Magnetic Island

I will never forget the weekend I just had.
On Friday Siril, Gigi, Hugo, Stefano, Marina and I went to Magnetic Island for the Full Moon Party! Magnetic Island is gorgeous with beautiful banyan and palm trees. The first thing we did when we got to the beach was go for a swim in the twilight. The water was so warm! I'm never going to be able to stand California beaches again!

   
As night fell, we partied on the beach -- cracking jokes and goofing around. Alex and Tara joined us later after successfully passing their dive exams! Gigi had us all on our toes, because if ever anyone burps, the whole group has to put our thumbs on our foreheads and shout "Catalonia!" or else be smacked on the head. Once it got to be ten o'clock we trekked to the Full Moon party at x-base.
It was a sweet outdoor venue complete with firedancers and a DJ stage. This month's theme was colour, so you'd go to these buckets filled with powder pigments and throw it on all your friends. Everyone looked really goofy. Poor Gigi banged her foot and nearly ripped her toenail off and the guy with the first aid kit didn't do a great job wrapping it up.


Around midnight, we got tired of the blaring dubstep and headed back down the beach to where we began our evening. We all put on some extra clothes and bundled down for the night. IT WAS SO FRIGGEN COLD! It must have been about 40F (4C) and the humidity made everything damp. I only slept for about two hours and then I gave up. Marina and I both got up at around the same time, then Marina had the brilliant idea to use the public BBQs on the beach to warm up. We roasted over the BBQ for a few hours and even cooked a banana! The stars was what made it worth it. I could see Orion climbing over the sea. I can hardly describe how bright they were and the clearness of the Milky Way. Gigi joined us for the last hour before sunrise. The sky started to become lighter at around 5:15am, so we went back down to the beach and woke everyone up. For 45 minutes or so we huddled together waiting for the sun to rise.
 
As soon has the sun crested over the horizon, we fell asleep. It was so warm that I felt like someone came and put a blanket over me. Hugo got up before everyone else to go explore the island. Later, Stefano, Gigi, Siril, Marina and I rallied for a morning swim and a breakfast of muffins and crackers. Gigi went off to fix her toe and the rest of us went to explore. We found ourselves at Alma Bay, which is perhaps the most beautiful little beach I've ever seen.

Marina and I toured the boulders lining the cove for while. You could tell Marina loved jumping around the boulders and she told me all about the crabs and calms we saw.
And then I went for the best swim. The water was so calm and I just loved diving in and out of the rolling waves. I was so content and happy to just be swimming in the warm water. That was just one of those few moments when I felt so at peace.

I'm not sure if I've ever had this much fun in my life. Honestly, I think that's what I'm came here for. I just want to have fun. The last few years have been life changing and maybe I just needed a break. Australia isn't as challenging as India or even Europe would have been, but I don't think fun is a bad reason to go abroad at all -- as long as I do well in school. I wouldn't be doing this well, if I hadn't had learned so much over the last few years. I feel like coming out here has been like cashing in all those life lessons. I haven't felt this satisfied and happy with life in a long time. I feel so unencumbered. I'm happy!

First Week Sum Up

You will notice as you read that I'm very ambiguous about naming some people in my blog. That is because I haven't gotten their permission to mention them by name yet.

Saturday 20/07

That night me, Siril, and Gigi and one of Siril's roommates met up with a friend to have a nightcap on the beach (aka The Strand). It was this beautiful moment where we all soaked in the fact that we are in Australia! Upon leaving the beach, we decided to check out what was going on in town. We ended up at an Irish bar called Flynn's where the live music was so good that were dancing until 3 am!


Sunday 21/07

Somehow, Siril, Gigi and I got up at 8 am the next day to go to the farmer's market. The fruits and vegetables were so fresh and so cheap! I'm 95% sure this is going to be a ritual for us (unless I'm out climbing of course). We met up with our friend Hugo who showed us the stunning free pool located next to Ross River. Next we went over to Hugo's house for lunch. We ate a fresh tomato salad with homemade bread. We met his roommates who are two really nice girls. After lunch, we played volleyball with our net being a hose draped from a clothes hanger and wrapped around a palm tree.    
 Free pool!                                                                                          The De-feet team!

Monday 22/07
Bike day. That morning we went to the K-mart at Stockland to buy some bikes. To our surprise, they weren't already assembled. We had two options: waiting three days for the K-Mart employees to do it or assemble them ourselves. Well, we decided it would be faster if we did it ourselves. So we bought the bikes and necessary equipment, loaded it all up in a shopping cart and pushed it all the way to Hugo's house, which is about a kilometer away.
The directions said it would take 20 minutes to assemble the bikes. It took us a few hours. The hardest part was getting the brake pads the right distance from the wheel. Somehow we got them in barley good enough shape so we can ride them home -- although my fingers could reach the brake lever.


Tuesday, 23/07
Luckily, there's a free bike shop on campus, so we where able to get them tuned up and working properly. That day was orientation, so I got to see a bit of what my classes are going to be like. And they all explore story and technology! Which is exactly what I came here to study.
That night we went to a club called The Bank and danced to pretty crappy music, but it was fun because I was with great friends.

