The End of a Chapter

Hello Everyone,

I'm sorry I stopped posting in April. I just kept traveling and then procrastinating so I never got around to blogging about the rest of my adventures. Instead of backtracking the past few months I'm going to write a simple conclusion to my year of traveling.

So, so, so much has happened since September that it is difficult to wrap my brain around the changes that have occurred in my life. I can't count the amount of people I've met that have forever changed me. It's scary to think I didn't know some of my good friends a year ago.

To recap my traveling schedule:

London, England
Glasgow, Scotland
Dublin, Ireland
Countless cities in the Irish countryside (Shamrocker Tours!)
Rome, Italy
Mykonos, Greece
Athens, Greece
Oxford, England
Paris, France

Cairns, Australia
Brisbane, Australia
Sunshine Coast, Australia
Gold Coast/Surfers Paradise, Australia
Hong Kong, China
Macau, China
Christchurch, NZ
Queenstown, NZ
New Zealand Countryside
Sydney, Australia
Melborne, Austraila

Looking at that list is incredible. My eyes have been opened to the world and there's no going back. I've been to 4 continents in the past 10 months, 2 of which were totally new to me. The scary question I have to ask myself is how I can go back to normal life. The good news is when I left for London I left a life I loved and people I cherished. I wasn't running away from anything, I was running towards adventure. I never knew studying abroad would be so challenging. It's not as easy as you may think it is; I've been on my own living in two different countries with nothing familiar except phone calls, emails, and skype sessions with friends thousands upon thousands of miles away. Every experience I had challenged me to go far beyond the reaches of independence that I had ever known and has made me grow as a friend, a relative, and a human being.

Home feels like a dream. The thought of being with my mom and dad, friends and family seems a distant memory that I will never get back, yet in less than 2 weeks that's what my life will be. I'm going to wake up in New York and think that I dreamed my time in Australia and all the amazing, wonderful, lovable, and outstanding people I've met were just my imagination.

These last few months have really worn me down and made me miss the familiar and miss home, but now that I'm going back to that so soon I have to pause and think that I won't be coming back to Australia for many years, if ever again and that thought is very scary to think. The 109 bus to University of Queensland won't exist, going up to apartment 98 to hang out with the boys won't ever happen again, and walking through south bank and the lagoon won't be a part of my weekly activities.

This year has been the most fantastic experience of my life, and it's about to end. 10 days until I'm boarding a plane to LAX and America. 10 days left of exploring and discovering and being in Australia. There's no conclusion that can make it easier to think it's over.

All I know is the next year will be an adventure all to itself; I will be a senior in college, living in an apartment, concluding 4 years of happiness at American University (well, technically 3). I'll be finding out where I will be working after graduation, what I'll be doing, and evolving into an adult. My life won't be surrounded by professors, papers, exams, classes, and college weekends. It's exciting and frightening and wonderful.

Life is full of happiness, sadness, excitement, adventure, and wonder. I've seeked it with my eyes open, I've discovered parts of the world I never knew existed and have gotten the skills I need to face my next adventures in life.

When I get off the plane in New York I'll be ready.
I'll be ready to take on the next parts of my life.

Thank you all for following my blog and seeing what I've been up to. Hearing from people I haven't spoken to in years who have told me they've been following me and enjoyed my experiences was truly a blessing. It's been great posting pictures and posts about my time abroad and attempting you let you in to the amazing parts of my life.

Cheers!
On to the next adventure!
Miriam

"Relation-shits."

"I learned a lot this year. I learned that things don't always turn out the way you planned, or the way you think they should. And I've learned that there are things that go wrong that don't always get fixed or get put back together the way they were before. I've learned that some broken things stay broken, and I've learned that you can get through bad times and keep looking for better ones, as long as you have people who love you."


Lately I've been doing a lot of thinking about relationships. I went back over my past few years and thought about all the guys I've dated, met at a party, or texted late at night. If I think hard, my track record is pretty terrible. God awful, even. 


I consider myself to be a good person. Someone who loves with all her heart, and is willing to forgive the flaws that make up people that are rough around the edges. I also consider myself to be a good girlfriend, especially from learning from all of my past mistakes which are far from miniscule. I have now come to realize, after many nights of pining over guy after guy, those men with those big flaws don't deserve a part of my regular dating schedule.


When I think about it even more, and think about my girl friends and their past relationships, I see a trend happening. As college students, and as girls in their late teens and early twenties, we are surrounded by babbling idiots who think more with their smaller head than their bigger one. There are very few guys who are genuinely sweethearts, and they almost always finish last. Yes, there are a bunch of good guys that are in steady relationships but in my past experience, a few drinks or a fight with their girlfriend and some of them might end up straying.


