Study Abroad Blog

I was Judson bound at approximately 9:23 a.m. EST on Friday. I arrived just before noon to a pleasantly quiet campus. There was not any impending work I needed to clear up last Friday, I just wanted to go hang out with my friends. It is strange how much I feel like I've missed out on just in the past few weeks. Luckily, I've been able to keep up with the major Judson happenings through Facebook.

Friday night, I went to Birmingham with a group of girls to celebrate a friend's 21^st birthday. We ate at the Mellow Mushroom (which strangely enough, I have been craving for about 2 months now!). On the way back to school, me and the other three girls I was with decided to go by Walmart. On the way out, I (being extremely parched) steered our little group to the juice section intending to get some Simply Orange OJ. Instead, I was somehow talked into getting a puke green drink of a smoothie consistency even though everything in me said I should not drink something that looks like that... Yes! I did give into peer pressure. Whatever I drank is still unknown to me; it supposedly had multiple types of fruit plus ginger root, broccoli, and many other forms of greenery in it. Moral of the story: NEVER EVER let your friends talk you into buying a drink that they aren't buying because they say it "tastes different, but very good". YUCK YUCK YUCK! I will be sticking to Simply Orange from now on!

Saturday was a day filled with dancing and karaoke. Jill, my roommate (that I'm no longer living with, but refuse to call ex-roommate) is the dance teacher at Judson. When I was at Judson, we had various dance classes every Monday night.  Because I was in town, we had a special dance class. We learned how to do a couple dances - one from the Nutcracker and the other was the Mamba. I failed miserably at the Mamba.... but it was fun!

Karaoke at J&Rs (a local eatery in Marion) was FABULOUS! I love to sing karaoke and I love to watch other people do it too! Some friends from MMI were really funny when they got up and sang. They always sang together and inserted entertaining sounds and lyrics into the songs. We even got Jill to get up to sing which was a challenge since going in she said she would never sing in front of people. It was a great day for sure!

3 weeks to go... and SOOO much to do.

I am going to take a few minutes to share with you a few questions I have been pondering and attempt to give the best answer I can give.

Question: How does one spend time with everyone before going to the other side of the world for 4 months?

Answer: It is not possible to spend quality time with everyone to the extent that I would like to spend. Right now I'm down at my aunt's house in Panama City. I haven't seen her in a few months. My dad and I decided to come down here for a few (precious) days. Thursday afternoon I'm going to eat dinner with my boyfriend's family and one of my friends from high school. Friday, I head to Judson to see everyone there for the weekend. I have at least one appointment everyday next week to try to get everything in order before Australia. I hope to go to my Nana's house and maybe see my cousins. Then I am off to Chicago to visit my sweet boyfriend. When I get back, I will have one week to pack, spend time with my entire family, and catch up with all my friends.... this is going to be a looooong few weeks. Therefore, I might possibly ignore the urge to snooze in order to spend every waking minute with someone. (and I THOUGHT this would be a boring month hahaha)

Question:How do I deal with the intense fears my family has when they realize all the deadly creatures that lurk around every corner of the continent?

Answer: AVOID AVOID AVOID I have mastered the art of avoiding this topic. I prefer to bring up topics like: I am so excited to see a kangaroo or I cannot wait to see the Opera House. Unfortunately, these comments are always followed by some extremely negative comment from my folks. For example, "The kangaroos aren't what you need to worry about, it is the poisonous snakes... did you know that out of the 10 deadliest snakes over half of them are only found in Australia?" or this one, "Promise me (for the 6,000,000,000th time) that you will not even get near a body of water." I am beginning to think they do not want me to even take a bath! Getting up and acting like I have to go to the bathroom is a great way to stop the conversation ;) Just kidding!

Question: How will I deal with the lack of contact?

Answer: Anyone have any prozac? Not really, but seriously, right now it is really easy to be excited about my upcoming adventure. As excited as I am, I know it will not be easy to be SO far away. I still cannot figure out how I will talk to people. I know there will not be internet at my homestay. Long distance phone calls will be few and far between. Everything has fallen into place so far, I pray that I will quickly connect to the people I am traveling with so we can be a support system for one another. AND hopefully, I can find time to skype!!!

As the trip gets closer, all my emotions seem to intensify. I will soon be in the world "down under"... a place totally different from the world I know. All I can do at this point is ride it out... let my emotions flow... and realize that it is all part of knowing that my life will forever change in less than a month!

