The Woolshed!

Hello everyone! Im sorry i havent written to everyone in awhile but we have been so busy these last couple days! Let me start with Sunday...We woke up and went to 10 mass at St. monica's which was very nice, but the church doesnt have air conditioning so they leave the doors open and today is the first day it has not been misting. After church we went to lunch and i wrote some postcards and then we got on a bus to go white water rafting! We went on the Barron River and i was lots of fun! Our tour guide's name was Rowan and he was really cool! We had a group of seven in the raft-Kim, Courtney, Jess, a couple that was really nice, a girl from Israel and I. We talked a lot with the girl from Israel, and she was telling us how she just finished her mandatory service as a medic in the army which i found so interesting! She is now taking a few months off for vacation (or holiday as the aussies say) and then she is off to med school! We started our rafting trip with a pretty smooth start, and Courtney was the only one to fall out previous to the rooster's tail when everyone got flipped out of the boat except Kimbo! It was crazy fun and our guide even taught us a new Aussie word, Sepo, which is what they call Americans...it comes from yanks to tanks to septic tanks to just sepo which is just lovely! After rafting we had a small dinner and went to bed because we were up and moving at 7 the next morning! The day was a lot of fun, we went on a bus tour through the oldest rain forest and it was wet! We got to swim under the waterfall where the herbal essences commercial was filmed, which was so pretty except the water was freezing! We saw some platypus in the wild, and a whole bunch of plants that can cause great discomfort at the least! Our bus driver, Cousin Paul, was really nice and he taught us a really fun Aussie song that i have had stuck in my head all day! After our bus tour was over the 4 of us decided to go out with the big group and we ended up at the woolshed. The night was lots of fun- at the bar they encourage people to get up and dance on the tables and there is actually a rafter going along the ceiling where you can place your drinks! I also had a dance off with an English girl at another bar called the rhino haha! This morning we got up and went to James Cook university to hear a presentation on heat exhaustion. We are going to have a big group dinner tonight on our last night and then we will start our long day of flying tomorrow morning around 9. Im happy and sad about leaving Australia for now, but i know that one day i want to come back! I will see most of you soon! I cant believe the trip is over-it flew by so fast!
LOVE and LIOB!
em

Chunda!

Hi! It is Saturday night at 6:55 and we are heading out to eat dinner and possibly pub crawl which may mean we will be out until the wee hours of the morning!(by this i mean maybe we wont be asleep by 10 tonight?) Today was lots of fun-we took a 2 hour bus ride down to daintree to see some crocs in the wild! It was almost like being at home on a swamp tour except our tour guide had an Australian accent! I made it through this boat trip without having to chunda (Australian slang for vomit) so it was a way better start than yesterday! We saw about 3 crocs and then were supposed to go up into the rainforest but it was too foggy and Craig was worried that we would get stuck in some poisonous tree or something so instead we went down to port douglas for lunch and then headed back to the hotel. On our way back we passed a big open field with over 150 kangaroo, so Craig let us get out and chase them which was a lot of fun! Ever since we got back we have been singing in our hotel room because our TV only gets 4 channels... I hear that yall have a tropical storm coming your way? Hope that she doesnt get too bad! I am hoping that finding a church for tomorrow goes much better today than it did yesterday! Miss you all!
LOVE and LIOB,
em

Man Over Board!

