Also,

 Other than uploaded my photos i feel as though i need my blog to live up to it's title a bit more.
I think i may share some funny drunk incidents soon with you all, God knows there has been enough of them. First I need to brain storm with my friend to attempt to remember them all.... once i have a good amount i will share! The cringe factor of this blog is about to go up several levels.....

Winter is coming....

Heya, 

so i have been quite busy as of late. 

During the past month i have gotten up to quite a few exciting things!

So i will start chronologically with Easter. 

I spent Easter with a group of medics I met through my housemate, they took pity on poor orphan Annie (aka me) and took me in. It was an amazing day, probably one of my best Easters I've had to date. We had a BBQ and played games all day such as 'smash the bunny' and 'bull dog' (with the incorporation of Easter eggs obviously), plus plenty more, (who knew there were so many games involving Easter eggs one could play!?), and of course we also had a massive Easter egg hunt. Needless to say by the end of the day i was suitable full from chocolate and BBQ. 

One of the best things about my year abroad is the wide spectrum of people you meet and how open everyone is to including you, and it's not just because they feel obligated it's because they actually enjoy meeting new people and hanging out with them. I feel so lucky to have been able to spend my Easter Sunday with such terrific people!

During the Easter break I also went on a trip up the Great Ocean Road, through Victoria. It took us four days to make it up the road as we stopped at some destinations along the way. It was an amazing experience which i would urge everyone to do of they have the time/money.

So the for the first day we just travelled up to Robe (which is in SA), One of my friends has a beach house there which we were luckily able to stay at  for the night free of charge. It was amazing the house was so cute and it was literally right on the beach front. We arrived in Robe early evening kinda time. So whilst we still had the little light we went on a walk down by the beach and through the little town itself. It was lovely. Robe is apparently a popular place for south Australian's to visit during the warmer months, and i can see why. When we got back from our walk our friends parents and grandparent has arrived in time to make us a feast of a dinner. Everyone was very surprised, not only were we let into their home for free but also we given a banquet fit for Kings. Probably the first real home cooked food I have had since moving to Australia (don't judge, living on a student budget is hard!). 

The next day we set off for the great ocean road. We stayed in two places along the way; Apollo Bay and Torquay. During our drive up the great Ocean Road we stopped at all the different sights, most impressively 'The 12 Apostles' which he managed to arrive at just in the nick of time for sunset. It was truly beautiful. I have since found out that it has been voted in (i think it is) the top three sites to see in Australia. Sadly even though i had my camera with me, it decided not to work! But the people i was with did take some stunning photographs and i did capture a few myself on my phone. 

We also visited a high top forest walk on our journey which was amazing, they also did zip lining there which none of us could afford, but hopefully one day when i am perhaps a little richer i would be able to do.

My last night was spent in Melbourne, which as you may know from my previous posts I LOVE! i love it so much i only let myself stay one night (as I knew i would spend all my money there AGAIN).However on the day we arrived in Melbourne we went u tot he sky deck, something which i haven't been able to do before. The view was AMAZING. Something which i would recommend doing to anyone who visits Melbourne. We were also lucky enough to make it for sunset here so got a stunning view. 

One thing i learnt on the trip was to smile with my teeth. Something which i have been deathly scared to doing for years now. To be honest i still think i have a reason to be scared of doing it as i look a bit bonkers but i expect it will become a more common place thing now. 

Since I've been at home (in Adelaide) life has changed quite a bit. Not only have i expanded out my friendships groups quite a lot and been going to a lot more events i have also acquired a job. Having a job has been a god send for me, it means i can now afford to start making travel plans for November etc. My only problems is i got a job just as all my deadlines have come up so i am now getting more behind on work (which is not cool). It is very overwhelming, but I'm hoping to get into the swing of things soon! 

I am starting to think it's probably time to put my work and education first and fun things second, at least for the time being (whilst winter is upon us). I need to do this firstly to ensure I get good grades and secondly to actually save enough money for my travels. I also want to start making it back tot he gym,i was so good in March where i went five times a week, which is about the same amount of times i made it during the whole of April! I have joined a netball team and need to get my fitness up, so i am hoping that that will inspire me to go more often.

 

I have now booked my kiwi experience tour for the end of the year, which i am SUPER excited about! I have booked one which lasts at least 22days, but i expect i will take maybe around 30 to complete it. I have a friend who has done it who couldn't speak more highly of her experiences so i am so excited to do it, and apparently most of the travellers are alone so hopefully i will meet some amazing people as well!

