Preparations for Mid-Semester Break in Australia!
These past 2-3 weeks have been filled with endless amounts of studying, reading articles, and hours spent at the library. However, in addition to studying and learning some neat things about climate, nutrition, and history I have managed time for various other adventures as well. 🙂
Three weeks ago we went to the Sustainability Fair hosted at Griffith University, where various clubs and community groups connected with students about various initiatives relating to supporting sustainable projects. Additionally at the event there were these amazing free smoothies which were made with a blender powered by physical exercise on a bike!
Blender powered by a bicycle!
The following weekend was spent at Stradbroke Island! We rented a car, brought our tent and spent the night there. The weather wasn’t very nice on the first day, but it was great to still eat some very good seafood, see tonnes of wallabies, explore some lakes, and then wake up the next morning to a beautiful beach!
The next day the weather wasn’t looking too good, but we decided to explore anyway! We spent the morning walking along an endless beach in stormy weather, got lost, and eventually found the hidden lagoon we were looking for where we lay exhausted. Luckily, there were some some nice Irish fellows who offered us a ride in their 4WDs back to town! Again, we delighted in eating some fresh sea food, and soon after we were rewarded with some beautiful sun and spent some time on the beach bathing in the sun. The days spent here were amazing to connect, and have a little vacation away from Surfer’s Paradise.
After spending 2 days at Straddies we returned to Surfer’s to join our friends in our weekly dinner, and this time the theme was Italian! The food was amazing, we played a fun game and shared some great energy.
Italian Dinner ft. Bruschetta
Gnocchi with Salmon
Eggplant Parmigiana
Tiramisu
For my Exercise and Sports Nutrition course, part of our assessment involved a 10km run at 6am Monday morning (rough…)! It was tough to wake up, but also very exciting as we arrived at the stadium. There were heaps of students on the track and involved in this event both through participation, as well as supporting the event to ensure it would run smoothly. We’re not simply being assessed on our performance of the run ;), but doing a fluid analysis regarding sweat loss, and dehydration status in relation to nutrition.
Every week there is an amazing event called the Miami Marketta, which hosts various international food vendors including Turkish, South Indian, Greek, Hungarian, and various other flavours. At this event there is also an incredible ambiance filled with wonderful people and live music. A highlight of every week is the food, people and new connections made at Marketta. 🙂
Additionally over the past two weeks I’ve done Crossfit, where I recently finished my 3rd free session, and gained reinvigorated interest in high-intensity exercise. I’ve also been quite the chef in the kitchen, expanding upon my cooking repertoire, having some healthy foods, as well as enjoying the indulgences of ice cream and dark chocolate with strawberries. And I haven’t surfed too much lately, but had an amazing surf trip at the Spit last week.
On our way to Crossfit!
Today I also got my Advanced Scuba Diving Certification! I’ve quickly been building upon my current scuba diving skills with 5 adventure dives over the past two weeks, and with my new experience I’m excited to utilize what I’ve learned in both the Great Barrier Reef and Yongala Ship Wreck this upcoming week!!!
Sunset walk at Surfer’s Paradise
Mid-Semester Break is here!
Tomorrow begins the trip I have been highly anticipating and many of us exchange students have been working towards. With a lot of planning, everything is now settled for an amazing 10-day trip beginning from our flight to Cairns and our eventual return to Gold Coast via car.
Along the way we anticipate diving, beaches, rain forests, camping, and sailing. There is one final assignment I must complete before we catch our flight, but the time is near! Look forward to sharing soon!
<3 🙂 Ricky
