farewell, Darwin

the table was so adorable

well, today's the day. I leave Darwin for Sydney this afternoon. I'll be there for about a week before heading home to Michigan on Boxing Day. bittersweet is a word that a lot of people use when describing positive change, but at this juncture, I'm struggling to see the sweet. I guess I have to look at it this way: I'm seizing the opportunity to see another city in this beautiful country before I leave for the States. I've met the most gracious, fun-loving people in Darwin, and it didn't take long for me to feel like I have a real home here, and I always will. I'm going to miss Kaye, Roger, Blake and Fran like crazy.

the most adorable decorations in the world

digging in!

I made a few frantic attempts last night to see the people I'd grown to love before I was off for good, but some fell through of course. I felt like I've finally gotten closer to some of the people I met, and now I'm off. I think I just got so sad about leaving and really wanted to see everyone one more time before I left. even the people who I didn't spend heaps of time with made huge impacts on me, and I think I was panicking a bit at the thought of leaving them.  it's a hard thing to do, leaving someplace that you consider home, for an undetermined length of time.

Kaye as Santa :)

lots of champagne-fueled fun

Sunday roast last night was beautiful. we had Christmas decorations, delicious food, and the best company. Kaye and Fran played Santa and we listened to Santa Koala about a thousand times over and had a few good laughs. saying goodbye to them all was absolutely heartbreaking. after dinner, Blake took us out to East Point one last time so Elissa could see the wallabies. we managed to spot a croc as well.

♥

saying goodbye to Blake was terrible. he has been such a big part of my life here, and he didn't even live in the house this time when Kaye and Roger had students living with them, so I can only imagine how hard it was for the others. I got into the house and just fell apart. today has been worse. I have been fighting the tears on and off all day just thinking about leaving Kaye and Roger. sometimes I can't be bothered to fight them at all. they have been so good to us, spoiled us, and made us feel comfortable and at home ever since we arrived, and I love them for it. the same goes for Blake, his mates, and the teachers at Wanguri. it's difficult to cope with the fact that things are changing. this city and the people I have met here will be in my heart and in my life forever, that's for sure.

ah, enough sap for one day I suppose. until we meet again, Darwin.

wildlife park adventure

clever bird throwing a rock at an egg to
open it

what a wild week it has been. the girls and I went to the Wildlife Park in Berry Springs on Saturday, and had a blast. I loved that all the animals at the park were native to Australia. they were all incredible. we went to a bird show (sounds silly, but actually really cool, even if a lorakeet did fly into my head), snuck into a taped-off dingo exhibit, and saw wild wallabies roaming around.

there was a billabong, a nocturnal house, and an aquarium as well. my students would always tell me how great the park was, so I was under the impression that it was more child-oriented, but it wasn't that way at all.

I'm glad I brought my K-x, because I really got some amazing shots. I feel like I was dragging us along, changing my lenses and taking hundreds of photos, but it was just too easy. the animals were amazing!

the walk-through aviary was very cool too. after some smaller bird exhibits, we came to a big, caged-in area with all sorts of birds walking and flying around. quicker than you can say, "hey, look at that cute little bird," I got pooped on. I quickly realized that what I thought was water (it had rained earlier in the day) was warm, freak-out commenced. it would have been worse had I not been laughing so hard.

when I got back from the Wildlife Park, I found out that my computer had a virus (this explains my lack of updating and the obscene length of this post - apologies). it was so horrible that I couldn't fix it on my own, so after crying for a bit Kaye drove me to a computer store to get it fixed. it's okay now. still a couple of problems,  but all my files and programs are still there, which is a HUGE relief.

