Classes are going well. I'm staying ahead of all my work and I've received perfect scores on the few assignments that have been graded thus far. Yay! Today was kind of an interesting day in the educational sense. During my first lecture, the electricity went out so we were released an hour early and then during my second lecture the teacher actually threw up! So... that one was cut short as well! The professors keep on schedule so we'll be expected to catch up on our own time. I'm not sure if today was a win or a loss? haha.
Temperatures this week are projected to be in the 90's! Today I was a sweaty, hot mess by the time I got to class. Not my favorite look but I suppose I, and the unlucky individuals around me, will just have to deal with it:).
Not too much has happened in the last week! Friday was a surfing day again and I am steadily getting better! I stood multiple times and felt a bit more confident on the board! The instructor and I had a really nice conversation about special education and kids with special needs. He has a son with Autism and also teaches a weekly surfing class of kids with special needs. He was very adamant about the fact that children with special needs need to be given opportunities same as "normal" kids. We shouldn't be scared that they'll fail to the point where we deny them a chance. With his surfing class, my instructor said that each person is different and that kids with special needs can pick up surfing just as fast as others. If given the right attention and encouragement, anyone can flourish! I love being able to relate my passion with my every day experiences both here and back in South Dakota. I'm very excited about the path I'm on!
In other news, on Saturday a group of us went on a hike up Mt. Archer. This is the mountain that I see out my window every single day and for some strange reason I thought it would be a fantastic idea to climb the thing. I was WRONG. That hike was a killer! I like to believe that I am an active individual but this was honestly one of the hardest workouts I've ever done! The trail was 14 kilometers long (which is about 9 miles) of intense steep upgrade. The path itself was rated difficult by the Australian Department of State Parks and to sum up the terrain: it was recommended that everyone climbing this trail bring a first-aid kit. It was also recommended that the trail is hiked from top to bottom because of the difficulty but... us being international didn't know that so we hiked it from bottom to top. If I ever do it again, I'll be sure to do it the right way! It took us about four hours to complete the trail. The path at times wasn't even a path. Sometimes the path would only be about a foot in width with a drop on one side. Other times, we were bushwalking with grasses and other plants well over six feet tall. We also had to pass a certain creek about seven times throughout our hike haha. I'm complaining quite a bit but it really was a beautiful hike. The sights were stunning and pictures really can't capture it at all. We all felt pretty accomplished by the end of it!
*The creek we had to cross over multiple times throughout!
*About two hours in and refilling our bottles
*Posed hiking picture
*Beginning of the hike- at the bottom
*End of the hike- at the summit
*Group photo at the top!
On Tuesday night last week we had a house formal dinner. I was pretty excited to get all dressed up for the first time here. One, there was an open bar and two- it was a great excuse to break out the heels! Our supper consisted of salad, mixed vegetables, pumpkin soup, steak with shrimp, mashed potatoes, and either an apple pastry or cheesecake for dessert. Since I have been living on tuna, fruit, and cheese for the past couple weeks, it was a great change of pace!
*All the students in my house- mostly international!
*My table- consisted of students from the U.S., France, Germany, Japan, Canada, and Australia
So I think that'll be the end of this post! Sorry for the length this time. I usually think that a post once a week will be sufficient but then I forget how much I like to talk. :/ Hope all is well back home! I'm receiving emails from Mom pretty consistently so I don't miss out on everything!
See ya later alligator,
Tina
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