Sad Day

So as most of you know by now I have a return date finally to the states, July 13th. I have a late return date compared to all my international friends. Today was a really hard day because friends left and it hit me that I am leaving. Dont get me wrong, Im super excited to go home and be with everyone, but I am really not ready to leave the friends that I have made here. There are some here that have really made an impact on my life and im not ready to leave them. God really brings people into our lives and we dont always know the impact they have on us until later. My time here has been amazing and im glad that I have had this opportunity. The short time that I have had here has been awesome. I still have over two weeks left and they are going to be amazing. So I made it through my sad day and Im going to enjoy the rest of the time I have here. See you all soon.

Sydney + done with Uni = smile

So today was my last exam and I am now done with Uni.. im so happy but also sad because that means my trip is coming to an end. I have really enjoyed my time here and will be missing lots of people. I have really mixed feelings about coming home. I cant wait to see everyone and be with my family and friends again but Im going to miss so many people from here. I knew that this would happen but I knew there was an end date to this trip. I feel that this was such a great thing for me to do and do not regret anything.

But..I actually made it to Sydney last week. I was just way too busy with exams to post about. I was like a little kid the whole train ride there. I was just so excited. I got there and we went toward the harbour and I was so happy. I was thinking to myself.. Omg I am 21 and have fulfilled a life goal! Im in Australia staring at the Sydney Opera house!!! I just felt so overwhelmed and felt compelled to share with my family. I called home on the phone (2nd time since I have been here) and was just overjoyed with my life. I was talking to my family and in a great city. God is so amazing that he has allowed this whole thing for me. We went all over Sydney and all saw so much and had the most amazing pancakes (important things in life). haha But with that trip done with my trip feels so complete, but still I have about a month left and then I will be back in the states. Time sure goes by fast!

Joys in life

So today is Tuesday for me and that means Monday back home in Riverside. Now since I have been here I have been talking to my family every Tuesday and that has really been a solid for me. Last week though I didn't talk to them and just felt like my week was not complete. But today I talked to them and I have not been able to keep a smile off my face since. The joy of my family is just so amazing to me. All of the people that I love are just amazing and just being able to see and enjoy them through a camera is so awesome for me and it makes my day every time. I really didn't think that it was that big of a deal for me until I talked to them today. And even sometimes while online with them I dont talk to them and just watch. There is so much joy in my house and the love that we all have for each other is seen. I love the family that God has given me and would never ask for another one. I say this knowing that we are going to fight and have problems but my love for them will never change. I'm soo blessed!!! A huge joy in my life is my family!! I love them all thanks for being so awesome everyone. Thought I would share because sometimes we forget about the joys in our lives and focus only on the bad things. Focusing on the bad can really have you miss something amazing that is right in front of you. Dont miss out on your joys in life, they are amazing.

Murder Week

So this week was murder week for me. It is a game played within my college (or dorm) that has people searching for everyone to try and "kill" that person. It is a game of searching and discovering. You have to search for a person that you were given who you may or may not know..You search and search and may not even know at first that the person is right in front of you. But soon you discover who you are trying to kill and you seek them. But also you see who is after you. You avoid the person after you by all means possible, but eventually you get caught and are "killed". Super fun game and it connects to somethings that I have been discovering.

I have been searching for that best friend that I always can have in my life and she has been there for me since the day I was born.. my sister Cassie. She is and will always been my best friend. Always there for me, tell me what I need to hear not what I want to hear and someone that I can always have fun with. I know that I can always count on her. Something that has truly been shown to me through out the last couple of months even before I left. I love that I have that person in my life. I was searching and searching and she was always there for me. I have been so blind to something that has been right in front of me for years and I know that my sister will always be my best friend. I love her to death and thank God for such a great sister. This whole experience has drawn us closer and I am loving every moment of it.{Connection to game..have a name (best friend) been searching and was there all along}

