July 10th 2016 The First Day in Australia

 July 8th 2016

Imagineer Marty Sklar says that the world’s scariest thing is a blank page. When I first heard that saying it was on a sketch book that Kim Thompson gave me. I wanted to agree with it, but I always have questioned it, until this week. I realized that Marty Sklar didn’t mean for it to be taken literally as I had interpreted it. I became scared at this blank page that was presented in front of me. This page that had no outlines, no plans, no strong ideas but weak ones, and no one to bounce ideas off of.

My parents dropped me off at LAX and I had about three hours to kill before my flight so I got a double gin and tonic (in order to cool the nerves) at Ford’s Filling Station. I called my parents and Nicole to say my last goodbye while I was still on the same continent.

I boarded my flight and watched Finding Nemo because I felt like I had to because I was headed to Australia. They served us some pasta/lasagna dish with something that was supposed to be eggplant. I fell asleep and woke up multiple times due to screaming kids and the uncomfortableness of my seat. Woke up about five hours later then they served us some snacks and I started to watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I fell asleep half way…. Boring stuff really nothing exciting until we flew over the Sydney Harbor. I saw the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge through the fog.

July 10th 2016

When we landed at about 7:45 am the captain came on and told us to stay in our seats when we stopped because someone was sick on out flight and Quarantine was going to come on and check them out. Well it turned out to be a kid about 2 or 3 rows ahead of me (great....) and the Biopolice came on and declared that he was "Okay".

I got through customs fine and walked out and saw Jacinta waiting for me outside of customs. Now for those of you who don’t know, Jacinta is a friend that I met at CSULB while she was studying abroad from Australia. From the excitement of landing in Australia and seeing Jacinta again I was wide awake. She took me to Westfield Mall and we had Breakfast at Coffee Stop with her family.

After breakfast I got my phone hooked up with an Australian service and went to go buy some last minute items I needed for the dorm. While I was looking at soap at the store I was joking with Jacinta about all of the soap and I went to stand up and accidentally hit a sign. A lady walked by and said “It’s a whole new world isn’t it?” I laughed and realized that my accent was way more noticeable than I thought.

After the mall Jacinta took me to her house and showed me around and I met her dog Charlie and…..I forgot her cat’s name, but I met her cat also. She then took me next door because I brought over some NASA space shuttles for Jacinta’s neighbors grandkids that live in Switzerland. The neighbors were so excited that I had brought the shuttles.

While I was talking to them in their backyard I saw some really pretty birds that were a vibrant green had some red and orange tones on their necks. I didn’t have my camera but hopefully I will be able to get a picture of them soon.

Jacinta started to drive me down to Wollongong and she stopped off at a lookout point over Wollongong. I have attached a picture below. As I was standing at this lookout point I became excited because it looked like San Clemente back in California…kind of….in the respects that it was a beach town. There is a business area with big buildings that I have yet to explore.

Then Jacinta drove me down into town on a cool winding road and drove me to a store named Cole’s. She had me sit down at the Bakery in the store called Al Aseel and then left. While I was waiting for her I heard “Hi Ryan!” You could say I was caught off guard but it turned out to be one of Jacinta’s friends, Sara. She then made me the Best Chai Latte I have ever had we hung out and talked to her for about an hour and planned out what we want to do in Sydney tomorrow. Jacinta assured me that Sara would help me with any questions I had about the town or bus system. Jacinta noticed I was starting to fade so then she took me to drive around the University of Wollongong Campus then dropped me off at my dorm.

I got a tour from some people and then unpacked my luggage and I am now almost settled in my room. It is currently 5:10 p.m. I am just listening to some music in my room and waiting for dinner feeling a little tired and trying to stay away from getting even more tired. I have met some people around the dorm and some that have stopped by my room. I am going to Sydney with Jacinta tomorrow and I just have to figure out what I want to do.

I know this isn’t a very exciting post, but I think it’s been a good day and a lot has already happened. I am becoming more and more excited at this opportunity of my blank page that is sitting in front of me. So here I am in the southern hemisphere on a different continent but I can feel that good things and adventures are bound to happen.