http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Merri/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Merri en-us Sun, 29 Nov 2009 11:52:57 +0000 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 11:52:57 +0000 So I think this will probably be my last entry unless I randomly decide to update again after my brother and I go on our annual skiing trip to Squaw Valley California. It's been really fun updating this blog from home too since I've gotten into so much of a pattern of doing it over the past few months. Each one of my visits to friends has been unique and Dallas was no exception. I admit tha http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Texas/Dallas/blog-227925.html So on Friday morning I headed to the airport to go from NYC to Montreal. For some reason the way I had booked the flights I had a stopover in Philly...which took extra time but whatever I think it was cheaper. When I got there around 5 pm it was SNOWING and I was incredibly excited. Of course this meant it took extra time to get into Montreal but it looked so beautiful I didn't really http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Canada/Quebec/Montreal/blog-225432.html So as most of you probably know I am back in the US. It's weird that I've only been back for a little more than two weeks because it feels like so much longer I have the good fortune of being really happy wherever I am so even though it was really hard to leave Australia it is SO good to be home. Plus I still am doing a whole bunch of traveling which is why I feel totally justified in sti http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-224951.html For my last morning here I wanted to do something memorable so I decided to get up at 5 am to watch the sun rise over the Opera House. It was so odd to see the city practically asleep as I headed up to Circular Quay on the bus only a couple places were open and there was no traffic at all. I am now sitting the Rocks side of the Harbour with only seagulls pigeons and annoying flies for com http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/Opera-House/blog-219696.html So my first final was a couple days ago I have two finals next week Monday and Wednesday and then I LEAVE on Thursday. I am kind of in shock right now that pretty much everything I am doing I am doing it for the last time. I went to Paddy's and the Rocks markets yesterday for the last time the Glebe markets today for the last time...this is my LAST WEEKEND here. I can not even believe it. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/Newtown/blog-218385.html I would just like to take a moment to explain how finals work at Sydney Uni as opposed to Duke.DukeFriday classes endThe weekend Monday FRANTIC STUDY TIME FOR EVERYTHINGTuesday finals begin lasting through SundayMerri's schedule normally includes three finals three days in a row other people's schedules often have two finals per day each three hours and often three in just 27 hoursW http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/Coogee-Beach/blog-216927.html Continuation of the Melbourne tripSunday morning I woke up at the nice late hour of 1030 ready to go exploring for the day My goal was the Queen Victoria Markets the biggest and most famous open air market in Melbourne. Since the tram system had kind of annoyed me I just ended up walking around everywhere for the rest of the trip so that was a lot of walking. But I truly think the best http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/CBD/blog-215832.html Wow. I have had yet another set of absolutely INSANE days. For those of you who want the short version the highlights of my life in the past week Classes ended And they ended WELL Some of my best guy friends from Duke came to visit theyrsquore studying in Townsville which is a couple hours north by plane from here and it was CRAZY. I went to MELBOURNE Andhellip Stayed in an incr http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/St--Kilda/blog-215266.html Wow this weekend has been SO relaxing and amazing. Just what I needed after a totally not stressful life. Well maybe last week was slightly stressful with preparation for these final projects and quizzes and the like but it's nothing like DUKE stressful...haha. Anyway now that I have less than four weeks here I have switched into HIGH GEAR shopping and exploring Sydney mod http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/Manly/blog-213087.html Just wanted to do a quick entry to say how GREAT it is to be back here for a time period of more than a week The last time I was here for a full weekend in Sydney was a full month ago which is pretty crazy. I am really glad this week is over too...unfortunately it had to end with a GROSS quiz in Mechanical Design aka worst class ever but you know what I only have two days more of that cl http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/Newtown/blog-212582.html For the past couple days I have been at an intensive surf camp I decided to go kind of on a whim still fresh off my New Zealand trip ldquoI can travel anywhere and go by myselfrdquo attitude. My closest American friends here came with a study abroad program and they were having a special trip this weekend so they werenrsquot going to be here at all. And obviously I donrsquot have http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/Newtown/blog-211310.html So to continue the Tasmania adventure...On Saturday morning we had to be up at the bright and early hour of six thirty so we could be on the road by seven thirty. However this was made slightly better by the fact that our room was next to the kitchen so we actually got to eat breakfast in our pajamas which made me feel like I was at home. The first place we visited in the morning before he http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Tasmania/Freycinet-National-Park/blog-209763.html First off I just wanted to say thanks so much to those of you guys who have written me long emails about your liveshellipit just TOTALLY makes my day when I get back from a trip to emails in my inbox from you all. I just sit at my computer laughing my head off or talking back to the screen. Because I am cool like that.So the past four days I had a wonderful and relaxing experience in Tasman http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Tasmania/Launceston/blog-209384.html Day 7 Thursday September 27This morning was BAD. Dana and I didnrsquot get back till past 130 in the morning the previous night and we had to be up at the horrendous hour of 630 am I was pretty groggy but luckily we were doing a ton of driving that day so I slept for several more hours on the bus. Scotty had an amazing ldquosleepy mixrdquo which literally made everyone conk out http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Fox-Glacier/blog-207277.html In advance congratulations to anyone who is not my parents who is actually reading all of this...heheDay 4 Monday September 24Today was our earliest start because we had a lot of driving to do. We were up at SIX AM. Even though I hadnrsquot gotten much sleep it wasnrsquot terrible because it was a beautiful clear morning and breakfast was really good. If it hadnrsquot been for the f http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Queenstown/blog-206938.html The past week of my life has seriously been a whirlwind of natural wonder upon natural wonder added to even further by an amazing group of people a lot of laughter great songs and general merriment. Two of the other girls I traveled with were writing in a travel journal every day but since I didnrsquot bring any paper I wanted to start writing about the trip as soon as I got home Irsqu http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Christchurch/blog-206648.html So I just have two hours of class tomorrow and then I am OFFICIALLY on my mid semester break Yes I have class Friday but I am skipping it. hehe. And it's not actually a mid semester break because when we get back we only have four weeks of class left Yesss. The draft timetable for finals just came out too and I'm pretty pleased with when mine are scheduled my first one is almost two we http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/Newtown/blog-203638.html So we got our pictures developed from our ridiculously overpriced disposable underwater camera so here are some of them It's totally worth it to see me looking like an alien underwater. These REALLY don't even come close to doing the coral justice it wasn't too good a camera and I personally think that even the best cameras can't capture that ethereal otherworldly quality of the AMAZING un http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/Glebe/blog-202298.html Hey everyone So here are just a few of the MANY photos I have from the trip this past weekend. If you have access to facebook don't bother looking since they should all be up on facebook anyway and these are just my favorites. Enjoy http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Great-Barrier-Reef/blog-201662.html A short summary of what I did this past weekend Petted some kangaroos Swam in a rainforest gorge Played a digeridoo Saw some crocodiles Walked on a deserted beach in a town containing 500 people SCUBA DIVED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE GREAT BARRIER REEF I'm kind of the most excited about that in case you can't tell Went to a casino for the first time and played slot machines Held a koala http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Cape-Tribulation/Great-Barrier-Reef/blog-200646.html