I have been observing the people around me and the lives of others. I have seen hurt and frustration along with pain. I know the things that I have seen and know in my heart of hearts that I do not want that to happen to me. I hear and watch what has been done and know that I do not want to feel that way ever. Knowing everything and seeing what I want to avoid for my own life...I eventually do the same thing to myself. I see the life I do not want but then live that life. Hurt and frustration that leads to pain all brought on by me. {Connection to game..knowing who is after you and avoiding that person}

Last discovering.. the main point of the game and I have discovered the amazing life I have back home. I have a wonderful family, awesome friends and the BEST church anyone can ask for. I have a foundation that has made me the person that I am today. I know that all of those things has made me strong in many ways and now I know that I can be without them but I know that they will always be there for me. I discovered who I really am and love that I know who I am. {Connection to game..discovering your person and getting that "kill"}

I am so thankful for this trip and now know the reason of it. I have been growing as a person more than I could have ever imagined. And am becoming a better person. This has been a big thing for me and wanted to share. Love to everyone

Camaron

First Holiday Away

So I am back at school from easter break. I made it through my first holiday ever without my family and it was not easy for me at all. I did end up going home with one of my Aussie unit mates which was nice. I got to be part of all of her family holiday things. I really enjoyed the company of a family.. even though it was not mine. But it did not make me miss mine any less. I had a little bit of a break down on the the thrusday before easter and called home. It was nice just to hear my parents voice. I think that was all that I needed. But I think God knew that I could not have made it through the bigger holidays. I feel like I would have had major break downs. And as most know I try not to have those break downs, I do not like to cry. But I made it through and had a nice relaxing week. I got back to the University on Wed. of break and just relaxed and hung out with the people that were here. I got to know some people better over the break which was good. I love getting to know people (which is happening everyday).

So the first part of my break was in a town called Tamworth about 3 and half hours away from Newcastle. Tamworth is a very counrty town. I took a picture with a giant golden guitar. It was fun and different to see small towns. They are the counrty music city in australia. We saw the different little spots in the town and then just hung out for the most part. Its was super sweet that on easter morning, My unit mates dad had brought us a little thing of chocolate for easter. It was nice and so was the rest of the family.

So.. something awesome.. is I have started to love watching rugby league. There are a couple of guys from my college (dorm) that play for the University Rugby League. Im starting to understand the game and people are entertaining at the game. It is the big sport here just like American football back in the states. But rugby is crazy..people getting hit and stepped on and all that with no pads!! crazy crazy. Funny story.. I have been watching since the 3rd week of being in Aus. and it took me up until this last week to figure out the scoring system.. I didnt actually figure it out I asked a friend.. and a bunch of rugby players were around and they laughed a little at me. But it was fun now I know a Try(score) is 5 points and Extra Points(kick) is 2 points. I am loving the game

Things to come... I will hopefully be making my way down to sydney with a friend in the next two weeks. and May 6th-11th I will be in New Zealand!!!!! Cant wait for that trip. It should be tons of fun.

Thats it from down under

Love everyone

Update for all

hope that you guys enjoy the update.. miss and love everyone!!!

In Newcastle

G'Day-
I know I have not been on top of updating this but I have had many issues with getting my Internet set up since I have been in Australia. I am still having some problems but I'm getting them all worked out.
So much has happened.. my 1st week in Carins was amazing.. i held a snake, got stung by a jellyfish, held a koala and fed kangaroos. those are just a few things that happened. It was an amazing week and I got to see God's beauty in sooo many ways. Now I am at my uni(university) and it so nice here.. minus "mozzies" (mosquitoes). but I have been meeting a lot of people and everyone is so nice here. I feel like you can just go up and talk to anyone and they will talk with you. And they do that to me. Its a very cool feeling. My roommates are all pretty cool. I'm living with 2 Aussies and 2 Americans. And as much as I didn't want to live with Americans, it is not bothering me as much as I thought it was going to. Its amazing what God knows and we don't. but my life is changing already for the better and I'm loving Australia. I really am thankful that I could come here and live in a new place and discover other things in the world.

O yeah.. Tim Tams in Australia are wayyy better than American ones. Its all about the Dark Chocolate!! :)