Day #28

 Today we got to visit the RainForeStation Nature Park and I got to pet a koala and kangaroo!

So we woke up early and left at 9 am to head to...

This place was pretty legit. 

So when we went in they have us a sticker and informed us that we would be taking this 

to your around the Rainforest. It reminded me a lot of the duck tour in Boston.

The tour guide was so knowledgeable and he taught us about all these different types of trees. 

These are a few of the ones I could take a picture of...

I can't really name then because I can't remember but it was really nice to watch. 

Half way the trough the tour our guide informs us we are getting in the water. 

I panicked a bit because the boats are 60-70 years old! But it all went smooth and we even found this little guy just chilling on a log...

                    Can you see it??

Then we drove on land again and in a few minutes we were back to base and ready for tmsecond part of our tour: petting kangaroos! 

For this part we had a different guide. Apparently, he is very close to the animals. He even said that he spend everyday for a whole year with the dingos and eventually the dingos accepted him as one of them. That's pretty cool! 

So throughout this part I saw  animals like...

and I got to pet a kangaroo!!

After that we went to the third part of the tour: the Aberiginals 

This guy was so funny. He was trying to show us how to use spears to hunt (something like this)

but he failed and at the end he mockingly said "as you can see I'm a vegetarian" ahhaha. Funny man. 

After that, he taught us how to play the dijiridoo. A dijiridoo looks something like this...

In case you didn't know: The dijiridoo is an aboriginal musical instrument made of tree wood. 

Fun fact: Anoriginal women do not play the dijiridoo because it is believe to cause infertility. 

Afterwards, he taught us how to throw a boomerang. He was really good and I was alright ;) (ask me about the video when you see me) 

And to finish the whole your we watched an aboriginal performance. All their dances are so unique and so symbolic. Perhaps my favorite was the dance aboriginal people dance to when they are warning their people of an attack. It's definitely an interesting and intriguing dance. 

Ok so this was pretty cool although sort

of expensive. We were able to pet a

Koala and take a picture with it. I'm

not gonna lie it was so weird because his fur (to me at least) felt just like the fur on a teddy bear. 

Here is me and the nice little koala...

After we were done, we took a drive to a waterfall nearby and Dr Petersen taught us about tree corring. The process is used to determine how old a tree is. 

Here is Dr Petersen showing us how to do it...

And this is how it looks afterwards...

 

Pretty neat huh?

After that we were all ready to go home so we did. 

Afterwards we came home and got ready for bed. 

So two things I learned today...

1) Culture is a huge part of our identity. As I saw the aboriginal people dance I noticed how their dances where not just simbolic of their beliefs but of who they are as a whole. I love that. Often I find myself in crossroad between my Hispanic culture and my American culture and I find myself always having to battle to identify myself with one. But both cultures make me! I am both and I am proud of that and I hope when I have my family they can enjoy both cultures as well. 

2) Terminates are important to the ecology of the rainforest Why?! Well because they break down organic matters that may otherwise just sit in the surface. When they eat it and decomposed this organic matters it goes back into the soil and it helps the Eco sustem. Made me realize that everything on this planet has a purpose even if it may seem small and insignificant. 

Well I love you all!

Xoxo 

Your Traveling Soul 

Day #27

Today was EPIC!!!! 

We all woke up at 7 and left our place at 8:30 am because we needed to be at the dock at 9 am to head to The Great Barrier Reef! 

I can't tell you how excited I was....

So we get on the boat and the first thing I smell is puke!!!It was so gross. I guess many get sea sick and have to throw up mid way. So nasty!

The trip wasn't so bad although it probably was because Stacey gave me a pill before getting inside the boat. 

During the trip, the guides spoke about all the things that we would see in the ocean and things to avoid. It definitely freaked me out but he did calm my fears about sharks. 

And after about an hour and a half, we arrived!!!

AWWWWWWWW!!!! The time has come!!

