The Flight Around the World

Hi everyone! Tomorrow marks one week since my arrival in Australia (or "uhs-traih-lee-uh") as they pronounce it here!) and it has been an absolutely AMAZING week. Australia is truly everything it's cracked up to be...everyone forms stereotypes about the crazy, energetic, outdoors-y Australians with their awesome accents and love for alcohol. I can promise you that all of these stereotypes are true! The Australian people are possibly the friendliest, warmest, most helpful and lovable population in the world. But before you can get to Australia to experience its majesty, you have to get through the flight...

It's harder to find a flight longer than the flight to Australia. Those lucky West Coast Americans who wish to get "Down Unda" have it much easier than those of us from the East Coast, who have to fly across the country before getting on a plane from somewhere in California to somewhere in Australia. After leaving Philadelphia, PA at 1:20pm on Friday February 17, we flew to Cincinnati and had a short layover before flying into Los Angeles. Miraculously, after almost 7 hours of flying, we got into LAX at 5:50pm. At almost 11pm after eating some questionable Panda Express Chinese food, we boarded the airplane that would take us into Brisbane International Airport. My first thought when entering the Virgin Australia plane was that I had just walked into a club and not onto an airplane. A full bar awaited the passengers, leading into an absolutely ENORMOUS cabin. While the first class passengers could recline their chairs into beds, the coach passengers were still equipped with personal TVs (that had hundreds of movies and TV shows on demand along with a messaging service so that you could text any other seat on the plane!), blankets, pillows, eye covers, ear plugs, and headphones. The flight attendants were dressed in beautifully colored suits and vests and treated the passengers like royalty. The safety video alone is enough to make you love the flight...you can watch it right here, and you should! It will give you a good laugh!

Immediately after taking off, they dimmed the cabin lights so that it was almost pitch black and almost everyone went to sleep.

Saturday, February 18 completely disappeared to everyone on that flight. Somehow, 14 hours after leaving LAX on February 17, it was 7am on Sunday February 19 and we were in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia!! It seemed like an overnight flight, and I slept for almost 7 hours of it. We received breakfast on this flight. It wasn't your typical "airplane breakfast," but a cheese omelet with sausage, roasted potatoes, vegetables, yogurt, a croissant, coffee, and tea. The flight to Australia sounds like it would be unbearably long and miserable, but I absolutely loved my time with Virgin Australia and, although I am never going to want to leave, will probably enjoy the return flight as well! If you fly to Australia with Virgin Australia, I promise that the daunting myths about being on a plane for so long will not apply. Plus, you know you're getting out in the most amazing place in the entire world!

Breakfast on the plane!

Once we got to Brisbane, we were greeted by a driver from Griffith University, where we are going to school. We rode to campus with an exchange student from France, one from Germany, and another from the United States. It was barely 8am (5pm the day before in Hershey because of the 15 hour time difference), and was already in the 80s and sunny. After getting to campus, we received a linen package that included sheets, a quilt, towels, and a pillow. The package was free for the moment but don't worry, if you don't give it back to them within 2 weeks, you're charged $88. At this moment I began to realize how exorbitantly expensive everything is in Australia. A linen package is $88 a "fortnight" for a rental, internet is either $25, $40, or $60 extra a month, and you have to pay for your mailbox. Mascara is $20 a tube, a coke is $3.50 a bottle, and finding an article of clothing for less than $25 is a miracle. Also, despite the sweltering heat, there's no air conditioning in the dormitories, or "colleges" as they call them here. $30 later, i have a nice fan that I live in front of! Here's a picture of my dorm room and the view outside- it's small but i love it!

The first day in any new country is really hard. I was really homesick, exhausted, and HOT AS HELL. After taking a short nap and waking up at 6pm Brisbane time, my body thought it was 3am and was definitely dragging. Today was the first day I woke up at a normal time (9:30 am) and felt settled into the time difference. It's amazing what feeling rested does to any international experience! The first week here has been a surreal blur of making friends, traveling, experiencing the alcoholic culture (unavoidable), and soaking up all that Australia has to offer!

Every time I blog, I'm going to include some Australian vocabulary to give all of you a taste of their culture. Here's the first few!

• LINE (as in "get in line" for something)= QUEUE
• YOU'RE WELCOME = NO WORRIES or IT'S ALRIGHT (you literally wont find someone that says you're welcome!) 
• TRASH= RUBBISH
• LITE MILK = SKIM, FULL CREAM= WHOLE
• BISCUIT = COOKIE

That's all for this post...check back soon, I'll be posting pictures from our AMAZING 3-day trip to Byron Bay! Thanks for reading!!

Love,
Sarah