LIFE AT BEST IS BITTERSWEET.

My adventures in Australia are coming to an end and it is bittersweet. I wish I could stay longer in Australia because there are still places I want to go and I will miss all of the friends I have made but I miss my family and friends at home so I am ready to go home. (I also don't have any money left, so that's another thing I need to do is work!)

I can't explain how amazing these past five months have been. I'm sure if you've read my previous blogs you can see how awesome everything is in Australia. I'm so proud of myself that I did this. I'm actually in shock thinking that I just lived in another country for five months. It's really weird and yet so fulfilling.

Here are some pictures of my best moments in Australia (New Zealand and Bali). Until we meet again!

BALI :)

Oh, Bali. This was the motto for the week because so many crazy yet incredible things kept happening.

Our first day was very relaxing since we just had a 6 hour flight and were super tired. We went for dinner and I ended up hurting my knee (again) and was in so much pain! I toughed it out and went out with the group for our first night in Bali.
It was all so much fun! The next day we went shopping and chilled by the pool. The weather was so nice all week that almost every day we hung at the pool. Monday we went to the Uluwatu Temple and saw the fire dance! This picture is towards the end of the dance/story and yes, there is a person in the middle of the ring of fire!!

That night we went for dinner on the beach. It was beautiful! Tables were set out on the beach and there was band that came around to play for everyone. This was a picture of our group after dinner :)

We also got massages in Bali which half of the group liked and the other half didn't like it so much. I loved my massage!! I loved it so much that I got another massage later in the week, along with  a pedicure and manicure. We had another just resting day and went for dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, which was expensive for being in Bali. But the food was delicious!!

Probably one of the best days of the trip was the safari! We took a picture with an orangutan, rode an elephant and a camel, got a safari ride, lunch, two complimentary drinks, a t-shirt, and a hat!!

This lion was drinking right next to our table at lunch!!

Another night we went for dinner across the road from the beach, the food was delicious here as well and the sunset was breathtaking. 

We went to see the medicine man at the place Eat, Pray, Love was filmed. The garden was beautiful and they had birds, dogs, and monkeys there. We wanted to get our palm read by the medicine man but the wait was over three hours and we didn't have that kind of time.

This is the medicine man, how cute is he!

My most favorite part of the trip was going to Turtle Island! They have multiple types of turtles and we got to hold them!! :) I love turtles and have always wanted one as a pet so I was super excited!!

Turtle Island was a day filled with water adventures! First, we went para sailing, then on a banana boat, a jet ski, snorkeling in the Indian Ocean and to Turtle Island! It was a day filled with adventure and lots of fun!

Bali was a trip to say the least and I loved every second of it. There were some negatives like my friends getting their money stolen and us girls getting hit on my nasty men. Although, I loved my trip I don't think I'd go back. I would however, like to visit Thailand and many more new and different places!

Ladies Oak's Day!

Each semester there is a race day. This was my first live horse race and I was super excited! I borrowed a dress from a sweet Australian and bought new rockin’ shoes. Brittney and I planned a huge breakfast with her roommates and all of our friends. We made a special punch and had all the food you could imagine!!

Everyone was snappin pictures of all of the beautiful dresses and handsome boys. It was a great event for everyone to get dressed up and have a huge end of the semester social! Here are some pictures of all the people in Unicentral! Oh! And I have to mention that I bet on a horse and won!! (Only a $1.50, but it's an accomplishment in my book)

It has been a wild ride in Australia

Learn how to surf Go to the Great Barrier Reef
Visit the Australian Zoo
Make really cool friends
Pet a kangaroo
Eat vegemite
Go shark diving
Find out where they filmed Our Lips are Sealed with the Olsen twins
Skydive in New Zealand
Get good grades
Take a hike on the Bicentennial National Trail
Go to Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
Find out if the toilet really flushes the other way!?
Visit Bondi Beach
Take a ghost tour at Battery Point and Port Arthur
Drive the Great Ocean Road
Take a night to look at the stars
Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Attend a rugby game
Visit Blue Mountains National Park
Explore the Jenolan Caves
Kangaroo Valley
Attend a cricket game
Hot air balloon over the Yarra Valley
Drive a car on the other side of the road
Go rock climbing at Grampians National Park
Visit the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
Wine tasting at the National Wine Centre of Australia
Fulfill my love of chocolate at Haigh’s Chocolate Centre
Go to Margaret River
Ride a camel in Broome
Sightsee at Ross, the Ross Bridge
Visit Sarah and Marias Islands
Visit Darling Harbour
Find Lizzie Wicks
See Cheslea Handler in Sydney
Blue Mountains!!
Hang Glide over Stanwell Park
See a penguin parade
Swim with dolphins
See the sunset at Ayers Rocks
Kayak in Melbourne
A crocodile cruise
Try sandboarding
White water rafting down the Tully River
Melbourne crime tour
Take a helicopter ride over Great Ocean Road
Bring my family back awesome gifts!
Meet lots of great people and learn lots of cool things but never forget my friends and family at home J
Have THE BEST TIME EVER!!!!

Out of my list of 50 things to do while in Australia I actually only ended up doing 20 out of the 50. This might seem like a disappointment but I did so many things that are not on this list that made my trip one I will never forget. While I didn’t go to a cricket game I did go to an AFL game. I didn’t kayak in Melbourne but I did kayak in New Zealand in Kaikoura. I also did not make it to Tasmania or the Northern Territory but I did make it to New Zealand and Bali and those were both awesome trips!! I might not have taken a hike in the exact places that I wanted but I did do A TON of hikes. I also didn’t climb at Grampians National Park but I did climb Mount Coolum. I also ended up couch surfing, bungy jumping, seeing the Glass House Mountains, cliff jumping, drove a jet ski, and attended my first live horse race J Australia has been one great adventure and I am sad to leave but I know that this was just the start to all the traveling I see in my future.

Gold Coast Suns

The Gold Coast Suns are a new team to the AFL. They were only formed two years ago but already have a large following. This being my first AFL game I was super excited, but I was told the Suns would probably lose...which they did. The first two quarters were awesome! The Suns were in the lead and winning but after half-time something happened to the team and they dug themselves a hole which they never got out of.

What is really the best thing about the night is that the stadium that held the game was just built and last nights game the Suns vs. the Cats was the first game played in this stadium, Metricon Stadium!!

I will always support the Cleveland Browns, but I have to say that I think I like Australian Footy better than American Football. But I do like the food at American sporting events better. At the Metricon Stadium they offered meatpies, chicken baskets, hot chips, chiko rolls and superdogs. I myself had a superdog which really was super but what I really wanted was nachos like at Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Indians games :)

After the game we headed to Max Brenner. My friend Emma has been telling me all about this chocolate restaurant but they don't have one on the Sunshine Coast but since we were at the Gold Coast this was the perfect opportunity. It was delicious!! This is what I got...

Yummy :) :)

S.V. Whitehaven

S.V. Whitehaven is the boat we were on for 3 days and 2 nights in the Whitsundays, which is part of the Great Barrier Reef. Our trip started with lots of rain and wasn't looking like much fun but once we got to snorkel it was well worth it! Overall, we got to go snorkeling 3 times and we got to go to Whitehaven Beach which is one of the top 5 beaches in the world!! I have to say that the food was also excellent! Especially the veggie dip!! I'm mad at myself for not asking what kind of dip it was because it was delicious!

This is a view of our boat from our first snorkel site!

Our group on the boat :)