Back in Canberra

I've actually been back in Canberra since Saturday night, but it only now feels like I'm really back. I'm in my PBL room, working on my part for tomorrow's session, and it feels good. It was great to be on vacation, but I was beginning to get a little twitchy about not studying for so long. I haven't done much work since getting back cuz Kenric's been staying with me, and I feel so bad for leaving him all alone in a boring town, that I try not to ignore him when he's around.

I was away from Canberra for about two weeks. The first week was part of our course, where we are required to spend time in rural communities. I stayed in Goulburn (btwn Canberra & Sydney), where the main industries are sheep farming, and the maximum security prison. So during the week we stayed on a sheep farm (the Pelican Sheep Station), and visited the Goulburn Jail. We also had some lectures at the hospital, learned to take blood pressures (where I got to use my spiffy new stethoscope), and took blood pressures of members of the community at the Goulburn show - the annual town fair.

It was a great experience, especially to bond with some of my group members, but I highly doubt that you'll be seeing me move out into the Outback. OH!! I also watched a play called Inheritance while I was there. It was horrible!! There were awkward pauses, cast members didn't know their lines (they held and read off their scripts on-stage!), and the story was too much. Okay, it wasn't super horrible, but it evoked strong negative emotions from me.

Rural week went from Tuesday to Sunday (they stole our weekend), so on the Sunday we went from Goulburn to Canberra. I took a quick shower, finished off my packing, and within an hour, was back in the car heading off to Sydney to meet up with Kenric, who had arrived on Saturday. We spent two days in Sydney (I don't find Sydney that exciting anymore, it's just another city) walking around, and flew up to the Gold Coast Tuesday afternoon. THAT was the beginning of my vacation.

Gold Coast

We grabbed a cab at the airport, and gave the driver Kellie's address. After a $40 drive, we pull up to a gated house. I thought he had the wrong place - if only you knew Kellie. We hit the intercom button, and a few seconds later, Kellie comes to open up the gate. Her house was amazing! It backs onto a canal, has an indoor fountain, a swimming pool, balcony, and amazing backyard verandah. I felt like I was in paradise. How can people actually get things done when they have such a great house for lounging?

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A week later (April 4 2005)

I'm definitely back in Canberra for a while now. I was in Sydney on the weekend to meet up with Kenric on the weekend. You don't understand how good it feels to say, "yeah, I was on the beach this time yesterday." I'm beginning to really love this Australian lifestyle. However, I'm not here just to play, I'm here to study. We have our first exam in less than two weeks time. I'm getting pretty nervous, but am trying to focus on stuff, and cover what I can. My only consolation is that the exam doesn't actually count towards my final grade, it's just to make sure that everyone's up to speed (which I currently am not, but hopefully will be).

Anyhoo, there's lots more to write about, but I better post this now so there's something out there.

Missing home lots,
Bea.