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Published: June 11th 2013
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Vivid
The Sydney Harbor Bridge all lit up in the distance for the Vivid Light show. It’s midnight California time, and according to the huge TV that’s just too far away for me to actually be able to watch it without permanently damaging my neck, I have about 10 hours left on this flight until my year abroad is over. And what a year it as been. In the past year, I’ve had the awesome opportunity to call three different continents my home: Europe, Asia, and Australia. It’s funny looking back, as I had never been outside of the United States before this. Some people tell me I’m crazy for signing up for three study abroad runs, when I had never set foot outside the country, but I always tell them I think it’d be crazy to have this opportunity and not go to 3 different continents. In fact, I’m ready for round 2 right now, although my parents told me I have to stay inside the United States until I have my undergraduate degree in hand. I’m very open to grad school outside of the country, and in fact I’ve heard great things about South Africa.
I think I was kind of hoping that I would have some grand epiphany and figure out the meaning
Bondi Beach
My last trip to Bondi Beach! of life in my year abroad. While I have learned that I’m going to keep traveling forever to all sorts of countries, I still have no idea what I want to do after I graduate in less than a year. I already have my top five next countries figured out: Antartica, South Africa, Argentina, New Zealand, and Alaska. But since Alaska isn’t technically a country, I guess my fifth country would have to be Ecuador because I want to go to the Galapagos Islands very badly. Oooh baby I better become a billionaire ASAP to finance all of my travel dreams.
This is an important day for me. 363 days ago, I left for London. This is also my 22
nd flight in the past year. Can you believe it? I’m challenging George Clooney for some serious mileage. I hope everyone’s getting all these references I’m throwing out here, or else I’m going to sound like a crazy person. 22 flights in one year. That pretty much makes me an airport pro. Unfortunately it took me 21 flights this year to figure out the key to success. As per usual, my checked bag was overweight. I literally have no idea
how this is possible. It doesn’t make mathematical sense. I came to Australia with 4 months worth of toiletries (that’s what I get for using the same packing list as for China). While in Australia, I used up all the shampoo and the like, plus got rid of a pair of shoes I ruined, and the only thing I bought here were a couple of shirts for my family. That’s literally it. There’s no way 2 t-shirts weigh as much as tons of shampoo and conditioner and mouthwash and shoes. Anyways, realizing my bags were overweight, I casually placed my entire arm over the light so that the guy couldn’t see I was 2 kg over. I also tried being super polite, which was really hard because I’m flying United and I just don’t have too many nice things to say about them and my mom always says if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything. But by flirting a little bit with the baggage man, I got through and I can successfully say I don’t have to spend the way back to America with two pairs of shoes on my lap, like I did on the
Plants
About 3 months ago, I planted some flowers as part of a community bonding thing. I've never successfully grown anything in my entire life as I don't have Rachel's green thumb, but I did manage to grow these flowers! I couldn't tell you what kind they are, only that you can kill them a couple of times and they still turn out OK! way over to Australia.
Next up was security. Security for flights to America are “more strict” compared to other Australian flights. By that they just mean that you have to go through those new metal detectors that swivel around you that have been in the San Francisco airport for years. Some girl tried to jump into the swivel machine with me, and somehow I got in trouble for it. I also got laughed at because I asked if I had to take my shoes off for secutiry. I wasn’t sure because the sign didn’t say anything, but everyone in front of me was a senior citizen and I know that in the US you don’t have to take off your shoes if you’re old enough. So I asked this Australian TSA agent and he was like, “why on earth would you have to take your shoes off?” I had no good reply except for that Americans have to do it. I think it’s because we as Americans have a bad habit of hiding bombs in our sneakers.
Once through security, I started crying. Literally water could not stop streaming from my eyes. I was attacked. Ambushed, really. I
Last View of Australia
Australia fading away in the distance. was attacked by all the people selling perfume in the duty free part of the airport. First of all, let’s just talk about why you’re spraying people’s eye balls. Last I checked, I thought my eyes smelled quite nice all by themselves, thank you very much. Second of all, I’m taller than the average woman, so why are you spraying up there anyways? What’s even worse is that I don’t do eyes. I think eyes are probably the most disgusting part of the human body (sorry Pap, I know you were an eye doctor). It grosses me out when people put contacts in. I can’t even look. My sister walks around putting her contacts in and it is so gross. Um, do that in private! I remember one time I had an eye infection and both my parents had to pin me to the floor to try and get eye drops in. After about ten minutes of everyone screaming and yelling, no eye drops had made it anywhere near my eyeballs. I'd love to tell you that that happened when I was a little kid, but that happened about 2 years ago. Needless to say, the infection healed much more
Home!
San Francisco International Airport slowly but all naturally in its own time. I don’t do eye balls.
Another blog will follow soon, but there's just so much going on at home it might take a couple of days. Olivia graduates middle school tomorrow, and I am currently raging an all out war against Verizon. Ever since I was in 8th grade, every single Verizon employee at our local store has known my name and phone number because I practically live in the store. Surprisingly, this is the only phone I've ever lost or damaged. Currently, my family of 5 has 6 phone numbers and 3 working phones. I also conveniently have insurance for my iPhone. It's lucky I've been paying $10 a month for 2 years ($240 in total) for this insurance, because what insurance buys you is the chance to buy the same phone you already had for $199. This is a much better price than the $199 price you can buy it for in the Verizon store. So with this insurance for the phone, I actually paid 199 plus 240. I am just so thankful I had insurance so I only had to pay a total of $439, instead of $199. Thanks Verizon for watching out for me, I really appreciate all the work you do! It's quite a shame that people say you have horrid customer service--I just don't see where they're coming from at all.
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Home and Away
Bob Carlsen
You've had quite a year...
As a parent I would agree with your parents that now you need to finish your undergraduate degree. But then you can go for your graduate degree overseas, which is what my son is starting in September...law school in the UK. Here is a helpful website listing graduate courses at European universities taught in English: http://www.study-info.eu/ I'm looking forward to those blogs!