Everyone says how amazing New Zealand is, but until you're there it's hard to imagine just how spectacular it could be. We didn't have much time off and were worried about having to rush through, but in five days we saw so much I am really happy with how well we got to see the South Island. Day One Well this was really day 2 as we arrived in Christchurch the night before, but since we didn't land till 11pm I don't really count that as a day. We stayed in a cute little backpackers called Frienz, and unfortunately, that was [View Full Entry]

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The final pitstop before heading back to Sydney was Hamilton Island for Dave and Jeri's wedding. Such a beautiful place, it was a shame we couldn't stay longer. Hamilton Island is pure paradise, we spent two and a half lazy days in a gorgeous hotel room with a view of palm trees and beaches. The wedding was lovely, and the reception was held on a boat that sailed around the Whitsundays for four or five hours - we couldn't have had a better time. The months that followed back in Sydney were tough - finding an apartment in the ridiculously competitive [View Full Entry]

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After a year of being away, returning home to Australia was both sad and exhilerating. I loved France so much, but there really is something about returning home that makes you feel like you belong somewhere. The only problem about being home is getting sucked into the day to day routine of life. I returned home in January, yet here I am posting this blog 8 months later. Why bother, you ask? Now that it's been 8 months, what does it matter if a post was forgotten? Well, it matters because I told myself that no matter how busy life became [View Full Entry]

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I guess this one's just for me, really. As the last few hours are slipping away I find myself hanging on tightly to those things that have stood out above everything else here in Strasbourg; favourite restaurants, cafés, beautiful walking spots. In the name of keeping my memories alive I have taken photos of all my favourite places in Strasbourg so as to never forget those small things that captured my heart, and that I will miss more than I could have ever imagined. It's a strange feeling to know that I will never again be at this desk, writing a [View Full Entry]

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Merry Christmas to everyone that I haven't yet had the chance to contact, I hope you had a fantastic day! Once again, the Australians came together to celebrate the festivities by having an "orphans Christmas" for all of us still in Strasbourg. Although, calling it an orphans Christmas doesn't seem as fitting as it did earlier in the year when we planned it, because we've all spent so much time together this year they're starting to feel like family anyway. As with so many other food nights we've had this year, everyone prepared a couple of dishes themselves and brought them [View Full Entry]

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After all the amazing places I've been fortunate enough to visit this year, I think I would have to rate Prague one of the highest. I haven't walked around with my mouth gaping like that since I was in Venice. When I first arrived it seemed like just another European city with maybe slightly different looking buildings, but as I got further and further into the heart of it all I was more and more blown away, especially by the town centre. It’s a gothic wonderland of castles, towers and spires. I took the bus from Strasbourg to Prague as it [View Full Entry]

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The fact that Strasbourg is on the edge of France makes it so much easier to pop out of the country for the day. Germany is only a 10 minute drive away, and Switzerland is only just over an hour away by train. So the other day, just for something different, Laura, Lizette, Ben and I decided to take that train over to Switzerland and check out Basel, the little city near the Swiss/French border. And it really is on the border. When you arrive at the Basel train station, you’re still officially in France, and then you have to walk [View Full Entry]

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Well, it's official, the countdown has begun. Two months from now I'll be arriving back in Australia. I'm so torn between being excited to get back, earning money again and finishing my degree, and being incredibly sad to be leaving this beautiful city that has so quickly become my home. I keep trying to tell myself that two months is still a long time, but my subconsciousness is already preparing. I'm having dreams about being back in Australia and waking up a bit panicky, then realising with relief that I'm still here. I guess the best thing about going home is [View Full Entry]

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I can't believe I was dreading going back to uni! I had so much fun during the summer holidays that I didn't want them to end, but now that I’m back at uni I’m really enjoying myself and am glad to be back. Although it was great spending lazy days wandering around Strasbourg and occasionally popping off to different European cities, having a schedule to follow once again is actually a welcome change. It’s making me feel like I have a purpose in life again! This semester is a lot more intense than the previous one because this time round, instead [View Full Entry]

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Although technically there are a few weeks left, it seems as though summer is well and truly over. The leaves on the trees are starting to change colour, we haven’t had a warm day in weeks, and it’s starting to rain more and more. And even though I did spend quite some time travelling around during the summer holidays, it was nice to be able to come back “home” to Strasbourg in between travels and enjoy this city during the warmer months. Unfortunately for the Strasbourgois who decide to stay in Strasbourg for summer, there is a sense when you’re here [View Full Entry]

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