Realizations

So while I've been living the lazy life in Australia I have found that my life was not how I once saw it. I've come to realize the people who mean the most to me and the people who I thought were close to me were only there as long as I was. I found that my true friends stayed in contact with me throughout my adventure and wanted to know about what was happening. Going on this trip helped solidify friendships and reinforce the strong bonds I already had at home. I realized that my family means a lot to me and that they are the best party of me, they kept me strong when I am not.

This trip I found that people are the same all over the world. They can be generous, self-less, fun and engaging. I also found that people can be elitist, self-serving and oblivious. I was shocked to learn that some Australian's are so very similar to the "ugly American" that they too can be ridiculous about their homeland and a little elitist. However, there are others that are so sweet and generous about sharing their home with me and the knowledge that have learned about Australia. My trips across Australia have given me an insight to my life and made me re-evaluate what is important to me. I really do just want to be happy and enjoy my life. I am going to reach for things that I never thought were possible, because the worst thing that could happen is that I would fail.

Australia meant freedom to me when I left, now it means knowledge about my self. Australia has been a life altering event and I thank everyone for their support and love. What I'm looking forward to when I get home is:

My parents and my good friends!

A great Mexican dinner

Driving again, though I'm going to be a bit confused which side to drive on.

Walmart and how cheap it is.

Taco Bell...yum

Going out with friends

Bed, Bath & Beyond and my friends there.

My animals, especially Nikki my over protective and entirely lovable Rottweiler.

MSU and how amazingly smooth they function.

And of course the USA, I have seen flaws but I love it all the same

Next I'll be off to New Zealand! Look for an exciting up date there!

Royal Randwick Horse Races!

And after classes were over on Friday I was off to the horse races with everyone! About a couple of days before the races they went to half price which made them only 12 bucks so almost everyone went. Every one got dressed up and ate breakfast then we were off to catch a ferry to Sydney. From there we caught a bus to the Randwick stadium where the horse races are held. The stadium is gorgeous and very vibrant. So were the people every one was dressed up and all the women had hair pieces or hats on. It was quite a spectacle.

The races go on all day long and we got there shortly after the third race. After each race everyone goes and sits back down so for the fourth race we were in the front row at about 25 meters out from the finish line which is a very exciting place to be.

During the 4th race I was standing next to a woman who knew one of the jockeys. She yelled his name and got his attention after the race (which he won) she made $200 off of the one race. It turned out she went to school with him. It was interesting to meet someone who knew a jockey.

We watched a couple of races and by the 5th everyone was about to try their luck at betting. I bet ten dollars with 4 other girls and we went in on one horse to place. It was really exciting to yell for a horse you really hoped to win. Unfortunately, our horse cam in 4th instead of 3rd so we lost our money but it was a great time. For the 7th race multiple people were going in on horses and I decided to bet by myself and I put 5 dollars on two different horses. Neither of them placed or won, but one came in 4th again. So I called it quits with the betting and watched the 8th race which was a sprint and really fun to watch.

After the 8th race most of us left and got a bus back to the wharf . Ashley, Alex and I decided to take picture with the Sydney Harbour Bridge and The Sydney Opera House the pictures were amazing and I am so thankful that Ashley talked me in to taking them as I was all dressed up and they look amazing. Then we grabbed some Hungry Jacks aka (Burger King) and caught a ferry back to Manly. The rest of my night was quiet and I enjoyed the rest of my weekend before the chaos of finals started.

Week 11 of Classes = suck

So the last week of classes all of the work I have done for my Journal Article had to be done. It was a 3,000 word document in the body alone. In all the document ended up being 15 pages long and I finished the final touches the last day. It was on Human Resources and the Employee voice. It basically looked at typical human resources practices and examined how they could be changed for the better to incorporate employees in decisions made in companies and its benefits. Now I just have to wait and hope that I get a good grade on it!

The teacher that I had for English was a wonderful teacher. Her name was Valarie McMorran and she was a very inspiring teacher. She reminded me of teachers from home and it was a joy to go to her class every week. Another teacher I absolutely loved was John Powers my facilities management teacher, he was very through and I learned a lot from his class. If I could bring this teacher back to the states with me I would! Now I have to focus on his final in a couple of days.