Taronga Zoo

On Saturday Charity and I ventured to Sydney's Taronga Zoo for the day. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the zoo!

The great thing about Taronga Zoo is the incredible views of Sydney. The zoo is located across the bay and along the coast, so everywhere you go you can see the city! It is also a large zoo- probably the biggest that I've been to. I saw a few animals for the first time- a tapir, a biturong, some birds, and a platypus!

When we first got there we went to see a bird show (note the view of the city in the background in the picture). There were a few very large birds that flew right over our heads! Near the end of the show there was a trick where a parrot flew to a woman in the crowd and took a $2 coin out of her hand. When the bird returned it, it was a ring and the woman's boyfriend proposed right there! I have never seen a proposal before so that was exciting. The girl was in shock, I thought for a second that she was going to say no... but she said yes! It was slightly weird because there were sooo many little kids around, but I guess it is a pretty original idea!

We lucked out with beautiful weather as well. It was nice to act like a kid, looking at the animals and taking pictures with all of the statues!

We also went to the seal show, which was my favorite part of the day. I felt like I was a little kid at Sea World all over again - the shows were always my favorite part. In some of the exhibits it was difficult to see the animals because of a glass perimeter, but we got to see almost all of the animals. I especially enjoyed the monkeys, giraffes, and meerkats. We saw almost every inch of the park and had a great time!

After the zoo Charity and I met up with our friend Nate and had dinner at a little Italian cafe in The Rocks. When we were done eating we walked back to Circular Quay and got milkshakes at Portobello Cafe which has great views of the bridge. At 8:30 the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House turned off its lights in support of Earth Hour. It wasn't as dark as I was expecting but it was still cool to see the bridge and opera house without all of their lights! They are always on, so seeing them dark is definitely a one-time experience. We just sat and relaxed and enjoyed the views, it was a wonderful Saturday!

Here are the pictures I posted from the zoo:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2062170&id=15508583&l=ebaeb424a9

On Sunday Charity, Nate, and I went to Coogee Beach. It just doesn't feel like the weekend is complete without a trip to the beach. The waves were really big and powerful, and a couple of people actually got hurt. But, it was nice to just relax on the beach on a nice sunny day!

This week I am working on papers that are due next week. I guess I can't complain since I've been here a month and a half and this is the first real work I have to do... Speaking of which, I am already 1/3 of the way done with my trip! I only have 3 months left. Time is starting to go by a lot quicker, and with the Outback and New Zealand coming up, it will be June before I know it!

This Friday I am going on a ghost tour of The Rocks- hopefully I will have some good stories to tell.

Love,
Becky

Adventures in Cooking

Since I enjoyed the cooking class during Orientation so much, I decided to join the newly formed Cooking Club. It includes 3 classes with chef Greg and 2 potluck dinners, all food included. This picture is from the cooking class during Orientation.

Thursday night was the first of the classes. Here's what we made:

1.Chicken Satay Quesadilla - the sauce was interesting- peanut butter, cream cheese, sweet chilli sauce, and a little bit of soy. Chef Greg called it 'cheap satay.' I tasted mostly peanut butter, but with the chicken it was new and interesting. So the quesadilla consisted of the sauce, chicken, and spinach, toasted on the stove. They were pretty good, though I'm not sure I would make it again!

2.Bow tie pasta with cream sauce - I really enjoyed this dish! It was just pasta but the sauce was a creamy red sauce with onions, garlic, green pepper, and bacon. We cooked out the garlic and onions to get the full flavor in the sauce. It was delicious!

3. Vegetarian Fried Rice - I love fried rice so it was a ton of fun making this dish. It had garlic, ginger, green beans, corn, shallots, onion, green peppers, and egg. I actually got to use the wok and flip the rice! It was hard at first because my arms are not very strong, but I got the hang of it!

So I had a ton of fun at the first cooking class. The next one is at the end of April, but we are trying to have a pot luck dinner before then. Its nice to get a good meal every once in a while :) Nate and I enjoy cooking together so I am looking forward to trying these recipes out with him when I get back!