So I put my wet suit on and my slippers and my snorkels and sit at the end of the boat contemplating getting in. Im not gonna lie I was scared. I just didn't know what to expect and I think that is what made it worst. But after a couple of minutes I just  jumped in. 

Can you see the fear in my eyes?! hahaha

After fighting some currents, I finally put my head in the water and I was shocked!!! The view was breathtaking! Like I cannot even explain how it looked. I did try to take some pictures but because my phone's screen cracked I couldn't. But there was a professional photographer who took lots of pics and here are just some of them...

Wallie :)

Honestly it was great although I struggled quite a bit with the currents and breathing. 

After 40 minutes of snorkeling we went back to the boat to have some food. The tour apparently sets up buffets for their customers and let me tell you it was good (or at least better than I expected). 

After lunch, the boat moved us to another location which was a bit more shallow and back on the water I went. 

This time I saw HUGE fishes under the boat and different corals. The coolest part was when a big fish swam right next to me. I'm not gonna lie I wanted to touch it but the guards were very clear about the no touching because of it negative impacts on The Great Barrier Reef.

I literally don't have any words for this experience. Let's just say that my eyes have been opened. I thoroughly enjoyed all of it and I hope one day I can come back with my husband and we can scuba dive because the divers got to see sooo much more than those that snorkeled like me. 

After my last tour, I decided to get back and just tan for a bit. So funny story, I fell asleep. Do you know what that means? I had two burned legs hahaha. Its ok though it didnt hurt very much but after everyone was in and we were ready to go I decided to get back in the boat and sleep for a bit cause swimming against currents and with find can really take it's toll! 

After we all got off the boat, our professor was contemplating having two students give their presentation on the Great Barrier Reef but we were all so exhausted from our trip that we all begged to go home so we could eat and shower. 

I had no clean clothes so I had to do laundry but in the meantime I also sent out my postcards (sorry Nadine, Jenna and Britt for being so late). Then I got on the computer and updated a few of my posts. Needless to say, I remained busy. 

At around 6:3o pm, Brittany and Cory gave their talk on The Great Barrier Reef. I learned so much and when I go home I want to know what I can do to help stop the bleaching of the coral reef and the conservation of the plants and wild species that live under water. I am actually super fascinated by that topic.

At 7 pm, I got my laundry and took a shower. I felt so disgusting I was glad all that ocean water was out of my hair and body. Yuck! 

Now I am in bed updating this blog and trying hard not to fall asleep while doing it... 

So two things I learned today:

1) Currents: I struggled so much keeping myself above water specially with all the currents that kept trying to sway me in different directions. While I was sitting in the boat and catching my breath I kept contemplating how many times I've felt like that in my own life. Then I thought about experiences like my the time my father passed away, or the time I was told for the fourth time that I couldn't go back on my mission, or when Britt and Nadine went on their mission. And the more I thought about it the more I realized that as powerful as the current or in this case situations were I always managed to get out. Which takes me to my second point...

2) When I went in the water I choose to take a foamy noodle to keep me above water. Without it I know I would have drown because I am not a great swimmer. Then I thought to myself that noodle for me represented the savior. Without the savior I would not be able to face the currents of life. I would most definitely be away away by the currents and drown and die. The savior provides for me support and with it I always feel more secure of taking steps into unknown territory. 

I hope this all made sense. I love you mucho mucho mucho.

Xoxo

Your traveling Soul

Day #24

Today we just traveled and traveled and traveled....

At 9:15 am Angie and I were ready to pick up the cars. I'm gonna miss driving so much!!!

Christopher a guy from the Tasmania YSA Ward actually met us at the hostel and took us to this nearby beach where Amy and I gave our presentations. Her presentation was on Penguins and mine was on the Platypuses. 

I was very nervous since I don't like public speaking but it went well and I can now say it's over! Yay! 

