Cairns, The Great Barrier Reef and White Water Rafting!

Hi Again!

It's been a while since I've written because I was gone for 5 days on a trip to Cairns with Emily, Becca, Laura and Kate! The trip flew by way to fast, but we took advantage of every moment we were there!

The first day, we got to our hostel, the Nomads Serpent Hostel, and got keys to our room. It smelled pretty funky and there were bunk beds with questionable sheets on them...but we got what we paid for! We dropped our stuff off and went right off to the Esplanade which was about a 5 minute ride in the hostel's free bus service.

When we got to town, we found a Lagoon that serves as a public pool for anybody who wants to go for a swim. It had sand to lay on grass to play on, and water to swim in...what more could we ask for! Here's a picture of Me, Emily, Laura and Becca in the Lagoon:

We spent the first two days relaxing by the Lagoon, exploring the town, and eating way too much food! At night, we went to a bar called RhinoBar and they had different deals every night (for example power hours where it was $8 all you can drink for an hour...very dangerous!) The shuttle service from our hostel switched its drop off point from the esplanade to RhinoBar starting at 7pm and went until 3am. Here's a picture of one of our nights out at the bar:

Wednesday was our big day out on the reef, so we got up super early and boarded our boat at about 8:00am. The weather was looking pretty cloudy and gross in the morning, but as soon as we anchored at our first reef destination, the sun came out and never went back behind a cloud for the rest of the day! We went to two different reefs both of which were unbelievable. I opted out of scuba diving because it was pretty expensive and it was definitely a good idea because I saw SO much snorkeling!! I bought a case for my camera so that I could take it in the water with me and got some pretty incredible pictures of the reef...obviously they aren't as good as seeing the real thing...but here are some of the highlights of my underwater adventure:

This was a blue fish that I followed around the reef for a while...it would come up really close to my goggles and then swim away...I fell a little bit in love and took a few too many pictures of it so I'll just share this one with you :)

This was the biggest fish I came across! His name was Wally (the scuba instructors named him that) and he is the friendliest fish in the sea and he let me pet him (it was a little bit gross but really cool!!

And this of course is the coolest fish in the sea! :)

And that was my great barrier reef adventure!! We spend most of our time in the water swimming with the fish and the rest of our time up on the deck of the boat sunbathing. I put on lots of sunscreen and figured I was being as careful as possible...what I didn't think about was that while I was snorkeling, my butt was floating above water...and boyyyy did I get a sunburn!!! It was three days ago and it's still hard for me to sit down!

Which leads me to our next adventure...white water rafting...where I had to sit on my extremely sunburned butt for 4 hours!! As painful as that was, it was definitely worth it. We decided to do a half day on the Barron River instead of the Tully River which has the bigger rapids but only does full day trips. Since we were all pretty worn out from our reef day, we figured a half day would be plenty. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures from this trip, but Emily, Becca, Laura and I were all in a raft together with another guy, Danny from England and our guide "Andrew the Mandrew." We had an amazing time...almost lost Emily in a big rapid, and all made it out alive which was the main goal of the day!

All in all, our vacation from our vacation was a blast and went by way too quickly! We flew back to Sydney this morning and the first thing I did was go to the gym and do a hard core workout because I ate a little too much and exercised a little too little!! But I guess that's what vacations are all about! Well, that's about it for now...I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the beautiful weather...oh wait... :)

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Lauren

Off to the Great Barrier Reef!!

Heyyyy,

So it's 11pm and I'm about to hit the sack because I have to wake up at 5am to catch my plane to Cairns tomorrow for my 5-day trip to the Great Barrier Reef! I'm going with 4 other girls (emily, becca, laura and kate) and we are all SO excited! The weather is not looking too fantastic...it actually says scattered thunderstorms every day that we're there...but we're going to keep our fingers crossed that they are super scattered and don't ruin our snorkeling adventure!

