Things I will miss

I'm leaving in two weeks. I've wanted to go home most of my time here, but now it's real... and it makes me feel kind of bizarre. I am buckled down trying to write all of my big essays before their very soon due dates, trying to work out details about seeing Tyler again (YAY!!!) and now I'm struggling to soak in as much of the things I've come to love before I leave them (forever? maybe not...) So, here's a list of my favorite things. Aussie, it's been real.

1. Gum trees, aka stringybark, eucalyptus, red gums, etc. They are gorgeous to me, I love all the variations of bark and how HUGE they are. I think they're so quintessential in describing the Australian landscape, too.

2. The birds. Cockatoos, parakeets, gallahs, kookaburras, magpies. They are all very, very obnoxious and scrappy, but these are some of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. See my post regarding the similarities between Australian people and Australian birds.

3. Buskers. In every busy intersection, every week at the farmer's market. There are some really talented street musicians here, and they are all allowed to play in front of shops 'cause they're so good! There are Aboriginal folk singers, little boys playing their violins like virtuosos, and amazing James Blunt impersonators.

4. Public transport. I LOVE riding the tram, the train, the bus, the V-Line. Kansas City is sorely lacking in this field and Melbourne has it mastered. It's so fun for me to find a timetable, catch a train somewhere exciting, and just watch people.

5. Chelsea. My beautiful friend from Wisconsin. She's been my conspirator for many a crazy adventure and introduced me to a lot of cool things. She loves cheese as much as me, too. It was really nice to have one (I really tried to avoid too many) American friend to relate to while here. Plus, she has a steady guy back home, which made me feel way better about not being with Tyler!

6. Bec. My Aussie friend. She took me to her hometown, helped me with my Aussie slang, and quietly giggled with me when all the other new students were going crazy partying. It's really amazing to know I have a good friend in AUSTRALIA! I hope I can keep in touch with her.

7. Footy! The entirely Australian sport, one which I can actually understand! It is a huge cultural thing here and the spirit of the game is a beautiful thing to witness. I 'go' for the Essendon Bombers (you don't EVER 'root' for a team.... it means something different here!). I'll wear my Bombers scarf whenever I'm missing it.

This list is not over... but I need to study! More later on "Things I will miss.... Part 2!"
Over and out.