After that, we rushed to drop off the vans which we needed to return at 11:30. I was amazed how somehow we made it 3 minutes before the deadline and avoided a fee. Luck I guess. 

Since we had to wait for our plane for like an hour to two I decided to get some lunch. I got this...

                Chicken pesto Panini.

It was delisioso!!!!!

At 1:05 ish, we started boarding to head to Brisbane. 

After landing, I decided to roam around until our next flight which was in two more hours.

I got some food once again. Not a surprise right?! Lol

After lunch, I decided to do some window shopping. I was so sad that I couldn't buy this purse I really loved! But it was $35!!! I mean for some that wouldn't be a lot but for me that was too much for a bag so I decided to pass...

Time can really fly when you are having fun because after what seemed like 15 minutes we were ready to board to Cairns!!! 

So all was well until all of a sudden we had some turbulence. I really thought the plane was going to crash and I'm NOT kidding when I say "my life flashed before my eyes!!!" Luckily, Angie was sitting next to me because I was holding  on for dear life. 

The turbulence lasted like 10 minutes and soon after we landed to Cairns. 

As soon as I get off the plane I can immediately feel the humidity. We are not in the cold anymore yay!!!!!

There was a bit of a confusion as to where the cars were but we finally found our rentals and left to our holiday park. 

This place is pretty nice and I'm glad we will be in one place for 6 days. 

So two things I've leaned today...

1) Live life with no regret! When I thought the plane was going to crash I immediately thought about a lot of things. Mostly thought, I thought about how I have lived my life thus far. To my surprise I didn't have any regrets. I have been very fortunate to have many different experiences and opportunities to learn and grow and I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for that! So if you are sitting at home contemplating an adventure my advice to you is DO IT! Go out there and explore the world and don't let your emotional, physical or financial worries hold you back. 

2) Finance: On this trip I have seen students charge up their credit card like no big deal. They seem so carefree which almost makes me regret leaving mine at home. However, over time I have come to understand that a credit card is not extra money but it's borrowed money instead. Money that will cost you twice as much if you don't return it all by a certain time. So word of advice: if you don't have that "extra money" in your checking or savings you best put that credit card away ;)

Well that is all! I love you all.

Xoxo

Your Traveling Soul

Day #22

Today was so exhausting!

I woke up at 3 am to take a shower before heading to the airport. 

At 4 am, we were out of our wonderful accommodation and between you and I a part of me died that day :(!

I was so sleepy that I eventually slept on our 2 hour bus ride to the airport. 

As soon as we arrived to the Melbourne Airport, we were go go go go! We got everything and waited for about an hour. During that time, I talked to my big sis Ana and my mom dukes. Oh man I can't wait to see them in a few weeks. 

After the hour passed, we boarded to Tasmania which was only about an hour. But guess what?! The plane stood there for 45 minutes and I have no clue why! But during that time, I fell asleep and when I woke up I looked over at Shelby and said, "did we arrive?" And her face was priceless. She just looked at me and said "we haven't even left!"

Finally after almost two hours we depart. 

During the whole plane ride I saw The Big Bang Theory and I was laughing so hard I think poor Aubry couldn't sleep and I'm sure everyone on the plane heard me hahah ops!

The flight was not that bad or long because after like an hour a half we arrived.

As soon as we arrived, we walked straight to the rental place. Since Angie, the Petersen's and I are old enough to drive without a fee we were all in charge of a car. I had a HUGE van (8 seater). I can't believe I was able to drive that huge car without any problem. I'm like a pro now! 

After getting our car we went to eat. We went to this little cafe and needless to say we were robbed! Emma and I decided to share a salad and we ordered two soups for...wait for it... $24!!! Can you believe that?! 

After that, we left to a local beach. It was so pretty look at the pics...

As I was walking around the beach, I notice a few of the girls on an old abandoned boat! 

These girls are crazy!!! I'm surprised it didn't tip over hahaha.

I also did this on the sand...

