'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

The City of Love & My Final Journey - Paris, France

Sorry it took me so long to write again. It's been a very hectic week since I got on the train from Paris back to London...

Most people go to Paris with their boyfriend/girlfriend because it is known as the city of L-O-V-E. I went alone, and to be honest, I'm glad I was able to explore alone. In the end, I was able to fall in love with myself.

When you hear how beautiful Paris is, you can't truly understand until you've been there. No picture can capture the beauty, the winding streets, and the people.

I was absolutely shocked to find out the French people are some of the nicest I have come across throughout my travels across Europe. They are warm and friendly and I am convinced they are some of the happiest people on the face of the planet, and why shouldn't they be? They get an average of 6 weeks vacation a year, free health care where doctors will even come to your house if you don't feel up to going to the office, the food is phenomenal and the language literally makes you want to rip off your clothes and fall into the arms of a well dressed Parisian man... Too bad I didn't meet any that were available.

Saturday I woke up in the wee hours of the morning while the rest of my house was peacefully sleeping and rushed off to Kings Cross. I was so early, in fact, that they bumped me up to the train leaving at 8 AM instead of 9 AND - get ready for it - put me in first class! I was so excited because I have neither traveled in first class before nor been bumped up randomly. They served breakfast and everything.

Travel Tip - If you get to Gare de Nord be prepared to stand on line for at least a half hour to get tickets for the underground. Have change in euros. Each ticket costs 1.70 if you get a single, and a booklet costs 12 Euros. The tickets are just little strips of paper and you need to keep track of which ones are used. It's very messy. Silly Frenchies.

When I finally made it to Sarah's stop on the subway it was as though I was in a dream. I climbed up the stairs, suitcase in hand, and looked out at my surroundings. Cars were on the correct side of the road (yippee), people were bustling around on the streets, there were French cafe's and, just like out of a movie, there were big fat snowflakes falling on the ground.

After a few minutes of searching, I saw Sarah and Cassie! I gave them both huge hugs and we started to walk back to Sarah's apartment. The less glamorous side of the snow falling was the brown slush all over the sidewalks and road making it slippery and too dirty to roll my suitcase. So, there I was in Paris, slipping and sliding while holding a suitcase that had way too much clothing in it for a simple three day weekend. But hey, have you met me? I am clumsy and can't pack correctly.

Here's the basic list of my itinerary:
Saturday - Montmarte, the hill with a cathedral on top that overlooks the entire city of Paris.
                 The street filled with sex shops and the Moulin Rouge
Sunday - The Eiffel Tower, L'Arc De Triomphe, Champs Elyesses and La Grande Roue
Monday - The Louvre

Montmarte

The scene simply cannot be caught on camera. 

It is too beautiful to put in one picture. In this case, seeing is believing.

I always made fun of people's albums that had tons of pictures of the Eiffel Tower because, after all, everyone knows what it looks like and it looks exactly the same in every picture. When I got there, I had to put my foot in my mouth and I finally understood - you just keep taking pictures because you can't actually believe you're in Paris staring at it. I almost started crying when I first saw it (yeah, I'm a girl). But it wasn't just because I'm a girl. My whole life I have dreamed of going to Paris and seeing the Eiffel Tower. There I was, independent and I was looking up and I realized I had made it. I had made it and I got there with the money I had worked and saved for. Happy Birthday, Miriam.

L'Arc De Triomphe. It was beautiful at night, but it was even more beautiful after walking down Champs Elysses for a few hundred meters...

On the streets of Champs Elysses. One thing about traveling alone that is a serious issue is finding people who you trust to take your picture. I went for the obvious choice of the Asian tourists. After all, they always take tons of pictures so I guessed after much practice they would be able to and I was correct.

Le Grande Roue. Basically, the French version of the London Eye.

Stealers.

And these are just some other pictures I took... Enjoy!

You'll have to wait for the pictures I took in the Louvre. I have yet to upload them. When I got back to London I had to write a paper due Tuesday, and then one that was due today. I'll have them up by this weekend and make a short post about the Louvre.

9 days left in London. I can't believe it's almost over!

Cheers,

Miriam