Yesterday (Friday) Charity and I went to the Film Society and watched Castle in the Sky - a Japanese animated movie. It was, interesting. Not as bad as I was expecting though. Then we went to a little Italian cafe for dinner and got desert afterward! The thing I love about Newtown, the suburb I live in, is King Street. It is a busy street full of a ton of little shops and a huge amount of cafes. I have a list of all the restaurants I want to go to, and it seems to grow each time I walk down the street! Hopefully we will be able to get to all of them in the next 3 months.

Today I am going to Taronga Zoo. Also, today is Earth Hour in Sydney and the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House are turning dimming/turning off their lights - so it will be a sight to see. Then Sunday we are heading to the beach! I'll update in the next couple days with pictures!

Love,
Becky

Melbourne - Part Two

Okay, so on Saturday we got picked up at 7:15am to head off on the Great Ocean Road Tour. Great Ocean Road is a long coastal highway that stretches across the southern part of Victoria/Australia and has beautiful views of the coast. It is similar to Highway 1 in California.

So our first stop was Bells Beach. Is it Australia's most famous surfing beach. They were setting up for a surfing tournament so we could not go down to the beach, but we were able to see it from above. After Bells Beach we headed to the Split Point Light House. The light house was built in 1891 and still operates today! It was in the movie Mad Max as well.

From the light house we stopped at Memorial Arch, which is an arch over the road which acts as a memorial for all of the soldiers who came back from WWI and built the Great Ocean Road, as well as a memorial for the soldiers who did not return from war. There was a beach right there so we got to take some pictures and enjoy the scenery.

After the Memorial Arch we went to a town called Lorne. There we had morning tea and cookies in a park overlooking the beach. The weather was perfect and we sat and relaxed for a while. Our next stop was Kennett River, where we were able to observe wild koalas! A few were actually really low to the ground in some trees and we were able to get close-up pictures! We lucked out and even saw one that was awake. There are also a lot of parrots in the area, and I got to feed some with seeds in my hand. I was really scared at first because they just fly at you and land on your arm, but after a while I got used to it and it was fun.

Once we were done feeding the parrots and taking pictures of wild koalas we headed to Apollo Bay for lunch. From there we went up to the Otways mountain ranges and stopped at Mait's Rest. We took a 20 minute walk through the rain forest. It was fun- unfortunately there were not any animals out, but I got to see really huge trees with big roots and some fun plants.

Next came the highlight of the trip- the Twelve Apostles, which is a group of limestone rock formations off the coast. It is probably the most popular spot on the Great Ocean Road Tour, and there were a ton of tourists there. There are only 8 apostles left because a few have crumbled due to erosion. It is one thing to look at pictures of them, but to see them in person is truly breathtaking!

Our group had an optional helicopter ride over the coast, and so I decided to do it! I really wasn't scared at all - I guess being 10,000 miles away makes you more adventurous. The ride was much smoother than a plane and it was incredible to see the coast from 500 feet in the air! I was able to see a lot of rock formations that I wouldn't have otherwise been able to see. The helicopter ride was definitely the highlight of the trip! It was a little shorter than I was expecting, but I am really glad that I had the experience.

After the helicopter ride I went to Lock Ard Gorge- an area known for a famous ship wreck. There were only 2 survivors and they washed up right there on the beach, and the area was named after the ship that sank. The waves were really big and powerful- it is amazing that anyone could have survived! Our last stop was at London Bridge, another limestone rock formation. It used to be connected to land but in the 90s (i think) the land the connected the coast to the rock formation collapsed- while people were on the London Bridge side! The two people were stuck there for a few hours.. camera crews showed up and the couple was all over the news. Unfortunately for them they were having an affair and they got busted!

We stopped in a small town for a quick dinner and headed home. We had a very long day and were able to see so much. I was impressed with the coast around Sydney, but the coast along the Great Ocean Road is truly one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. And in time with erosion more of the Twelve Apostles might disappear, so I was glad to have seen them when I did! It was a great experience and well worth the money.

Sunday was a much shorter day. Charity and I went to Eureka Tower - It is roughly 930 ft tall and has the tallest observation deck in the Southern Hemisphere. We got free passes to do the "edge experience" which is a glass cube that moves about 10 ft out from the building. It was cool to be 930 ft in the air in a glass cube. I lied down face first, which was a little scary, but an awesome look down!

