4 posts tagged “australia”
I guess it actually hasn't been a slow day, but I'm still really bored. There was that sign from God that Kevin should dress up as Old Gregg for Halloween (although the tutu would need to be dyed pink), maybe the rest of my day just pales in comparison to the magnitude of that coincidence.
Oh, and I actually got some good news via the phone, it just happened right as I found the tutu so it totally slipped my mind. I don't know who all I told about this, but there's this organization call International Student Volunteers and their name is pretty self explanatory. Students travel to different countries to perform volunteer work. Except there is more to it. Basically, it's a four-week program that's available in Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Thailand and Croatia. The first two weeks are made up of volunteer work which can be either community development (building houses, working with kids) or conservation projects (working with animals, the environment, etc) and the last two weeks are an "adventure" program where you do really epic stuff that varies depending on which country you choose. You can also customize your program by adding on a second or third country.
So anyway, I applied because that sounds like the most amazing summer vacation ever and I got in! That's not really a big surprise or relief, though, because the people I talked to said that anybody will get in unless they put something down like "I'd rather eat sea turtles than save them." So assuming I accept this I am most DEFINITELY going to Costa Rica to do the conservation project and adventure program and possibly adding on the Australian adventure program, if I get the money. For the volunteer work I can choose from any number of non profit organizations to work for but in Costa Rica, of course, they have... sea turtles! And these sea turtles need help (not in the same way TL does)! For the adventure portion I guess I get to "choose my own adventure," but here's what I can choose from:
- Snorkeling in the Pacific Ocean
- White water rafting on the Pacuare River
- Treks through several ecological reserves, including the cloud forests of Monteverde
- Jungle kayaking in the canals of Tortuguero National Park
- Horseback riding through an organic coffee farm
- Zip-lining in cloud forests
- Observing one of Costa Rica's many volcanoes
- Rappelling in La Fortuna
- Exploring the local nightlife in Heredia
So, yeah, just thought I'd fill you all in on what I might be doing this summer.
Aside from that, I've just got a ton of school work to do. I'm reading a lot of Marx for my sociology class, which is really dry but my roommate bought me ice cream when I finished my reading last week so maybe that will continue. This week I get to read what he thinks about capitalism. My psych class is called Conflict and Communication in Couples and Families and is by far the most interesting class. I need to write a paper about a common problem in intimate relationships (romantic ones) and common ways it's solved now, then come up with a different way to solve it. Anybody have any suggestions for some good topics?
Well, dear readers, I also have a lot of laundry to fold so I'm going to take care of that right now and then go to bed. Until next time.
Were any of you aware the Shins had a remix album? Well, I wasn't until tonight when I randomly heard "Australia" remixed by Peter Bjorn and John on the radio. I thought it was great, so here it is!
What's the next country you want to visit?
Submitted by Schomer.
Espana! Porque le quiero Shaynon!
After that, it's either gonna be Australia or somewhere in Latin America.
Errggghh inner conflict.
So. I've just come home from a weekend in Rome... which was all right because a few factors made it less than perfect. I liked Florence better, but I liked Rome better than Venice. Anyway, that is the end of all my travels out of England. And I'm really really sad. After my four weekend straight travelling I just wanted to be in my room, so I got my weekend off then had an AMAZING week in Italy and Greece followed by this weekend in Rome and I feel like I could go for another month or two. I guess this is the "travelling bug." And I've either caught it or been bitten by it, depending on what you mean by a bug... either way I'm infected. I need to go to Australia. And Germany. And Spain.
BUT
I am so so very homesick. I want to be eating at In-n-Out after church with the regular group. I want to see my dog. I want to hang out with all the cravers. I want to be in Shannon's living room. I want to be around what's familiar to me.
Here is what I would love:
1. Come home for Christmas
a.Stay until March
2. Continue European travels
a.End around June
3. Hang around Ventura for a month
4. Take a cross-country road trip
a. Lasting until September
5. I don't know, I'm free from September to December. Maybe here is when I work like crazy to pay off the crazy debt.
6. Spend New Year's Eve in Australia, then travel around Australia for a month or two.
7. Come home in February, then start living a normal steady life involving school and working a part time job.
Wouldn't that be nice?
But that's not going to happen, so I think God has a different plan for me, so I'm going to have to go with that one instead. I just hope it involves Australia.
