May 2024 – Journals from Abroad

May 30, 2024

Road Trip Down Great Ocean Road

G’Day Everyone!

Over the weekend I went on a tour of the Great Ocean Road led by a group called REAL Australia. Our tour guides, Luke and Nash, had led the tour of Philip Island at the beginning of the trimester. My friends and I really enjoyed that tour, so we signed up for this two-day road trip with them as well!

Group of girls posing in front of ocean — Great Ocean Road lookout

The van picked us up at the University early Saturday morning. We drove towards the Great Ocean Road, picking up a couple other groups of people along the way. Our first stop of the day was at Anglesea, where we did a surf lesson. This was really fun and a nice day out in the water. Our instructors were very nice and helpful as well.

Surfers on surfboards in the sand — Surf lesson at Anglesea

We continued driving down the road, stopping at the Memorial Arch for a quick picture. Then we loaded back up in the van and headed for lunch in a town called Lorne. The town was super cute and right along the beach. This was more of a quick stop to grab a bite, but we had a bit of time to walk around and experience the town before heading out.

sign over road reading "great ocean road" — Memorial Arch

The road trip continued on as we headed to our final destination for the day, Apollo Bay. We made a few stops at lookouts along the way, as well as a stop at Kenneth River Koala Walk. Here we got to take a walk through a bunch of eucalyptus trees and try to spot wild koalas. As we approached a tree with koalas, I watched as one of the branches snapped and the koala almost fell. It had to climb back up the snapped branch to safety. We made sure the koala was safe, then headed back to the van to continue our trip. We reached Apollo Bay where we stayed in a hostel for the night.

Our first stop the next morning was a hike in the Otway Rainforest. In was a very nice and easy little hike. Beautiful rainforest views the whole time, and a nice waterfall lookout to stop and take in. We loaded up and kept driving to our next stop, the famous twelve apostles. We also stopped at Loch Ard Gorge. These were both beautiful sites and lookouts, even in the pouring rain.

Waterfall surrounded by rainforest — Waterfall in Otway Rainforest

Hazy beach with rock towers in water — 12 Apostles

Overall, it was a really fun experience. Our tour guides were great people and were very easy-going. They made sure we got to see everything we wanted to. It was a lot of driving, but the views were beautiful the whole time, so it was most definitely worth it.

Cheers!

Taryn Dance

May 30, 2024

1000 Steps Hike, Aurora Australis, Brighton Beach, & St. Kilda Beach

G’Day Everyone!

Over the last couple weeks, I’ve made some trips to local must-see spots in Melbourne. All these spots were within an hour of campus and easy to access with public transport.

The 1000 steps hike is a bush walk that goes through the Dandenong Ranges. It consists of about a thousand stone steps up to the top of the trail. A few of my friends and I made a day trip out to the Dandenong’s to do this hike. It was not as hard as I had expected, but definitely still a challenge. The views were beautiful, and I felt emerged in the rainforest the whole time. The walk down was the worst part because it was one big steep hill that destroyed my knees. It was a great hike with beautiful views and perfect weather.

Group of people in rainforest — Start of 1000 Step Hike

city view from above between trees — View from top of 1000 Step Hike

There were two nights this term where the Aurora Australia, or the Southern Lights, were visible from campus. A friend and I walked to a park nearby and watched as the sky turned a vibrant purple and green. This was an amazing, once in a lifetime experience that I’m glad I got to see.

purple and green sky at night — Aurora Australis

pink and purple sky at night — Aurora Australis

A couple friends and I decided to spend a day at Brighton Beach. We started the morning off with a walk along the beach, spending hours looking at shells and stuff along the way. We made it down to the Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes, a row of bathing boxes painted in different colors and designs. We then walked back into town to get lunch and wander around. It was a very cute little town with a relaxing feeling to it. Once we had walked the town, we made our way to a garden where we laid in the grass and bathed in the sun for a bit. It was a lovely and relaxing day.

beach picture of sand and ocean — Brighton Beach

colorfully painted bathing boxes on beach — Bathing boxes

I decided to go to St. Kilda one day since I hadn’t been there yet and needed to go before I leave. I started the day out on the beach, walking along the boardwalk and the pier. The weather was perfect, and the beach was beautiful. I then walked up to the Esplanade Markets on the street. The sidewalk was lined with a bunch of tents that consisted of different products and food vendors. I walked the whole strip as I headed back towards the main street. I walked around and explored the town for a bit before catching a tram back.

view of beach from bridge — St. Kilda Beach

Ocean with pier and sunlight — St. Kilda Pier

cars driving under bridge — Bridge view of St. Kilda

Beach picture of sand and ocean from a boardwalk — St. Kilda Beach

Cheers!
Taryn Dance

May 9, 2024

Final Farewell to Aix

The last week of my study abroad program in Aix-en-Provence was a whirlwind. Everyone was occupied studying for finals, writing papers, and preparing presentations. However, in addition to the academic cramming, there was this buzz in the air. Everyone was trying to experience as much as they could before leaving: a last-minute hike to Sainte Victoire, a trip to Cassis, a stroll through the markets, a night with friends. Everyone would have a pause while saying goodbye after class to make sure they were going to see each other another time before leaving, extending the inevitable for as long as possible.

My favorite of these moments was after my French Food and Culture final when, one by one, we all gathered in the library to eat a loaf of banana bread that one of my friends from class made. Not able to say goodbye, we all ended up going out to coffee together. We practiced using our French while we still could, emptied all our small euro coins to pay, and took one last group photo.