Hello everyone! I am now writing to you from Cairns-i think i misspelled it in he last post-but it is still pronounced like cans! Yesterday once we arrived we took a bus into the AU rain forest! We watched a group of aboriginal dancers, learned how to play a digeredo and how to throw a boomerang...im not too great at the boomerang-mine went straight in the air did a bunch of turns then came down and stuck straight in the ground. I dont think i could have killed anything with a shot like that unless a worm happened to be in the grass where my boomerang speared in! After that we took an army duck tour through the rain forest and it was really interesting! The whole time we were riding through i was thinking about BIOL 1209 and the time i went to my room mates grandparents house and her papa showed us that slide show on plants (Caroline i took a lot of pictures in case papa wants to see!) After the army duck we went on the sky rail over the rain forest which is the longest gondola ride in the whole world! I was only kind of scared and along the way we got to see a really pretty water fall and a big tree that i made Courtney get on the ground to take a picture of! I also stole a rock from the rain forest to bring back for the Craig Family-i couldn't remember if it is just places that yall have traveled or if friends count too? After our very long day we arrived at the hotel we are staying in-The Koala and pretty much crashed! This morning we woke up early to get on a boat to go explore the great barrier reef! The boat was really rough and i got sea sick for the first time in my life...which wasn't pretty, but at least im with a lot of athletic trainers who aren't bothered by throw up! We took a short dive which was a lot of fun and then we did snorkeling for awhile! I got in trouble because Courtney got a second dive and i was following their group out of the snorkeling area and i watched Courtney stick her hand in one of those giant clams and then it closed on her! After their group i followed this big sea turtle and thats when i realized how far i had gotten because a couple people back on the boat were blowing whistles and yelling at me...i made it back safe ok but i have never been more happy about being back on land than i was this afternoon! After the tour Kim, Jessica, Courtney and I went to get Domino's because we have been craving pizza! We had to go to domino's because all the other pizza we have tried to get while were here has been awful-they like to put BBQ sauce instead of marinara, which is my favorite part! Our pizza was delicious! Tomorrow we have a lecture in the morning and the afternoon off so we will probably do a little more souvenir shopping! I hope all is well back home and i hope my family has fun on the cruise! Be safe and i will see you guys when you get back! Shout out to Sarah(baby girl)!
LOVE and LIOB!
em

I stole a kangaroo!

ok not really...but i wish i did! This morning we got up to leave surfer's paradise at 8:30 to head to The Australia Zoo! I was so so excited on the way there i could hardly wait! Once we got off the bus and into the park there was a huge gold tribute statue to Steve Irwin! It was awesome! First, we went to the crocodile show where we got to see a bunch of birds and snakes and crocodile do weird trained things that always kind of creep me out! After the Crocodile show we went to see the tasmanian devil but it is apparently a nocturnal creature...so we went to go and see the dingoes! After the dingoes we stared at and photographed the koalas for nearly 45 minutes! There was a little baby koala attached to a mama koala and we could probably make this koala a family photo album just from the 45 minutes because we caught it from every angle and we have pictures of it eating and pooping and climbing and just about everything koalas do! After we said goodbye to our koala friend we went to see the kangaroos! Their cage was just a big open field that allowed you to feed the kangaroos and loved the kangaroos it was soooooo fun! We have pictures of everything we did with the kangaroos and i decided that i would really like to lay down to snuggle with one so i did and it loved it...or at least it didn't get up and run away! Courtney Jessica and our new friend Kim did the same lay down pose with the kangaroo! the best part was when Courtney was feeding one and it reached up and held her hand! Around 2 we went to have our pictures taken holding a koala! The one i got a picture with was name kramer, and while the lady was explaining how to hold it she told me its just like a baby with claws, and it kinda was! he smelled funny and in my picture with it i am so excited i am cheesing so hard you can see all my teeth and gums! After our photo op we went to see the tigers in the tiger temple! They were precious and there were two people in their cage with them, one guy playing with them on the land with what looked like an enormous cat toy, and the girl was up to her neck in the pool with a fishing rod type toy with empty milk jugs fastened to the end! After the tigers we fed some elephants and i got elephant snot all over my hand-it was great! We went back to see our kangaroo friends for a little while and i really really wanted to take one with me! We also saw other animals like the comoto dragon, some pigs and otters, sheep....they weren't as cool as the ones we got to touch, but they were still cute! After the zoo we got back on the bus to go to our hotel in Brisbane where we are staying for one night because it is close to the airport we are leaving out of in the morning! Tomorrow morning we will be on our way to Cairnes (pronounced like cans) to see the rain forest and the great barrier reef and the outback! I have been looking for a sweatshirt all trip and i finally found one in a little souvenir shop on my way home from dinner. In Australia they call a sweatshirt a jumper! Only a few more days of my adventure-i can't believe its flying by so fast! i will be home before i know it! I miss you all!
LOVE and LIOB!
em

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA!