Live if going swell and i actually feel as though I belong here properly now. I do miss home so much though and all my family and friends. But i have booked some flights home for June/July where i will be home for about a month, which i am also very excited for.  Hopefully by the time I'm back from home, the weather will be perking up a bit as well. It's not even cold here, its warmer here than in England, however compared to the summer it is horrible; i feel as though perhaps i have acclimatised too well to the heat. 

Well here it is a summary of my month of April.  I will post my photos as well. 

Hopefully I will be able to get back to blogging more frequently, but as you may have guessed i am pretty busy at the moment! 

Hope everyone at home had a splendid bank holiday, i am sad i missed it (they don't celebrate may day here :( )

Lucy x

Photos...

Ok so here are some photos from my time in Australia...when it saw still sunnny. Enjoy

St. KIla in Melbourne before i discovered the fantastic strip full of bars and kitsch little shops.

Moments before this photo it had poured down with rain. 

This was also taken in Melbourne on a river bar.

I meet up with one of my good friends sister when I was in Melbourne which was brilliant. Loved hanging out with her and had a fabulous time.

One again in Melbourne, this was taken at a bar on a rooftop. This is the glorious jug of sangria Connie and I shared.

Melbourne again, exploring the street art.

This was taken at Brighton beach where i went with three other friends to eat dinner and watch the sunset on the beach. (Adelaide)

Although this looked pretty similar to Brighton beach, this is actually Glenelg beach on one of my first days in Adelaide. I miss this weather and going to the beach everyday, winter and uni ruin everything! 

The two above are again Brighton beach on the same day as the sunset. They pretty much speak for themselves...

Oh yeh, I dyed my hair back to red again. Reds have more fun than blondes, FACT.

(Bar in Henley beach, Adelaide... drinking as per..)

My friends and I went to the Adelaide festival and the fringe festival. This was taken at the fringe where we saw a cabaret show which was brilliant. Unfortunately I forgot my camera at the Adelaide festival but it was also really good. We went to an event called barrio which was meant to be like a Spanish street party. It did not disappoint (and made me miss Europe heaps).

This is Flinders Station again in Melbourne. Just to prove I did get a bit of culture and didn't spend my whole time drinking (although that is what I did spend most of my time in Melbourne doing) 

And finally, this was me sunbathing in a park just of federation square in Melbourne. This was before i dyed my hair...

Well I hope I have not bored you too much!!! 

Lots of Love

Lucy 

Oh my... as if I almost forgot this one...

This is me during 'O' week, kinda like freshers but not as crazy. 

Turning over a new leaf...

So, this is mean turning over a new leaf and actually keeping up to date with my blogging.
I did try to upload my photos last week but it didn't work so I shall try again! 


Nothing exciting has particularly happened this week.


I had two assignments due and although they were easy they took me forever which was definitely  not fun! 


I also went out to the bar on campus coopers bar, it is nothing like the scholar back at home. For one it closes at 12am at the latest, second there is some sort of cafeteria which is odd at the back of the room where the dance floor should be and thirdly there is horrific lighting which makes even the most attractive people look bizarre. I didn't have a fantastic night as it was pretty quiet and my essay (which i still had not completed) was due in the next day but it was better than doing nothing and i got to see and catch up with a fair amount of the villagers who were also out.


I have found, recently, that I have been getting a bit restless. I want to go out and do things but do not have the resources to do so, and as i am still in the ranks of the unemployed, despite spending about 3hours applying to various jobs, things don't seem to be changing anytime soon and it is getting to me. 


And on top of all this restlessness It is now officially winter which means milder days paired with horrible winds and heavy rain. It is literally like the British autumn. Its just very annoying to see home heating up already with highs of over 20degrees in the coming weeks, ignore me. I am just bitter. 


Anyway that is my semi-rant over. 
Hopefully next week I will have funner, better things to report on!! #
I always try to have the best experience possible and treasure every thing that I am experiencing, but it is hard to be that fun loving all the time! 


I promise next post, at least, I will be less morbid and I will hopefully have at least one funny story... (to be fair I do have some funny stories from this week however they are not mine to share...*sigh*) 


Over and out...


Lucy x

Patience is a virtue

Ok, so i guess my first point of call will be an apology....


I am so sorry for not keeping up to date, not to make excuses but you know I did kind of move to another country and have been sorta busy, making friends, settling in , starting class and what not.


But, it still does not deter from the fact that I AM SORRY! and I should have kept up with my blogging.