So what is it that attracts us to the assholes? I think it's the danger. The desire to find a messed up guy, fix his flaws and then stride around showing off the fact that we actually switched the jerk into the knight in shining armor. Let me tell you, even though you probably already know, it hardly ever turns out that way. Instead, you have to buy your friend, or yourself, a pint of Ben and Jerry's and rent a really good chick flick and mull over all of the warning signs you didn't see until you were smack dab in the middle of the fire pit and only then realizing you're getting burned.


I am no hero when it comes to relationships and good dating habits. I am prone to find the guy with the smile that makes me forget all my prior relationship pains for the "what ifs" that come along with a new attraction. The first date, the first kiss, and the first time you leave him and you smile all the way home. 


Don't get me wrong, there are guys that don't actually mean to be assholes, but end up hurting you anyway. There are warning signs attached to them too, but you think to yourself that because they don't mean it it doesn't really count. Well it does, and even the guys with good intentions can still be wrong for you. Again, in my past experience, I fell head over heels for a guy that I had very little in common with. I was captured by him in an instant, and for months made excuses for him by saying he hadn't committed any crime when it came to our relationship and furthermore that he made me SO happy it didn't matter that we didn't have much in common. I saw the warning signs, but I didn't heed them and in the end, I was left more broken than I had ever expected.


I'm not saying that being single is something we shouldn't strive for. There is a lot of fun that comes along with being single and free of having to care about another person's feelings when you do something idiotic. I'm saying we should, as girls, avoid the traps set out for us at the get-go with 20 something guys that are so attractive. We shouldn't think that being single is us settling, and shouldn't run off into the sunset with any guy that wants to take us out on a date. One act of romanticism hardly calls for thinking he's wonderful or worse, "the one."


Sometimes there are no warning signals, and that's the absolute worst. I recently started to become attracted to someone who was chasing after me so hard that I didn't even stop to think his intentions were anything but good. He seemed mature, able bodied, and on the right path to becoming a real man. But instead, I was blindsided and left dumbfounded as to how this guy who was chasing me suddenly disappeared. Even more so when I realized there was absolutely nothing manly about him, and instead he was a guy with the emotional maturity of a 15 year old boy. 


If anything, this year has taught me that no matter what country you are in, guys are all the same. Whether you are in America, England, Scotland, or Australia there will be assholes. I just wish there was a handbook at successfully avoiding them. I know a lot of girls that would line up at the bookstores for it, or buy it on amazon which is far less embarrassing. 

Crikey, Mate

So, if you've seen my facebook pictures recently, it is obvious that I went to the Australia Zoo, otherwise known as the Steve Irwin zoo. I've had to decide on an Australian celebrity to write about in my Australian Popular Culture class and when I was at the zoo I really, really wanted to write about him.

However, writing about Steve Irwin is SO cliche I didn't think I could bring myself around to do it. I've been looking up random Australian celebrities and thinking of one that would have actual academic links I could research and the only ones that really popped out were Mel Gibson, Miranda Kerr, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, and Steve Irwin. If you think about it, who really wants to write a paper on all of those random actors and actresses who have to pose for the camera and give interviews where they refuse to talk about parts of their personal life?

I watched an interview on youtube of Steve Irwin and after the first 5 minutes I knew I had to write about him. He is SO unbelievably entertaining that I was hysterically laughing with my headphones in staring at my computer. It made me realize that we didn't appreciate him and what he did for the environment enough when he was alive. If you make it passed his vivacious personality, you can see passion. Passion for his family and for wildlife. This guy is truly amazing.

Here's the link to the interview. It was in 5 sections.

I hope you've fallen in love with him like I did after watching these videos.

CRICKEY!

Mimi

Oh, how a year changes things...

“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavese 


I got the bright idea of going back on my facebook page to a whole year ago. I put my life in rewind and kept clicking "older posts" until I reached last April. It's astounding to me how different I was a year ago and it is scary to imagine myself a year from this very moment.

A year ago I had just watched my little, Chris, cross over into the AKPSi brotherhood. Unity was close by and the last semester of sophomore year was coming to a close. I was living with one of my best friends, Silvana and I had yet to meet so many people that have changed me.

I hadn't started my internship at McGladrey, I hadn't worked at Omega with Iszy, Hannah, and Chelsea. I was still 19 and just starting to realize that college isn't forever.

I was taking Dance and Society, Astronomy, Managerial Accounting, ITEC, and Finance. I had been getting tans outside on the quad during breaks.

Nobody tells you that going abroad isn't just about traveling and seeing new things. It's about seeing new parts of yourself, getting homesick, getting depressed, and feeling like you're losing touch with reality. I don't know many people who have done what I'm doing, but if you're reading this I hope it's bringing back memories of self discovery.