As you can see, we did a lot in the mere two and a half days that we were in Melbourne. The city was pretty cool, but the Great Ocean Road tour was incredible. We were extremely lucky and had beautiful weather the entire trip. It was definitely a nice way to enjoy the weekend :)

Here is my second facebook album:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2061796&id=15508583&l=da7104f7ad

In non-trip related news I decided to join the cooking club. There will be 3 more cooking classes throughout the semester, as well as a couple of pot-luck dinners. The next class is this Thursday so I will let you know how that goes.

I leave for the Outback in less than 3 weeks! I can only imagine what an adventure that will be.

Love,
Becky

Melbourne - Part One

This past weekend I went to Melbourne, Australia's second largest city, located in Victoria. Charity and I did SO much in the two and a half days we were there, that I have decided to write two blog posts so that I can cover everything!

So, on Wednesday night I received a voicemail from JetStar (the airline we were flying) that just said to call them back as soon as possible. I tried to call them back for 2 and a half hours with no luck... Charity finally got ahold of someone at like 1am and found out that our 1:05pm flight on Friday was canceled. We had to move to the 7am flight... I guess it was nice in the end because we had a lot more time in Melbourne, but waking up at 4:45am was not fun!

Things went smoothly in the airport and plane ride- the security here is more relaxed, especially for a domestic flight. I didn't have to show a boarding pass or even my passport! We arrived at Avalon airport, only to find out that it was a VERY tiny airport (it is basically JetStar's own airport)... we actually walked out of the plane on steps, which I had never done before! From the airport we had to take a 50 minute bus ride into the city.

Much of Friday was spent exploring the city. We walked along the Yarra River and took pictures with some of the buildings along the river. The Crown hotel and casino is located on the Yarra River- it cost $1 billion to make and is the largest casino in Australia. I did not get the chance to go, which is probably for the best! :)

Our next stop was Federation Square. It is sort of like the center of town - very busy and full of people! I saw a lot of Federation Square including St. Paul's Cathedral, Flinders Street Station, and the Ian Potter Center (National Gallery of Victoria - free art museum). From there, we walked through the botanic gardens area- including the Alexandra Gardens, the Queen Victoria Gardens, and finally the Royal Botanic Gardens. Along the way we stopped at the Shrine of Remembrance - a huge World War I memorial. There was a balcony that overlooked the city with pretty views of the skyline.

The cool thing about Melbourne is their cafe culture. There are a ton of outdoor cafes- the catch is that they are all located in these tiny alleys off of the main roads! So on the surface the main roads look pretty typical- full of fast food restaurants and souvenir shops. But, once you start to find all of these hidden alleys you discover that there is a whole other part of the city! So we ate at a little cafe and had some pizza and people watched, it was fun! After lunch we grabbed some desert at another cafe, and walked through Chinatown. Chinatown was slightly disappointing because there were no fun shops, just restaurants- but, it was still nice to see.

After Chinatown we headed to our hostel- Nomads Industry. We stayed in a ten bed mixed sex room. It had 5 bunk beds and not much else. I was really anxious about it at first, but it turned out to be fine. It was pretty clean and we really didn't see or talk to our other roommates because we were barely in the actual room! We lucked out and had no problems.

We relaxed for a while, and then headed to Lygon St., Mebourne's Little Italy area. It was nice, basically a ton of cafes. There was a small park called Argyle Square, and a giant solar clock called the Piazza Italia. It was a nice area. We ate a big Italian meal in a little cafe outside, and the food was good! Since we were so full we deicded to check out the University of Melbourne's campus, where we wandered around for a while. It was a nice campus, but I like the University of Sydney better :) We went back to Little Italy for some gelato, because gelato is a must in Little Italy!

So that was just our first day! We got to see the majority of the city, and had a lot of fun exploring!

Here are pictures I posted from the first day (and a couple from day 2):
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2061795&id=15508583&l=4538682198

Enjoy!

Love,
Becky

Correction

After receiving a card in the mail today I noticed that I had put the wrong postal code for my address in an earlier blog post. Here is my correct address:

Sydney University Village
90 Carillon Ave
Newtown, NSW 2042
Australia

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! I am heading to Melbourne this weekend and will post next week about my trip.

Love,
Becky

This is how the weekend should be!

There is never a dull moment in Sydney, especially during the weekend.

