So long, farewell. auf weidersehen, goodbye

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Well I can’t believe my time here in Melbourne is already almost over! The time really flew by. I’ve divided my time here into 3 chunks. The first part (summer) was great! We spent most of the time exploring, trying out new restaurants, and going to the beach. The second part was the middle of the semester and things seemed to drag on forever. It was a bit of a slump when winter started. Then I had a bunch of visitors at the beginning of the third part, which put me in a great mood and I’ve been having a great time here at the end. Most of my time has been taken planning for my trip to Asia and also attempting to force myself to study for my last finals ever!

I guess I should talk a bit about finals. They were definitely intense, since they were worth so much of my grade. The studying was really hard to tackle, in part due to the fact that I had major senioritis and also because I had no idea what the tests were going to be like. The test venue was by far the craziest experience I’ve ever had. It was a huge building, which actually reminded me of the arrivals hall at Ellis Island (don’t ask me why I thought about that, but that’s just what came to mind). So you have a set time to sit for your exam, but depending on what class it’s for you have a “reading period” that lets you sit and ponder over the exam without being able to write notes. I think this method is pretty stressful because you’ve just gotten done cramming and you want to get all your thoughts out on paper asap. Everyone stands outside waiting to be called in, then they check your ID, make sure you’re only bringing in pens in a clear bag, and then you have the problem of trying to find your seat. The exam hall is pretty much more stressful than exam itself. There are over 3,000 people in the same hall sitting in desks side-by-side. The tension is fierce!!

I just can’t believe the semester went by so quickly. I’m so glad I came and got to meet some really great friends and got to eat a lot of really great food. I’m kinda sad to leave, but now I’m totally excited about my trip to Asia and getting to see a completely different part of the world. So, I’ll write soon from Thailand😊

Some things I loved about Melbourne: the beach, soft serve, tim tams, night market, stalactites, yoyo’s
Some things I miss from home: fast internet, fast-paced walking, Mexican, a sunny room, soft beds

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Comments

[Sherry]

an ending to start a new beginning
Wow! You are so right about not believing this is over. Looking ahead last January, 6 months seemed so far away..so where have all these months gone? I enjoyed your overview of the time you've spent in this chapter of your life in Melbourne. Now on to Thailand and China! Can't wait to see the pictures and read about your adventures. You are a pretty special young lady....I love you ~mom

[Grami Jean]

GREAT FINALI
WOW MY DEAR DEAR GRANDDAUGHTER YOU DID A GREAT JOB SUMMING THINGS UP - - I REALLY LIKED THE WAY YOU BROUGHT UP ELLIS ISLAND IN MAKING COMPARISONS ESPECIALLY BEING YOUR GREAT GREAT HMMM AND MAYBE A 3RD GREAT GRANDPARENTS ACTUALLY CAME THRU ELLIS ISLAND AND I HAVE NO DOUBY BUT THAT THEY FELT LOTSSSS OF STRESS TOO- WHETHER THEY'D PASS ALL THE 'TESTS' TO BE ABLE TO COME INTO THIS NEW COUNTRY. ACTUALLY THEY WERE ALL 4 ABOUT YOUR YOUR AGE AND LAURA'S NOW. BUT OF COURSE THEY DIDN'T KNOW EACH OTHER UNTIL LATER LOVE YA LOTS, GRAMI