Don Juan and the Wildcards

G'day Mates!

We all knew it was only a matter of time before something epic happened here in Aus... so let's start from the beggining :

We decided to spend the weekend in Brisbane. Sounds simple enough, right? All we had to do was book a hostel for 20 people, catch a bus, catch a train, all get off at the same stop, find the hostel, and navigate the city...oh wait. That doesn't sound simple at all. The bus was pretty straight forward, however myself and 4 guys, more affectionately known as the dweebs, got a bit confused when it came to getting on and off the trains. Several phone calls, panic attacks, and helpful words from the locals later, we made it to the hostel, better known as "Bunk." Bunk was pretty cool...but when you end up putting 14 people plus all of our backpacks into one, barely airconditioned room, things get a bit interesting. Oh, and did I mention the bunk was in the middle of Brisbanes Chinatown? Needless to say, that alone was a cultural experience.
We brought along a few Aussie, Swedish, and Chinese friends, and with their help, naviaged the cities nightlife, including VIP access to some pretty awesome places. At the end of the night, it felt a bit like home as we all enjoyed some hamburgers from Maccas ( you have no idea how happy we were to see those golden arches) and listened to street performers singing "closing time."
The next morning we grabbed some brekkie(breakfast) and took off exploring. The city itself is so different from any other city I've been to. Modern skyscrappers, rooftop putting greens, and sandy beaches lined both sides of the water, full of sailboats. The weather was amazing. Everything really is more vibrant and bright here. The sun is hot on your skin, but the sea-breeze keeps everything cool. Every bit of it was documented via photos, which I'll post later this week.

Overall, it was quiet the bonding experiences for us dweebs, A-teamers, and Don Juan and the Wildcards. Tonight we'll end our first week down under with a busniess casual dinner, followed by us all hitting the library to work on our papers and journals. It's such an amazing experience to get to be here, but I can't hide how much I miss the comforts of home. On top of all of all the cultural experiences and memories I'm making, I'm also gaining an incredible appreciation for all of the people and things I'm blessed with. I have such a wonderful family, loving boyfriend, and lifelong friends. I'm getting really excited for my precious Rachel to come visit and be my partner in crime as we explore the great barrier reef and Sydney!

Ps : I want to throw out there that I haven't lost a single thing yet, which we all know is pretty impressive.