Neither Charity nor I have class on Fridays, which is great. We decided this past Friday to head to Coogee Beach. Since it is the end of summer we figured that we should go as often as possible since the weather will start to change soon. Unfortunately it was cooler and cloudy on Friday, but we still went. The beach was dead! A total change from the last time I was there. It was so beautiful and peaceful though. We had lunch at a little cafe, and had 30 cent ice cream cones from McDonalds (the best discovery ever). Sadly it started to rain so we had to head back. Hopefully we'll go back once a week or so.

On Saturday IES had a 'field trip' to the Sydney Opera House. Our group was taken on a tour of the inside. It wasn't as ugly as I was expecting it to be, but its pretty cool. The outside is definitely nicer. After the tour I had dinner at a cute little cafe that overlooked the harbor bridge- it was beautiful! That night we went to see Floating, a contemporary English comedy. It was a ton of fun! There were only 2 actors and they did a lot of crowd participation/interaction, so it was unlike any show I've seen before. Australians are known for being late (its the laid back atmoshpere) and the actors thought that this was soo interesting. So, they told the audience to stand and applaud to each person who came in late. It happened like 3 or 4 times! How embarrassing for the late comers! The show was really fun though and it was a great first experience at the Opera House.

On Sunday, Sydney had a St. Patrick's Day Parade and I went with Charity and our friend Nate. It was not as entertaining as the Mardi Gras Parade, but it was still fun to watch. It was hot and sunny, which is usually not how the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Cleveland is! Afterward, we went to the Botanic Gardens for a picnic with some people that Charity and Nate know from choir. It was nice to relax and enjoy the weather. There are a ton of bats that live in the Botanic Gardens, and they are really huge and really scary!

After the picnic the three of us went to the Pylon Tower museum. It is located in the pylon that is at the south end of the Harbor Bridge. It has a small exhibit about the creation of the bridge, but there is an observation deck at the top. You get a great view of the skyline, the Opera House, the rest of Sydney, and the bridge. It was very beautiful and we had a ton of fun taking pictures.

When we were done we walked around an area of town called The Rocks. It is an older part of town and has a more European type of feel. There was a big market there but it had started to rain so many of the venders began to close their booths (plus it was after 5pm). The three of us got free chocolate covered strawberries and bananas on a stick! It was a great way to end a fabulous weekend.

Here are pictures from everything I did the last few days:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2061114&id=15508583&l=88b5797369

I am really looking forward to Melbourne next weekend, it should be a ton of fun!

Love,
Becky

One Month Reflection

I left home exactly one month ago today! Its hard to believe that I have been in Sydney for a month already. I thought I would share some of my feelings about the last month....

First, an experience like studying abroad is one that I could never fully explain in words. I anticipated this for so long, and had all of these visions about what I wanted to do and see and experience, etc. People from home supported me and were happy for me and even though I was sad to leave them I knew that I was about to embark on possibly the greatest experience of my lifetime.

When I got here a month ago, I experienced like 1,000 emotions in a 2-3 day time span. I was sick and jet lagged from the long flight, tired from walking around in the rain, overjoyed that I was finally here, in shock that I had actually made my dream come true, and quite confused about what was going on around me, among other feelings. Those first days were an interesting but wonderful mixture of fear and happiness.

In the last month I have been able to fully explore Sydney- from the top of Sydney Tower, to the Blue Mountains, to the Botanic Gardens, to the aquarium, to Manly beach, to China Town, to Bondi and Coogee beaches, to Circular Quay, to Darling Harbor, and to the top of the Harbor Bridge. And, I still haven't seen everything this city has to offer yet! Looking back, these experiences seemed to have happened in a whirlwind... I really was a super tourist for the first couple weeks I was here and my days were filled with non-stop action. The best part is that Sydney is everything I had hoped it would be- and even better for that matter! It is the most beautiful and charming city, and I truly love living here.

As anyone who studied abroad in the past knows, there comes a time when you no longer feel like a tourist. I can't say that I really feel like one anymore, because I am adjusted to living here. And to be honest, I feel a lot of pressure to make every day here the best day of my life. But that's not reality- not every single day is going to be the most amazing day. The truth is that the last month has had its fair share of ups and downs- there are days that I am in love with this city and there are other days where I really miss my family, my dad's cooking, my bed, my friends, nate, etc. I have been able to stay positive because of the support of everyone back home. And so rather than being consumed by home-sickness I have stayed strong knowing that I am only going to be here and do this once. I got an internship, I got involved with classes, and I joined some clubs and put myself out there and have met really nice people on campus. I feel that up to this point, this experience has been everything that I had hoped it would be.

