Day Ten 6/17/11

Today was our final travel day. We woke up extra early and said goodbye to Mrs. T. We went to the airport when I worked on my inquiry question. the flights weren't too bad, except I didn't sleep much. From Sydney to LAX we flew through a storm and there was terrible turbulence. I enjoy plane rides, but after being on one for 15 hours, I'm glad I don't have to do that all the time. Although I do miss New Zealand and Australia, it is nice to be back home. The whole trip was absolutely fantastic.

For lack of a more creative idea, and the fact that the original plan was thrown out the window when we weren't in nature enough, my inquiry question is do more women or men go to the bathroom at airports?
Hypothesis: I believe that more women than men go to the bathroom at airports.
Procedure: When resting, or whenever possible, watch both bathrooms. Count the amount of people that go into each within a matter of two minutes. Record information. Repeat this process at a different set of bathrooms.
Data: Within two minutes, an average of 17 girls went into the airport bathrooms, while only and average of 6 boys went into the bathroom.
Conclusion: My hypothesis was correct. More girls go to the bathroom rather than the boys at airports.
New Questions: Do more women or men spend more time in the airport bathroom?


The floor at the Aboriginal show!

So my room mates and I find ways to pass the time.

Biggest spider I've ever seen in the wild!

Australia, you're so beautiful. I'll miss you.

Alvaro can't take pictures...but the sunrise from the plane was beautiful.

Day Nine 6/16/11

Today was our last day in Australia. We went up a rainforest on a mountain in an old Western styled train. It was such a pleasant and bright day. When we got up to the top of the hill/mountain there was a tiny, little town that had lots of cute restaurants and cafes, places to shops, and a street market. I had probably the best sandwich and muffin ever! Then we went to a little hippie store withs lots of cute clothes. Then we went and looked around the market for a while and I ended up getting a ninja voodoo doll. Then we took a 20 minute tour through the rainforest and learned some history of the plants. Then we went to an Aboriginal show before learning how to throw boomerangs, spears, and watch two shows; one about the creation story, and one explaining and demonstrating the didgeridoo. When we got back to the hotel we were able to go out again for dinner and dessert, but came back early to get packing.

1) The Great Barrier Reef was absolutely beautiful. It was a really great and fun experience. I'd love to go back again!
2) Asians markets in Aussi ever crossed my mind, but after seeing the adorable influences, I fell in love. I love seeing where Australia received a lot of it's modern culture. And I love Asians in general.
3) I need to go back to Rangitoto College! I absolutely fell in love with the kids! I even cried when we left. I wanted to go back so badly.
4) Rotorua was my absolute favorite place ever! Even though it smelled like rotten eggs, it was so culturally inspiring and an overall fantastic place. It was so cute and uninhabited.
5) The Opera House was so cute as well as beautiful and showed me that there was something truly magical out there in the world. I would have loved to go see a show there,
6) Whaka was a beautiful little town. The way the Maori people live, their food, their culture, their music and dance, their family, their beliefs, their values were all inspiring. The trip to this tiny village just made me so happy.
7) The Rocks' market was so freaking cute! There were a lot of homemade things there which told us a little about the people, their art, style, and inspiration. I love the variety of shops there and the adorable things being sold.
8) Cairns was seriously one of my favorite places that we went. The city was so small and beautiful, and full of nice people. I felt like I belonged there.
9) Kuranda and the rainforest was very nice. It was so offbeat and out of the business of the rest of Australia. It was like it's own little world. I felt like the town itself preserved a lot of history and culture.
10) Sydney was a party city! It was fun and full of (night) life. I really did enjoy this city, and find it much more exciting and friendlier than Chicago.


I really liked this train.

This is our family weed. <3

Australia really is such a gorgeous country.

I officially love this place.

I am SO JEALOUS!

Day Eight 6/15/11

Today we went to the Great barrier Reef. It was really sunny this morning, but a little cold and windy. We got on to the boat and it took us about two hours to actually get to where we were would be swimming in the reef. By the time we got our snorkeling gear on the wind had died down and it was much warmer. I expecting the water to be a little chilly, but it was actually super warm, like bath water. Honestly, the water was warmer than the air. And the reef was gorgeous! Then, I went on a glass-bottomed boat to see the reef without getting wet, and we saw a sea turtle! When we got back to Cairns we were given the chance to go hang around town again for dinner. We went to a cute little Thai restaurant and got ice cream for dessert!