As you can see I miss Britt so much! Can't believe he will be home in less than two months!!!!

Then we were ready to find our place. 

As we arrive to our new hostel we realize that a) parking sucks b) our bathrooms are coed and c) it's FREEZING in our rooms. 

Luckily, that night we didn't have to worry about dinner because the Tasmania Stake YSA group offered to make a feast for us. 

This is us, with the Tasmanian YSA group getting ready to eat. 

The food was delicious! 

After our dinner, we had one speaker from the ward speak to us on how it is to live in Tasmania and then Emma a girl in our group spoke about our study abroad. 

It was super nice to see them be so welcoming to us (strangers). 

Once dinner was over, we all thought we were done with food but nope they had this awesome dessert.

                                                                  It’s called Pavlova

It's a Russian dessert which was made up of whisked egg yolk and a hard sugar shell topped with some fruit on top. It sounds a bit weird but it was way delicious.

We also played some games with them and even had a special performance (original Australian tunes) from one of the boys in the ward. 

After almost two hours , we were ready to go when all of a sudden we are all informed we are having a performance by someone in OUR group. 

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before but Aubry is attending the U to become a professional pianist. So I was super excited to see her sitting at the piano and ready to perform. 

She started by giving us a little background of the song she was performing. It's called "Cristo Bellizo." She actually wrote it when her father was diagnosed with cancer over four years went through. It was a pleasure to hear her play for sure. 

After being fed and spiritually uplifted we headed back to our place and prepared for bed. 

So 2 things I learned today...

1) Music:  More often than not we hear music with out any meaning. Songs like "baby baby baby" by Justin Bieber corrupts the true identity of music. I have come to appreciate artists who put their feelings on the song. I once saw this movie and the guy was a singer and when his date asked him about the song (it was a heartbreak song) he said "I left it all on the track". When I listened to Aubry play I felt like I was there. The piano performance did not have any words but it didn’t need it. For a moment I was there. I felt her pain but I also felt her joy. It was an experience that I will forever carry with me.

2) Choices: While I was eating dinner, this boy (he was a member) came up to me and spoke to me about what he was doing with his life. He was so proud of his decision to pursue heavy lift weighting as a future career. He even got up and showed me some of his moves. The whole time I could tell his excitement and it made me think about agency. This boy used to be a rugby player but stopped because he was not very good but when he found heavy lifting he says he felt right about it. Sometimes in life we may think life is black and white but the that is wrong. We have MANY options that will ultimately make us happy beyond measure. We just need to be courageous enough to go out of our comfort zone and seek other options. 

Today was great and I am glad I am meeting so many new people and learning so much. I would never trade this experience. 

Until tomorrow,

Your Traveling Soul

Day #23

Today was perfect! 

I woke up super early (7am) to shower because we have coed showers and I didn't want some random guy roaming around during my private time! Hahaha

After we were all set we met up with Dr Petersen to pick up the vans. So I thought the hills on San Francisco were bad but the hill on the way to the Petersen was steep!!!! I was so mortified every time we had to go up and down. :/ 

After we had all the vans and figured out our next place we went to pick up the rest who were still back at the hostel. 

Our next location: Frecinete National Park.

Once we arrived to the Information Center and figured out what hikes were best we drove off to a parking spot close by. As soon as we drive up to the parking spot guess what we find just chilling in the parking lot?!? 

Here is a clue!

If you guess a wallaby you are correct! 

So what's the difference between a Wallaby and a kangaroo?!

(Insert info)

After we fed the wallabies (even though this sign said otherwise) Ops!

 Stacey, Maddy, Jeff and I took an easier and quicker route while everyone else went on a more strenuous hike. 

These was one of the views...

                             Me!

After we were done, we walked back the car and guess who I see again?! Wallabies. This time images to take closer pictures of them. 

Look...

So adorable!!!!