The thing about studying abroad is that it really challenges everything you are. I was completely ripped from my comfort zone, and thrown into a completely different culture. Out of this experience I know that I am going to be a more independent and confident person. Sort of like, 'if you can survive in Sydney, you can survive anywhere' type of deal. My life has already been changed as a result of being here, and I know that the next 3 months hold a lot of fun, a lot of challenges, and a lot of great memories to be made.

Thank you for your continued support over the last month and for reading this blog. I have really enjoyed writing about my trip so far. I have some exciting trips planned in the next few weeks (Melbourne next weekend, Outback in 4 weeks) and I'm looking forward to sharing even more stories with you.

Love,
Becky

"You can dance, You can jive, Having the time of your life..."

Yesterday was Sydney's annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. It is a HUGE cultural event in Sydney... there were hundreds of thousands of people there. Mardi Gras involves many other events, such as a gay and lesbian film festival, but the parade is the 'jewel in the Mardi Gras crown.'

The parade was a ton of fun. I can't say I've ever seen a parade quite like that before. There were many activist groups, social clubs, the fire and police departments, and other groups that participated in the parade. There were a ton of fun costumes, and a lot of dancing!

Sydney is a very open and welcoming city, to all people. This is one of the many reasons why I love Sydney. I was amazed at how many children, older adults, really old adults, young people, gay, and straight people took part in the parade. It really was incredible to see such a celebration of diversity.

The City of Sydney has developed a Sustainable Sydney 2030 plan to ensure the future success of the city. On a Mardi Gras brochure I read about how the event is tied in with this plan:
"The City's Sustainable Sydney 2030 vison embraces a culturally diverse and vibrant city. Mardi Gras adds to our vision for a global city by cementing Sydeny's reputation as a positive, welcoming, and open society." That's my kinda society.

If you are interested, I posted some photos from the parade on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2060693&id=15508583&l=70299

Tomorrow starts the second week of lectures, and the first week of tutorials (smaller sized, discussion-based classes). I got bit by a mosquito 7 times in class last week, so I am hoping that does not happen this week! I've always been a target for mosquitos though... guess I have sweet blood!

I am going to see Watchmen this Tuesday with the Film Society. Being able to watch movies has helped me keep my sanity considering I have no TV, no radio, and limited internet use. Then, this coming weekend IES is having a 'field trip' to the Opera House - we are getting a tour of the inside and we will also get to see a contemporary theater performance.

I hear that the weather is getting warmer at home! I didn't expect this, but I miss the change of season. I kind of swtiched from winter to summer, without much time to adjust. The thought of a nice spring-like day after a long winter makes me smile :)

Love,
Becky

Time for classes

My classes are finally settled! Since I took the internship position, I had to drop a class. As it turns out, my Sociology of Health and Illness class was canceled, so I didn't really have a choice! It worked out though. Here is what I'm taking:

1. Ethnography of Southeast Asia - class about the cultures of southeast asia
2. Indigenous Australians and Modernity - class about Aboriginals and how they interact with the 'modern world'
3. Media in Contemporary Society - sociology class looking at media

This past week was the first week of lectures. They went well. Classes aren't like they are at home, but they should still be pretty interesting. I won't have too many assignments throughout the semester, so I'll be fine as far as all of my trips go. Also, since Case does not count these grades towards my GPA, I don't have to worry too much about getting a good grade!

I have been keeping busy with stuff like the film society, the international buddy club, and the movers and shakers club. They all had their first meetings this week, so it has been fun getting around campus and meeting people. Yesterday I went downtown and played trivia, and met people from all over the world, which is always fun! Its not every day in the US that you meet people from Denmark, France, Germany, or Austria!

