BBQs by Sunset and by Rain: Reflections on Spring Break and the Welcomed Return To Whitley

Since I last wrote, my life has taken many interesting turns. I got back from Tasmania yesterday morning after eleven hours sleeping in an ocean view recliner on the "Spirit of Tasmania." I have never been so happy to come back to a temporary accommodation as I was to be back at Whitley. I returned to a warm shower, English muffins with Vegemite, and people genuinely happy to see me. Additionally, there was a BBQ last night with dollar drinks and Aussie sausages, which, despite the rain, never tasted so good. Topped the evening off with a visit to Puggs and a post-drinking chat with Steve.

Tasmania was cold, frustrating, but absolutely beautiful. During my trip I was reminded of my early experiences in the country side of England during my People to People trip in high school. This is because when I first went to England I didn't have any money, my clothes were all dirty, and the weather was far from delightful. Likewise, Tasmania was marked by my losing my wallet (containing all of my means of financial security), lots of dirty clothes worn multiple times over, about four days of unwashed hair, cold, cold weather, and rain. But, unlike my time in England, which was rather miserable, Tasmania was really nice. Mind you, it would have been better had the above not been the case, but the natural beauty and general feel of Tasmania compensated for anything else that could have possibly been/gone wrong.

After my last entry in Hobart, I went out to see "Stardust" in a cinema near my hostel, since the city was pretty dead and I needed some form of entertainment. All I can say is that Neil Gaiman is absolutely brilliant and I left the movie highly satisfied and tremendously homesick for Bryn Mawr. Wednesday morning I left the hostel with my tour group to go up the east coast of Tasmania. Unlike my previous tour of crazy drunken Brits, this tour consisted of myself, two limited English-speaking Spaniards, an awkwardly adorable Polish Brit, my stereotypical bleach blonde Tassie tour guide, and later, an essentially mute Japanese boy. Yes, I was the only girl, and, incidentally, the youngest of the group as well. The tour was pretty good, although I felt like a lot of the time I was holding people back- especially after I lost my wallet. Saw some beautiful sights though- Wineglass Bay may be one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life.

Tasmania was slightly frustrating since after I lost my wallet I tried to contact home to get Dad to help me out. Unfortunately, Tasmania doesn't believe in phone reception, so I had about two days where there was nothing I could do about anything. It could have been much worse though- my meals, accommodation, and travel expenses were already paid for, so basically all I had to do was borrow a bit of money from Claire to get back to Melbourne. I will, again, put pictures up once my computer works again. Lots of good memories, good food, and good experiences.

Claire has been lovely about the whole thing. We went up to Cradle Mountain on Saturday and hiked in the snow and had a really nice time. I've decided I want to honeymoon there whenever that happens. She then dropped me off at the ferry so I could get back to Melbourne in one piece. Ferry would have been more exciting had I had money/it hadn't been raining. I mostly slept since I was exhausted and damp from the hike.

Overall, my trip was a great learning experience for me. Had it been earlier in the semester, all of the things that have gone wrong probably would have ruined the trip for me. My computer still doesn't work and I still don't have any money, but being in Australia with good people and seeing just how wonderful and extensive this country is makes it seem very trivial. While I realize now that I only have about four more weeks left in my semester (with lots of work I have to organize without a student card/easy computer access), I am a much happier, satisfied, and relaxed person than I was at the start of this trip. I've essentially decided that I may not go to law school after all, and that instead I will pursue my interest in history because it makes me happier than anything else. I want to spend my life traveling, learning, and meeting people. I realize this will be difficult financially at times, but I also know that for the first time in my life I want to do things not because they're expected of me, not because my highly competitive atmosphere demands them of me, but because they are genuinely things that I want to do. I have discovered what happiness is in Australia, and it's something that doesn't need a computer or a wallet to make it happen.