Transported Into Applesauce

Don't you love it when you are so busy that you don't have time to check your email? Especially when being that busy does not include homework? I just had my first weekend like that. Yay!
Friday night we went to a Black Seeds concert. These guys are a reggae band, which normally I wouldn't be into enough to go to a concert, but Jesse said they were awesome, so 7 of us ended up going all on her word. It was Jesse and myself, Wiebke, Bonnie, Silke, Manuel and Alex. Germany, the States, Korea, Mexico, and Spain all represented in a group of 7. The best part of the evening, though, was trying to understand everyone else's English. For example, Bonnie, from Korea, had difficulty understanding Alex's Mexican-Spanish accent. Lots of fun trying to understand one another. The concert was at 8 at the Metro Theatre in downtown Sydney, and didn't get out til like 2 am. There were 8 guys in the band, and their instruments included things like a trombone, trumpet, sax, and xylophone. Pretty awesome.
That next morning I got up by 6 to go catch a train to Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains, to do the Echo Point to Ruined Castle bushwalk. We arrived about 10.30 at our destination and began a 14 km bushwalk through the valley under the Three Sisters. The views on this hike were some of the most amazing sights I've ever seen. It was stunning. The terrain varied, from rocky outcroppings we had to hop over, to completely encompassing jungle-type ferns with aerial roots we could swing on. Who is we?? Again, we ended up with a group of 7. Matt, the only one from Sydney, and the leader of the bushwalk club on campus. Audrey, from Switzerland, only other girl on the bushwalk, code name: Kookaburra. Alain, the born-in-Germany-of-Welsh-decent-raised-in-the-UK-now-lives-in-Sydney guy, who has circus training and can unicycle and juggle and all that cool stuff. Code name: Mr. Itchy Beard. Andrew, from Colorado(!!!), lives in my apartment complex, code name: Mountain Sheep. Patrick, also from Colorado (!!!), who was really really awesome and has the unfortunate code name of Toilet Guy. Steve, from Pittsburgh, who has amazing taste in clothes and is possessed of a pair of the most blue eyes I've ever seen. And me, from Colorado, good ice-breaker for groups of people who have never met one another before. Code name: mother, due to a misunderstanding during initial conversations on the train. I apparently have 60 kids.
So, that was us. We got on really well, and stopped for lunch atop a spot in the middle of the park called Ruined Castle. Relatively difficult to get to, but once you're at the top...
You can see everything, going every direction. You can see for miles, off to the end of the valley. Pics on fb, again. It was an amazing spot, and one I would like to take certain people to if they ever make it out here to visit...
We all fell asleep on the train ride back, and it was nearly 8 by the time we rolled back into town.
That night was a party at a friend's house just across the street. Rather than a shower and sleep, which I really wanted, I headed off to this party to go say hello and hang out with people and see about a drink. Also, perhaps, because Steve and Patrick were supposed to be stopping by...
Anyway, while I was there with Hayley and Liz and Jaz, I actually drank a beer! The whole thing! Anyone who knows me realizes what a feat this is for me.
Went to sleep relatively sober. The others went downtown to a bar, I think, but I was exhausted and wimped out.
Woke up Sunday morning only to head out again, this time to Lane Cove for a birthday party for one Diesel James. Got to see Annette and Les, and all the James's. AJ found a bike for me, which is super exciting, cause now I can transport myself around Sydney without having to rely solely on the bus transportation system.
Stayed in Lane Cove Sunday night cause I worked for Helen all day Monday, from 8-6. Let's just say I have a newfound respect for people who watch babies all day, every day. I was shattered after a 10 hour shift! Stayed the night again with Les and Annette, and had the most amazing food thing called Fisherman's Pie. Wow.
Anyway, kinda short tale of Alyssa's fun-ness over the last few days, but honestly, my inspiration is kinda lacking tonight. Back to classes today, already have more work. I just wanted to record this stuff before I got too distracted with class again.
Only 4 weeks left in the semester! Woohoo!