Cheers everyone! Let me just start with Sunday night, after i got off the computer i went upstairs and we got dressed to go to dinne. We ended up walking down the street to the Hard Rock Cafe here in Surfer's paradise. It was packed so we sat at the bar. our bartender was from Cali so we chatted for awhile about home. He went around in a circle for high fives unding with me and i totally faked him out with a jellyfish! After hard rock we went down to one of the bottle shops (liquor store) and got some beer for the few days we are here. We went to sleep fairly early so we could have an easy wake up Monday. Monday we walked down to one of the local life saving clubs here and listened to a few stories on saving people. We didn't hear every story because apparently this year alone the live saving club had over 3500 rescues, quite impressive! After out lectures in the morning we were going to head down to the beach, but there were too many clouds and no sun made it much too cold to be in our suits, so instead we went out exploring for a little while! Last night we had a big group cookout downstairs by the pool where 20 of us grilled hamburgers and hotdogs. We went to sleep early so we could rest up for our surf lesson today! In the morning we went to a bowling alley which is completely different from the ones back home. It's like lawn bowling but apparently there is an age requirement of about 65 to be a member! There were all these little old people with their custom lawn bowling balls and gloves with different colored balls who were really intense! W epaired up with some old people to learn how to play! After bowling we ate lunch and then went out to the surf! Jessica was a pro-she stood up on one of her first tries! I think i won the award for tanking it! The surf instructor was very nice , and she was trying really hard to help Courtney and I, but we just couldnt get past drifting in on or knees. We think if we would have had a little more time maybe we could have mastered it! I got stung by a jelly on my neck, but im fine....i decided i didnt really want anyone to pee on it being so close to my face! We leave tomorrow for Steve Irwin's zoo which should be awesome! I have put on more lotion than you can imagine over these past few days because i think my skin is so used to humidity that it dries out so fast here, and the salt water makes me feel like a lizard! I hope everyone is doing grea back home! Happy birthday mama-have an awesome 50th! Love you!
LOVE and LIOB!
em

Manly Beach!

G'day mates! It is around 4 on Sunday afternoon and it's already beginning to get dark here...Yesterday was a free day for us so we started off our day in Paddy's Markey in sydney where i bought many many souverniers! After Paddy's we got kind of lost lookinf for the ferry to get down to manly beach...and yes thats the actual name of it! We stopped in circle quay (pronounced like key) ate lunch and finally found the ferry over to manly! The beach was so pretty! I have been collecting stickers everywhere we have gone and decided yesterday i was going to stick them all on my water bottle so i need a few more before its covered! The beach was too cold to get in the water yesterday so we just played aroud\nd in the sand. Before we took the ferry back Courtney and i were going to stop at St. Matt's church (and yes it was Saint Matt's on the sign not St. Matthew) but we misread the sign for the vigil mass at 6 that said they only took place on the first saturday of every month! woops! On the way over to the ferry we stopeed at chocolate by the bald man for "dinner" haha! It was delicous we had hot chocolate and a waflle covered in chocolate with strawberries, bananas and ice cream! I got back to the hotel and did some laundry before our 5 am departure! This morning was a mess because three of the boys were out all night and passed out so we were 20 minutes late for leaving to the airport, then one of the boys threw up on the bus which was lovely! We did make it to the airport on time to catch our plane but i think it was only because they were missing a significant number of passengers. The plane was only an hour ride and then we arrived in surfer's paradise! The weather is wonderful here! Courtney and i went to find a church here but apparently they dont have mass after 10 am anywhere near us so hopefully yo all will just say some extra prayers for us this weekend. We got in our suits and went straight down to the beach! The sand is so soft here and the water is completely oil free!! There were a few jellyfish in the water but they were nothing compared o the rip current and waves! I was so exhausted by the time i actually made it to the shore i took a 2 hour nap! Good thing i applied that 65 spf :) After my nap we went to subway for lunch and the cookies just arent as soft here...We wen back to the beach and i got buried in the sand...they made me into a mermaid, it was a real group effort! After the beach we went to the pool to get all the sand off and now i am taking a quick break to update all of you before we go be social somewhere! Your aussie word for the day is too right-which means an enthusiastic yes! I miss you all very much! Hope all is well back home!
LOVE and LIOB!
em

Flat out like a Lizard Drinking!

