Officially halfway done teaching! I can't believe I've almost been here a whole month. Time really does go fast! I'm currently sitting at the airport in Sydney waiting for Bryan to get here!! I can't even describe how excited I am to see him! It's so weird going a month without seeing anyone you know! We have a full itinerary for the coming weeks. We're making it all the way up the Great Barrier Reef to do some snorkeling. There should be some awesome pictures to come :)

I thought I would write a quick note to everyone reading! I've been very busy and haven't always had access to internet so I apologize for being a horrible blogger. Everything is going well. I'm definitely starting to notice the homesickness, which I've heard kicks in after the second week being away from everyone you know! This weekend I got to see the farm where the movie Babe was filmed which was absolutely beautiful! I also met a lot of new college aged students that are also studying abroad at a local christian college who mainly come from Canada. It's funny how everyone here assumes that Canada and the United States are the same place.

School is going great. I'm starting to teach more and next week I'm going to be switching to a year 6 class which will be a big change from year 2. I'll try to post more later this week! Enjoy the pictures from Babe's Farm! I'm finally going to the beach Sunday :) My host teacher offered to take me all the way to Sydney, so that will be fun and hopefully you'll see some pretty pictures.

More Funny Words

• a lot = heaps
• think = reckon
• water fountain = bubbler
• cantelope = rock melon
• bell pepper = capsicum
• bachelorette party = hens night out
• pickles = gherkins (I've quickly learned to ask for NO GHERKINS!!)

 

 

 

Officially Down Under!!

I'm here! I made it safely after a long interesting trip. I've been quite busy with teaching and adjusting but I couldn't be happier with my placement or host "family." I'm living with two women about my age. The principal and a first year teacher at the school, so it's more of a roommate situation. I haven't come across a person in Australia that hasn't been bright eyed and bushy tailed...which is a real change. I'd like to know how they stay that way. Maybe it's the weather.
The area I'm staying is beautiful. It's about an hour drive from Sydney and and is in the rolling hills of the Southern Highlands. It's their autumn right now but it's still plenty warm. It feels like this week has been dragging on a little bit surprisingly, but I'm sure it'll start flying by soon. I'm trying to soak up every bit of it. The kids are adorable and

 Differences....

 The school is set up a lot different than back at home. It's an open plan with each classroom separate. There aren't lockers but instead the kids hang all their things on hooks outside the door. Their is a central courtyard where the kids eat lunch and run around during breaks...which they have a lot more frequently. There isn't a cafeteria. If it rains they go under the awning to eat. Students don't really walk in lines because they don't really need to. If the kids need to use the "toilet" they grab a friend and go. Things aren't made into rules and written on the walls like back at home, which is kind of refreshing. It's rarely quiet and there's a definite laid back environment...stereotypical as it sounds. The kids love school. They're engaged most of the time...although sometimes I have a hard time managing them because it gets extremely loud with everything that  happens. There are oftentimes multiples adults in the room leading small groups and it gets challenging. I'll keep this short so I don't bore the people who aren't all teachers reading this!

Also...my first grocery store experience was fun. Walking on the wrong side of the aisles...getting in the wrong side of the car for the 10th time by now. I don't think I'll ever break that habit. Knowing how many kilograms to buy...that's a hard one. I knew the grocery prices would be bad but I had no idea they'd be three of four times as expensive. For example...a 24 pack of cans of diet coke were on sale for $25. And that was a good deal. Diet Coke addiction officially broken. Teresa will appreciate that! :(

                          Words

1. eraser = rubber (that's a fun one)
2. bathroom/restroom = toilet (they only call it a toilet)
3. garbage/trash = rubbish
4. sweater = jumper
5. closet = cupboard
6. trash can = bin
7. sunglasses = sunnies
8. college= uni
9. no school uniforms = mufti day 
10. Kindergarten = Kindy 

...I'll add to the list when I have more time because there are dozens more I'm learning every day...

Enjoy some pretty pictures! :)

Class Rules

Kids backpacks outside their classrooms

Courtyard

The adventure begins! Goodbyes...Emergency landing...Unexpected visit to LA...

Everything was going smoothly with the flight. I had taken my Zquil and finally gotten comfortable (sort of), when I heard the Australian pilot come on over the intercom and tell us that we are going to have to go back toward the U.S. and land in L.A. We were already well past Mexico, about 5 hours in. Passengers in the back were smelling fuel but the pilot called them technical difficulties. Long story short, I stayed in Long Beach at a hotel for free and have been waiting around all day for a new flight. Scary stuff and what started as a 2 day trip has turned into 3. Now I’m waiting around the airport with Tori for a new flight that should take us straight to Sydney….fingers crossed.

I’ve already met tons of Australians because Qantas is an Australian airline. Everyone has been really nice so far, and the “no worries” attitude is already proving true. The few people that I’ve heard get upset with the situation were drum roll please…American!  -_-

Tomorrow I should be there…let’s hope! Here are a few pictures! 

That's Everything :)

Plane Food (Quite Impressive :)

 

 

 

 

 

View from out balcony in Long Beach

     It's hard to believe I've already finished 9 weeks of student teaching in Indiana, and it's even harder to believe I've completed nearly 4 years of college. Now I'm getting ready to leave for a 9,000 mile away adventure in about a week!
     For those of you who don't know, I will be completing a 10 week program in which I will be teaching 2nd grade in Bowral, Australia. I've been preparing for this trip since the beginning of my junior year of college, so it's been a long time coming. When I finish, I will have my undergraduate degree along with 12 masters level credits, my teaching license and hopefully a job not long after! Cross your fingers!
     I'm getting nervous to say the least but even more excited! All the little details are overwhelming. I dwell over what to pack, I've never flown alone or been out of the States, and I'm afraid I'll lose touch with everyone at home. But how many times will a chance like this come up again? And think of the experience this will provide me with? That's what I keep telling myself!

I will be using this blog as my primary means of communications so please comment and visit often! For the privacy of the students and people I will meet, I will not use the names of any of the students or the school I will be teaching at. Enjoy!

Here are some pictures of what I am expecting thanks to Google :)



Bowral is about an hour an fifteen minutes from Sydney