The Gabtrotter

us at the Panethon, Rome

The one-month whirlwind with Sarah has come to a conclusion; although my own journey continues.   It is almost impossible to know where to begin talking about our trip, but I will eventually. I really want to do something with all the information I have accumulated and the random stories of experiences and new people met. I am in the brainstorming process now, but am open to any suggestions. I am taking a memoir writing class in the fall, perhaps I will use some of this there. Traveling is just one big learning experience. Of course there are moments of indulgence, but for the most part, it has been one lesson after another. I have to force myself to start writing more, especially since I will be alone the rest of the way. Classes start July 5^th, and I will move into Cambridge July 4^th. July 4^th has always been my favorite holiday, so it will be interesting to celebrate it in the country Americans celebrate their independence from.

Sarah in front of the Parthenon, Athens

One conclusion/ beautiful thing I have observed is that people are people no matter where you go. This is most obvious when observing people on the metro. In all of the metros in all of the world, people get on, and a lot of times you can find similar expressions on people that you have seen in other cities. You wonder if you had seen these faces before. People chatting on their phone, sitting listening to their ipod, people heading home from work or school, tourists, couples – same faces just different races — same common feelings, the commonalities amongst humanity. It is these commonalities that make art, movies, history a uniting force.  As Sarah observed, no matter where you come from, what your status is, or what type of person you are – you can go to Rome and still appreciate The Colosseum, or Athens and the Parthenon, etc. At least a part of each of us are still amazed by our past, and humbled when in the presence of such influential pieces of our history, such as artworks like the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. People with so many different cultures and backgrounds all wait in line to see the Mona Lisa. Part of traveling is of course seeing these things for yourself, but also recognizing the why you go to see them, and noticing what is around you when you finally do. Maybe the reasoning behind the fame of the Venus de Milo does not quiet make sense to you, but there is still a level of appreciation for a piece of art that was around when Julius Caesar was creating the 365 day Roman Calendar.

The crowd around Mona Lisa, Paris

Right now I feel like I am in limbo, the times here in Australia are on their final stretch. This is the last week of hanging out with friends I’ve made here, along the way. The final times I take the bus, or the train, or sit on my favorite beach. As the week goes along, and then when I finally step foot on that plane so will mark the end of another era. The lasts are here, the silent goodbyes, the snapshots that I am trying to take not only with my iphone but also with my quiet memory, where nostalgia will revisit in the months and even years ahead.

It’s always sad when a door closes. Shaking hands and a hug goodbye to my professors brought on a lone tear of appreciation.  For a short time this was my campus, my territory, but because it was so far from the place that I call my real home, it allowed for a different kind of growth and learning.

I came to Australia with the naive perspective that every experience I had was going to be amazing, and unique. That because I was halfway around the world every person I met was going to be interesting, and life altering. I did meet some interesting people, and a lot of interesting and unique things happened to me – but for the most part life here was not all that different than life over there. A good friend of mine’s mother said to her before she left that, “people are people – no matter where you are.” If there is one thing that I have learned abroad and in college, is that this is true. People are people and that life is life – no matter where you are and what you are doing. There are always going to be the few that you get close to and the few that you could have done without, and there are always going to be the times that leave you reeling years down the line and the times that you won’t remember a week from when it happened (because something’s are worth forgetting about).

Before I left, I told one of my best friends that I didn’t think too much would change at home while I was gone, and now I am getting ready to return to a place where my whole world is different. I’m returning to a place where I didn’t get to say those permanent goodbyes for I thought I’d have the chance to say them later… I guess you can say that I’ve really learned the meaning behind the quote: “Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans.” While I was making other plans, living here in Australia, my life at home altered and changed – people I thought that would always be there – left. No romantic goodbyes, just a couple of e-mails.

It’s weird to think how life can be going on with you where life is happening in front of you and then your other life, where you are not present, is also changing.

I too have changed; my expectations for my travels have lowered, which I guess is good. For maybe the places I see next will take me by pleasant surprises. I also have learned about what people think about Americans, and have seen the American stereotype come to life. I’ve also learned how to make yourself feel less lonely when the only friends and family you have are hours and miles away. Being abroad overall was a beautiful experience, rich in sights sought, friendships built and memories made. I am still learning how to accept the things that are beyond my control, but that’s a lifelong battle.

For now, all I have is this week. Nothing monumental is going to happen, I am not going to spend too much time partying or going out of my way to revisit favorite places. But, it is a time of reflection – a turning point. This week I will make peace with what I have had and try to write down my memories before they fade to black.

The guy I met with wasn’t the dean of students, but the vice-chancellor. In American terms, this is like meeting with the Vice President of the school. The meeting was short, but he knew where I was coming from right away. He said that he’d talk to housing and we’ll see what can be done.

I signed up for Res-wars. Every dorm on campus can sign up to play in weekly sporting events, girls on one team and boys on another, and we play the other dorms. The team with the most points at the end wins a prize, and every week there is free dinner. I decided to sign up since a couple of my NU friends were doing it and it seemed like fun. Tonight’s sport? Basketball. Growing up, believe it or not, I wanted to be a college basketball star. I dreamed of going to Stanford, playing basketball and loving it, because I loved it so much then. I ate, drank, and slept basketball – the camps, the summer teams, the AAU teams… it was endless… until it ended. Well, tonight I didn’t rekindle my love for the sport, but I rekindled my innate athletic ability that I inherited. Our team had gone undefeated for the night and won the championship. It was fun, getting in there, playing hard, with a group of girls all with one common goal. It felt like I was a freshman in high school, not a junior in college. At Northeastern I haven’t had much time for anything other than work, schoolwork and fun work. Being here I’ve added a lot of activities that I haven’t participated in years, for example basketball. After the first game I was sitting on a chair, zoning out, thinking about how out of shape and terrible I have become at basketball. I had been so self-deprecating, and upset…then all of a sudden, this kid walks by me, stops and says, “hey you were one of the really good players out there, nice job.” Something as simple as that brought me some peace. It’s funny; sometimes I wonder if someone can hear what I’m thinking.