I thought being abroad would be a good way to run away from my problems and start a new life. They don't tell you that the movies are lying when they take an actor and put them on the sunny beaches of Mexico and they're life has a whole new beginning. There is no such thing as completely starting over because your past will always, always catch up with you. The real change begins when you turn around, face your past demons and grow and learn from your mistakes. Being a teenager and being in college is such a difficult time - that's why we drink and we do stupid things. Because actually taking responsibility for your actions is a scary thought. It's much easier to procrastinate and watch youtube.

Here I am. Alone on the other side of the world and I'm in the process of taking responsibility for my actions, for my future, and for myself. I haven't been in the same country for more than 5 months in a year. I've been around the world (yet to go back) and I admit that I am feeling lost. Feeling like I'm losing touch with reality. My feet haven't stayed on the ground enough for me to feel like I've got ahold of something real, so my only option is to float in the clouds until landing back in New York at the end of June.

This isn't a post crying out "save me." This is me telling the world I am in the process of saving myself, and being a better person for it. I do not regret anything I have done and I am wildly happy that I chose to live in London and Brisbane. This is me saying there isn't anything I would change. 

Long Weekend

Hello Everyone!

Life has been as good as ever. I went to the beach this weekend and had some rest and relaxation before the start of April which is promising to be the most chaotic month ever!

It's starts with a bang though - I leave tomorrow for Hong Kong! yay! I will update you on my travels as soon as I'm back with loads of pictures to share with you all!

Love Love Love!

Righteous,

Mimi

Epiphany

So I just had a wonderful epiphany.

My life is amazing. I'm going to Hong Kong in 8 days to visit my brother and two weeks after that I am going to New Zealand for a week.

In New Zealand I will be traveling through the south island with the main stops in Christchurch and Queenstown. Christchurch, as you may have heard, just recently underwent some reconstruction by mother earth but it is apparently safe to go and now visit. Queenstown is the place I am most excited to go because I will be skydiving when I get there.

I don't know what made me want to skydive specifically in New Zealand, but the thought has been in my head forever. Maybe it's when I found out that my future husband, Orlando Bloom, had done it while filming Lord of the Rings. Whatever the case may be, it's going to happen.

ANYWAY, that's really all I had to inform you about. That I am euphorically happy.

Righteous,

Mimi

:)

Princes and Shenanigans

Dear All,

I am sorry to tell you I did not have the pleasure of meeting Prince William. I guess it is just not my destiny to become a royal. Prince William did a tour of Queensland this past weekend to show his support in the efforts to clean up the mess left behind from the massive flooding in January. He went to a fundraising event in South Bank, where I live, and I was 10 minutes too late in seeing him leave. He left 20 minutes early and when he walked out he took the time to shake everyones hand that was waiting outside. So mad!

In other news, I did quite a few exciting things this weekend that I would like to share with you.

I went BOWLING! Yes, that is right. The field you see in this picture is for a type of bowling. It's kind of like Boci ball but I just like to call it Scottish bowling because the first time I saw it was at Silvana's school, University of Glasgow. The object of the game is to roll a medium size ball down the pitch and have it get as close to a golf ball as possible. The reason it is difficult is that the ball is weighted differently on each side so it skews around to the left or right depending on the way you're holding it. It's weight also makes you need to throw it gentle enough so that it doesnt go too far and go in the gutter.

My action shot. I wasn't that bad at it which made me quite excited! You can see the size of the ball in this picture, too.

I also went to the Gallery of Modern Art in Southbank on Saturday, better known as the GoMa. For anyone who has been following my adventures, I went to the MoMa in London and didn't like it all that much. I didn't think modern art was really that special. That was until I came to Australia. After all, everything is better in Oz!

The picture above is of me at an exhibit called the wishing wall. The artist made the exhibit interactive by getting wishes from the people who go to the exhibit and then create ribbon bracelets with certain wishes on them. Some examples:

"I wish to be a famous ballerina touring the world"

"I wish to remain curious"
"I wish I knew what I wanted"

"I wish to be more like my older brother"

You are allowed to take one of the ribbon wishes and then you write down your own wish and put it in the wall, like I am doing in the picture. I LOVED the concept.

Right behind me is another exhibit that is also interactive. There are thousands of white lego pieces and everyone is supposed to create part of the piece so they become the art. Another great concept.

ANOTHER one of my favorite parts of the museum was this room that was created to look like a typical Japanese convenient store. Everything that you would find in the store in Japan was in the fake store in the museum but the wrappers were filled with air. I LOVED it.

There is also a massive slide you can go down if you don't want to use the stairs. At the far end you can see the wishing wall and then the table full of the white legos. 

Uni is starting to actually ask me to do work, which is HIGHLY unexpected. I came to Australia to have fun, not to actually study (haha). But in all honesty, it's difficult getting back into the swing of things after really not needing to apply myself in London. I have 2 small papers due this week, along with a quiz and I have to read the entire Odyssey by tomorrow. I have tons of papers and presentations coming up in the next few weeks, right after I get back from HONG KONG!

