. Everyone from the previous day only did the day trip. So when we went canoeing, biking and wake boarding we were the only ones! The guide we were with was in his late 20s and therefore it felt just like a fun day hanging out which we all really enjoyed! We got to do so many things! 

Our equipment! 

Wake boarding time! 

This is the waterfall Pantene uses for their commercials when the girl flips her hair!

I've posted a short video from one of the dives where we saw a turtle and shark! I have a lot of footage from my new GoPro (thanks mom and dad!) so when I get more time I plan on making a sweet video but I wanted to show you something right away so this is what I managed to get together. The first part you will be able to see the turtle, then I show some fish swimming and the last part is the shark. Too bad the camera doesn't zoom because I was not about to get close to it! You should be able to see it, it is lying in the sand and then gets up and swims away. I had the camera strapped to my head! Hope you enjoy!! 

Lots of love, 

Stephanie 

21!

I’m officially an adult! I turned 21 this weekend in Sydney and had such a wonderful time. My parents had planned their trip so they were here for the big day which was really fun! We were able to do a lot of things around Sydney that I had not had time to do yet. I picked them up from the airport and until Saturday night when I left to go back to my apartment and get ready for my party we really didn’t stop. We went to Manly Beach and rode bikes around the small beach town. It was really neat to explore the area and see beautiful views of the city. The ferry ride over to Manly was a treat as well! Any time you have the chance to get on a boat in the harbor is awesome. We went to the Opera House Bar that night which is located right under the Opera House on the harbor and has one of the best views. There was a nice band playing and it was very relaxing to finally sit down and catch up over the past couple of months. This is the first time I have been away for so long so I really enjoyed getting to spend a few days with them. We also went to the famous Taronga Zoo and swam in the ocean in Coogee. It was fun to show them where I live and how I spend my time here. I think my Dad realized how expensive Sydney actually is.

Saturday night I had a bunch of friends over to my apartment before heading out to the harbor to celebrate my birthday! It was really fun and so nice to have all my study abroad friends come out! Having a family away from home is really nice and I know I am going to miss them so much. I have a month and a half left here and it is going to fly by. With only 3 more weeks of lectures, finals and traveling I will soon have to say bye. I don’t like to think about it because I have had so much fun. My parents asked me how I have changed since being here and I really think that this time here I have been able to grow personally. You learn a lot about yourself living in another country where the time difference is -16 hours to the people you rely on most. It has been a wonderful journey and I am going to soak it all in this last month!     

On another note, I am sad I'm missing my favorite time of the year in Colorado. Fall is the best with all the leaves changing and the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Instead, I am living my second spring, right down the street from the beach, it's not a bad second option :) 

Some photos from the week! 

Biking around Manly 

On the ferry to Manly 

View from the zoo! 

Harbor Bridge! 

Opera House

First drink!

Roommates! 

I finished!!!

This post is dedicated to my awesome time yesterday completing my first half marathon! I was really nervous because to be honest I didn't really train, at all. New Zealand the week before didn't help especially with the food that we were eating and little sleep we were getting. But after talking with my mom and some friends they were able to convince me it is mostly mental and I would do just fine!

Five of my friends were running so we had a pasta dinner the night before and were all in bed by 10pm because we needed to catch the bus into the city at 4:30 the next morning! The race started at 6:20 (so early!!) but it ended up being a good thing because by the time we finished it was getting hot!!

I had a couple of goals for the race
   1. Have fun
   2. Finish
   3. Don't walk
   4. Finish around 2 hours

I can happily say I completed all of those goals! My final time was 2 hours and 2 minutes! Next time I will get under 2 hours!

We had some awesome friends wake up early and come out to support us on the day! It was really great to see the support from my family here! I even had Gatorade delivered to me the night before!

Here are some photos from race day!

Finishing strong! 

So excited to see the finish line! 

Runners after our pancake breakfast! 

Dan, Malte, Joe, Maura, Me 

My legs were pretty sore Sunday night but today they are doing a lot better! Maja and I are getting massages later today which I am looking forward to!! 

Lots of love, 

Stephanie 

Back Safely from New Zealand!

Had a wonderful time traveling around the south island of New Zealand! I am now catching up and preparing for a presentation tomorrow in class but will update the blog soon with posts from the trip! Until then enjoy some of these photos from the trip!

So many sheep! 

View from our hostel in Te Anau 

Nature walk at Te Anau 

Somewhere along our long drive through the countryside

Group Photo 

Milford Sound

Girls Picture at Milford Sound 

Queenstown 

Queenstown 

Queenstown 

Holiday!

