Special future post. 28th August.

The 28th of August represents one of many special moments I'm missing.

Dearest Jennifer Hawker, it is your twentieth birthday, and for the first time in 5 years, I am not around to celebrate it with you. Soooo....

Happy birthday lovely.

Lots of love from America.

27th August.

It's been a rough few days. Caution, sappiness ahead.

I don't think there would be something much more awful than a Skype connection that's not completely connected. It was the first time that I realised that I couldn't rely on Skype to see my friends, or worse, my family. It was the second time that I chocked back tears from the ache of distance since I've been here.
(I'm not counting the breakdown I had in my friends' arms before I headed to the airport.)
I'm going to miss so many things by being here, but going to experience amazing things too. The irony of bitter sweetness.

But I was kept busy yesterday to keep my mind off it, and, today, I keep organising myself for my first day tomorrow, so am still busy.
I updated my contact details to include my address here and my new phone number.
I think that's all.

So many words that I can't say. They're all written with sorrow in ink in my throat. I can hug you all in February. 

August 25th.

What a night!!

I want to sincerely apologise to a panic'd Jennifer. 

So we had a fire drill last night. I'm kind of used to them living in Village at ECU, it was a not an occasion when the fire alarm blared and you filled out (sometimes via the stairs, other times via the lift...). The alarm was pulled at around 11pm, just as I had shut off my light. SHIT. I had a room full of freshmen so my suite mate is furiously but gently knocking on my door, going 'Jessi, Jessi! We need to go... Jessi!'. Yep, that's good, but I am experienced. You dress. As much as we're all told to leave everything and get out, I was not leaving in my white daggy PJ pants and singlet. In less than a minute I had a my shorts back on (would have preferred my jeans, but oh well) and a long sleeved shirt in my hands. And, of course, phone in hand! 

I should have grabbed the pillow from my bed too, because we were out there for 3 hours. It was 2 am by the time we got back into our halls. Fun night! 

So, I find out later, that someone had left a piece of poly pipe filled with cement that had been used to anchor a tent on move in day (which was yesterday, yes, poor people who had just moved in and had to spend half the night on the gym floor) and a police man who patrols the campus saw it and thought it was a BOMB... yep, bomb! So we had the bomb squad in to take the 'bomb' away and they blew it up and everything was fine again. 

As much as it was a pain in the butt, I'm kind of glad to see how UNC works and how much they clamped down on a threat. It was very professional and very calm. 

Now, for the reason I'm apologising to Jennifer. I messaged her in my boredom, asking her to 'please be on [facebook]'. I mean, it was mid afternoon in Australia and I talked to Mattie for a bit, so why could she look at her phone and message me back. Well, she did, eventually, in a panic... Yeah, I should have specified why I was messaging her! :P Eep. 

Also, just a little note, nothing, and I meant nothing makes you feel unfitter than an American University Gym... It's the altitude! (We've been blaming everything on the altitude. Unfitness, sweating, hunger, exhaustion... It's all the altitude's fault!)

Okay, signing off with a few more pictures of my time here so far: 

Bowling with the CIE: 22nd August.

Frenchy:

Risso:

Yes, we named ourselves after Grease characters.
Frenchy - Marine, French exchange student, from the west side, not sure what Uni.
Sandy - Emily, Australian exchange student, also from ECU!
Risso - Kathryn, Australian exchange student from Canberra, UC.
Marty - the lovely mwah!

WELCOME BEARS!

Our mascot

*cough cough* a red fire hydrant. Trilled me! 

 The insanity of move in day!
Doesn't quite show it here, but the lobby was packed, decided to use the stairs and was almost passing out every time I got to level 5... the altitudes fault!
(Also not pictured here, FOOTBALLERS... helping to bring in peoples stuff! How nice of them! And the stereotypes don't lie, they are BIG men!)

Sororities!!!

Left: Sigma Kappa, Right: Delta Zeta... was totally invited to Delta Zeta house later on when we started talking to the girl at the Uni! We are IN! :P

Alpha Sigma Alpha.

