the way there: 5 hour flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles. just enough time for a quick Miley Cyrus LAX moment. 16 hour flight from LA to Sydney. struggled to push my two 40-pound suitcases through the airport (multiple dads assisted me, I think they thought I was 12). waited four hours in the Sydney airport for my driver to arrive. about an hour in the shuttle. arrived.

the first fews days were a blur. i fell asleep with the lights on. i didn’t have any wifi to contact anyone. my roommate showed me how to get to the shopping center. i had my first real experience with public transportation and the verdict is not yet out whether i love or hate it. the first few days were an experience to say the least. it was overwhelming. it was a bit lonely. it was a bit taxing.

but then, something magical happened. i ran into a huge group of friends. it was a group of some fellow americans, swedes, london-dwellers, aussies, the list goes on. and let me tell you. they are freaking awesome. we’ve done everything together – gone to the beach, battled each other in laser tag, roasted our butts off at the pool in the 106 degree heat, shopped for groceries, watched scary movies, done laundry. its honestly crazy how a group of friends can make the loneliest of situations feel so full. its also crazy how quickly friendships form when you are in a new place, completely on your own.

so my first week has been full of pool days, barely eating because the heat melts my appetite, drinking pink wine, 6 km beach walks (still surprised I survived that one), exploring the city, making new friends, planes/trains/busses, laser tag, missing my family and friends at home, wishing they were here to experience this all with me, and just living at the complete whim of the adventure.

that was the first seven days. the next will include horse races, and starting “uni,” as they say. and hopefully finding a church that does Mass in english that isn’t two hours, two busses, and a train away. oh, the adventure.