I have finally finished the first half of my semester! They call their break or vacation a holiday instead of spring break. Midterms week included three exams and an eight page economics paper but I am finally finished and off to New Zealand later today!! I couldn't be more excited! I have heard so many great things about NZ and have lots of friends going with me! We are going to the south island and visiting Queenstown, Fox Glacier, Wanaka, Shotover River (white water rafting!), Milfors Sound and Canterbury Plains. I will make sure to take lots of pictures!

Did I mention I am running in the Sydney half marathon? It is September 16th, so a week after I get back from New Zealand! A couple of friends and I are doing it, so it should be a lot of fun! We run across the Harbor Bridge, through the city and finish at the Opera House! Check out the promo video for it!

Lots of love, 

Steph 

Life is Good

Ah! Sorry I have been slacking with my blog posts! The days go by so fast here! The past two weeks I had a cold and could not kick it. I eventually went to the doctor and got some antibiotics and was better within days! It was interesting going to the student health center here. I walked in and the lobby was filled with people and I had to take a number before I was able to see a receptionist. I had an appointment, they don't really take walk-ins. I was seen by an Asian male doctor which was totally fine but he was kind of awkward and hesitant to check and listen to my chest. Thankfully he verified I didn't have anything more than a cold.

I had my first group presentation in class last week in my economics class. It was about the Great Depression on a global scale and how it affected each country. My group included two Chinese students, two Americans, and two Australians. So when we divided it up I was given America (lucky for me I have had plenty if US history and didn't have to do tons of extra research). The work here is more laid back and so I wasn't that surprised when some of our group members didn't show up until an hour after our meeting time was. Oh and once they showed up, they hadn't done their research yet. We finally finished our presentation and presented the next day in class – everything went well. Midterms are next week, which is hard to believe because that means spring break is right around the corner!! I am going to New Zealand – the south island- with other study abroad students to travel around and do outdoor adventure things (white water rafting, hiking a glacier, and other fun things) for ten days! It should be a great time and I am really looking forward to it! It will be nice to get out of the big city and go see some mountains and open space.

I am now officially PADI certified in scuba diving! Last week I went and did a course through Sydney Dive Academy and met some awesome Australians. I was a little hesitant because the week before we went to the Sydney Aquarium and saw the sharks exhibit! But I knew it was something I had wanted to do for a long time and I couldn’t let that change my mind last minute! They tell you in the class that the idea of sharks attacking people are a myth and rarely happen let alone attacking scuba divers! It was a great time, I am really glad I did it. I am looking forward to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef (we are trying to plan a trip now in middle/late October). At our dive spot on the second day we saw an octopus and stingray with lots of other fish as well. Oh and one of the best parts was that one of the Dive Masters (an instructor) was asking me about America and if I follow the NFL. We had a great 5-minute conversation about the Denver Broncos, Tim Tebow, and his favorite team, the New England Patriots!

Dive Group!

First Dive Site - Beautiful day, cold water! 

Yesterday the city had a “Welcome Home Australian Olympic Team Parade” downtown so a few friends and I went down to see it. It was a great time. They closed off George Street (one of the main roads downtown) and there were quite a few people that showed up on a Monday morning to see the Olympians! We were able to high five a lot of them and I really wanted to touch a medal (which I think we could have if we asked them) but by the time I thought about it, it was too late. There were not that many medals in the parade – Australian won 7 gold, 16 silver, and 12 bronze. We saw the “missile” but unfortunately he was on the other side. Overall, it was a fun parade and thing to experience.

Me, Maja, Jen 

Only in Australia 

Me, Joe, Jen, Maja

The Missile! 

I am going to try and blog more often like after a special fun event or something that I want to share. Trying to blog every week I always forget things and it takes a lot longer to type up! Football season is starting which I think might be the first time I get a little home sick (not really home sick but just missing the fact I can’t watch the games). I guess I will have to follow game stats and blogs! 

Anyways, sorry this next blog took so long to get up. Things have been going well and August has flown by! Next month I will be 21 – holy cow! Life is good and I am very blessed.

Lots of love,

Stephanie   

One Month...Already?!

These days go by so fast! I can’t believe I have been here for a month already! I am thankful my program is one of the longer ones, because if it was only three months, I would not be wanting to go so soon! There is still so much to do!

