Dope As

"_____ as" : the way kiwis and Aussies say AF


Updating this blog has been a struggle when you're given sunny days and shared wifi with five girls...

I never thought I would see writing or blogging as a burden. But it is. When I have a whole world out the front door, I lose all appetite for strategic, well planned blogging, Facebook over-sharing, Snapchat stalking, or even Facetiming my whole day away. My parents must be German sausage makers because I am the WURST.

Last week was spring break (yes we had a break during this study abroad, and yes we deserved it) and that is 100% the reason why I didn’t post anything. I was elbows deep in long car rides, conversations with locals, free jet ski rides, mud, waterfalls, blue water, rapids, drinking freshwater lakes, cliff jumping, hobbit homes, free cider, sketchy hostels, natural bouldering, local clubs, Trout craft beer, blue lakes, and skinning up those elbows on luge runs.

I was surrounded by everything that reminds me of the opposite of technology.

And good news! The world is not as scary of a place as I thought, and as a result, I have fallen in love with my one suitcase of clothes, budgeting cheap dinner meals, instant coffee, and making a big deal out of putting on mascara.

I am revived with life. But, not in the way I hoped I would be where I could be prompted with a challenging introspective question and have a surplus of thoughts to pool from. More of in the way that life is just being swallowed whole by every sensory nerve without being digested and I have no idea what is inside me except adventure. That is a good thing, right? I mean, even though I don’t know how it tastes, the hunger for more doesn’t subside. I want to keep going and going and going. But, it’s like a tangled knot inside me that I have no desire or energy to pick apart and inspect since taking such time might cause me to miss the next adventure to experience. Would you even call it experiencing? I have a fear my lack of understanding and introspection is sourced from a desensitization to adventure. Like,…. I am unimpressed with life right now since I have grown a tolerance to the continual excitement and thrill it has given me for four weeks. That is a terrifying thought. I am praying that the numbness is actually from sleep deprivation and my ever-growing caffeine addiction.

In order to cope with my lack of time and energy to reflect and write about my experiences, I have started verbally journaling with friends here who can help me digest my thoughts and feelings. I’m not so good at writing, but I am good at sharing my feelings and connecting with people. I guess I have no choice but to stay friends with them forever in order to preserve my thoughts

When I said we deserved the spring break, I meant it. I went from all-nighters talking to locals, to all -nighters writing a 6-page paper, reading 5 articles, and preparing for 2 modules in a 5 day window. Australia is known for its extremities, but I didn’t expect my teachers to apply it to the curriculum. Imagine floating down a river of peace, happiness, and pizza, then suddenly losing everything (but the pizza) and you’re suddenly crashing down rapids with no sense of warning or time to recover. That is my life right now. I literally eat pizza for every meal.

I was in Sydney, now have moved north to Noosa. Sydney was beautiful. Like, every-person-you-walk-by-looks-famous kind of beautiful. It’s the best and worst thing ever. Our hostel overlooked the Opera House. We went to a show the other day and my friends convinced me to sing, so I sang Caro Mio Ben in the Sydney freaking Opera House to an audience of maybe 8. It was a moment of pure elation, emotion, achievement, and triumph. I was not numb in that moment. I felt all kinds of things.

Now Noosa is crawling with beautiful tan, blonde, shirtless surfers. I think it may have something to do with a surfing competition going on? It could also be how they dress on a Wednesday.

After being in Sydney, a relatively touristic, international city, I didn’t quite feel far from my Cali home. Now, after hiking in arid coastline, looking at silk-blue water, and galloping down remote nude beaches and spotting Koalas, I have been transported. I AM DOWN UNDA

Let me break down where I have been the past two weeks

(for my short term memory and my mother’s sake)

Auckland

Hobbiton

Waitomo

Rotorua

Lake Taupo/Bulli Point

Sydney

Things are getting cheeky in Noosa!

(I already have a huge questionable spider bite on my leg)

Pray I survive the outback this week!