I had my iPhone unlocked; now I’m using that with my Global Gossip pay-as-you-go plan.

I started reading Jack Kerouac’s, On the Road, not only because I am on the road, but also because the “classical” books at the bookstores are the only affordable books here. The other reason is because I’ve always heard the famous quote from that book, but never knew its context. Incidentally enough, I didn’t have to read too far to stumble across the quote. I feel the same way that this quote does, and I often wonder why there aren’t more mad people out there… I’m still young though, who knows whom I’ll meet.

Quote:

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn…” -Jack Kerouac’s On the Road

Even though we flew into Brisbane, Bond University is actually in Gold Coast, Australia. My junior year of high school the lacrosse team went to a lacrosse camp in Florida. The school was Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. Bond reminds me of Eckerd for it’s a small, warm and beautiful campus. There are a lot of beautiful looking people here too; in fact I think the only unattractive people I’ve seen or met have been Americans, which cracks me up.

We barely made our flight from Sydney to Brisbane, and because of that most of our bags didn’t make it. We arrived at Bond around 3PM and the total travel time took a about 36 hours. I was very tired when I arrived, but my excitement kept me alert and happy. The ladies checking me in remembered seeing my name on the list, and of course inquired about it. I just said, “my parents think they’re funny,” they laughed and I left it at that.

My room reminds me of a very simple hotel. There are two twin beds, separated by a nightstand, two desks, and a bathroom attached. I’m living right at the center of campus. I can walk up and down a flight of stairs, and I’m at the gym, where the beautiful outdoor pool is. My view is of the lake with a spouting fountain, which again, is in the middle of campus. It’s a very pretty view and it makes me feel like I’m on vacation. Actually the whole experience feels like I am on vacation and not about to start a semester of school.  My roommate’s name is Cait and she is from Massachusetts and goes to a small school called Western New England College, it’s close to where she grew up, near Six Flags New England. She seems like the ideal roommate, respectful, friendly, nice and doesn’t talk too much, but still enjoys a pleasant conversation.

Monday I spent the day trying to get organized by getting my student ID card and figuring out how my meal plan works. It’s definitely not like the NU dining hall, the Northeastern system is made for gratuitous eating. Where as here, you get a certain amount on your Bond Card and it’s up to you to make it last the whole semester.

I also spent the majority of Monday trying to get my iPhone unlocked for a pay as you go plan. Of course AT&T makes it impossible to unlock the phone, even if you are overseas. It’s a serious inconvenience. I tried calling them and they said they could unlock any phone except, the iPhone. I tried explaining that I am going to stay a faithful AT&T customer when I am in the US, but I need the phone while I’m in Australia. Well, it didn’t work. Fortunately, my friend Sarah Simon who had studied here last year, lent me her phone for the semester and that’s what I am now using as my Australian cell phone. For calls home, I am paying $12 a month for the skype global plan. I can make unlimited phone calls anywhere in the world. It’s a great deal. If you want to reach me, my phone number is 617-553-1033, and if I don’t answer just leave a voicemail and I can get back to you.

Monday evening, my friend Steph and I met a retired couple at a Chinese restaurant near campus. We started talking and next thing you know, we ended up sitting with them talking about Australia and the US and the differences and similarities. It was great fun; they even gave us a ride back to campus. The Australians are much friendlier than Americans.  Also, the restaurant we were at was BYO, which means bring your own. Any restaurant that says BYO underneath the name means that you can bring your own wine or beer. I thought that was a nice way of doing business. Also, gratuities are not expected here, which makes for a cheaper meal.

Monday night I went to a toga party. They give you a sheet to make into a toga, it’s possibly one of the most unflattering outfits I have ever worn. See for yourself:

Even though something like that isn’t typically my scene, I decided to bend my own comfort to try and have a goodtime. It was a complete unsuccess. I went with my friend Stephanie, but she’s not into that whole scene either.  I tried a Tooheys beer while at the party, it was a little bitterer than a Bud Light, and definitely not as good.

Tuesday I went to the pool and traveled to Robina Shopping Center. That was pretty cool; they had a Target there. I tried to get in, and to my dismay the store was closing; the stores close at 5PM there (except on Thursday where they have late night shopping until 9). I was disappointed by this news, and just bought some stuff at the grocery store.

Today is Wednesday and I’ve gone to the pool, listened to a local explanation of where to go to get what, and I am currently waiting for the mini-fridge we’ve rented to be delivered. Having a mini-fridge will definitely make life a bit easier.

Because Bank of America has high fees for making purchases abroad. I have decided to open an account here, with ANZ and wire money into my account. It’ll cost $35 each time I do it, but I am saving a lot of money by doing it this way. ANZ allows you to make purchases free around Australia. I still haven’t been able to figure out what my rates are for my BofA Amex card, but when I do know I’ll write about it.

Once the mini-fridge is delivered I hope to make a video tour of campus, so that way you can see what it is I am talking about.

Until then…