G'day mates! it is currently Friday night 10:00 pm, it is a cold 12 degrees and i am sleepy! So sorry i haven't kept you updated but the last two days we have been flat out!(Flat out is a shortened term for flat out like a lizard drinking used by the Aussies to let you know they are really busy-when they told me i was like oh like being swamped and then got made fun of yet again...followed by questions of if i live by a swamp)Yesterday morning, Thursday morning, we were expected downstairs at 6 am sharp, we then started our 3 hour journey to the Australian Institute of Sport. Our bus driver over here in Sydney is named Kevin and he has the most interesting balding pattern i have ever seen! After a looooong bus ride we got off the bus and started our tours. The first room we went in had gaming devices to simulate typical AU sports like skeleton, cricket, Australian rules football, netball, etc.. We got to play around for awhile before we moved on. The AIS trains its athletes for the Olympics and Paralympics. One of our first stops was the pool and one of their paralympic athletes was swimming in the pool with only one arm which i found incredible! I can't imagine working with someone who is missing a limb at such an advanced level-i was very impressed. We also saw the soccer, basketball and gymnastics facilities. The youngest athlete they are currently training is a 9 year old gymnast who lives on site with a full scholarship! We then went on a sports medicine specific tour of the bio mechanical and physiology labs by two of the interns. We had lunch in the athletes dining room, which was probably the healthiest dining hall I've ever been in! After lunch we went for a presentation with one of the nutritionist which is where i really learned a lot about what is best to eat pre and post activity and a whole heap of hydration facts i wont bore you with. We then went to the gift shop, and i got you a prize dad! After the gift shop we met back up with the sports management group and got back on the bus! We saw some wild kangaroo then I read my kindle and slept a little! Once we got back Courtney, Jessica and I decided to go out and got dressed to head downstairs for a little dinner! We got a bowl of chips(which is french fries) and some delicious bruschetta and were on our way! We walked down the road to the closest pub and found ourselves at scruffy murphy's. It was an interesting stop! I accidentally held eye contact with the crazy guy going nuts on the dance floor which made him come by to our table. I could hardly understand a single word he was saying but he tried to tell me he was on the Dragons which is an ARL (Australian Rugby League) team for St. George, his name was Bailey and he told me he was number 3...I found it highly unlikely because he was way too small to play rugby professionally, but we decided to humor him because he was hysterical. After we left the pub we walked back to the hotel and went to bed, after i lost 3 dollars gambling. We were down at breakfast for 9 and found out one of the boys, Thomas, was brought to the hospital. He was apparently sleep walking and tripped (keep in mind the rooms are tiny and most people moved the furniture in their room to the closet just to have room to walk) He hit his head on a nightstand and split his ear open. He doesn't remember falling but woke up at 4:30 in extreme pain with a lot of blood. He got 5 stitches and we are all fighting about who gets to take the out in 5-7 days! After breakfast we headed out to Olympic Park. We got a tour of NSWIS (New South Wales Institute of Sport) and then headed over to ANZ Stadium which was the main site of the 2000 Olympic Games. Next door to one of the side stadiums was Disney on Ice and there were tons of little girls dressed up like princesses. I also have discovered that the razor scooter has most recently made it's debut, because every little boy is on one over here! We had a presentation on event planning and how everything comes together for an ARL match and then we had a long tour which ended in the ARL game of the Rabitohs (which is owned by Russel Crowe) and the Dragons (which is the team our friend claimed to be on). The Rabitohs won which was the home team and a big deal because apparently the Dragons are ranked number 1 at the moment. Tomorrow is a free day and we are very much looking forward to it! The plan as of now is to head over to Paddy's Market, another flea market, then over to Manly beach and vigil mass because we have another early morning flight on Sunday! I will make sure to steer clear of the poisonous things at the beach tomorrow dad! Tell the puppies i miss them!
LOVE and LIOB!
EM

We found Nemo!