Earlier in the week was France’s Labor Day, which we had off of school. My friends and I took the opportunity to have a farewell soirée. My haul from the markets was mâche lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh mozzarella for a capresse-esque salad. One friend made apéros, another brought dessert, and most importantly, pasta making supplies. We talked the afternoon away over a glass of wine while chopping up ingredients, simmering the red sauce, and kneading pasta dough. The end result was a beautiful homemade meal with all our love poured into it. Afterwards, we spent hours more talking and ended up bringing a guitar out to play and sing together. This night was very much a core memory of the trip.

My pottery exposé was during this last week as well. Everyone in the ceramics class, in addition to the painting classes, got to display their body of work from the semester and put it up for sale. We had a large turnout from the school, but also from the Aix community at large. It was an incredible and emotional experience of feeling so very supported and appreciated for my art. While abroad, the Marschutz arts center became such an important place for me. It was where I went when I needed to get my swirling thoughts out of my brain and into the clay. It was where I went on beautiful days to enjoy the view of the French countryside, or on rainy days to hear the rhythmic plink-plink-plink of the rain drops on the shed’s roof and the whistle of the Mistral breeze through the windows. Out of everywhere in Aix, the ceramic studio, surrounded by wildflowers, wind, and wonder, will be the place I’ll miss most.

As a final farewell to most people in the program, IAU put on a graduation ceremony where we all wore golden stoles, students got awards from each department, and we walked in a procession together around Aix. Afterwards, we gathered in the square outside of Main Hall, in front of Aix’s cathedral, and had apéros and wine. Professors made their rounds to say goodbye, group pictures were taken, and final hugs were given out.

It was such a hard week of goodbyes, but I appreciate the fact that the goodbyes were difficult because of how deep the connections were. Aix was absolutely beautiful (how could the south of France not be), but it was the people who truly made the experience. It’s hard to accept that most of the people I met abroad will phase out of my life as quickly as they appeared. However, I honestly believe we carry bits of everyone who’s touched us throughout our lives. I don’t want to say the cliché line that studying abroad was a “transformative” experience (though it was). So, I’ll rephrase it a little. Being thrown into a new culture, with completely new people, when you’re still learning the language, is a whirlwind of an experience. It forces you to get to know yourself very well and stretches the limits you thought you had. It forces out a “you” that was there all along but needed a little coaxing to get out.

Thanks for following me along this adventure,
Natalie

May 1, 2024

Magic in Spain

Dearest Readers,

The wait is over! I am back from Spain with many a story! I arrived in Alicante around 10 pm and was met at the airport by my best friend. We hopped on the C6 bus and headed into the City Central. Despite what I expected, Alicante was bustling with activity. We walked along the center and caught up. I couldn’t help but ogle at the beautiful architecture and tourist stands. They sold everything from jewelry to clothes and assorted knickknacks.

buildings in front of a sandy rock cliff face. Palm trees in clusters of three surround the area. — Palm Trees and Sun

My hotel was decent enough for a place to stay on a budget, and its location was perfect! It’s just the right spot to be able to walk all over the city. The next day we set out to walk around and see the city. Much like Budapest, the number of stairs in this city should be illegal. Despite my steadily aching legs, it was my breath that was taken away when we finally reached one of the most gorgeous neighborhoods I have ever seen.

My friend said it was called ‘the door with the blue pots’ which is quite fitting considering the multitude of blue pots surrounding a door. The view of the city from this vantage point was insanely beautiful, and the weather was perfect! Not a cloud to be seen, just clear blue skies over the crystal-clear Mediterranean Sea. This trip will certainly make my top ten experiences in Europe, not only did I get to see my best friend, I was able to experience the beauty of Spain!

Image of a street consisting of only stairs with colorful banners and many hot weather plants. — Plants Galore

view of the neighborhood in front of the sandy cliff face and castle. One very blue house, and smaller, less colorful houses. — The House with the Blue Door

an empanada stand with a colorful tray of different flavors. the sign is a simple empanada design. — Empanada Stand

Something unexpected that happened on this trip was that I was invited by my friend’s host dad to come along and see a battle reenactment in his hometown. We drove 45 minutes outside Alicante and I was not expecting to see what we saw. Every single person was in costume, and carrying around these huge muskets (a type of gun). The host dad went on to give us a tour of the town, and what I thought was thunder turned out to be the aforementioned guns shooting blanks into the sky.

locals dressed in period wear shooting their guns into the air. Smoke billows around old architecture and a foam castle. — The Battle

Have you ever smelled gunpowder? Because let me tell you, it smells abominable. If you mixed sulfur, smoke, and cigarettes you’d get pretty close. On top of that, the smoke left over from the blanks is so thick that it burns your eyes. Needless to say, the smell wasn’t my favorite, but it was fascinating to see battles that happened being played out in front of me. It felt like I had traveled back in time, like Outlander but without kilts and Scottish people. Overall, this was one of the coolest things I have ever experienced, making it even better that it was unexpected.

a sand colored church with a very tall clocktower — The Church

I loved my time in Spain, and I can safely say that I would go back in a heartbeat. If you’re ever planning on traveling on a budget, this is the country for you. Flights were cheap, the food was incredible on a budget, and transportation never cost more than 2 euros here. Add Alicante to your list if you like the sun, culture, food, and great nightlife!

That’s all for now,
Toodles!
Abby LaBuhn