Alright, enough blogging. I gotta get back to work!

Righteous!!!!!

Mimi

Kenny - Australian Movie

This is a movie I had to watch for my class Australian Popular Culture. It was absolutely hysterical and an all around fantastic movie. If you can somehow see it back in the states online or on netflix, you definitely should.

Evil Eddie - Queensland

A funny rap video about Queensland. Love it

Slacking On The Updates

Hello All,

I'm sorry for the lack of posting, I just keep forgetting to and because most of the time I'm not the one taking pictures it's difficult for me to remember to update everyone.

Brisbane has been a blast, but the traveller in me is itching to start moving my butt around the country. It looks as though my first stop will now be to Hong Kong! I'll be visiting my wonderful brother, Douglas, and he's going to show me all around HK and Macau while I'm there. No worries, the tsunami in Japan didn't affect HK in the slightest or Australia for that matter.

I'll be gone from April 1st to April 6th, but it doesn't really feel like I'm going there. It was never on my list of places I wanted to visit but I had to make an exception now that my mom won't be visiting and I'm homesick. Oh, and did I mention it's a pretty badass city?

Overall, University of Queensland is extremely different than AU. There are more people, first off, which makes getting to class extremely annoying. First of all, no one moves out of your way so you get whacked in the face with backpacks and second, no one knows how to walk. I'm from New York, I walk with purpose, especially if I have 5 minutes to get to class and its 10 minutes away and I'm lost.

The classrooms are also VERY different and not as nice. AU has a set style of classroom thats easy to work with. The classrooms at this uni can go from lecture halls with small seats and no room to move in and out of a row or to classrooms packed with 60 semi broken desks. It doesn't matter though because I love it here. I have to admit, it was pretty hard getting used to lectures with hundreds of people in them and having to take a public bus to campus in the morning but it's starting to feel like home. I no longer need a map in my face to figure out how to get around and I'm starting to recognize buildings.

As for the fashion - girls here like to dress up, a lot. Apparently it's because students have to wear uniforms all throughout their younger years so it's the first time girls can wear dresses to class. Most girls here like a weird fashion statement of frilly flowery dresses paired with ankle high black combat boots. Another popular style are high waisted shorts with short legs and sometimes show off a little ass cheek. Guys are less styled, clothing wise, and wear tanks that show off their tan and muscles.

Oh, have I mentioned all men here are eye candy? I went to the Gold Coast a few weeks ago and had to stop myself from drooling. They are all GORGEOUS, and if their faces aren't that attractive they make up for it with ripped, rippling muscles and sleek golden brown tans and sexy surfer hair. I have never felt so white and pasty before.

This past weekend, Rachel and I went a Farmer's Market in the West End (about a half hour walk from South Bank) and not only bought some lunch but watched a rugby game. Again, with the rippling muscles and sexy tans. Except instead of having surf boards and swimming trunks they had uniforms and a rugby ball. AND, instead of surfing waves they were jumping on each other and throwing themselves at a ball.

Did I mention I love Australia?

Anyway, I don't have much else to report. I promise I'll get on the whole "taking pictures" thing as soon as I can. This weekend we're trying to go to Steve Irwin's zoo, the Gold Coast, and a theme park!

Righteous!

Mimi

Today I Shall Be A Hermit

Today is the first time since I've landed that clouds have overtaken the sun for an entire day and rain has been consistently falling for hours. Some people I know left to go to the beach, but I'm content sitting in bed and watching movies.

The first week of classes is now over, which is funny considering everyone at AU is gearing up for spring break. I love all of my classes even though my Organisational Behaviour class is going to be mind numbingly boring. It's geared towards first years so at least I know I have a guaranteed A.

Tomorrow is Rachel's 21st birthday so the game plan is to go to the Gold Coast and hopefully get a tan amidst the thunderstorms and then head back to Brissy and hit the town in style. I am so jealous that she will forever legally be able to drink but I am happy that I get to spend the day with her because we are so much in love.

I haven't taken many pictures since arriving in Brisbane so hopefully I'll get a ton this weekend and post them for you all to see!

Righteous!

Mimi

'Roo For Dinner, Togas At Night, Smiles In Between.

I'm very sorry I haven't been writing. It seems as though I've disassociated myself from posting a lot on facebook and keeping in touch with anyone other than my mom and dad. I've just been so happy going out and about in Brisbane that I haven't wanted to sit down at my computer and write a whole bunch about what I've been doing!