I think my problem is I don't like doing a half arsed job of it, and mentally finding the time to sit down and write is hard, especially when you start to lag behind.


The title of my blog today is, as you can see, 'patience is a virtue'.


This not only is about you guys waiting for the arrival of a new blog but also for me, moving to a new country and all the expectations and things I have had.


At first I felt very out of my depth. During the last month or so I have done a lot; visited Melbourne, meet new people, started class and had to orient myself around a new town to name but a few things.


Stupidly I was expecting it all to click into place straight away but naturally it didn't.


It is hard to describe it, it is kind of like your first day at school  where you don't know anyone and you are expected to fend for yourself without the support network you are used to, however, the difference is you get to go home at the end of a school day (or even if it is University, you always have that option there). I have no such luck being 1000 upon 1000 of miles away and all. 


Moving to another country by yourself is literally the deepest end you could ever dive.


I am aware this sounds quite negative and I don't mean it too, in fact it had been quite to opposite for me. I have dived in the deep end and embraced everything and opened myself to all sorts of people and experiences and I feel a better person for it. 


I have met some amazing people, international and Australian alike and am slowing making friends in my classes as well. I have not done any traveling (besides Melbourne which was the BEST place ever, so good in fact I am actually thinking of trying to get a grad job here after I finish uni). But already , at the start of my adventure the things I have seen and the people i have met in Adelaide have all made it worth while. 


There are three things on my mind at the moment

• future travel plans during my year here
• getting acquainted with class and catching up on things I have missed 
• finding a job

I have come to realise that I have no exams during my first semester (YAY FLINDERS) so therefore have five, yes you read right, FIVE weeks off during the semester break... which means I need travel plans, or as my mother thinks, dissertation plans (bore of mum :P).This got me to thinking what I should do with my time.

  It will be winter and 'cold' in Australia and I am doing all my 'major' traveling at the end of the term or in mid-semester breaks so there is already quite a lot ticked of my list, and no matter how much I love Adelaide I don't want to stay here for 5 weeks alone (most of my friends will be going home for the break or leaving Australia (all the internationals leave in June, besides me. WAH!)

The next logical step in my head is of course Asia, a place I have been before AND LOVE (and would also be able to recapture my tan!). 

 However I am not sure about going alone, and I am not sure if any of my friends from home can make it over... so that is something to think about. Any suggestions or ideas would be GREAT! 

This brings me to my second point, the idea of money.... there are no two ways about it I NEED A JOB! One thing I should have believed but did not about Auz  is the prices are high! Not just like London prices, like HIIIIIIIIIIGH! And that is ok for Australians whose minimum wage is a whopping $15 but not for the likes of a poor British girl who had to also deal with a bad exchange rate nit is not fine. 

A job is on the top of my priority list, however it is extremely hard to get employed around here... SO IF YOU KNOW OF ANY PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET ME KNOW! 

Lastly, the classes. I have a bad habit of missing lectures and as they are recorded I feel as though it doesn't matter, however catching up on recordings is a hard thing! 

Now i am behind it is hard to catch back up again. This weekend I am going to have a hot date with me and Mr. Toshiba (my laptop) with a meal consisted of  digitally recorded lectures (how sad am I!) and catch up with everything and hopefully start my essay which is due in on Thursday and my primary source thing essay which is due in the week after. It's going to be so hot.

I will catch up and I will do well. Something which Flinders is not lacking is the support for students, all the staff are amazing and the ISSU for international students if super, so I know I can do it, even if I need some extra help along the way.

So guys, that is basically my life as of late, I am sorry I haven't been able to share particular experiences or anything with y'all because of my lack of updates, but i am planing on doing a new blog every Friday from now on to keep everyone up to date with what I have done.

I am also planning on putting up new photos so you can all see what I have been up to...

I I will also have some fun (possibly drunken) stories to tell (it is St. Paddys day after all ;) ) so also look out for that blog soon!

Thank you for returning to me <3

Have a nice night Europe and Have a fantastic day (afternoon) Australia!

Lucy xx

All good things come to those who wait...

