Learning, Traveling, and Job prospects

This has been quite an interesting week and it isn't even over yet. Many things have happened and are going to happen in the coming and last couple of days. I guess everything began on Tuesday when I went to the BUNAC offices to print off my resume and look for more job postings. I met my friend Ellen there and we began talking about traveling, our semi crazy lives, and the courage to move to a whole other country on our own at the age of 22. With both of us, we are the only people out of any of our friends to ever do anything like this, which I thought was interesting. But, the next night I ended up sitting down with my housemate Blake who is from Australian and talked for a couple of hours, comparing our different lives in each country. He also told me of all of his travels all over the world and showed me pictures of the places he's been. It's amazing how at the age of 26 how much of the world he's actually seen and still plans on seeing. Its funny though, we went into topics like college and home and each other's cultures expectations, and everything is just so different from each other. I guess when I found out that I was living with Aussies I really didn't think their lives were much different than ours. But, they are actually much different in alot of ways. For example, college in Australia is nothing like it is in the U.S. First off, you don't live on campus unless you're from "the country" (more like the desert) as he puts it or a foreigner. So, every college is a commute school and you just live at home or on your own somewhere..there is no campus life, no frat parties (he didn't even know anything about fraternities/sororities except for what he's seen in movies...that took awhile to explain), no going away for four years. Its just school, not really the experience like most of had when we went away to college, which for me I appreciate a little more now. He showed me pictures of his friends from home (I did the same for him, so he saw some of you) and where he lives in Sydney which is right next to the beach. Its actually quite beautiful. He told me of a trip he took once to go to a friend's wedding at a beach near the great barrier reef where he sailed a couple days before it on the ocean. I guess you just sleep on top of the boat every night under the stars where the only thing you hear is the sound of the ocean, which sounds like heaven. I think I've mentioned this in a previous blog, but the main difference I think between us is the normalness of leaving home after college and just traveling for a couple of years in Australia. For me, leaving home to move here, was an emotional decision due to it nonacceptance in the States. I mean how many of you actually know someone who did what I'm doing right now..just picking up after college and moving to a whole other country to work and essentially play. Honestly, I was terrified of it all because it was as if I was doing something so absurd and that putting my life on hold may have consequences to my future. Its just not normal. But, in Australia and many other places in the world, its highly accepted and encouraged, which in my mind should be changed in the states. In just living here with these Australians and talking with them, I have learned so much about the world already and its something I think everyone should experience. I'm excited to meet more people and take all of this in everyday, and frankly I'm glad I decided to go against the norm.

Besides, my little life lessons I'm learning, today was Chris' last day in London before he heads back to Chicago so Brendan, Ellen, Jamie, and I all had lunch with him before he left. It was kind of bittersweet because he's been such a huge part of me getting acquainted with this city, so its sad to see him go. But, today was also an exciting day because I got calls for two interviews tomorrow! One is for a receptionist position at a gym and the other is for an agency that places selected people for temporary office work. So, hopefully I'll get one or both and have some options.

Tomorrow I am going to go see Wicked with Ellen and Jamie which I can't wait for. At home I was dying to see it so I am excited to see it here. I plan on going to a couple different shows here, especially We Will Rock You and Sister Act the Musical which only play in London. Saturday I am taking a day trip with BUNAC to see Dover and Canterbury. We get a tour of Dover Castle and the medieval town of Canterbury where the setting of Canterbury Tales takes place. I guess on a clear day you can see France from the Dover cliffs, so that'll be nice. Besides that I am not sure! I'll keep you all updated....