This weekend we went on a field trip to Canberra, NSW! We heard from other students before going on this trip that it would be the most boring thing ever, but surprisingly, I LOVED it! We were up at 5am and drove all morning! Let just say I was beyond exhausted! It is ungodly to be awake while it is still dark outside haha! But, I had my headphones in looking out the window and it finally hit me. I have been here for one month, and Friday was the first time I actually felt like I was in Australia! It was seriously so majestic! I think that because we have been in Sydney this whole time, I was used to the city, and now that we were in the country, I realized I really am truly in Australia! And how you imagine Australia looking, is exactly how I saw it Friday morning as the sun rose!
After a total of 3 hrs of sleep in 2 days, we stopped in a town called Bundanoon where they do not sell plastic water bottles! I know that sounds dumb, but its actually the first town in the world that band selling plastic water bottles, and went eco-friendly with reusable water bottles! We sat through the presentation and it was so fascinating realizing that a town of 2,000 people started a revolution that is taking over the world! We then got to drink from one of the water sites, super cool! Haha even though not going to lie, it was like a normal drinking fountain, haha but I told my self this was monumental! Haha in my picture I ended up looking like Gollum from Lord of the Rings lol!
From there we drove two more hours to reach our final destination, Canberra! As soon as we got there we enjoyed a picnic lunch and our numerous photo opp times! Haha my favorite pic of the day definitely was a reenactment of the lady I told you about, our guest speaker! Katrina, my roommate, was the armpit hair, haha seriously, it made my day because they did the exact face and pose that lady kept doing! PRICELESS!
Then we were off to Parliament! As soon as we walked in, my friend Amanda goes, “Wow, I like this place way better than the White House. Its like modern!” Haha seriously?! Who are you lol! But, we got to tour the whole building, sat in the Chamber where the representatives sit, and even sat in on one of the Parliament debates! Not going to lie, funniest thing of my life! Haaha summary: a senator was addressing the Minister, and the Minister kept ignoring him, playing Angry Birds and tweeting! Needless to say, it the senator got a little heated and started yelling at him and addressing us saying how dumb the Minister is and that he must be deaf that’s why he was not answering the question! I mean honestly, if this would have happened in the US, people would have had a cow!! Haha this is not politics! I mean, its more like a reality tv show!!
After an entertaining congress session, we visited the Aboriginal Tent Embassy where we talked to an Aboriginal woman who was protesting in front of the old Parliament house. It was fascinating to listen to her story, but it also raised many questions among us students. She was saying that they are protesting to have their land returned to them, but what are they expecting be done? You can’t just change 100 years of progress and development and make the land how it once was. The issue is much more complex and I left feeling confused on where I stand on this issue.
After heated debates on the bus, we finally arrived at our youth hostel after an exhausting day! I was dreading this part, because after my horrific experience in a Chicago Hostel on my COR trip, I was fully expecting this to be the same! Seriously, NOT EVEN A COMPARISON!! Haha I actually could shower, it was clean, no broken toilet seats, or bed bugs! It actually was really cute!! We spent our evening relaxing and had a big How I Met Your Mother marathon.
The next morning came way too early again, haha we were all walking zombies! We woke up and went down to breakfast, and I tried Vegemite for my first time people!! Seriously, I probably put a toothpick-sized dot on the whole piece of toast, haha so I loved it! It wasn’t nearly as bad as everyone has been saying!!
So, Saturday was our day of museums, museums, and more museums! Sounds super boring, I know, but it actually was so fun and we had some of the most hilarious conversations of my life! Haha I won’t go into details, but lets just say we saw more male genitals and hair than I ever have! Lol we were like immature kids, but it provided enough jokes to last us a lifetime! I have to write about one incident though, haha so sorry if it offends anyone! But, we were looking at a painting, and there was a man in it, with an “exaggerated” nude body (if you know what I mean haha), and behind the man was a goat! So, one of our friends goes up to girl in our group and they are just standing starring at the painting and this conversation came out of nowhere! Like honestly, you couldn’t have scripted the lines any better!
Her: “Oh wow, this is just breathtaking.”
Him: “I know, its like it slapped me in the face.”
Her: “Its just so big.” (The painting)
Him: “I know, it really gets me deep in my throat.”
Her: “Oh wow, its so hairy, I just really want to pet it!” (She is doing hand motions as if she were stroking the goat hahahhaha)
Haha for real, HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN!!! Haha the best part about this is she never caught on!! Seriously, this was funnier than a movie! We were laughing so hard we were crying!! Needless to say, our conversations the rest of the day were based off of this topic haha and it got out of control! Oh, how you gotta love our immaturities!! But, it is our immaturities that made this trip so memorable and seriously turned our weekend into an amazing bonding time and time of learning and growth!
Oh shoot, I almost forgot, on our way home we saw our first wild kangaroos!! Haha except they were just standing there, not jumping around of anything! LAME! “Jump, Jump, Jump around…”
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