Since I was starving Stacey over to drive me to the nearby town center to get some food. After contemplating lunch I decided to get some fish and chips. I was so disappointed. There was barely any fish just a box full of fries and it cost me money to get more than one little box of ketchup. 

After Stacey drove us up to a lighthouse but we didn't get to go in because it was closed for the public. 

We decided to go back and meet the rest of the group since we assumed they would all be done with the hike. 

As we get there to our surprise everyone had been done for a bit. They looked so exhausted and were ready to go home. So we packed our bags and went back to our place. 

I really wanted to eat some sushi and I had made a plan to eat dinner with Mallory but because I had to drop of the van I missed out. 

It's ok though because right across the hostel was a grocery store and I bought a few stuff to eat the next morning. 

After that I went back to the hostel and was ready to go to bed. 

So two things I learned today: 

1) 

2) 

Good night everyone. 

Much love,

Your Traveling Soul

Day #21

Today some woke up earlier than others to see the ocean. I decided to stay back. 

After the group who went to the beach came back we all met at the Petersen's where Dr Petersen gave a wonderful lesson on Evolution. A very interesting topic for sure. 

Then we left to our first destination: the ocean to see the Pelicans get fed. Ok in case you thought you already knew how they look I'm sure you have not seen a pelican this big! Look....

The feeding was so much fun to watch specially because the lady and the pelicans where so playful towards each other. You can tell she loved them. 

Here are some more pics of the pelicans...

    Me finally having the courage to pet it

I have been very impressed by how Australians treat their animals. They are so aware of their animals and take very good care even the government will invest money in creating well kept places for animals. 

After that we all left to the Koala Conservation Center. 

Ok so the place was just a huge open space where Koala's live. The place was alright but I was not impressed. Specially because they were all sleeping.

Granted Koalas are known to sleep 20 hours because of their low energy diet but I really would have loved to see them play or something. Is ok we were only there for a bit. 

Then we came home and dispersed since it was our free time. I was craving Thai so I went to downtown with Mary but I found nothing. Apparently restaurant here open at 5 pm! Can you believe that?! 

But guess what?! I found a Salvation Army and I found some good stuff. I love thrift shopping or just shopping in general hahah. 

After that Mary and I decided to explore a bit to see if we could find something to eat. But no luck. I ended up buying some Indian food but it was not good at all.

Then we all came home and I just finished my laundry and packed. I love doing things early enough so I'm not rushing. Also for my sanity I think it's best. 

Then I watched "Crazy Stupid Love" with Emma, Brittany and Shelby. We were all emotionally invested although I would say that Brittany was probably a bit more invested hahahah. She is so funny. 

Oh and during our movie look at what we found creeping at our door....

                          Shawn

Classic boys...

Then at around 12 I went to bed because we all have to leave our place at 4 am!!! 

So two things I learned today:

1) Evolution: I learned that horses used to run on 5 fingers but as time went by they began to only use one finger (their middle finger). Apparently, it was an adaptation to bare the weight when the other bones became unnecessary. Also,

hrses tried to evolve in other areas of North American but about 11 thousand years ago they died off because of men. Surprised? Fun fact: In 1492 horses where shipped here by the Europeans. And a dry horse ( a horse who lives in dry land can do better in wet land than a wet horse on dry land because a dry horse has learned to adapt to a harsher environment. 

2) Eucalyptus is a green plant that grows on trees no matter the environment because they are highly adaptable. It first occurred in the blue mountains (Australia) and the whole continent radiated that plant from there. They started little by little and eventually those that were able to survive did. Natural selection. 

For all of you who may not know what this means: It's pretty much means survival of the fittest. Not the strongest or the fastest but the most ADAPTABLE.

I learned a lot today and I'm glad I did. I am also glad that if I ever have questions my professor is eager to answer. I'm just loving my experience out here and can't believe we are officially half way! Sad :(

But I must go to bed. I love you all. 

Be safe,

Your traveling soul