I'm not bringing my computer on the trip and I'm not sure if I'll have any computer access while I'm there, so this may be my last entry for a little bit. I know you'll miss me but you'll survive :)

Today we were supposed to go to Palm beach, but the plans got a little mixed up and we moved that trip to next weekend! Instead, we went to Manly beach which is across the harbor, so we had to take a ferry to get there. It is a beautiful beach and the water was SO warm that I just wanted to stay in it for hours...but I started to get kind of pruney so then I dried off and went for another running adventure. This time was just as beautiful and wonderful as the last one...I still can't get over the scenery as I run all along the coast and up and down cliffs. I don't think I'll ever be able to run on a treadmill again!

After my run we played some frisbee, relaxed in the sun, and just enjoyed another fabulous day in the life of australian study abroad students! You may be wondering if I'm really studying abroad or if I'm just on vacation...I would be wondering the same thing! University of Sydney doesn't start classes until March 2nd because the students are still on their summer break. It has been so nice to have this week and next week to get acclimated and have the opportunity to travel and get all the touristy things we want to do out of the way before settling in and actually getting some studying done! So although I am having the vacation of a lifetime right now...there will come a time where I'll become a student again (how sad!)

That's about all I have for now...my camera was being funky today so I don't have any pictures from the beach. Don't worry though, I fixed the problem and will be taking LOTS of photos at the reef!! I miss and love you all and will update you on my GBR experience when I get back friday morning!!

SO MUCH LOVE,
Lauren

The Taronga Zoo!

Hey Everyone!

Yesterday was another day full of adventure! A big group of us decided to visit the taronga zoo to see some australian wildlife. To get there, we took a ferry ride from circular quay which was a great way to see a few different angles of the opera house and sydney harbor bridge. We got a great group shot in front of them:

We got to the zoo and broke off into a couple different groups. Emily, Becca, Laura and I went off to see a seal show which was really entertaining and here's a little portion of it:

After the seal show, we walked around and saw lots of koalas, giraffes, gorillas, lions, meerkats and more...the only thing we didn't see much of were the kangaroos!! They all seemed to be in hiding when we went into the kangaroo area, but I'm sure that we'll see plenty in our near future!

Ater we got back from the zoo, we got ready to go out to a bar called Cargo which is in darling harbor, right on the water. It was REALLY nice and had lots of places to sit or stand outside which was great because the weather was beautiful once again. We stayed out until about 3am and on the walk home, I experienced my first kabob. For those of you at northeastern, it would be the equivalent to your cappys. Kabobs are wraps filled with chicken, lettuce, cheese, tomato (obviously not on mine) and whatever sauce you like (i got hommus) and then they press it in a toaster and it's warm and delicious!! I don't think I'll be partaking in much kabob eating, but it was good to have just one...just to see what it was like :)

Today has been pretty low key. The weather isn't too good - cool and cloudy, so some of the girls and I did a little shopping in the mall across the street (don't worry mom I didn't spend much!!) I did go on a great run this morning all around campus which made me really happy! There are lots of grassy areas so I decided that at the end of every song I would find a grassy spot and do 20 "burpees" which are a cardio exercise with pushups and jumping...it was really funny and I got some interesting looks but I had a blast doing it! Then I sprinted up some hills to finish off the workout. Basically the whole time I was thinking about the kabob I had eaten the night before and it kept me going for a good 45 minutes!

Tonight we are planning on cooking dinner and going to see a movie at the theater across the street. We're going to keep it low key because we want to be well rested for our trip to palm beach tomorrow!

I have really enjoyed skyping and chatting online with people from home! It makes me feel like you all are experiencing some of this with me which makes me really happy! I miss everyone and hope to keep hearing from you all!!

Love Love Love,

Lauren

P.S. Here are a couple more pictures of our nights out!

The Opera House, Sydney Harbor Bridge, and our first trip to the beach!

Hi Again!!

