March Recap in Pictures

It's the last day of March and I only have two and half months left in Australia! Good thing I've been spending my time wisely.

Five girls that became best friends and have WAY too much fun



Too many pictures at Sydney Harbour



Mossman's Gorge- Wishing I had taken more than four months of ballet

Deep in the Rainforest

Commencement- Getting dressed up with 200 of your closest friends

The money shot- Jack & I

One AMAZING day snorkeling and diving the Great Barrier Reef

Even if you hit a couple of bumps like I did this month, just look to the good times to realize how much you really have! I hope March was just as wonderful for you as it was me! Let me know what you did.

Cheers for now,
Kim

[SDU Note: Going through all my pictures, I realized I forgot to blog about my week in Cairns. Shame on me! I'm getting on that right away; stay tuned.]

Home Sweet Home

It occured to me the other day when I was Skyping my parents that I haven't showed what my room looks like. So you already know that I live in Evatt (which I love), but here is the low down on my block. We share a huge common room and kitchen. There are two wings that split off with five rooms and a bathroom each. We are the closest block to the laundry and mailroom; plus we're one of the few blocks with wireless (score)! Basically D Block is where it's at. Plus even when I'm in my room, I'm still part of the action because the Cat (aka the Evatt rec slash party room) is right next to my window. Nice until about 1 a.m.

Here are some pictures of my room. It's only this clean because I just did laundry always this clean :)





Look how organized that closet is!

Cheers for now,

Kim

Untapped Resource

Last night there was a dance party in the Cat that went on well past 4 a.m. Yeah I wasn’t too happy with that. Now I’m in my fourth class of the day and dragging. Why did I think seven hours of class in a day was a good idea?

This week I am going to be busy busy busy with school work. I just gave an Aboriginal Studies presentation in my last class, but I have three papers due next week. So in order to actually get work done, I’m relocating to the library for a while.

In my opinion, the library is such an untapped source for college students. The libraries on campus are new and have a lot of study space. My marketing group has had several meetings in the high-tech study rooms. Also libraries have . . . wait for it . . . BOOKS!

Most classes have the required textbook on short loan at the library; I haven’t bought a book since freshmen year. I’ve been checking out my Creative Writing book and doing the readings in the comfort of my own bed (super convenient if I doze off). Also I’m attempting to read for fun. If you have any recommendations, I would love to hear them.

Ok maybe I should pay attention to lecture.

Cheers for now,

Kim

Hanging out with Jack

Day trips really are the best! Last Friday, Katie, Bekah and I hopped on the train to Blackbutt Reserve, just outside Newcastle. This free wildlife park hosts a variety of Australian animals including kangaroos, emus, birds and koalas!

Koala Tree

Sleepy little things

A lace monitor; creepy

I was informed by the park ranger when I asked for tickets to the koala bear encounter that koalas aren't bears. Koalas have pouches and are in the marsupial family. Therefore the term koala bear is entirely American. It's hard not to say the bear part but I'm making an effort.

Getting up close and personal with koala was the greatest; it's one of the things on my must do list. We met Jack, the alpha male of the koalas at Blackbutt. He was heaps adorable. What a pampered life he lives!

The girls plus Jack



He's ready for his close-up



All and all, the girls and I had a great day exploring what Australia has to offer. We got to pet a koala bear and see kangaroos-all for the price of a train ticket. Cheap and fun!

Cheers for now,

Kim

Unichurch: 1 Corinthians Series

Since I've been at school, I've been going to Sunday night Unichurch, a contemporary church service held on campus. Amy, one of the girls I live with, is a Growth Group leader and has really encouraged me to become involved. It's a great way to start my week and refocus on what really matters in life.

The services are part of an eight week series discussing the first four chapters of 1 Corinthians. The verses deal with the foolish ways of the people. It's almost like a congregation-wide Bible study. Plus the band is really good; they select songs that really fit with the sermon. A lyric that really stuck with me tonight was

Our fear is overcome. Our God is love. Our God is love.

Tonight we read 1 Corinthians 3:16-23. The verse that stuck with me the most was the first one. Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and the God's Spirit lives in you? I want to respond with by life through this passage by respecting my body as a temple of God. A verse from an earlier sermon comes from 1 Corinthians 1:25- For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. How can we as sinners think that we will ever measure up to God? How silly can we be?

Cheers for now,

Kim