So, last week was orientation week. It was supposed to be a bunch of days filled with things to do on campus, but the main event was marketing day. I signed up for way too many clubs and got way too excited. I felt like a freshman all over again, starting a new life in a new school and ready to discover all of these activities I'd never thought of doing before. For example, I joined the beach volleyball team, the ultimate frisbee team, the wakeboarding club, the wine and cheese club, and then in Miriam fashion the accounting club. I doubt I'll have time to do all of these things but I'm only 20 and in Australia once so I might as well get my butt out of bed and dive into the culture of uni face first!

In other exciting news I did some crazy stuff last week like...

EAT KANGAROO!!!

It was actually really good. I had it in a meat sauce on top of pasta, thanks to one of my new friends Alex. He is quite the chef.

Go to a TOGA PARTY! I usually hate theme parties, but this was an organized event by the University of Queensland. I wanted to show some school support and dress up. There were thousands of students there decked out in tons of toga attire with a great DJ and some crazy techno. This is on the bus on the way to campus after a bump in the road and laughing after almost falling.

I also tried some local foods (as you know I'm obsessed with tropical fruits). There is a smoothie/ice cream stand called "New Zealand Naturals" a ten minute walk from my building. I absolutely LOVE walking in south bank down by the river and I went one afternoon with Rachel to sit and people watch while drinking an AMAZING milkshake.

We also went adventuring out at night. If you haven't noticed I'm happy all the time here.

It's actually quite crazy how different I feel after 2 weeks of being here. I'm less stressed, I'm happy all the time, I'm relaxed and excited to go to uni and meet new people. There literally hasn't been one bad day since I've gotten here. It's hard to imagine going back to New York after having such an amazing experience here.

I don't know what it was about London, but most of the time I spent in bed watching Netflix. Okay, "most of the time" is a bit dramatic but compared to never being in my flat in Brisbane it seemed like I never left the house in London. I can't help but kick myself for not going out more and being more adventurous. In all honesty, I can make a new friend everywhere I go here and people in London were not that friendly. I went shopping the other day at the Queen Street market, basically a huge shopping center, and made friends with a guy checking bags at the door who I'd love to see again.

Yesterday was the first day of classes at UQ. Although I'm dropping my Monday class to have a four day weekend, I still enjoyed sitting in it yesterday morning. It was all about fashion and seeing it more as an art form then deciding whether a white skirt is nicer than a black frilly one. Today I had Television and Popular Culture which will prove to be my favorite class of the semester. During class we were discussing the wave of reality television and to my horror the professor showed a clip of Jersey Shore. I sank low in my seat making sure I didn't stand out and no one knew I was from New York. It will be interesting to see a student's perspective of the American culture from an Aussie standpoint. I'll also be getting their perspectives in my Australian Popular Culture class. Here's a Foster's add the professor showed today:

Fosters - I Am.

Molsen - I am Canadian.

He also showed the same advert but for a Canadian beer. It was funny.

OH! BUT! He showed it because literally no one in Australia actually drinks Fosters and proved how it was catered to Americans.

Anyway, I've gotta run! I'm going to the market to buy some groceries!

Righteous!

Mimi

Don't Feed The Birds

As I promised, I will now tell you about the new wonderful city I call home.

We flew from Cairns (pronounced Cans) to Brisbane on Thursday February 17th. We arrived at Urbanest, the apartment complex for students in South Bank to find that Australearn told the staff we weren't arriving until the 18th so our flats weren't ready. We sat around for about an hour and were then placed in our rooms.

I walked into my room and was immediately happy. I have my own space away from everyone, which is something I definitely needed in London. I even have my own BATHROOM! Check below...

Along with the picture of my bathroom I have to deliver some bad news. The water doesn't flush the other way here in Aussieland. It doesn't even spin. The toilets flush the water straight down. My astronomy professor from last spring broke the news to me about the toilets so I was prepared for the heartbreak.

As I was unpacking from my journey of epic proportions, I had to open the drawer to my desk to place some of my crap in it to make the room look neater. When I opened the drawer, to my horrified surprise, a MASSIVE cockroach crawled out to greet me to my new room which I apparently was sharing with him. I screamed but was too panicked to immediately kill him, so it decided to crawl behind the desk where I couldn't reach him. There was nothing I could do about it except let it be and hope to find him later to murder the poor bastard. 

I went to lunch with my new best friend, Rachel, down by the river at subway. They have $10.00 footlongs here, I laughed and was sad that nothing was going to be cheap here for the next few months. As I got my sandwich, we decided to sit on cute little tables outside in the sunshine (it's summer here, are you jealous? good.) that was out in the park area. 