The last two days have been filled with beautiful weather and lots of adventures!! Wednesday, a group of us walked from our building (UniLodge) all the way down to the harbor which was a good 45 minute walk in the gorgeous sun. We found a starbucks on the way which we were all very excited about because apparently Australians don’t know what iced coffee is and if you ask them for one they will give you coffee with ice cream on top!! So it was very refreshing to have our first real iced coffee!

After a lot of walking, we finally made it to the harbor. The first thing we saw was an aboriginal man playing a didgeridoo!

(notice the sydney harbor bridge right in the background!)

Then we ventured over to the opera house which was as beautiful as I remembered it from 6 years ago. We took some pictures of course and hung out at the top for a while just to enjoy the view of the harbor. When we were done soaking up the beauty of Sydney, we started on our hike back to UniLodge, though this time around it took us a little longer because we had been on our feet for hours.

When we got back there was a barbeque on the roof of UniLodge with a live band which was SO amazing! The sun was still out when we got up there around 6pm and it stayed up until after 8pm…big difference from Boston, huh?

After the concert and barbeque, we were all a little tired from our day so we came back to my and emily’s room, watched a movie and went to sleep because the next day we planned to wake up early and hit the beach!

Thursday morning we left around 8:45am for central station in hopes of being able to find our way to Bondi Beach. After figuring out the public transportation, we got to Bondi and it was BEAUTIFUL. The sun was shining and the waves were huge and the ocean was a blue/green wonderful color.

The first thing we did was jump in the water, then Brian, Jim and I played frisbee for quite a while before the crowds hit the beach. (Of course I was playing sports with the boys rather than laying in the sun!) Then after relaxing for a little bit, I decided to go on a run on the path that goes from Bondi Beach to 5 other beaches along about a 3 mile strip. It was the most unbelievable run of my life. I have never seen such incredible views while exercising - making my favorite thing in life that much better! I even stopped along the way at a little exercise station and did some pull-ups while looking out into the ocean. And obviously I had to take a picture to document this occasion as it was probably my favorite thing I've done here so far!

After my run, we all just hung out on the beach for hours - taking the occasional dip into the ocean. Here are some pictures of me and the girls at bondi!

From left to right: Becca, Emily, Me

From left to right: Laura, Kate, Me, Emily, Becca

And last but not least, of course I did some handstands!! A day at the beach would not be complete without them!

And that basically sums up our last two days! Words don't do the beauty of Australia justice, so I'll keep posting pictures and letting you see for yourself. I love love love it here and can't wait for more adventures to come!!

Love always,

Lauren

Day 2 of orientation and second night out!

Hey Everyone!

So yesterday was our second and final day of orientation. We were given our classes which pretty much everyone I talked to said they need to switch around, so I don't feel like I'm alone in the fact that I still have no idea what I'll be taking!! We have two weeks to figure it out though, so I'm not too worried.

Orientation lasted until about 2pm and then we went to the gym. I've been training my roommate and she keeps waking up really sore...makes me miss working at BSC! I am becomming more acquainted with kilograms but it still kind of a hard conversion because its multiplied by 2.2 and you all know how I am at mental math...!

After the gym we came home and cooked a little family dinner - mini pesto pizzas with chicken, broccoli and spinach - a favorite of mine! Here's a picture of me, my roommate (emily) and becca eating our dinner:


notice the water bottles filled with wine because we don't have cups and the toilet paper roll for napkins...we are truly living as poor freshman again!! You can also see that I am still very white...no sun yet in Sydney but it should be coming any day now!!

After dinner, we went out with some local aussies that have some mutual friends with Becca. They took us to a couple bars that they like around campus and it was really fun to see the city. The bars were pretty empty though, considering it was a tuesday night and there are no students around yet because they don't start classes for another 2 weeks! Here are a couple pictures from the night!





This is becca, laura, emily and me on our spiral staircase, taking a prom picture before we went out! Cute, right?








And here is emily, laura and I in a cab on the way home from the bar...I didn't do a very good job of taking pictures during the night, but my roommate has some that I can put up later!