Sunday morning we went to the markets at Rapid Creek, and to the craft show after. there was some beautiful stuff, but I didn't buy anything. I had actually left my wallet in the back seat of Roger's car from our trip to the Wildlife Park, so I couldn't have even if I wanted to. I came across the Down Syndrome Association of the Northern Territory at the market! I would have gone in if they were open. I would love to get involved with any events, etc, while I'm here!

my special ed teacher heart is melting

spotted at {Rapid Creek market}

Sunday evening we had our roast. our only guests were Fran, Carlee, and Vanessa, Kaye and Roger's neighbor. as much as I love our big groups at Sunday roast, the smaller group was really nice. we had some champagne, some great food, and we actually all got to talk to each other during our meal :)

veeery mysterious fruits at the market...

the only bad thing is that it has been unbearably hot the past few days. the news says the high today is 33º, but the humidity makes it feel closer to 40º. we usually don't need the air con on throughout the house, but we had to this week, otherwise we would melt.

loved this painting at the craft fair

tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and the whole crew is getting together, including the teachers we are working with. Mara and I get along really well. she marches to the beat of her own drummer, and I love that about her. I am learning a ton, and it makes me sad to think school is out in 3 short weeks!

another day in Darwin

fronds in front of my school

this morning Hannah and I got absolutely SOAKED in the rain. it was both miserable and hilarious. it started downpouring just as we left the house, and we could see sheets of heavy rain coming toward us, and dumping more rain. by the time we got to the bus stop we were cracking up because our skirts and shoes were absolutely drenched. it was ridiculous. it would have been more fun if we didn't have to be at school all day in wet clothes.

PIE!!!

the storms here are crazy! when they're overhead, they're super loud, and when it rains, it rains. palm fronds fall off the trees pretty regularly, but after a storm, they are EVERYWHERE.it's kind of cool. I have to say, I like the rain. it's funny how rain is an annoyance in the States, but they welcome it here. rain means that the day will be cooler, and the weather is just perfect after a really good storm.

school was alright today. we had a relief teacher (aka substitute), so the morning was a bit shaky, but the afternoon went well enough. I'm getting more comfortable with the kids, and with classroom management, even though it's still the area I need to work on the most. I had been feeling pretty down on myself all day until the relief teacher said that my positivity and praise was a breath of fresh air, and that she noticed that the kids responded to me well. it's nice to have someone around who notices things that you don't, and I really appreciated her feedback.

this evening we came home to an empty house so we had snacks and waited for Kaye and Roger. when Kaye got home she made the most DELICIOUS tuna pie I have ever had. seriously, this pie was good. the night ended with a beautiful sunset and a few episodes of Friends. not too shabby.

teaching lately

school was really great today (even though the mozzies are STILL attacking me 24/7). I'm starting to get to know my students better, and it's been a lot of fun. I think the novelty of having an American teacher has worn off, and they're responding to me more as a real teacher, and wanting to genuinely get to know me, which is nice. I read M is for Mitten earlier this week, and they loved it. they were making predictions what each letter of the alphabet would stand for, and some of their guesses were so funny. next week, we will write our own book about Australia that I can take with me back to the States :)

Venn diagrams!

I taught more about Venn Diagrams today, and Mara (the teacher I'm working with) had a big bin of different colored animals and people, so I let the kids get creative and sort them using the diagram. some of their ideas were so good!

so creative...love it!

we also go do an activity with a buddy class every Thursday. our buddy class is younger, so our kids get to feel like they are really helping them out, which is so important. first, they read a story to their buddy, and then they had their buddy try to find their way through a maze they have been working on creating in maths.

after school, Kaye picked me up and we did a little shopping. thank goodness she called me, because it has been raining a LOT (I got soaked on the way to the bus this morning), and it was looking quite dreary by the time school let out. at the mall, we bought a "sick present" for Hannah because she didn't feel well today, and stayed home from school. it was perfect, and ironically, just what she wanted :)

♥ my aussie mum! :)

I have been eating SO MANY mangoes and avocados, but I'll never get sick of them. they are exponentially tastier on this side of the globe. that, and there are 2 coconut trees in our yard, and I can't wait to try them! I'm told that they'll be falling soon.

