drum roll please....

Ta-da! Congratulations everyone, we have completed week 12. For those who are in the same lucky boat as me, no finals for us! I am now free to spend my time as I please, when I am not working. I hope that everyone had a successful term and a successful year. I apologise for not posting this yesterday as I should have, but I was stuck in the computer lab finishing up my last assignment before I had to go to work. So what kind of tips can I give for surviving the summer?

1)wear SPF 30+ (for anyone who is new to the australian summer, the sun is VERY intense here and it is easy to get a sunburn)
2)stay hydrated. Summer is a time to have fun, but a little too much fun in the sun can lead to getting very sick
3) invest in a fan
4) travel! find some summer deals and take a trip, there are lots of other countries too that are close by
5) do something new! last year I went skydiving for the first time. it was amazing
6) make some new friends. i shouldn't have to explain the significance of that.
7) if stressful times have gotten the best of you like they did me, and you aren't quite ready for the beach, then I would recommend Jetts gym. Its about 25 dollars a fortnight, its open 24 hours, and its located in Stockland so you can take the bus if you don't have a car!

So yeah, thank you everyone who read and commented on my blog this term. It was my first time doing something like this but it was a good experience. Thank you again to CQU and the ladies in the international offices that help me with all my problems and always with a smile. To any potential exchange students, go out there and achieve your dreams! I am looking forward to what experiences and trials that the summer will hold and I wish the best to all of you!

-Mallory

working over the holiday

Summer break is right around the corner and I'm sure everyone has big plans. I would just like to remind any international students out there that while school is not in session we are allowed to work 40 hours per week, rather than 20. Even though all I want to do is lay on the beach/hammock/bed and drink beer/cocktails/water I know that I have to be realistic and that trying to fit as much work in as possible for awhile is a good idea. I'm sure I have said it before, but one of my number one reminders is being realistic. Everything costs more than you think it will, sometimes its harder than you thought it would be, and sometimes its just not fun. So my plans are stay home, horde cash, and then go on some crazy australian adventures.

Before you Study Abroad

This week I met someone who had tried study abroad and came back early. This led me to consider what do I have, that other people don't, that allows me to leave my family and friends for extended periods of time? It isn't often that I get homesick, usually only major holidays or when I am sick (everyone needs their mommy when they're sick). I still don't know what it is, but I just want to warn anyone considering doing an exchange in the future, make sure you consider your goals and priorities before you sign up. Not only do you need to think about what you are leaving behind and if thats okay, but you need to also consider why you want to study abroad and is your destination right for you? Even though there are lots of countries I would love to visit, I don't necessarily want to spend and extended amount of time there. If you are planning on going to a third world country, you need to think about whether your destination is going to have indoor toilets or even plumbing. And more importantly can you live for 6 months or longer without it?

Mix and Match Week

This week I don't have one particular topic that I want to discuss. Although eventful, nothing has happened that would serve as a good piece of helpful information. So Im just going to throw some random stuff out at you:

1) I work at the Victoria Tavern and every Thursday Friday and Saturday we have an all you can eat Brazilian BBQ. It's $28 per person and I highly recommend it! I promise that my boss hasn't set me up to do a promo for her business, the best part about working there is the left overs. If you have read these student blogs before than you might be familiar with Billy, he also works with me. So for a relaxed night, eating Brazilian food, served to you by Americans call in and make a reservation.

2) Week 10 is coming up in a hurry and after putting together a little schedule for my assignments I have realised I have less time and more things to do than I thought! It is easy to get off track planning your summer activities or laying in the hammock ( I just recently bought one) but we all need to stay focused a little bit longer.

3) On the 25th of October the Uni's music course is having their annual Big Night In. I saw it last year and the student's do a great job. If my memory serves me correctly its under $10 to get in and it open to the general public.

Hopefully next week something inspiring will happen to me and I will be able to relate the story to you! I will do my best to find something!

Christmas Plans

This week my boyfriend's parents invited us to join them on a trip to Thailand over the Christmas/New Year holidays. I am way too excited for my own good. The message I wanted to share with my fellow international students was that if for whatever reason you can't go home for the holidays, go on vacation!

For me it's about 1300 dollars just for the flights to go home to New Mexico, but its only 400 to go to Bangkok. Plus I wont have to deal with massive time differences! In my excited state I have been doing a lot of research on Thailand and it seems very affordable in terms of travel, accommodation, food and shopping. (yay!) While I was looking at flights I noticed there are also very reasonable flights to Bali along with a few other places. Why go home when you can go somewhere you have never been before?

All of my traveling has been kept to North America, Europe, and Australia so I am looking forward to the opportunity of experiences in a very unique culture.

I hope everyone is either getting their final assignments in order or has their sights set on the end of this term. Only four more weeks so use your time wisely!

Summer Festivals

This week I have been booking my camping on Stradbroke Island for the Island Vibes Festival this year. I can not reccommend attending a music festival during your stay enough. Hands down, no questions asked, Island Vibes was one of the best weekends of my entire life. There are many festivals spread out all over the country, some of the most popular are :

Sound Wave
Big Day Out
Woodford
Meredith

However I know that Yepoon is having a cultural festival in September and lots of towns have similar ones. Island Vibes is the only one that I have attended so far. Its held over the last weekend in October on Stradbroke Island which is an absolutely beautiful spot. We camped right next to the beach and went swimming every morning and spent all night listening to amazing live bands. Most of the music is Reggae/Islander so it makes for a really calm atmosphere and the people that I met were very friendly, i dont recall seeing a single fight. Even if you cant make it to a music festival, John Butler Trio and Blue King Brown are playing in Rockhampton soon as well as Agnes and Julia Stone. Make a night of it and go have some fun!

Over that last few months, I have noticed that every day I find something new that I didn't used to do. I think that I am actually becoming more Australian. Now don't get me wrong, I will definitely not be indulging in a Vegemite sandwich any time soon but slowly the little things are starting to creep up on me.

When I went home to America for the holidays last year, my friends and family were really surprised that my American accent was still intact. I always felt it would be really fake for me to come back after only six months and have picked up an accent, because I am not Australian. However since I have come back here and started working in a restaurant, I have found it easier to just submit to the Australian pronunciations of most words like Basil, Cilantro (Coriander), Bell Peppers (Capsicum), etc. But with those changes more of the Australian language has been added into my vocabulary. Recently, "G'Day" slipped out in conversation without me even realizing it. And yesterday I said "aye". Never did I think I would end up integrating myself in that sense. Not that I am opposed to integration at all, I have accepted everything that Australia has offered me with open arms. However, even though both countries speak English, the language is still different and my language was something I could hold onto from home.