This is my account of the meetings prior to my trip to Australia with People to People. In the summer of 2000, I went with this same organization to the United Kingdom and Ireland. This experience led me to want to venture abroad again. Australia called, and I answered....
Today we had our first orientation meeting. Compared to last year, everyone is much more organized -- we even have a definite place for all the meetings (a church which has lots and lots of windows) and date for all of them. Hopefully, this will mean we won't get lost as much this year on the way to the meetings. There were a few familiar faces from last year, as well as quite a few new ones.
This promises to be a fun year: this time around my close friend Chris is going too (yippee!). This year promises to totally rock....
We already know our departure date: July 10. I'm not excited yet, though; I have many more things to do between now and then. For instance, my group's project on the Aboriginal people is to be presented in June, and that's just stuff for this particular endeavor. Fortunately, we have a lot of time between now and then. This group seems to really work well together; our little group got out of a human knot twice before the other groups did, I think that says something. The group dynamic this year is very, very different, and I think it will be a welcome change. A new destination deserves a different group. This year's experience will be different than last year's, but I suspect it will be equally unforgettable.
We had another orientation meeting today. Going over the rules and behavior standards, they appear to fall under 2 categories: Don't do anything you wouldn't do around your parents and try to give a good impression. In this, there is a dress code (guess my idea of wearing short shorts and a halter top is out -- not that I was planning that anyway), and being very, very courteous. Since we're the only Americans some of then will have ever met, the impression should not be that of the stereotypical American: loud, rude, obnoxious, and chewing gum with headphones in their ears. Instead, we are ambassadors and should act like it. No drinking (even though there most of us will be of age), no smoking, no driving, and don't be nuisance to the rest of the group by being constantly late or rude to everyone. Narking is allowed and encouraged. In short, this was the three-hour meeting.
I was not present at this meeting: sometime I will have to get notes from Chris.... After Spring Break, things are going to get really busy -- when will I find time to read those notes?
We're supposed to find out one thing about two other people in the group.... Hopefully I'll be able to do so by the next meeting.
This meeting seemed to go over more of the logistics of the trip and then there were presentations. One was on holidays. The different states (I believe there are five) seem very different -- not unlike our own 50 states. There seem to be two very different culutres appearing to co-exist (or try to): the Aboriginal one and that of the European immigrants. The holidays refelct that, and interestingly enough, there are no Mothers' or Fathers' days.
There were also very comprehensive presentations on literature and education. Apparently, Australia is home to several authors, poets, and playwrights.
More advice on packing and such was given. I will need to remember it when I get around to pakcing.... Mostly it was the stuff written in the Explorer Guides we got, though.
I missed this meeting, too -- I was sick. My dad went, and Chris says I didn't miss too much. My presentation was due today, but I sent in a one-page summary of my work, to be read by another of my group members. Apparently I missed Chris's banana dish. A lot of the other stuff, he said, was last-minute kind of things.
The Farewell Picnic was today. It was a definite wake-up call that the trip is near. (I'd put it behind thinking of things like exams and my birthday on June 13th.) We're going to be at BWI Airport at 4:30 AM -- 4:30 should not have an AM, in my opinion. But I'll live -- I figure that the jetlag will mess up my sleeping patterns enough that a couple of hours won't make a huge difference.
Five days left -- you'd think I would be excited by now. But I've got relatives over and all kinds of other stuff to worry about and work on before I go. I'm all packed, except for stuff like my retainer which will have to be packed before I leave Tuesday morning (or does that still qualify as Monday night?). I'm guessing that none of this will truly hit me until I'm on the plane to L.A. before we get the flight to Sydney, high in the air, at the point of no return.
4:48 AM: The moon was was extraordinarily bright as we came to the airport. I think I saw all of 29 cars on Rte. 29 (which is usually quite busy). I have maintained through all of this that 4:30 ahould not have an AM.
We went through the woods to get here. No civilization for miles at a stretch. It all still seems eerily dreamlike, though still I know it's real as I sit under the bright lights near check-in. I think I'll try to sleep on the plane; 5:29 shouldn't have an AM, either. But then again, that's just me.
Plane for L.A. leaves in an hour and a half. Chris and I will probably be in a picture-taking war; he already took the first shot (pun intended). I have yet to fight, my friend.... Sitting here talking to Chris and his mom. Seeing a sea of blue shirts, guess I'm still in the right place.
Very rude people around but I guess that's the airport for ya. OMG, it's quasi-daylight *gasp*.
It's 10 'til 6 AM -- Still, an AM should not exist yet. I'm still on my energy high, though. I'm supposed to be through security and at my gate at 6:15. We're getting more toward a reasonable hour, but we ain't there yet. They likely won't let my mom, my dad, and Granny through security, so goodbyes are imminent.
It's weird -- this year's trip is both more and less exciting than last year's. What's creepier? The reason for both is the same. I've done this before. Glad Chris is with me this year. LOL...just saw a guy with a ladder going through security.... Dad mentioned the commercial where you could fly in the overhead bin for a cut rate...ROFL....
9:16 AM (local time): I'm in L.A., and actually will remember it! Rumor has it I'll have to re-check my luggage.
The Rockies (at least I think that's what those were) were gorgeous -- If I hadn't had that gorgeous view of the turbine, we'd've been good.
11:05 PM: Waiting for our airport guide-lady to come back at 11:45. McDonald's has never tasted so good! By my clock it's 2:05 PM. I needed food. Anyway, I hear the next flight is 16 hours -- ugh! The last flight's scenery was interesting, excepting the turbine and the clouds. Went like a microchip, like wrinkles, like desert, then gorgeous mountains before we landed. Mmm...food is good. Breakfast on the plane didn't do much for me. Fruit, including honeydew melon as the centerpiece (ew!).
Fruit 'n' Yogurt parfaits here have bananas in them! I love LA... But we leave soon. Hope I sit near interesting people.
1:42 AM (L.A. time):