Bittersweet

It's finally beginning to set in that I only have four weeks left in this beautiful city. It seems like mid-semester break was just yesterday, yet here I am reminiscing on the trip. I had two weeks off and began the holiday by attempting to survive a classic Australian vacation in Bali. I suffered some extreme food poisoning but managed to make it out with nothing but great memories. I was even fortunate enough that my amazing mother was willing to meet me in Australia for the remainder of the break. We met up in Cairns and made our way down the east coast until we made it to Adelaide.

The rice fields of Bali
My mom and I exploring the Grampians National Park

Our trip was near perfect and it meant the world to me that she made the trip, but it made me miss home more than I'd like to admit. Now as the semester is coming to a close, I'm torn between returning home to my friends and family while also dreading the day I have to say goodbye to the friends I've made here. I've become so accustomed to the lifestyle and feel as if I'll have more culture shock returning home than I did when first arriving here.  My friends have become my family and St. Mark's College has become a community I can't imagine not being a part of.

My Australian soul mates/flat mates, Bree and Miz

In these remaining weeks, there are countless events to attend and countless assignments to complete, yet I plan on enjoying every second of it. My friend will be coming to visit next week and will give me the perfect excuse to do all of the tourist attractions in Adelaide that I've continued to put off. After her visit, the weekends are booked with 21st birthday parties (mine included) and end of the term college events. The busy calendar along with final exams, will hopefully keep my mind off the inevitable goodbyes looming around the corner.