Hey everyone! So i have a lot to catch you guys up on since we have been go go go for the last couple days! Last i updated it was Sunday afternoon. After i went to the internet cafe we went over to the eureka tower in melbourne which is the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. We went all the way to the top and then out in this glass box which i totally kept my cool (not really...really i was shaking and about to cry) but it was pretty cool! I mailed 2 postcards from the highest post box! After the Eureka towers we went back to the hotel because we had a very early flight on monday morning to make it to sydney. We got to the airport at 6 and were in sydney by 9. Immediately leaving the airport we began a tour of sydney which is beautiful!! Our first stop was Bondi Beach which is the most famous beach in australia and we saw whales in the water! our tour guide told me that hugh jackman frequents the beach but he wasnt there... The beach was absolutely beautiful though and i of course went in too deep and got my shorts all wet... We went on a boat tour of sydney harbor and got to see the opera house from many angles! After the boat tour we went on a jet boat ride that did a lot of spins and most of the group was drenched by the time we were done! It was a great time! When we got in the boat and had to strap ourselves down and hold on to the rail we asked the driver if there were sharks in the water and he turned around and said definitely so i decided falling in the water was not an option. We got lunch in the harbor and some pretty good gelato! It was kind of rainy but we were wet from the jet boat ride and not too concerned. We finally made it to our hotel-the great southern hotel located in china town haha! We had dinner and then i went to sleep shortly after that because i was exhausted!! This morning we woke up for 9 to head out to the NRL (national rugby league) to go out and learn about the league. Aqfterwards we went over to the sydney cricket ground to watch the sydney swans practice and we got a chance to talk to one of their staff trainers. The sydney swans is an AFL team but i think were going friday to see a rugby game...or match..not really sure? After the swans practice we headed over to the sydney aquarium where we got to see a lot of the fish they haave in the reef including dori and nemo!!! I took a picture next to nemo ashley! After the aquarium we went around to paddys market which is a big french market basically and i found birthday presents for mom, sarah and cat! Its about 6 pm over here and we eat dinner at the hotel in about 45 minutes. Im rooming with jess and court this stop and we have the biggest room of the bunch but thats not saying much...I doubt we will be up too much after dinner because we are leaving the hotel tomorrow morning at 6 for a three hour bus ride to some place i couldnt even come close to spelling if i tried! I miss you all very much!
LOVE and LIOB
em

netball sounds a lot like nipple with an AU accent...

g'day! It is monday afternoon here in melbourne-highs at about 15 degrees which is mid forties to you all!I will have to start by telling you about my sunday because that is where i last left off. Sunday morning Courtney and i woke up to get to Saint Patrick's cathedral for 9:30 mass. The church was beautiful and the priest saying mass told us he had been ordained 40 years prior to yesterday in that same church. He is part of the columban ministry and now lives in pakistan and it all reminded me of how wonderfully universal the catholic church is :) After mass we went on a little adventure and then took the tram down to Saint Kilda! We stopped at a little local cafe called hot honey where i had the most delicious lunch! I had a grilled tomato and feta sandwich and then a berry meringue for dessert! After lunch we got back on the tram to go down to the beach which was sooo cute! I decided that i will indeed move to st kilda one day or somewhere near it so that i am able to be there often! It was a small town feel in a big place, kind of artsy but everyone in AU is so obsessed with sport even the most artsy! I felt it was a perfect mix for me! We went down to the pier right past the small amusement park to play at the beach a little! We couldnt get in the water but we did find a couple of the deadliest jellyfish in Au washed up on the shore so i made sure not to get too close just in case! After the beach Courtney, Jessica and I got back on the tram to head back in to town to see jersey boys! Before the playw e stopped at a little wine bar and made friends with out very cute irish australian waiter! The play was awesome and im so glad we got to see it! We went to bed around 10 and got up this morning to meet the bus for 9. We went to Melbourne park this morning where the australian games are played and got to poke around the stadium-including the mens locker room-i was very tempted to plant a camera in there! It made me very excited about working tennis this coming year and definitely gave me a conversation starter! After melbourne park we went into town to learn about netball and hear a lecture from a local physio (which is a PT but theyre jobs are exactly like athletic trainers) who was telling us all about common injuries and how to play. Netball is like basketball, but only women play, they dont dribble, there is no backboard and instead of big baggy short they wear skirts/dresses like tennis! It was extremely interesting except that every time they would say netball it would sound like nipple and it was getting very hard to take them seriously! After our lecture i came straight here to update you all! We have the rest of the afternoon to be free in melbourne and then we leave for 42 wallaby way sydney at 5 am! i miss you all terribly!
LOVE and LIOB!
em

GO GEELONG!

