So my time in Australia is coming to an end… and I guess it’s bittersweet. It’s been a LONG and HARD road, but as cheesy and cliché as it sounds, I’ve gained a lot from my experience…
I almost feel like I went to rehab… it was just a time for me to be on my own and to just clear my mind…
What I've gained from this experience...
1) APPRECIATION FOR MY FAMILY… Never will I take for granted being able to visit home, to have dinner with my grandparents, and to just pick up the phone and call my mom.
2) APPRECIATION FOR MY CAR… Being able to go anywhere any time of the day without having to wait for a bus… I miss driving down I-40 at 2:00 in the morning with all my windows rolled down listening to 97.7
3) INDEPENDENCE… Just learning to fend for myself… from finding a place to live to cooking my own food… from budgeting my money to paying the bills… ultimately just learning to be an adult
4) PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE… I’ve spent so much time wanting to leave NM and hating it while I lived there. Yet when I finally leave it, I realize just how much I truly love it. I don’t necessarily know if I will live there the rest of my life, but if I did, I wouldn’t mind it. I really want to go to medical school at UNM. I love everything about Clovis, ABQ, & NM.
5) APPRECIATION FOR UNM… the teachers, the lectures, the expectations, the services, the campus, my job at Student Support Services, the housing, the libraries, the FREE printing, the FREE internet, the bookstore, the free membership to Johnson’s gym, the people, the students, the overall atmosphere… I love it all!
6) APPRECIATION FOR LIVING ON-CAMPUS AT THE DORMS... Being able to just roll out of bed 10 minutes before class and still making it on time… I have one more year to live on campus at UNM, and I'm going to appreciate/enjoy it to the fullest!
7) APPRECIATION FOR MY FRIENDS… they’re amazing… enough said.
8) APPRECIATION FOR INTERNET… fast, cheap, unlimited internet…
9) APPRECIATION FOR WAL-MART... Being able to go to the grocery store after 5:00 PM on weekdays... being able to make mid-night runs to buy sunflower seeds and ice-cream when I’m stressed out from school... and finally being able to afford food because everything is CHEAP! Grew up on Wal-Mart. Love Wal-Mart. Couldn’t live without it.
10) APPRECIATION FOR TELEVISION... being able to watch TV shows that aren’t old or re-runs at any time of the day... being able to finally watch MOVIES again (having my DVD player)...
11) APPRECIATION FOR EVERYTHING I HAVE AT HOME... my closet full of clothes, my bed, my dogs, Dion’s pizza, ranch, sunflower seeds, clothes dryers, my phone, unlimited text messaging, HEAT in my room, etc.
12) PERSPECTIVE OF THE WORLD… seeing just how much Australia is like the US, yet at the same time, seeing just how different they are.
13) APPRECIATION FOR MY COUNTRY… I’ve never really thought about it until now, but I’m really proud to be American. I love my country, and I’m so thankful for everything it offers and stands for. And although my blog name is "Aussie/Thai Boy 101," I’m really an American boy at heart.
In conclusion… this journey was difficult… but it was much needed. I’ve grown. I’ve matured. And hopefully I won’t ever forget what it’s taught me when I return to life in the states.
This is my last post about Australia... But here are some of my favorite pictures and memories of my time abroad.....
Scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef
Jumping into the Great Ocean Road
Going to the 2009 Australian Open... P.S. That is Rafael Nadal behind me during his practice session on an outside court
Jumping on random, slippery rocks!
My scuba instructor playing with a turtle in the Great Barrier Reef
Exploring Sydney
Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open in Melbourne
Nadal during his practice session
Exploring Cairns in Queensland
Craziness at the Great Ocean Road
Russell Falls in Tasmania
Sydney Opera House
Enjoying Australia's best beaches... City Beach in Perth
Darling Harbor in Sydney
Playing with some crocs in Queensland
The Twelve Apostles
Being crazy at every moment I got...
Climbing to the top of Mt. Wellington in Hobart, Tasmania
My "uni" - The University of Western Australia in Perth
Seals at Bruny Island in Tasmania
Ridin' the sails in Hobart
Lucking out and getting a 2nd row seat to a Venus/Serena doubles match
On top of the world at Mt. Wellington
Petting a koala and hanging out with the locals... (see below)
Little orphan koala
"Roos"
Backpacking through Melbourne and living out of a suitcase for 6 months!
My "hometown" of Perth
Volunteering in the endoscopy ward at St. John of God Hospital in Subiaco (Perth)
My home in Wembley (Perth)
One of my many runs to City Beach
Dolphin-chasin' at Bruny Island in Tasmania
At the top of Mt. Wellington in Hobart
Finally... being able to enjoy this experience with my two best friends, Shelly and Rich... Adam (University of Western Australia in Perth, WA), Shelly (University of Queensland in Brisbane, QLD), and Rich (University of Western Sydney in Sydney, NSW)
