Two Days To Go

Hello! Two days until Ella, Madison and I head off. It suddenly feels very real, and very scary. I'm completely packed, and happy to announce that my suitcase weighs only thirty pounds. Ella, however, has just begun to organize and pack her clothing.
Today, I woke up feeling very sad; it's really strange for me to think about being away from my home, my loving family and the rest of my life for so long. I can already feel the waterworks that are most likely going to fall on Tuesday. It's hard to believe that just last weekend, I was making fun of Ella and my mom because they said they were going to cry at the airport and I was convinced that I wouldn't do such a thing.
Madison and I spent half an hour on the phone yesterday talking about what to pack. I was shocked how hard it was to pick clothes and stuff that I would need for two and a half months. Shoes were definitely my biggest problem, and I realize that that is probably the most girly thing I could say, but it's absolutely true!

Alright, with departure on Tuesday, I thought it would be fitting to post the flight/time schedule just to give everyone an idea of how long we will be traveling.

January 1, 2013 : Depart Seattle   4:30pm - arrive at airport at 1:30pm
                            Arrive Los Angeles   7:05pm
         
                   Lay Over in Los Angeles for two hours.

January 1, 2013 : Depart Los Angeles   9:15pm
                      Cross the International Date Line (lose a day)
January 3, 2013 :  Arrive Auckland      7:15am

January 3, 2013 : Depart Auckland  8:20am
                            Arrive Melbourne 10:20am (Melbourne is two hours ahead of Auckland).

Melbourne is nineteen hours ahead of the Untied States west coast.

How Big Is Australia?

Hello! Nine days until the adventure begins. I still have yet to fully pack, I've managed to stock pile a few things here and there but that is the extent. However, my friend did bring me a converter the other night so now I don't have to worry about getting one once I land in Melbourne.
During orientation some very interesting information was presented and after persuading the speaker to lend me his power point, I am now able to share this information.

Australia is approximately 7,686,850 Sq. Km. Verses the United Staes which is 9,629,091 Sq. Km. 

Australia has a range of climates: from mountains, to deserts, to beaches and beautiful coastlines.

New Zealand is approximately 268,680 Sq. Km.

The climate in the north island is similar to that of southern California, while the southern part of the island is more like Washington and Montana. The tiny south tip of the island has a similar climate to the arctic circle and contains ice caves that are available to explore.

Australia and New Zealand are so far south that there's a place in Melbourne where you can take a boat out and watch the penguins return from their nightly feed.
Seems really odd that a place that's hot and dry would have a place to watch penguins. This is definitely on my list of things to do.

The Beginning.

Hello! My sister and I have been presented with an amazing opportunity: to partake in a ten week study abroad program in Australia and New Zealand.
Our adventure officially begins on January 1st! This officially marks the count down until then. Twenty-four days until we leave and I have only just begun to think about packing and what I need to bring and what needs to stay at home.
This past Saturday we attended an orientation for our Australia/New Zealand trip, it was exciting to feel like the ball was finally rolling. We received information on the classes we would be taking, the possible trips and adventures that we could go on and information on when and where we would be staying.

The ten week program is divided into five weeks in Australia and five weeks in New Zealand. The first four weeks in each country will be devoted to school, field trips and staying with the group (except on weekends). The fifth week will be a free travel break; meaning, we get to travel wherever we want in Australia/New Zealand as long as we can afford it. Ella, I and our cousin Madison are all hoping to visit Cairns, while in Australia, to go snorkeling through out the Great Barrier Reef. Special goal? To see a shark. :) Crazy? Maybe. Though I did see a shark last year in Captain Cook, Hawaii. Unfortunately that shark was only six-seven feet long and was laying on the bottom of a reef, completely oblivious to the snorkelers above it. I think Ella wants to visit Hobbiton in Matamata, New Zealand, during our travel break there. 

We are so excited to have this opportunity!