So I just watched a movie. It was good, but it made me think.
It used to be that we all watched movies together, piled into someone's apartment. It used to be an afternoon of homework, with a little bit of play time sprinkled through it. Rock-climbing, frisbee, tubing. The movie nights. Then dinner would happen, and back to the grind. That was the schedule. For years, that was the way it was, night after long night. Sometimes, there was less playing (junior year classes...). Sometimes we lost a member for a bit (after school activities or anti-social-ness...).
But we were all always there, you know?
It was us. We were the the Night Crew, the Meyer Crew, the Physics Crew.
The pomegranate juice. The chair races. The light-up frisbees. The all-nighters. The tears. The homework assignments with 18 names on them. The runs to Safeway and King Soopers in the small hours of the night. Charlie and Candy Mountain, The End of the World, Ultimate Showdown, 4 Men 8 Treadmills.
So many memories, wrapped up in few years.
And now we're moving on.
I suppose that was bound to happen, but I rarely thought of it before graduation. With Mines, it's usually one day at a time.
But now we're here. We've graduated (most of us!). We made it through Mines. Even if your GPA wasn't a 3.5, we made it through Mines. That is something in and of itself.
So now what happens? We have the rest of our lives waiting for us, but I'm not sure I'm ready for the rest of my life. I got so used to having you guys there with me, to help me through the long nights and the assignments, and the tests we all thought we failed, the emotional drama that comes with life.
Being halfway around the world kinda puts things into perspective.
Truthfully, I was terrified to move to Australia. Granted, I've moved around a lot in my life; Mines was the longest time I've ever spent in one place, at one school. I've learned how to adapt, and meet new people. But leaving never bothered me so much before I met you guys. There was a big part of me that didn't want to move, that wanted to stay in CO with you guys, find a job, settle down. Travel a bit, just for fun, but stay close to home.
Because home is where you guys are, for me. It's not about where I can find a job, where I find a house. Home is where I have people that I love, and that I know love me back.
So why did I decide to leave? Partly because I've wanted this program since I was in high school. Partly because, come on, it's in Sydney! Partly because I was worried that if I stayed, I would never have the guts to move again. If I was going to move, it needed to be then. When I didn't have a house or a significant other. If I waited for a while, I might be in a relationship or have some responsibility that kept me from moving. Partly, I left to prove to myself I could. And partly, I left for you guys. That big part of me that didn't want to move, that wanted to stay with you guys? If I stayed, someone else would have been in the same position in a few years' time. One of us needed to go. I decided I had the opportunity, so I would be the first one to boot myself out the door.
So it was scary to move down here. It's still scary, and I've been here for almost two months. Don't get me wrong, Australia is pretty much amazing. I'm not in hurry to leave, there's way too much to do.
I guess I just wanted to let you guys know that I love you. Life moves on, and we're all going to go our ways and do our own things. And they'll be great, and we'll meet new people and have a myriad of new experiences. But you guys will always be there. And I'll always be there for you.
A toast! (We're not together, so use your imagination, here... the next time you have a drink, whether together or individually, raise your glasses!)
To the many years behind us, and the many more ahead of us!

I am staying at Les and Annette's gorgeous two story house. It's all dark wood, and glass... very classy. Mum and Erin arrive from the States, and go upstairs with Les and Annette, and they give Erin a day long roller skating lesson. While they are all upstairs, they have me house-sit their puppy, Sassy. I go upstairs to my bedroom to go to the bathroom, but when I enter my room, Mike and Sean are there, going through my jewelry. They keep picking up necklaces and holding them against my throat. You guys were apparently looking for the 'best' necklace. I go back downstairs and sit on the front porch with Sassy. A while later, I hear the upstairs door open, and Les, Annette, Mum, and Erin all come back downstairs and everyone is excited because now Erin knows how to roller skate. Les starts to make dinner, and Mum goes to help him.
Fast forward to next scene. The house is the same, but now it is owned by Ron's mum, Margaret. There is no sign of Mum, Annette, Les, or Erin, but Margaret still has Sassy. I have just arrived at the house from overseas, but for whatever reason, I'm not allowed to stay in the house. There is a tool shed like thing out back, and that is where I put my bags and papers and stuff. I house sit again, while Margaret is upstairs. She is gone for the whole day, and then it becomes night. I go out to the shed to get some homework and bring it back to the house, and while I'm gone, I leave the back door open. I'm only gone a couple minutes, but while I'm gone, 4 feral cats get into the house. Sassy starts to bark ridiculously, and that triggers the return of Margaret. She comes down the stairs, and Sassy is still barking, and we scare the cats back outside. She starts screaming at me, cause apparently, the cats come in with a really stinky armadillo/skunk like thing, and now it's in the house, and if it sprays the house will be ruined. Enter a man I assume is Margaret's husband. He goes to the kitchen and finds the creature in the cupboard, and turns to Margaret and I, standing in the doorway. He tells us that yes, there is a creature, yes, it already sprayed, and it's also the worst smelling kind. Margaret is livid. She screams at me, asks me how I'm going to fix this, how much money do I have, how am I going to make reparation? She tells me to get out. Margaret's husband gets me a bag, and tells me to pack whatever can fit in the bag. I go to my shed, and pack my homework, some blankets, and some food. The husband comes outside and hands me a passport and a map. I put them on the top of the bag. I leave the house via a field out back, and start walking along the side of the shed. A little 12 year old girl, who looks kind of like Natalie Portman, comes running out of the bush wearing a red dress. She looks at me, then runs away again. I follow her.