Week In Review

I knew it would come to an end at some point but I didn't realize it would happen this fast. My completely free, unscheduled first two weeks are officially ending tomorrow. I figure it is naturally time to review the past week since I haven't written. I also feel pressure to post on Instagram, and that will come soon, but I need to get a few more pics so please, I know it's hard, but hang tight. Deb came this week, and she was my museum buddy in Israel this summer so obviously we went to a museum together. We toured the Hyde Park Barracks, AKA the first settlement of British convicts when they were sent here to begin the colony of Australia. We had a really interesting discussion about the development of the US vs Australia. When you think about it, each one is like an alternate universe version of the other. However, immigrants to Australia were forced to come, while Americans chose to migrate there and leave England. It makes me think about the types of people and culture each country has now - the grit and determination of Americans vs relaxed Aussies? Someone run a linear regression to test that. (Can you tell I kinda miss school and political science data analysis?)

Tuesday I went back to the beach, and I learned about my below average rock-climbing skills after getting stuck on the Tamarama rocks. Later I went to trivia which was really cute and fun (did not win). Wednesday and Thursday I also went to the beach... But I swear different beaches and I am trying new things and going to new places. Just a lot of the new places are beaches. But I give myself a pass because my 9-5 class begins on Monday meaning no more beach for the whole week. The HORROR!!!! Anyway then Friday I went to Newtown which is a vintage shopping neighborhood. It was very grungy and felt exactly like Hampden in Baltimore, and I loved getting to see a different part of Sydney than the fancy Bondi areas. I'm starting to understand how massive this city is, which I had no idea about before. I'm almost a public transportation master. Almost. It's me and my wired ear buds against the world. Last night on a whim I bought Lumineers tickets. The concert was so much fun, but the best part was that the opener, The Head and The Heart, is the band that sings Rivers and Roads. I love that song and I had no idea they sang it, so it was an amazing surprise. 

Today reality set in and I worked from 10-4 on internship stuff. It had to be done. If anyone is wondering I have no internship and no connections so if anyone is reading this and wants to set me up with a foreign affairs related internship I would love that. I'm still trying to get used to living here and adjust my expectations for things. I really want to become more in touch with the Australian culture and learn more about local life here. It feels like I've been here forever but it really has only been two weeks. I think back to the first two weeks of college and I knew absolutely nothing, so I need to remember that there is still so much for me to learn and do. I am definitely starting to fall in love with this place, though.