the Great Barrier Reef was absolutely amazing! I loved everything about it; the coral, the fish, the water, the sand. I fell in love the moment I stepped on the boat in the morning. The view of the ocean and city were beautiful, and the sun was up and shining. We had a nice, bouncy boat ride to the reef (I love waves!) and awesome lifeguards! I was so excited when we got to the reef, and the weather was lovely! The water was a lot warmer than I thought it would be. And it was so clear that I could see the colorful fish before even going it. When I put my head in the water it was like entering a different world. One of the best feelings ever, I think, is being able to "breathe" under water. Being able to stay down there forever. It's breathtaking. And seeing the amazing coral and fish was wonderful. This was a once in a lifetime experience that I was given a chance to do. The reef itself was so nice and there were places I saw over where the coral was literally only three inches below me. And I got to touch and feed the fish! The water was just absolutely gorgeous and crystal clear. After I got out of the water I got to relax in the sun, eating rice with chopsticks and drinking warm tea. There were a lot of nice people of the boat too! There was even a touch tank where I held a sea cucumber! It was gross and squishy and slimy! I thought  it was going to eat my hand or something. Then I got to hold a cute little clingy starfish! It was adorable. Next, I went on a tour boat to experience the reef without getting wet. We learned about the reef and sea life, and we even saw a wild sea turtle! I really enjoyed learning so much about the reef, plus it's beautiful to look at! At points while I was swimming I would take off my life jacket to swim to the bottom of the reef for a better look at everything. The coral was so close at times that I got cute once. But I know it didn't mean it. The reef and I still love each other. Then I went to see the lifeguard, Yuki, for some fish food. The fish completely swarmed my legs as I fed them! Then we took pictures by the sunset on the boat ride back. All in all, it was an amazing, beautiful, once in a life time experience.


Fishes! So many fishes...

Swimming in the Great Barrier Reef? Yeah, we did that.

The perfect end, to the perfect day.

♫ Neeaarrr, far....whereeeEEEEVVVEERRR YOU ARE! ♫

I like the moon. I think it's beautiful.

Day Seven 6/14/11

Another travel day! Whoo-hoo! The flight wasn't bad at all. I loved Cairns the instant we arrived. It was warm, sunny, small, and peaceful. We went to go swim in the salty pools, since there was no natural beach. Then we got Asian noodles for lunch! Yum! For the evening, a small group and I got to walk around the small city of Cairns to find a place to eat, and go around stores to shop and explore the town. Today was just a very laid-back, easy-going day filled with fun in the sun! There wasn't too much that was a very important event, but it was a very nice day overall. And we got really good ice cream!


I loved Cairns, so much. It was so simple.

"So, we're going to live here after we graduate high school, okay?" - Amanda Platt

Yes, I like kissing Steven's half-eaten shrimp for dinner.

How could I forget the awesome Asian noodles for lunch? Nom nom nom! :3

Day Six 6/13/11

Today was our free day in Sydney. We were planning to go whale watching, but that canceled at the last second (they probably should have told us before we too Dramamine...talk about sleepy all day!). We went into town for lunch, where there was a small market going on. Then we went to take the Bridge Walk tour. This tour was absolutely amazing! It was so much fun, and you learn a lot from your guide while standing hundreds of feet from the highway below! The distance is only about a 30 minute walk, but with the stopping for picture taking and the dragging of our safety equipment, it took nearly three hours! It was also cold and windy. it was still enjoyable though! Then, during the dark evening we went to the Sydney light show, where they displayed moving lights across the buildings of the city. It was so beautiful. Then...we walked through the city...where there are a LOT of strip clubs..

Traveling independently, I think I'd do alright. I would have a lot more money, since I always let people borrow some, or I pay for my friends when they can't. I am also very good with directions and finding my way around. I have a good memory and don't usually get lost. So, I'd be okay at finding my way around. I'm also very organized, and it's super easy for me to keep track of my things. I'm the typer of person who likes to take things easy and chill, which would kill me on this trip, but then again, I would book so many things into one day anyways. I'd spread things out for a longer stay. I also think it'd be easier to travel alone rather than a big group of people. People are either slowing me down or rushing me through things. It would however be a struggle if I was alone. I like people too much. I would have to take care of myself and make sure I'm safe. I may also be unfamiliar with the area (which is not a problem since we have Alec). I probably wouldn't be able to plan as many things out, like the bridge walk. Oh, and my biggest fears would most likely get the best of me. First, the dark. To me, compete darkness is the scariest thing in the world. And who knows when I'll have to encounter the dark (alone, no less!). And secondly, talking to people on the phone. I don't know why, but I hate it. That's where the real trouble would come in. But chances are, I'd probably just suck it up, face my fears for a while, and travel anyways.