The entertainment of the fire alarm... Ninga? I hadn't heard of it but it looked pretty cool. You have to hit the next persons hand with yours by doing ninga moves. Was funny to watch, but didn't participate, was too tired for that!

Alright, signing off, I miss you all, I'm getting excited to start my classes next tuesday, I went and got my books (which were super expensive) today, so I'll read  up on them a bit before classes start to get a bit of a head start and not to look like the ignorance Aussie :) 

I love you, 

Jess <3

August 20th.

The Tracking Collar.



The Journey so far: 

LA to Manhattan, Montana; to Cody, Wyoming (through Yellowstone); to Sheridan, Wyoming; to Hot Springs, South Dakota; to Colorado Springs, Colorado; to Greeley, Colorado. All in two weeks :) 

Beware. Mass of pictures ahead with minimal explanation! :P

Canyon Ferry Lake: 

Uncle and Father. 

The creek's just over that hill...

Spanish Creek:

Yellowstone: 

Elk

The Paint Pots

Beautiful Wyoming

Big Horn Mountains (drive from Yellowstone to Cody):

 

No need for words. 

Sheridan:

Old old saddles. King Saddlery Museum.

OMG, right?!

Driving through Denver:

Travelling down highway 25

 My father, being the amazing man he is, as he started driving through Denver, chuckled and asked if we (Mum and I) wanted a confidence boost in him.
'This is the biggest city I've ever driven through!' 

*holds seatbelt a little tighter* 

Colorado Springs' Pike's Peak: 

Yep, that's right 14 100 feet! 

They call this The Devil's Playground. Lightning strikes the ground quite randomly and frequently. 

Watching a cloud roll in.

View was breath taking... or was that the altitude? 

Phew... that's all for now!! 
I missing you guys like crazy. Will write more soon. 

August 7th and 8th

The set of Cars. 

Dad and I (and a random little kid)

The happiest place on earth. Disneyland. Three words: oh my God! The people, the rides, the atmosphere. It's kind of a combination between Morley Galleria  on a Saturday, the airport, and the royal show, but all on steroids. Or ecstasy. It is amazing yet utterly cringe worthy at the same time. The experience makes it all that you ever dreamed and more, but the masses of people make it awful! Maybe it's designed that way so you don't explode with exhilaration.
The mornings aren't too bad. Mum asked me wether it was what I thought it would be. It was only about 10.30am, so I said I thought it would be busier! It got busier! By lunch the walkways were shoulder to shoulder people. I don't like crowds, so working my way through them way blech!
Two days of this and I have surely had quite enough of these crowds. I've ridden the rides, I've hugged the characters, I've eaten more than I care to admit and my jeans are already feeling tight (two days! Two freaking days!) I'm done! Even if I wasn't, my ankle is ready to give up on me. Arse!

Oh, just to add a by the way, the flight left an hour late from Sydney, so got in at 7am, an hour late in LA. I really didn't mind, it meant that it was lighter over the city. The hotel room is beautiful! And was ready when we got there, a good 5 hours before check-in! I think I've mentioned this before but it was a blessing to shower! That day was a bit of a right off, we were all exhausted, but we did get to Disneyland that day! The shops part anyway. Downtown Disneyland, it's called, and you don't actually have to have a ticket to enter! Smartest idea ever!

I'm going to sign off with a few little pictures, and see if I can set up a video or two :)

<--  Bear Mountain.
Roar!

Fangirling at Mater! 'Mater! I love you!!' hehe

 This is the World of Colour light show! Would you believe that is projected on water?! Brilliant! (Currently reminiscing about The Little Mermaid)

Teacups. Mum wouldn't come on this ride. She gets motion sickness. :P 

Making and idiot of myself with Pluto.

Still being an idiot with Mickey. (I then try to walk out the 'staff only' exit...
I blame Mickey for mesmerising me!) 

With Chip N Dale! (Dale's a real charmer! ha! So many kisses from him!!) 

And sweet country Minny (who persistantly showed her bloomers to the world, me thinks Minny may be a little bit of a tart... Mickey needs to watch out for that one!) 

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Squirrel :P