After the bars, I came home, talked to some people on skype and IM and then went to bed! I am definitely having an amazing experience so far, but whenever I talk to anyone from home I still feel that little bit of homesickness! I guess it's just because I love you all so much and wish you could be here with me!

Today we are planning to go down to the harbor and see the bridge and the operah house and just walk around and enjoy the day! It's still raining but according to weather.com it's supposed to be sunny and 80 tomorrow...finally!! All the aussies keep telling us we got here for the worst week of the summer...they won't stop rubbing it in! But soon enough we'll be enjoying the hot sun on the beach!

That's all for now, I'll keep you all updated!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE,
Lauren

Orientation, the gym, and our first night out!

Hi Again!

So I have to make this quick because I'm off to day two of Orientation! But I just wanted to drop a quick note about my day and night yesterday!

It was our first day of Orientation and we had to go to "the great hall" which is this huuuge castle-like building that is SO beautiful and here's a picture of it for you!

That's from inside the courtyard...I don't have a good picture of the front but it's even more beautiful when you're walking up to it from the road!

Anyway, we had most of our orientation in there and another building on campus with breaks for morning tea and lunch! Toward the end of orientation we were getting pretty bored and so me and two other girls (emily and becca) took a little break from the speaches and went and signed up for the gym!! There are three different gyms on campus and they are all awesome! The only crazy thing is that I don't know how much I'm lifting because everything is in Kilograms!! I'll have to figure out the conversions!

After we went to the gym, we made a big chicken and broccoli dinner in the communal kitchen and then got ready to go out! We went to our first local bar, "Scuffy Murphys." It was such a blast and we stayed out until about 1am and then all came back and crashed because we're still a little jet lagged!

Overall it was an awesome day and I'm so happy to be living in this beautiful country! The weather is still bad (60s and rainy) but there are flashes of greatness when the sun comes out and it's wonderful.

I have to run to day two of orientation, so I will check back in soon!

Love you all!

Lauren

I'm Here!

Hey Everyone!!

Well I'm finally in Australia!  After a pretty terrible flight to California (2 hours of sitting in the plane before take off, a pit-stop in minnesota for fuel and the paramedics coming in for someone with an allergy attack) which took a total of 10 hours, the flight from San Francisco to Sydney didn't even seem that bad!  Of course I didn't sleep much, but that's to be expected from me.

Once I arrived, my aunt and uncle's friend Peter picked me up at the airport and drove me to UniLodge (the place I will be living for the next 4 months)  Peter was awesome and he is definitely going to be able to show me around the city which will be great.  He is also going to take me and a few friends up to his favorite beach in northern Sydney this weekend.

I'm sharing a room with a girl named Emily who's computer I am on right now because mine isn't working, of course.  She seems great and we already went food shopping and she eats healthy too!  We've also met all the other Northeastern students who all seem really fun.  We've basically filled the day with shopping for essentials that we couldn't fit in our suitcases, getting cell phones, and unpacking.  The weather is actually pretty yucky (rainy and high 60s) and it's supposed to be like that for the next couple days, but then it should be sunny and 80s after that!

So just incase anyone wants to send me love letters...here is my address in Australia :)

Lauren Perreault

UniLodge Apartment Number 2103

185-211 Broadway, Ultimo NSW 2007 Australia

I also have skype and will be using that as my main form of verbal communication seeing as phone calls are really expensive!  My skype user name is: LaurenPerr22

Okay well I guess that's all for now!  I'm feeling just a little homesick because I miss you all and hate not being able to call or text you whenever I please, but I'll just have to get used to it!

So much love,

Lauren

Off to Sydney!

Hey Everyone!

So I'm heading to Australia for the next four and a half months for a semester abroad, and I am going to be keeping this blog so that you all can check in on me and see what I've been up to! I plan on posting every few days with pictures and videos to show and tell everyone what I'm experiencing down under. I hope you enjoy reading about my endeavors!!

Love,
Lauren