As we were about to sit, I put my sandwich down to look at a very interesting bird. It was quite large with a white body and a black head with a very long beak. It saw me staring at him, so it stared back. All of a sudden, it flew at my face which made me put my sandwich down in the table, scream like a little girl, and run the other way. I then watched in horror as I realized the bird didn't actually want little old me, it wanted the 7 dollar 6 inch subway sandwich I had just bought and was dying to eat. After waiting for an hour for my apartment to be ready and after realizing I was sharing my new room with a 1.5 inch long cockroach I was not about to let an evil bird take away my lunch. I screamed in its face and let it fly away. Only problem was it didn't leave me alone so I had to move inside to another restaurant because the waiter felt bad for me.

This was all 3 hours into living in Brisbane. 

Evil, Evil Bird.

So, today is Tuesday which means I've been in Brisbane for about 5 or 6 days now and it already feels like home. I met some nice guys on the elevator and they invited me and Rachel over for dinner on Thursday. We've become a group since then and it's been really great to hang out with awesome guys who actually cook dinner. That first night they gave us gin and tonics along with a gourmet salmon dinner with mashed potatoes and asparagus. I plan on cooking for them this week to repay the favor.

I've been out on the town a few times since arriving. The hot places to go are the main city and a place called fortitude valley. The "valley" is just bar after bar with 20 somethings lining the streets dancing and having a good time. I love it. Only problem is the price of alcohol. To give you an idea, a 6 pack of Corona is 20.00. A 6 pack of Becks is 23 dollars. A normal sized bottle of Jack Daniels is 65 dollars. The cheapest thing to drink is boxed wine, which is anywhere from 10 to 17 dollars.

Yesterday was orientation which was as boring as you can imagine. UQ is full of international students, with 107 countries represented during orientation. They were naming countries I had never heard of. There was a barbeque after which was good but it was so painfully hot I couldn't stay outside. The heat was making me feel like I was either going to throw up or faint. Hopefully the head today won't be as bad.

So, that's my update for now! Here are some other pictures of Brisbane!

Kristi, Rachel, Me in Southbank

Southbank area with shops and restaurants

The Brisbane Ferris Wheel

Briizzzyy

UQ!

Me and Brisbane in the background

Righteous, Dude!

Mimi

I've Found My New Home.

Hello Everyone!!!

I am SO SORRY for not posting since I've been in Australia but I didn't have internet for a week in Cairns and I'm just getting my footing now that I'm in Brisbane.

As you obviously know, I have been to many places all over the world but I am here to tell you that the most beautiful and wonderful country is Australia. My first fear of coming over here was the plane ride(s). In total, it took my 25 hours in 4 different planes and going to 5 different airports to arrive in Cairns, a city in North Queensland. The scariest flight was the 15 hour flight from LA to Sydney but as soon as we were in the air I fell asleep without taking any Ambien or Advil PM. The stress on my body from being so nervous just put me in a coma and I woke up with only 3 hours left of the flight. I watched The Social Network and the Madonna episode of Glee. I then took two short flights up to Cairns.

Cairns is a very hard place to describe. It's in the tropics so it is blaring hot partnered with extreme humidity so the option of straight hair goes out the window for every girl. The Australearn program set us up in a hostel type facility called the Bohemia Resort so I got two roommates, one from Texas and the other from Massachusetts. We bonded pretty quickly, but it was hard to meet everyone because there were about 140 people at orientation. 100 of those students were going to Griffith University on the Gold Coast, which is one of the most beautiful beach areas in all of Australia. Another 40 of us were going to University of Queensland (UQ), 37 of which were girls. Needless to say it was cliquey and quite annoying to hear every girl yelp when she talked about finding an Australian and marrying him. I mean, that's OBVIOUSLY why I came to study here, too, but I'm not going to squeal and say it out loud.

The masses of people

Sorry, I got off track. Okay, so, Cairns. When you're in a car driving down the road you have huge mountains to your left full of lush trees and rainforest and then to your right you see the Pacific Ocean thats a clear blue and warm and inviting (minus the jellyfish that cover the beaches). Seriously. The RAINFOREST is on the left and the GREAT BARRIER REEF is on the right.

Some highlights of Cairns were:

Petting a Kangaroo!

The cutest baby Koala bear

Kiwis and Passionfruit are cheap here. I have eaten a passionfruit and kiwi everyday since I got to Brisbane. SO DELICIOUS

This was probably a lowlight. Holding a water python was scary. Never again.

Scuba Diving and Snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef

Huge fish that hung out near the boat. I swam with them!

Alright, I gotta run, but I'll try and post about Brisbane tomorrow. I've only been here for about 4 or 5 days but there have already been adventures and crazy moments that could only happen to yours truly.

Since I'm not in London anymore, I feel awkward saying cheers so instead I'll leave you with...

Righteous, Dude

Mimi

Fear.

It would be an understatement to say that I have been a little neurotic since getting home from London. Christmas FLEW by, and then I saw myself toasting my friends on New Years and then I thought time had just stopped. It was the same routine everyday. Go to bed at 5 AM, wake up at 2 PM, watch Netflix. Fit two visits to DC in there and you now know everything I did over break.

