This past week we concluded our courses for the semester which made for a busy week of final exams, presentations, and papers. As an overall sentiment, I was pretty happy with the results of my classes and enjoyed much of my coursework. My parents were around on Monday and then left to return back to the States. My Aunt was in Sydney on Friday as well and I got the chance to catch up with her at dinner in the Rocks. As I am the only Bucknell student who has elected to stay in Sydney, I spent the week also doing some of my roomates and my favorite activities and visiting our favorite spots around Sydney.
This weekend we are venturing outside of New South Wales, to Queensland to Cairns so we can experience more of the wildlife and visit the Great Barrier Reef. Our first day in Cairns we spent relaxing by the pool after a lengthier flight which was a much needed break from our past week of work. Sunday we had the pleasure of visiting the reef. I did not end up scuba diving but snorkeled around 3 different spots on the reef. The vibrant colors of the coral, the limitless amount of different fish species and the amazing natural architecture of the reef made it an unforgettable experience. It was interesting to see how the reef actual looks after hearing and seeing so much about the pollution and health of the reef in our Aussie Life and Culture course. Today (Monday) we ventured on a guided tour around multiple different spots in Queensland. Waterfalls, Rainforest Trails, and 700 year old Fig Trees highlighted the itinerary which was an amazing experience once again. The waterfalls made for some amazing pictures and a beautiful day didn’t hurt the picturesqueness of the whole scene.
This coming week I will return to Sydney and start my internship with UPS. I am looking forward to the change of pace, but also nervous to be in a new environment with a completely different set of people. As always I embrace the adventure with open arms and can’t wait to start the second half of our program.