Something which regular readers of my blog have come to realise.
This is basically a post apologising for my lack of communication over the past month. 
It is currently 1am so for now there is not a longer post from me but I PROMISE I will update everyone on my week in Melbourne (which basically consisted of drinking everyday) and my first couple of weeks at Flinders, which includes o- week (like freshers but a lot tamer) and i am undergoing my first week of lectures (which I will also be able to report on)...
So for now, nuh-night to all my readers on the same clock as me, and have a good afternoon all my readers on the other wide of the world.
Over and out
Lucy x

I Thought I Had Overcome Jet-Lag.... I Was Wrong

Ok, so I just arrived in Melbourne and am knacked, but before I start writing about here I best start from where I left off; my second day in Singapore (my first day was quite uneventful I went shopping and got loads, all of which I could have got at home for cheaper, and i also attempted to take myself out for the night.... i didn't meet anyone and ended up sitting in a road side bar/cafe with a glass of overpriced white wine). Anyways, my second day....


I woke up (obviously) and went and indulged in the free breakfast. I always find breakfasts abroad rather odd, for instance, what greeted me at the buffet was rice and pasta. Now to me they scream to me that they should be consumed at dinner time, or at the earliest lunch not breakfast. I wanted sausages and bacon not pasta. But I spose it would be just as strange for other people to eat English foods for breakfast. Anyway, needless to say i gobbled it all up all regardless  and to be honest it was not half bad, in fact i quite enjoyed it.


So after my breakfast i bummed around a bit, by this point i must mention i did in fact have another dorm mate, a grown man, who liked to take his kindle to the toilet for 'me' time. We didn't bond. So i was still by myself, so i decided to take myself on a hop on hop off bus tour.

 
I was planning to jump on and off the bus (not literally) at several stops but it started raining so i stayed on and only got off at two points. Marina bay and the botanical gardens. Marina bay was particularly bizarre; three hotels with a boat on top connecting them costing $20 to go on it and a shopping centre with some sort of stream/river/pool inside it. I looked around these strange sites and hopped back on, and soon i was at the Botanical gardens. I absolutely LOVED the botanical gardens i grabbed some lunch (i have been finding due to the time different i keep on forgetting to eat so when i remember i am starving) and then literally spent hours wondering around the gardens which were amazing, they even had a min rain forest (fact: Singapore is the only city which had a rain forest in (i think...)) . Some photos from the Botanical gardens are above which i took on my iphone using the instagram app.


I was knackered by the time i got home and just went and bummed around again. I was planning on going to an annual street parade which takes place in Singapore however when i eventually managed to pull myself away from my bed it was way too busy and i was way too tired and hungry (i forgot to eat again) to wait around so i decided to go to the Chinese night market. Now i didn't expect anything amazing but i also didn't expect the SHEER amount of tat which was there. After browsing for about 10mins i decided to write it off as a bad trip but i spied a massage parlour (no not a seedy one an actual one...) and decided to treat myself with a back and neck massage. It was cheap (around £5) and really did loosen my back up HOWEVER it was so agonising, at some point i actually thought i was going to cry. 


I also must point out that the hostel i stayed in (the hangout) was amazing, but not a good place for lone travellers due to it housing couples mainly.


The next day I was leaving for Melbourne so couldn't do much so I went shopping AGAIN and got my nails done. The at 5pm I got a shuttle bus and headed for the airport. I arrived super early and kept myself entertained by eating, using the airports make up and perfume (naturally without purchasing any of it) and watching the good wife (they had TVs in the lounge). Soon the time rolled past and i found myself on the plane. This plane, which was the same airline as the last (singapore airlines) was dreadful compared to the one from Heathrow. I am sure the seats were smaller and the chairs reclined a lot more into your own space (at one point i actually had someone sleeping on my lap which was bizarre). The personal  TV was dreadful and awful quality and I couldn't sleep (not that that was the airlines fault). I arrived in Melbourne the following morning (today) at 7:20am. 

I went through customs pretty quickly with limited problems... and soon found myself on yet another shuttle bus on my way to the new hostel (the Nunnery). This hostel is SO different to the last. Thee really seems to be a sense of community and there are so many people here. I have yet to introduce myself to anyone yet. Something i need to work on sharpish. I just feel like i am bothering people, especially as it was so early. I hope that later the hostel will fill out and i will fine it easier to meet people. I think i am going to chose one person to target and tag along with them until i have met everyone. 


Anyways since i have been here i have taken myself out for lunch (again still not getting good at eating on time, there always seems to be an 8hr space between meals and beverages at least... not good in this heat!) Oh yes that reminds me the weather is hot here. It is sunny intervals at the moment but it is due to brighten up for the rest of the week. 




And there was me thinking i had escaped jet-lag...


Anyway, peace out


Lucy 

p.s. i am also adding photos to my earlier blog..