g'day everyone! iT is 7:22 on saturday night as im writing this but for you its 4:30 AM! Today was great! Last night i couldnt stay awake past 8:30 because i was so tired so that made me wide awake by the time 6;00 am rolled around and we didnt have to be down to the bus until 9:30 so i decided to go explore on a walk! I dressed in shorts and a tshirt and was much too cold the entire adventure! I found a couple hungry jacks-which is their version of burger king and i saw a couple theaters playing hairspray and jersey boys. I went past a church and a big government building that im still not sure of what it is! I was successful at walking on the left side and watching out for cars while crossing the street, because they informed us that the leading statistic for americans to be injured while in australia is not by one of the thousands of poisionous things but by getting struck by a vehicle! After my adventure i got back to the hotel showered and then got on the bus. We went to victoria university to learn the history of australian rules football (AFL) before we went down to the game today! We went to federation square for lunch but i packed myself a turkey sandwich and some pretzels. There was this cool vegetarian burger and fries place called lord of the fries that i am definitely going to try out next time! The AFL is awesome! It looked like we were in hogwart's with all the fans (or barrackers as they call them over here) wearing their teams scarf! It took me almost the entire game to figure out what the heck was going on but once i did i got really into it! one of the best things to scream to fit in is ball!!! or any profanity you can conjur up! Geelong won the game and then they sang their club's song afterwards it was so fun! At the match i got my first australian beer-pure blonde...im not too sure i can describe what it tastes like but it was pretty good! After the game we walked back to the hotel and made dinner and after this we are going to happy hour at one of the local pubs. We may wander over to the casino but getting up really early this morning made me kind of sleepy... Tomorrow is a free day and i have already found a catholic church in the area called st patricks that we are going to and then we will be going down to st. kilda home of the AFL team the saints! im hoping to get me a a saints scarf while im there to support my team :) I miss you all veyr much! I hope youre enjoying the summer heat because i am envying you in this cold weather! I love you all!
Love and LIOB!
em

Fresh air!!!

After 36 hours of traveling I have finally made it to Australia! I have never been more excited about being outside in my entire life! My body was screaming for non-circulated air and a little vitamin D! I am sending this from Melbourne at the at 3:15 on July 9 from te Melbourne cricket grounds! July 8 was completely lost in travel so it kind of makes me feel like I've experienced time travel! It's beautiful weather here! Everyone has been extremely welcoming although I've been made fun of for calling the trolly a street car... I have never wanted to take a shower more than I do right now! After we leave the stadium were off to the hotel! I miss you!
Love and LIOB!

Earthquake

Apparently there was an earthquake that shook the airport but I was unaware and perfectly safe! I just found out two really cool things about our thirteen hour plAne-1.it is a double decker plane which I have never heard of! 2. Alcohol is free on the plane and the legal drinking age is 18-so maybe I will be able to sleep much easier! We board in 3 hours and then I'll be sitting down for 13 hourssss so right now (even though it's gross) I am currently laying on the floor in the airport! I think that Courtney and I are the only southerners here besides one kid from Texas-if that counts? My room mates for the week seem nice-so my anxiety went down a little :) hope everything is going great back home!

Hopped off the plane in LAX

Hello! Just landed in LAX and now we only have about nine hours until our 13 hour flight-yay! So far I have forgotten my camera battery/charger and I also left my phone in a bathroom in Denver ( don't worry dad I went back and it was right where I left it). Both flights were relatively smooth-window seat then middle so I'm hoping the next looooong flight will be aisle!! We meet up with the group at 5:30 and then our flight leaves for 9:30 so I have lots of people watching time! It's about 65 outside so I may go enjoy the weather for awhile :) I miss all of you already! Next time I post I will be on my way to P Sherman 42 Wallaby Way Sydney!
Love and LIOB!
Em

Getting ready!

Hey everyone! I am getting ready for the trip and cooked this up so that you can keep up with me on my trip to Australia! I have no clue where i am going to be able to pick up some wi-fi to update this thing but im hoping it wont be too difficult! I am leaving wednesday, July 7, and i will be returning home to NOLA on July 29. Say a prayer that i make it through that loooooong plane ride with all my sanity, hope you enjoy reading about all my shannanigns these next couple weeks! Ill be sure to make kenner city proud!