Wednesday 24/07
This was the day of the O-mazing race! Which is a event that the student association puts on for orientation. We got into groups of 5 and traveled around Townsville on a massive scavenger hunt! I got to know the malls a little better -- like where to buy pajamas and where to get the best muffins. Tons of fun! Later Siril, Gigi and I watched Savages which was pretty good!

Thursday 24/07
I spent the morning booking the flights for my surf camp trip! And then I went to The Rock Pool with Gigi, Siril, Hugo, Alex, Marina, Tara and Stefano. This is the crew that's my family. The Rock Pool is on one end of the Strand and it's a pool filled with sea water. Personally, I like the lagoon better. We chatted in the sun and I started my reading for school. After that, we went to the Brewery and I discovered my favorite beer: Ned's Red which is a delicious red ale. Later, Gigi and I went to a party hosted by some American students who are getting their masters degrees in marine bio. It was fun. I meet a guy from San Jose, so it was nice to talk about home for a bit.


Friday 25/07
That's the day I wrote down everything you read above in my journal, so I don't really remember the rest of that day. I was sitting with Siril on the beach -- working on my tan. :) We meet up with the family and I remember it was really windy. We went to Flinder's to get some coffee, but the shop was closed, so we went to the Brewery -- of course. I got a hard cider or am I getting confused with the day before? Anyway -- it was an amazing week! Oh and we took this scary picture.

Black Magic

I finally got to go climbing yesterday! We went to Mt. Stuart which is about half an hour away from campus. I was feeling pretty confident starting out. Most of the people we were climbing with had little to no experience. I had all my own gear, I could talk the talk, but could I walk the walk?

Not really. The climbing was rough. The rock was really solid, but the handholds were crimpy and the footholds required an acute sense of balance. There isn't a guide book for that site, so I'm not sure what they were rated. The club leaders were really nice and very helpful in getting everyone up and going.

I tried my hand at a difficult climb called Black Magic. In my defense, I was trying to stick a dyno while the rope was stuck over a bulge in the rock. It wasn't until I was giving it my last shot that the rope had found its way into the right corner and by then I was out of energy. You have to start somewhere I suppose.

I was crouching on that ledge trying to jump up to that crack in the corner.
(Photo by James Ragan)

The president of the climb was nice enough to take me, another study abroad student, and another club member to the lookout point over Mt. Stuart. We watched the sunset over Townsville. The perfect end to my first day climbing!

(Photo by James Ragan)

Happy as a Clam!

Written 16/07/13

Yesterday, I immersed myself in one of the world's seven natural wonders: The Great Barrier Reef! We sailed out on a boat called the Passions of Paradise. It was really choppy that day and I'll admit that I got pretty nauseous along with most of the other students in my group, but once I jumped into that 70 F water (21 C), I felt amazing! It was so much fun to levitate up and down with the rolling ocean. As you can imagine, I saw the most incredible fish! There was one the size of a door mat that I called a Barney Fish because it had the same purple and green colours as the dinosaur. I saw a butterfly fish that I could almost reach out and touch! And, of course, I found Nemo!

(Photo by Chelsi Kuebler)

Our next stop was a reef surrounding a sand bar that was a protected area for birds and sea turtles. There was a roped off area for snorkellers and divers. I have to admit that I wasn't feeling very well by the time we got to the second stop. I still felt a little crummy from being seasick, the wind had picked up and I was freezing. I wasn't sure if I wanted to snorkel much. I had to rally myself and say: "gosh darn it, I'm on the friggen Great Barrier Reef and I'm going to stay out there as long as I possibly can!" And man, did I see some amazing things!

There was a beautiful green sea turtle foraging in the sand and a manta ray gliding over the reef.



My favourite part was the giant clams! I saw one that my own father could fit in to. They reminded me of castles with a textured, stone grey shell. The inside seemed to be lined with purple velvet with emerald specks. The calm's mouth was like a velvet tower with opaque lips.

    

I even made it out to the bird sanctuary! It smelled awful, but it was so cool to see the birds hoovering overhead. I took my sweet time swimming back to the boat. I followed the canyons of reefs and stocked a few more funky fish. It wasn't until I saw a shipmate gesturing for us to come back to shore that I came in. I'll never forget that day! And I had better not, because the crew told us that the reef loses more colour every year. So watch what you're putting down the storm pipes!  

Crash Course: Australia

After about 24 hours of travelling, I landed in Cairns, Australia with the approximately fifty other students who used GlobaLinks Learning Abroad to set up our cultural exchange. We started off our orientation the next day with a crash course in Australia -- covering important historical events like when James Cook discovered Australia (1779), the Prime Minister's apology to the lost generation, the recent controversy over the change in prime minsters and that time Australia beat America in the World Cup.

Then we skipped off to the RainForeStation to get all the tourist stuff out of the way in one day! We took a tour through the rain forest in a duck boat. I saw a vine with nasty hooks jokingly called a waitawhile, because if you get caught in it, you'd have to wait a while for someone to release you, unless you want your skin ripped off. There was another plant that was like stinging nettle, except the nettles sting your nerve endings and the pain will reside for months!

