A run on the boardwalk

Well back to reality for this little girl! I started school today and it went alright- I am really not looking forward to the education aspect of this "study abroad" experience, but thats what I came here to do right..? I first had Aboriginal studies with a little chubby bald man- at first when he started talking I thought he was speaking in another language but as the class went on his Australian accent was easier to understand. There are about 15 Australearn students in my class so it will be nice to see familiar faces every week at school. Next I had an hour break where Krissy and I met up with our Aussie friend Chelli. He is quite hillarious and knows how to make people laugh!! We took at stroll around campus before I was on my way to Spanish class. I am going to LOVE spanish. My teacher seems so refreshing and so very nice. I am looking forward to it! Thus far the two classes I have had do not have finals so I will be done with school June 5th which gives me about 3 weeks to travel when I get done with school! I think I might go to Figi for spring break with some friends as long as I do get to go to New Zealand at some point. There is just so much to see and I feel like the time here is going to fly and I am not going to know what happened to it all!!

This weekend I have planned a really fun one! Krissy, Fran, Elise, and Clare and I are all going to take the train to Sydney on Thursday. Krissy and I are going to stay with my dear friend Myka who I have known since 6th grade- she is studying in Sydney this semester. We plan to go to the Operah house maybe on Friday. Saturday is the HUGE Mardi Gras Parade which Im sure will be nothing but hilarious. Dont be surprised if I get pelted in the eye with beads... I seem to have a streak of bad luck here when it comes to getting hurt or havin odd things happen to me, which reminds me....

Last night I met up with some friends at Coconut Thia where were we had dinner! On my way home we were walking through the outside mall and I noticed a HUGE cockroach on the ground as I put my foot down next to it. As I yelped its ran across my foot and scurried away. This grossed me out to the max- and as many of you know I can not scream like a girl I yell loudly and sound like a man... So I made a very odd noise while it ran across my foot. Yuck I shiver thinking about it!!

Also the other day I was taking a shower and leaned down to grab a wash cloth in the cupboard next to my shower. As I opened it, I forgot that my cupboard is spring loaded or so I think it is. And as I opened the door it swung open and smacked me in my face. It it my lip which my front tooth went through. I bled all over the shower and felt like an idiot. I had a swollon lip with a cut from my big front tooth. I swear I do not know what the deal is. Why I have become a walking bruise I do not know!

Anyway back to Sydney this weekend- Suday we are going to to go the Sydney zoo which I hear is amazing! So I have a full weekend ahead of me and I cant wait to tell you about it! I just got back home from a run on the beach boardwalk. It was so refreshing- Krissy and I sat and watched the enormous waves crash onto the beach as surfurs ate it trying to get up on them! The waves were massive- Im talking about 6 feet and people were just being swallowed left and right from them. The picture you see is the boardwalk we ran on which is beautiful. The smells as you run are interesting. Some times you get a whiff of stinky sea urchants and I about gag. Other times the air smells so crisp you really dont want to leave where you are standing.

I hope everyone is doing well. I will write about my adventure to Sydney soon!

Lots of love, Nikki :)