Some awesome crazy bird man.

Opera house; up close and personal.

We did that! Heck yes! It was really windy, but I wasn't scared at all.

Jellies! <3 Giant jellies!...Giant fake jellies...

This light show was so awesome and just stunning.

Day Five 6/12/11

This morning we went to a cute little cove with a great view of the Opera House and Bridge. We took pictures there, then went to a rocky trail where we could see the opening of the harbor. We took a relaxing ride around the city for a couple hours seeing main sites and visiting places with a great view of the city. We stopped at a small, beautiful beach that was almost completely empty except for a few joggers and a surfer. We wrote in the sand and took picture by the water before stopping at a cute little cafe across the street for tea and a muffin. Then we took a lovely little boat tour around the Sydney Harbor and arrived at the Sydney Wildlife Center. I loved going in and seeing all the native animals! Then we had a nice meal at the center before going back to our hotel.

So far, this trip has been absolutely amazing! I'v loved every second of this adventure, even the super long plane rides. I feel like I've been trying a lot of new things and I've taken a lot of new experiences with me as I go along. I've been going off on my own more often, taking more risks, and trying to step out of my comfort zone much more than normal. I've found it much easier to let things go and settle with what I have. I've also been really good at not relying on technology, other people, or things I would usually depend on. In New Zealand I think that I did s good job on spending my money and balancing my time. i also tried really hard to make new friends and overcome my problems alone without the need for help. Honestly though, I think I'm having trouble in finding the beauty in absolutely everything I see. I am usually very good at finding an attractive side to everything. But especially in the city of Sydney I feel as thought I've been getting distracted or I'll see something and find it not very interesting. I'm going to try very hard to work on focusing more on the beauty and importance of things rather than just the thing itself.


I still love the Opera House more than anything else in Sydney.

“We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey.” - John Hope Franklin

I so wanted to go surfing!

He was getting ready to attack us! Thank goodness for glass walls.

What is this? Lazy kangaroo day?

I loved the butterflies!

Day Four 6/11/11

Today was a travel day. Fun. We pretty much just woke up, flew to Sydeny, Australia, and bumbed around town all day. We walked pretty far, going from our hotel to Rocks. We got some nice views of the Opera House and Bridge. It was rainy and cold pretty much the whole day, but it was nice to get a free day to walk around and see the city. We even got the chance to go up to the Tower in Sydney to get a great view of the city! Then we went to an outdoor mall for lunch, and I had a yummy dish called veggie bibimbap! Then we got walk around a street market (in the pouring rain) for a while. Then we got lost (well, prehaps we weren't lost, but we took a wrong turn at least) on the way back to the hotel, in the cold, dark rain. Despite the pretty chill day, we were all so tired afterwards. We didn't do much, but it was still all new and fun.

Sydney is a surprisingly small city. I expected it to be much bigger than it actually is. It is very beautiful though. It's not too busy or packed, and there are lots of Asians (and of course other interesting people)! It's not to windy (like Chicago) and there are a lot of cute little stores and open areas, as well as a street market and an outdoor mall (both of which we saw today)! Sydney is very different from our city of Chicago. They both are on a water front (Sydney has the ocean, Chicago has the lake), but Chicago seems much bigger, more packed, windier, and more...bland. Sydney is just a prettier city to see [despite all the strip clubs (I've actually never seen a strip club in Chicago)]. It seems much warmer and a much nicer city compared to others in the U.S. Sydney is a very lovely and beautiful city in Australia, but it is nothing like what I expected it to be. There are a lot of cute shops, places to visit, and things to see. Sydney is a city that has many world famous icons that anyone can easily recognize. Chicago has some famous icons, but our icons are not nearly as popular and seem much more...frankly, boring. In general, Sydney is a very fun, beautiful city that is much more happy and appealing, but not nearly as busy or windy, as our (kind of) boring city of Chicago!

I love the plants here, seriously.

Poor Shelby thought this was a real turtle. Um, no.

This is obviously a sign for me to stay in Aussi.

I seriously love Korean food.

Creeping on Asian street performers is healthy every once in a while.

I was so excited to see the Opera House. It's not as white as it seems in on google...

I love this sign, but it doesn't change the fact that it took us an hour to get home tonight.