What I didn't see coming was February 10th come swinging around the corner. I find myself taking my suitcase out of the basement and having to pack camis, shorts, and bikinis while looking out my window and seeing literally feet of snow covering my entire town. It just doesn't make sense. I'll be in heat and sunshine in two weeks... AND ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE PLANET.

I was watching the first season of LOST with my little, Chris, while visiting DC. In the second or third episode, Jack tells Kate a story of how he was performing surgery and he tore the patients spinal column and he froze. He just let the fear in. He counted one, two, three, four, five and then no longer let the fear control him. Although very clearly written for a television show, the monologue is now resonating with me.

When I got home I had all of these expectations. Expectations of seeing certain people, clearing up some things that I didn't fix before I left for London, and always being happy to be curled in my bed with my cat. Well, my expectations were met in certain portions of my time home, and some weren't. I was able to self analyze and see how I've changed, how my town hasn't, and now know that I've moved on. Moved on from certain friends, from high school (which is scarily already 3 years ago), and from home.

Time doesn't stop for anyone. Sometimes it feels like it goes painfully slow, and others it feels like you've blinked and days have passed. So, what should I do about this? Do I let the fear of leaving again consume me and envelop my senses so I can't sleep?

No.

I count to five. And then I pack my suitcases, say my goodbyes, and board my flights.

I probably won't have much to blog about until the day before I leave, or even after I get to Australia. Welcome week takes place in Cairns, which is a two hour flight north of Brisbane. Expect many pictures, and an awesome tan on yours truly.

<3

Miriam

End of the Year List !

Hello All -


I'm safe and sound back in New York. I got home on the 22nd, three days later then planned. It's been quite chaotic being back, a rough landing if you will, but everything seems to be settling into place. 


Today is New Years Eve and as such I found this cute list and decided to answer the questions. It was a way for me to reflect on the past year and get excited for what's to come in 2011.


Cheers!


1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?

I did a ton of stuff in 2010 that I had never done before. Living in another country is probably the biggest.

2. Did anyone close to you die?

Yes. My Aunt Dorothy died in March of this year. RIP<3

3. What countries did you visit?.

England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and France

4. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?

More confidence in myself and my ability to be on my own without needing someone to lean on. I pride myself on being independent, but I rely on a few people a lot. I would also like a broader perspective of my life and the world in general- that'll be the next chapter of arriving into adulthood.

5. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

The flight from New York JFK to London Heathrow. It was one of the scariest moments (hours) of my life. Leaving my mother at the gate brought me to tears and in that moment I realized that I was on my own, flying to a country I had never been before, and pure terror raced through every cell in my body. I see now that it was my first time truly "leaving the nest" and becoming more independent then I had ever been.

6. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Other than studying in London, was probably working at McGladrey and being in talks with them for a job after graduation. I have worked so hard to get where I am right now and finding out that they wanted me back was one of the happiest moments all year. Plus, I got to jump up and down like a total dork with my best friend in the whole world, Diana.

7. Where did most of your money go?

Traveling throughout Europe.

8. What song will always remind you of 2010?

Lights by All Out
Push Push by Kat Deluna
F*** You by Cee Lo Green (LONDON REPRESENT!!)

9. Did you fall in love in 2010?

Lets just say that I found something I wasn't expecting, and it changed me. Most of the time I think it changed me for the better.

10. What was your favorite TV program?

My two new discoveries were Modern Family and 24.

11. What was your favourite film of this year?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. DUH.

12. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I was in London on my birthday and I turned 20. We started out the morning by having a huge snowball fight IN the house. That was my first birthday present- a snow ball in the face. We all went to Hyde Park later on and had a real snowball fight (you can see those pictures on facebook). Genna and Ruth then took me to Harrods for my birthday and I got a triple chocolate fondu at the Chocolate Bar. It was DELICIOUS!

13. What kept you sane?

Talking on Skype and Google Talk with my mom, dad, Diana, and Cory while being abroad.

14. What political issue stirred you the most?

Ugh. Obama losing his balls. And Sarah Palin's existence.

15. Who did you miss the most?

My family and friends while being in London. Also, my deceased grandparents. I kept wishing they were still alive to talk to and show them how well I'm doing. I hope I'm still making them proud even though they aren't around anymore.

16. Who was the best new person you met?

Genna Bellezza. We lived together in London and traveled in Italy and Greece together. I love you Genna! There were other people that were also great that I met this year, including my little CHRIS, new AKPSI brothers, and some of the people I met while abroad (Phil, Alan, John, Alyssia, Emily to name a few).

17. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.

There is a great big world out there that is just waiting to be discovered. It's up to you to walk out your door and go explore it.