I will leave you with this: one of my students asked me how old I was, and I told her to guess. she guessed that I was in my 30s. last time I will ask a student to guess my age.

first day of school & more exploration!

an ibis, I think!

today was my first day in an Aussie year 3/4 classroom. I loooved it. all the kids were just so interested in where I was from, how long it took me to fly here, and how I "have an accent." definitely not used to so much attention.

lots of pretty cliffs

wow, do I have a lot to learn about procedures. schools are alarmingly different here. the entire school is one huge open area with different sections, but no rooms are closed off... definitely different than schools in the states, but I love it! they begged me to stay in their room the whole day, so you can imagine their excitement when I told them I would be staying for 6 weeks!

forgot the name of the tree but so pretty

after school, Hannah and I had an adventure and took the bus home. it was fine, if we hadn't been waiting for each other in different areas of the bus station, but fine nonetheless once we found each other after about... an hour and a half.

my host dog Sammy, walking himself

after school, we went with Roger and Kaye to for a walk by the beach... we didn't actually go down to the beach, but it was still beautiful. and we saw a wallaby!!! not at the beach, but at a different part of the park. Roger pulled over and Hannah and I got out of the car to stalk it down, but it saw us and ran :(

I have to say... I am loving Australia and I have only been here for a day and a half. it's only going to get better!

finally in Darwin!

last day in L.A. - reading by the pool

I'M HERE!

when the plane landed, I wanted to kiss the ground. I'm finally here!

I have to admit, I was a bit sad leaving L.A., and saying goodbye to sunny (and not at all humid) SoCal, not to mention the amazing hotel and all the beautiful people I met during my stay.

goodbye, palm trees!

I called Qantas and got my flight bumped up a whole day sooner, so I packed my bags, and caught a ride to the airport with Ben, a very nice Aussie that I met during my first day at the Marriott, when this whole shebang started. what a blessing he'd been during my stay. I would have been bored silly without his company. he was the one who suggested I call Qantas, and look at me now! :)

from the air LAX -> SYD

when we got to the airport, we had some time to kill so we relaxed in the lounge, had great food and some drinks (I should never be allowed to mix bloody marys again), and chatted with a very nice (albeit a bit loony) couple sitting next to us.

an Aussie gave me 50¢ to call my folks

after we said goodbye, everything Qantas-wise ran smoothly. my first flight was 14 hours and I sat between an American and a Brit, and we had some nice chats in between our brief, uncomfortable naps. I don't care what anyone says, it's just not possible to sleep in economy.

my second flight was better. I sat between a woman who reminded  me of a less-talkative version of my grandmother, and a very nice man who offered to switch me seats so I could sit by the window (I politely declined, as the lady next to me was snoozing).

first stamp!

wine & cake with Hannah to celebrate

at last, I finally landed to see none other than Hannah and my host dad, Roger, waiting for me at the gate. A VISION, after all this time. Roger dropped us off at home, and went back to work. minutes later, my host mom Kaye came home, but was rushing to a meeting, so we threw some stuff in our purses and tagged along so we could explore around town. we stopped in a sort of cafe, got some cheesecake and wine and the rest is history. the night ended with Roger making a really delicious chicken stir-fry, and watching TV. I went to bed around 9, because I was literally falling asleep on the couch.

my room! note: bulldog!!! <3

I am going to love it here. Roger and Kaye are great. the nicest, most hospitable people ever, and we can pretty much ask them anything. I love it. my room is right across the hall from Hannah's in the house, and we can catch the bus to and from school together. I will always remember the grounding of QF 16, but at least now I can finally call myself by my blog's namesake... a yank in Darwin :)

worth the wait

My COST placement coordinator just emailed me with my placement with a host family in Darwin. AND I will be living with one of the other student teachers in the program. phew. I know that it was too hard for us to get flights together, but it'll be nice to be able to talk about how teaching is going/lesson ideas, etc. Not to mention someone to travel with! yay!