After that, I got to hold a koala! It was like holding a fat, fuzzy baby. It was so cute and from the moment it was put into my arms, I couldn't stop smiling. We saw an aborigines dance and I learned how to throw a boomerang! You hold it straight out at one end with the curve facing outward and then you turn it one degree to the right. You throw your arm back like a baseball pitch and throw forward with a flick of the wrist on the release. I got it to curve around a bit! I might have to consider getting one as a souvenir before going home. 

The best part of the day was the wildlife exhibit. The zoos in Australia are awesome, because you can pet all the tame animals. I held a python! I used to think people who thought snakes are cute were crazy, but I sort of get where they're coming from. I pet some kangaroos and feed a wallaby! The wallabys were really sweet, because they perch their front paws on your hand as they eat from your palm. If you spent enough time with one, they could actually because really comfortable and lie down next to you! 

I also got to see (not touch) this massive crocodile called Jack the Ripper. He had eaten twelve of is girlfriends and it showed. When it snapped it's jaw, it made a sound like a gun shot!

I think that was the best first day in Australia I could ask for!         

Out on the Road

I'm really lucky that my dad isn't a weepy kind of guy.

We were standing at the entrance to the security line at the Oakland Airport and I was just staring at him like a lost lamb. My only thought was five months, five months, I'm not going to see my family for five months. 

I couldn't even allow myself to be scared when saying goodbye to my mom or else I might have sat down on the couch and refused to go. I just said a goodbye like another other -- as if I was just leaving for the store or a friend's house -- with a simple hug and kiss on her forehead.

All week I've been fighting the fear that I'm in way over my head -- that this trip was way too much for me to handle and that I had been spending more time day dreaming than actually planning. When I addressed my fears to my mom, she said:
"Do you know up from down?"
"Yes," I replied.
"Do you know right from wrong?"
"For the most part."
"Are you stupid?"
"No."
"Do you know where your mom is?"
"Yes."
"You'll be fine."

It was hard for me to remember that while standing petrified in front of my dad. Then he gave me his "be brave hug." He gave me a big hug and a squeeze to let me know he loves me and then quickly releases me with a pat on the back to let me know that I'm on my own. He reminded me that this is what I wanted, to expand my horizons.

One thought got me on the plane that day: you can't grow as a person while being in your comfort zone.

I sprint on tip-toe to the chain link fence on the ocean cliff. I throw my arms on the top bar and balance there, letting the mist expand in my lungs. The shore is burgeoning on high tide. It bulges over the waves and washes ashore, creeping to the base of the cliffs. Towards the horizon, the sea is lapping and rippling and occasionally reflecting the pink clouds. I lower my feet onto the grass and fall back to sit on the lawn.

I ponder into the dimming horizon, trying to feel the continent of Australia from across the Pacific. When people ask me why I chose Australia for a semester abroad, I normally joke and say: great rock climbing and hot men! As much as I do enjoy both those things, there’s a lot more to it than that. I turned twenty last February and everything is changing. I’m living away from my parents, I’m fresh out of an almost four year relationship, and I’m beginning to figure out my path as a writer. It’s like I’m molten lava, flowing and solidifying over the crust. I’m expanding, rippling, simmering into something new. Australia is my way of continuing the lava flow. It’s an adventure and a way of showing myself that the world is bigger than I ever thought.

The biggest draw to Australia was the University I chose to study at: James Cook University. Its programs, clubs, and exotic location in a tropical rainforest fit all my requirements for a semester abroad. One of the biggest draws is the JCU rock climbing club. It’s the perfect chance to make friends, learn more about climbing, and improve my skill and knowledge.

JCU’s other pull is the New Media classes. I love story. I love it as a craft, as a tool for humanity (The Storytelling Animal by John Gottschall) and as my defining strength. I could have gone to England to visit Shakespeare’s house in Stanford or walked in Charles Dickens’ footsteps, but I like to be ahead of the game. The art of storytelling is changing dramatically (The Art of Immersion by Frank Rose). Taking classes like Arts in Perspective fit perfectly into my interest in narrative. Gottschall said that, “The technology of story has evolved from oral tales, to clay tablets, to hand lettered manuscripts, to printed books, to movies, to televisions,[to blogs!]  to kindles and iPhones… but it doesn’t fundamentally change story. Fiction is as it was and ever will be: Character + predicament + attempted extraction”(187). This blog is my own test in new media narratives, yet the story structure still holds true. There’s me, the character, who’s at the entrance to my twenties, and the most dynamic years for my identity. The predicament(s): All that will arise from my first foray into international travel, experiencing a slightly different culture, and being far from home. Attempted Extraction: you’ll have to read to find out!

The motel’s path lights flicker on and I see tendrils of fog unfurling in the yellow. I knew that I had to come back to Pismo Beach before going to Australia. Since I was eight, this beach has been at my core. When I come here, I can’t stop smiling, I run around like a six year old, twirling and spinning, and I allow my hair to be infected with sea salt and chlorine. Coming here wipes away all the gunk of my past and primes me for the next adventure.