All relationships are different. Meeting and dating someone knew makes you more aware of yourself as a person and there are a lot of lessons to be learned in that arena. 


With the passing of two of my professors, I was taught that life is really short and that people can easily disappear from your life. It's important to be thankful for what you have. You don't know what you got 'till it's gone.

18. Tell us a quote that best fits the year 2010 for you

I have two.

You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the one who’ll decide where you go – Dr. Suess

After all these years, I am still involved in the process of self discovery. It’s better to explore life and make mistakes than to play it safe. Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life – Sophia Loren

19. What are you most excited for in 2011?

Studying abroad in Brisbane, Australia, going back to McGladrey, and SENIOR YEAR OF COLLEGE.

20. Say one of your New Year's Resolutions!

Skydiving in New Zealand or in Australia. It's going to happen.




Happy New Year Everyone!

Stuck in London... Arrival in the U.S. TBA

Hey guys,

First, I'd like to give a shout out to all of my friends who have been there for me, consoling me on my inability to get a flight back to New York. For those who don't really understand what the hell is going on here is a synopsis:

There was approximately 5 inches of snow at Heathrow airport on December 18th, my birthday. Everyone at Manson 15 had a fun day with a snow ball fight and drinking games expecting to still be able to leave the next day. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

Heathrow airport was crippled by the mere 5 inches and shut down the whole airport on Saturday. Entire terminals stayed shut and people who were there on a layover or who needed to leave were stuck and had to spend the night. On Sunday, only 16 flights left the airport and I, along with 9 of my other roommates, weren't on them. Only 2, Jill and Joe, got out who were on the same flight. Somehow they didn't even have a delay.

The rest of us were in a complete panic, and most of us were on hold with airlines and travel agents for at least 3 hours trying to find a new flight. My roommate, Cierra, went to the airport and paid 40 pounds (about 70 dollars) for a cab only to find out her flight had been cancelled. The only thing the airline said was "sorry" and handed her a sheet of paper with a phone number on it that charged per minute to call. Most of the house was crying, screaming or panicking, not knowing when they would get home. I was able to get a flight out on Wednesday, but my other roommates got flights on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

The rest of the afternoon was a complete blur. I fell back to sleep at around 8 am and woke up at 12:30 PM to assess the damage done by Heathrow. We were all distraught and just hypothesizing why all the flights were cancelled and how the hell everything was shut because of snow that happened the previous afternoon.

I decided, after much stressing, that the best thing I could do was buy a 12 pack of Corona, some Magners Hard Cider and curl up with my laptop checking Heathrow's website, British Airway's website, Facebook, while watching 24 on Netflix. Writing it out is very weird because not much happened but it has to be one of the longest days of my life.

Today was even worse. One of my roommates and my friend Alyssia both had their flights cancelled. Alyssia is now on my flight for Wednesday after being on hold for 4 hours, and Dennis is now first flying to Dublin before flying back to the states.

You would think that after 72 hours Heathrow would be up and running. You would be very wrong. On a daily basis, British Airways has 12 flights that leave for JFK. Today 6 out of 12 left, but tomorrow only 4 out of 12 are currently scheduled to depart. I leave Wednesday with that exact route. I am praying that somehow they will get my flight out but there is a very good chance it will be cancelled.

If my flight on Wednesday is cancelled, I will be spending Christmas away from my family after not being in New York for 4 months. My first reaction is to cry and drink heavily, but it is completely out of my control. There is no looking back, thinking that I should have booked an earlier ticket. No amount of panicking or crying is going to change what will happen to me over the course of 48 hours.

Never in my life have I felt this stranded. Sure, I've lived here for 4 months and I like London, but having home be so close and have it ripped out of my grasp is extremely painful and horrible especially during the holidays. Normally, I'd be at home with my friends joking around about how crazy my family is and the chaos that will ensue on Christmas. Now, it's everything that I crave. I would much rather be on my Dad's house sipping a Becks with my dog Cody curled at my feet while listening to country music, watching the fire. I wouldn't even mind being woken up at 7 am by my dad blasting banjo music in my ear, or even him opening my door while playing the Banjo (he is a very talented man. he can multitask).

 Everything I took for granted I am now realizing is extremely important to me. No matter how crazy your family is, no matter the drama that is going to happen Christmas day, I want every single person reading my blog to realize how lucky you are to have a family to go to. To have people you care about surrounding you, whether it be your mom and dad or great friends who console you when you can't be around your family anymore.

I want my friends at home to know how much I love them and care about them. I want my family to know I love them and miss them more than anything in the world and I will do anything in my power to get to the states as soon as physically possible. Traveling the world has been one of the best experiences I will ever have, but it is nothing compared to being with friends and family.

I'll update my blog as soon as I know whether or not I will make it home on Wednesday.


Lots and lots of love,
Miriam
xxx