"Never forget that anticipation is an important part of life. Work's important, family's important, but without excitement, you have nothing. You're cheating yourself if you refuse to enjoy what's coming."-Nicholas Sparks in 3 Weeks With My Brother

Do not forget to enjoy what is to come!

-Christina Lee

I remember my freshman year. It was a time of immense change. I dreaded the very thought of going to Marion, Ala. I came home EVERY weekend. I'm sure Judson students got tired of hearing me cry because I was SOOOOOO homesick. Actually, a few classmates told me recently that they thought it was pretty ridiculous since I was home more than I was at school. I would wait until the last minute on Sunday night to return for classes the next morning. The battle would begin inside me every Sunday. I knew I had the ability to stay at home, but I also knew I would fail my classes if I did not attend the lectures. So, I drove that dreaded two and a half hour drive, crying, THE ENTIRE WAY.

My dad remembers my freshman year, too. He spent hours on the phone with me (many of them at 4 a.m. because he was the only one awake). Every week we went through the same routine. Christina sobbing, "Dad! I can't do this anymore. I hate it here! I just want to come home!" Dad: "Christina, I know it is hard, but just give it one more week. If you decide next week to come home, no one is stopping you. If you will just give it a chance, you might like it."  This was repeated over and over and over. I know my parents got tired of my wailing.

Dad and I visited Judson today to clear up a financial situation with Australia (one month until I fly to LA!!!). We talked about my freshman year on the ride home. We laughed because it was silly! He told me that he was really surprised at the end of that year that I actually STAYED at Judson. It took a week to week effort to keep me there.

College was new, different, and out of the ordinary for me. I LOATHED change, which manifested into loathing anything to do with Judson.

Of course, now Marion, Ala. is one of my favorite places and I would not trade my Judson experience for anything.

A couple years, a few friends, and tons of memories changed my point of view.

I am glad I did not give up.

Because of a school in small-town Marion, Ala., my life has changed forever and I would not have it any other way.

 "The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become." -Charles Dubois

Therefore, I leave you with a challenge: You never know what the future holds, dive in WITHOUT reservation!!!

Disclaimer: This does not include the waters in Australia... I am fully aware that diving in could be potentially fatal by any assortment of marine life.... but you know what I mean ;)

-ChristinaLee

P.S. The Alabama colors ARE intentional... ROLL TIDE!

I do not recall when my fascination with Australia began. I've always been a fan of traveling and I think that Australia became initially enticing because I heard very little about it. There was always something mysterious about it. I wanted to dive in and figure out everything I could about the place.

I remember last year in World History II we never talked about Australia. I thought it was extremely unfair because Australia is a continent... and a country. I began raising my hand in class during different lectures to see if Australia has anything to do with the current topic- usually to no avail, but I was persistent. I do not know if the professor was annoyed by my questioning or if I entertained him, but he never told me to stop. Even now, I have friends who raise their hands and ask my favorite question: What about Australia? It makes me happy every time I hear about someone doing it.

So when the opportunity practically slapped me in the face, I could NOT turn down the chance to study in the place that had already made it into my heart. I have already started learning about Australia by reading Bill Bryson's In a Sunburned Country. We are required to read it before we leave for Australia and I am so glad we are... because it is really good.

The 8 pages I have read so far explain how interesting and unique Australia is. Eighty percent of all that lives in Australia cannot be found anywhere else in the world. All ten of the world's most deadly snakes can be found in Australia (my parents are NOT happy about this one).

The Aboriginal people are different racially and linguistically from other people group in the surrounding area. It is believed that somehow over 45,000 years ago, Aborigines were extremely advanced for their time and created some kind of sea vessel that transported them to Australia. When they got to Australia, somehow they forgot all they knew and stayed on the island without any trace of evidence that they ever tried to leave.  

WOW... who knew all this and SO much more is in Australia? I know I didn't (except for all the poisonous creatures... my dad made sure I knew they were there... in a FAILED attempt to keep me from going).

And I haven't even mentioned the kangaroos! I wish I could hop around in a pouch, but I know that would land me in either the hospital or the morgue- the two places I hope to avoid on the trip. J

So, my lovely blog friends, I will leave you with a song by Dorotha Mackellar:

I love a sunburnt country,

A land of sweeping plains,

Of ragged mountain ranges,

Of droughts and flooding rains.

Hooroo!

ChristinaLee