My first update

Good bye America!

Well, I leave today.... wow. I am going to miss you all so much here but I promise to keep you updated with the happenings in Australia. I hope that you keep me updated too. I leave at 3:55 from Wichita so be praying that we don't get delayed and everything happens smoothly. I love you all and I will talk to you again soon!

One week till I leave

My wonderful cousin, Lauren and I 

My beautiful god family came up all the way from Dallas!

My incredible Rotary Sponsor and her family. 

All of my amazing friends who came to say good bye. 

Wow. Wow. I have one week. That's crazy! Last night was my going away party and it was so fun. People came from all over to tell me good luck and see you soon (I did not want to say any good- byes!).  It really made me think how blessed I am to have such wonderful friends and family. They are so incredible! After the party was the UFC fight on TV at the restuarant and my god family and my cousins and aunt stayed and helped with all the crazy Ponca City people. It was awesome and probably one of the most fun nights that I have ever worked. 

This week is going to be interesting.... 

23 days and counting....

Well, I have 23 days till I leave for Melbourne, Australia. This is kind of surreal because it is just starting to hit me that wow, I am actually doing this. Going to college 5 hours away was one thing but moving half-way around the world for the next year and a half is another. I am so excited though. Everybody has been so wonderful about everything. Very helpful. I am going to attend my last Rotary meeting next Monday and I am anxious to meet all of my new Rotary friends in Melbourne. The Ponca City Rotary has been so helpful these past couple of years of applying for the scholarship and now waiting till I leave. I have been talking to my new host sponsor, Marc Fookes, and I am very interested to meet his family and hopefully become a part of their lives. 

I am going to be staying at Ormond College which is a residential college at the University of Melbourne. It kind of seems like a Co-Ed Fraternity/sorority. That should be very interesting and fun. 

Yesterday I spent 3 and a half hours in the doctors office getting my chest x-rayed for my Australian Visa. Crazy, how intense all of this stuff it! But I guess they have to be intense and not just let anybody in their country. Hopefully, everything will happen without a hitch.  

Well, I will work hard to keep this updated to keep everybody posted on my travels and daily life. Talk to you all soon!