This past week, I spent more time on campus and made a conscious effort to meet other international or Australian students. I have an hour between my classes on Tuesday where I went to the Quad Food Court and grabbed some Chinese food. I walked around to look for a seat and ended up sitting with a nice girl. I soon learned her name was Stephanie and she was also studying accounting and finance! It was fun to talk with her and learn more about Maroubra Bay (where she lives) and she also suggested some fun places to go in the city! I have learned that when you go up to anyone and start talking to them, they are always interested and eager to find out more about America and what it’s like. Another thing I have appreciated since being in Australia is how great of a country the United States is. Everyone is so interested in learning more about America and what it is like. On a side note, when I say I am from Colorado some people say “oh, like where that massacre was?”. Unfortunately bad people can taint a perception of a state or country but I share with them how beautiful and fun Colorado is. When that happened a few weeks ago, it was all over the news here and on the front page of most of the papers – making international news.

Anyways, this past Tuesday I went to Aida at the Opera House! I have never been to an opera before and I didn't really go in with any expectations and I had a great time! It was so cool just being in the Opera House and seeing an opera was awesome. It was a love story in italian with english subtitles. Boy those men and women can sing! It was a long show, three hours, so after a full day of classes I was ready to go home by the end. It was an experience I will always remember! The view from inside the Opera House of the Harbor Bridge was absolutely beautiful!  

Jen and I went to a fundraiser one of the clubs on campus was holding. It was at the Kensington Bowling Club and it costs $10, that’s about all I knew. So I made sure I was wearing socks under my boots and hoping I would break 100. Haha when we showed up, I quickly realized it was not the bowling I was thinking of. It was more like bocce ball. We met some students that we ended up hanging out with and talking to most of the night. They taught us how to bowl and it was a lot of fun! The first time I rolled the ball I rolled it way to hard and it went well past the small white ball we were trying to get close too. They kept telling me it was “too much weight” or “too tight” (meaning I didn’t angle it out enough). It was a fun night filled with lots of laughs and new adventures. One of the guys in this group was from Steamboat, CO. He had come over to do his whole degree at UNSW and it was fun to talk with another Coloradan and here about how much he loves this place.  

Classes are starting to get harder and I have finally cracked open my books. I really like my international finance and global business environment classes. Both are focused on the global scale and I am learning a lot of different currencies and how different countries do business. At DU I have not had a class focused on international business so I enjoy the new challenge. I start presentations and papers are due next week!

We are lucky to have a working TV in our apartment and a channel where the Olympics are broadcasted so that has been a fun bonding activity for all of us. The network here obviously are all focuses on the Australians so it has been hard to keep with the US athletes. However they did interview Phelps after he won his 19^th medal which was pretty sweet.

This weekend was so much fun! I can’t believe it is already Monday! Saturday morning Jen, Jesse, Carolyn, Nicole, and I went to Paddy’s Markets in the city. It was a shopping center that was four levels with the bottom floor being the markets. So the top three levels were stores you would find in Park Meadows but the bottom floor was a huge area where vendors were set up and selling their goods. There were a lot of trinkets and tourist items/gifts for cheap! They had everything from watches to phone cases to NFL jerseys to Australia scarfs and shirts to hair wigs. It was fun to walk around and see everything they had. Jesse and I tried on a wig or two and it’s safe to say I would not look good with short brown hair! Too bad she would not let us take a picture…

Towards the back of the markets there is a produce and meat/fish area! I ended up buying some really good cherries and a few oranges! After the markets in the morning we went over to the Sydney Museum to meet our group for a chocolate tour! We walked through Sydney and went to five different places where we learned about chocolate and got to have some samples! It was a lot of fun but by the end of the three hours or so I was so sick of chocolate. I don’t think I am going to have more chocolate for another two weeks! But I had a great time!

Sunday I woke up early to meet at campus at 7am where a group of us were headed to the Blue Mountains and Featherdale Wildlife Park. It was a beautiful day as we went on “bush walks” and saw the Three Sisters and some beautiful waterfalls in the Blue Mountains! By the way, these are not mountains – nothing like the Rocky Mountains, more like hills, but it was nice to get out of the city and see another part of Australia! After the Blue Mountains we went to Featherdale Wildlife Park where I saw my first Koala and Kangaroo!! It was so much fun! The Koala is my new favorite animal, they are so soft, but apparently they sleep for 20 hours in the day so we were REALLY lucky to have one of them up when we visited!! The kangaroos were not as exciting as I thought they would be, we did see one hop but all the others were not moving at all.

As you have seen, I have been running around doing all fun things non-stop and my body is starting to notice. Friday night I started to lose my voice and I still can’t talk normal yet. I didn’t really have time to rest this weekend until last night but I went to the store and got some medicine and mint chocolate chip ice cream so hopefully that will help! Today I only have one class so I have been able to stay in bed longer and rest!

Lots of love,

Stephanie