December 27, 2012

Let It Snow!...After I leave

A wild snow storm swept into Plattsburgh on thursday, leaving over eighteen inches of snow behind.  As snowplow trucks, tractors, and shovels made their appearances, I couldn't help but be reminded that in eight, short days I would not have to worry about the unpredictable snow storms characteristic of winters in New York.  Unfortunately, most of my packing has been completed, including the packaging of most of my winter clothing.  I am hopeful that the remaining days that I have here in New York are slightly warmer than the current predictions.  The last thing that I need is constant, bad weather while loading a U-Haul outside of my unplowed apartment complex!  Furthermore, I know that at the very last minute, I am going to be running around and searching for things essential for my trip that I forgot (it happens to all of us).  Sliding into a snowy bank would be a great thing to avoid--I hope the weather starts lightening up.  With my car buried in snow, I think to myself, "Australia just can't come fast enough!"

December 19, 2012

Crossing "T"s and Dotting "I"s

As every day brings me closer and closer to flying out of New York and arriving in Australia, I become more and more anxious.  I try to tackle something that needs to get done each day.  I still have a laundry list of things from me to San Francisco that need to be completed, but the designation of smaller tasks each day is helping me not become too overwhelmed.  Currently, I am taking a break from packing up my apartment.  It is hard to imagine that I somehow managed to keep all of my stuff in this tiny space!  I understand the decorators at AppleBees and TGIFs; I applied the same logic to how I decorated my own apartment!  As I am packing, I am trying to be mindful about the items I plan to take with me in my luggage.  I was told by others who had studied abroad that it is a good idea to pack less and to buy what you needed upon arrival because essentially everything that you bring is something that you have to carry.  It has become apparent that I want to bring my entire closet with me.  In addition to packing both my apartment and my luggage, I am trying to confirm certain details about my semester abroad.  In previous posts, I had mentioned that I had to work at a clinical site (fitness facility performing an unpaid internship) while studying abroad in Australia.  My contact, Tracy, has confirmed that the facility that I will be working at is titled "Kudos Health Club".  The facility is pristine and located about seventeen minutes away from Bond University.  I am beyond excited to have this hands-on experience of learning about fitness from professionals who have the highest of qualifications.  Feeling curious?  Follow the link below to see where I will be spending 96+ hours during my spring semester!

http://www.kudoshealthclub.com.au/

December 14, 2012

Making A List And Checking It Twice...

Last week, I finally purchased my flight to Australia. Originally, I was waiting for an answer from the study abroad office to see if I could arrive one day late for orientation (as to save money on my flight).  However, with the prices of plane tickets rising with each passing day, I couldn't wait for their response.  I decided to arrive on-time for orientation week (January 7th) and pay the ridiculous amount for my plane ticket....$3000.  Purchasing that flight in particular was hard for me to do just because it was so much money!!  Before I approved the flight by clicking the "confirm" button, I got all nervous.  Immediately after, I stood up, printed my confirmation, and then hugged the nearest librarian.  Just to be clear, I was in the library.  I didn't run to a library and randomly search for a librarian to hug, that would just be a whole different kind of weird.  Later on that week, I finalized my living accomodation for an off-site housing area called "The Reserve" (http://www.thereserve.com.au/apartments).  This apartment complex is wicked expensive and looks absolutely gorgeous.  However, it demands the same price (if not less money) than staying in the dorms on campus at Bond University.  Obviously, if you can save money in a foreign country without having to compromise too much on quality--do it. 
So, all-in-all, I think I'm pretty close to being completely "set" (documentation-wise) in terms of leaving for Australia. I have my flight, I have my living accomodation, I have my health plan finalized, my classes confirmed, my student identfication card, my meal plan arranged and my passport in-hand.  The only thing that I am nervous about is my visa.  I sent out for it a few weeks ago, and it has not arrived yet.  A visa allows you to study in another country for an extended amount of time.  In my case, my visa duration is for approximately four months.  I can't fly to Australia without it!  So, in the meantime, I'm trying NOT to freak out about that small, little, pretty significant detail.  Instead I'm focusing my efforts on making copies of important documents, packing up my apartment, figuring out what I will need to pack in my luggage, and making purchases that will be needed abroad (power converters, camera, tracfone with international calling card, etc.). 
I can't believe that I'm leaving for Australia in 3 weeks!

December 1, 2012

Hello, December


I still do not have a plane ticket. Let me repeat that very vital piece of information: I am leaving for Australia in almost a month and I have yet to purchase the ticket to get there! Apparently, the loans and scholarships that my home university has allocated to me for the spring semester do not normally fund until the start of the semester. Being that I'm studying abroad and semesters are different in different countries; the funding of my financial aid is just a tad off. But being a "tad off" in study abroad terms is almost akin to being "a tad off" in a rocket launching...you just don't want that to happen. Through the Financial Aid office, I was able to get my spring funds "emergency advanced" to me but that too takes time. It is my sincerest hope that I am able to purchase my ticket by next week. Further still, I need to purchase my housing accommodation and meal plan at Bond University. Luckily, I met a girl at a study abroad information session that was also going to Bond and we are in the process of buying our plane tickets together. In all honesty, my biggest apprehension to going abroad is the whole plane travel situation. What if I lose my luggage? What if one of my flights is delayed and throws off the layover for my connecting flight? What if I accidentally pack a nail file, too much toothpaste, or something as equally innocent and I'm sent to Customs for being a potential flight risk? There are just so many things that can go wrong at an airport and I'm happy that I'll have someone with me that will be helping me get through the craziness of it all. So much has to happen in the next few weeks and I'm wondering how it's all going to piece together. I might need to invest in some yoga DVDs or relaxation music to maintain my sane status. Five weeks until I leave for Australia!