This weekend is the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade. It is a HUGE event in Sydney- hundreds of thousands of people go out to watch the parade. It should be a good time - I'll make sure to post pictures and any fun stories :)

Here is a link to my most recent facebook album, with pictures from around campus, and from the Bondi-Coogee walk:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2060531&id=15508583&l=10a76

Also, thank you to all of you who have been sending me e-mails, it is much appreciated. Keep them coming! :)

Love,
Becky

A Surprise Opportunity

Some of you may or may not know this, but I have never been one to have 'good luck.' I would confidently say that I have had much more bad luck than good luck. My dad likes to call it "the DiOrio curse." It may seem silly, but I have convinced many people that it is indeed true.

But... a nice little opportunity presented itself to me last week. This is the first semester that the University of Sydney is offering internships. You do about 120 hours of work, write a few journal entries, and a 2,500 word paper at the end of the semester, and receive 6 credit hours (4 at home). So it is just like a regular class, only its work. I was interested in this at first, but the application said not to apply if your home college won't accept the credit. Since Case does not accept credit for internships, I did not apply.

Last week the internship coordinator e-mailed me and told me that were there some spots open and that I should send her my resume if I was interested. I figured, what the heck? and sent it to her. Turns out, there was an internship with the School of Public Health... how perfect!

I met with Dr. Tim Driscoll this morning to officially set up the internship. I am going to be a research assistant and help him work on his current project- The Global Burden of Disease Study. This is a HUGE project- Harvard, Johns Hopkins, WHO, and The University of Queensland are all a part of it. Dr. Driscoll is working specifically on occupational exposures to disease and the risk factors associated with them. A large part of my job will be literature review, but we will see how it pans out as time goes on.

I am beyond excited for this opportunity. It just fell into my lap, and it is going to give me the experience I need to help me get into grad school. Any doubts I had about studying abroad and missing out on work experience are now gone, because this is an amazing opportunity.

This also means that I am going to drop a class since 5 classes is too heavy of a workload here. Once I figure out which one it will be I will post about my classes and professors. Even though Case won't accept the credit for the internship, I'll still receive 12 credits for the semester- which is enough to make me a full time student, so there shouldn't be any problems on that end, hopefully!

Maybe the DiOrio curse isn't applicable in Australia :)

Love,
Becky

A Beautiful Coast

I have already been in Sydney for more than 2 weeks! Time is starting to go by a lot faster now that I am settled and know my way around.

On Thursday Charity and I went to the activities fair, where all of the clubs and societies set up booths for people to join. I joined the film society. Unlike the film society at Case, this one does not have sci-fi marathons, but rather plays a movie each week from somewhere around the world. The movies they have lined up look good, and it will be a good way for me to make some Australian friends. I also joined the Movers & Shakers club- a.k.a the cocktail club. Every 2 weeks they have a $2 cocktail night at the campus bar, and they are going to have a couple classes on how to make cocktails, which should be fun!

On Friday we decided to walk around campus and find all of our classes, since class starts Monday! Most of mine are concentrated in a general area, which is nice. The campus is gorgeous!!! Especially the main quad. Its a bit older so inside isn't as nice as some of the other buildings, but the outside is gorgeous. There is a graffiti tunnel on campus too, which is fun to walk through and take pictures of. I also like how you can see the city skyline from campus :)
My class schedule isn't 100% set yet, so I will post about that next week once I am sure of everything.

Yesterday was another wonderful day. The Village RA's coordinated a Bondi Beach trip. It takes a while to get to Bondi from where I live, but it is worth it because Bondi is beautiful! It is probably Sydney's most famous and popular beach. There was actually a shark attack (first one since the 50's) there just before I got to Sydney, but don't worry I didn't swim :) Charity and I laid out for a while - it was another beautiful and sunny day.

As part of the trip, a group of us did the Bondi-Coogee coastal walk. There is a pathway along the coast that connects all of the beaches. It was SO pretty! The water looked beautiful and it was a really nice day, so my pictures turned out great. One part of the trip is through a really pretty cemetery- right on the coast! It took a while for us to get to Coogee beach because we kept stopping to take pictures, but it was worth the effort. Once we got to Coogee it had finally cooled down a little, so we laid on the beach for a while and just relaxed.

Tonight Charity and I are going on a cruise on the Harbor. It should be tons of fun, and beautiful! I use the word beautiful a lot because there is no better way to describe this place.

Monday starts class! I am excited to see what classes will be like here. Also- I am getting an internship! I learn more about it Monday so I will update you once I get more details :)

Love,
Becky