I arrived at Brisbane International airport at 6:08 on the 15th of July. I had been traveling between or through airports for about twenty-six hours at this point and was not ready to jump up and down in excitement for finally making it to my destination, according to the customs guy I looked really tired. I went through customs without too much difficulty only got in trouble for my frisbee cleats being dirty (Woops :~) and then I caught a cab to my apartment in Taringa. I had literally just sat my stuff down in my room and unzipped one zipper and there was a knock on my door... who could it be...
Turns out my brother, Michael, had finally gotten my email that morning saying that I was arriving that day, if he cared to know (I had just given up on reaching him prior to arrival for the past month...) Turns out he had been trying to track me down all morning, calling the airport to see if I was still there, then going and picking up his fiancée, Sandra, back at home after telling his boss he needed the day off work so he could go meet his sister who was flying in, then getting lost trying to locate the little road which my apartment building is located off of. Well he finally made it. It was so nice to see a face I knew right away but strange too because I had not seen him in about six or seven years. The three of us spent the day together, going to breakfast, going to his house, riding the ferry all the way up the river to University of Queensland (from here out referred to as UQ), where I would be studying abroad for the semester and then walking back to my apartment building, which isn't all that close (Michael thought it would only take about 15 minutes to walk, it took more like and hour and a half). While riding in Michael's car on the way to breakfast, the back door flew open while taking a corner, apparently it hasn't happened before or since, so i reached out and grabbed it and slammed it shut... it seemed like a good idea at the time, but it scared Michael and Sandra quite a bit :) Sandra and Michael had told me that they had decided to move their wedding up from next year some time to this October and they had asked me to be their bridesmaid. By the time we got back I was absolutely bushed, it might be four in the afternoon here but it was two in the morning at home and I was dead on my feet. Michael and Sandra had asked me if I wanted dinner but I told them all I really wanted to do was brush my teeth, take a shower and go to sleep.
My apartment was very nice but it was lonely for the first week. I couldn't stand at first how white and boring my room but it was quickly remedied hanging all the brochures I was handed on the walls and buying a cheap calendar and hanging the months that had already pass up on the walls. I spent the first week finding my way around. I met up with a kid from U of R, Marc, who was also living in my apartment buildings, and he introduce me to Indooroopilly (the shopping center where I first bought groceries), his apartment-mates Sarah, Anna and John and his neighbors Erin and Frankie (girl). I went and hung out with my brother again and got to ride the ferries which are soooo much fun and travel up and down the river as part of the public transport system.
That next week was orientation week at the college. It was rather boring to be quite honest. Most of the sessions all repeated over and over to travel in twos and where to get help at the university if we are struggling. The best part of the orientation sessions was that it gave us a chance to explore the campus, which is gorgeous and has funny looking heads of founders drinking pints of beer, and beautiful buildings. There was lots of free time during this week so I rode the ferries up and down the river and explored the city a good bit.
