I like to think I have adjusted to the city life as well as any other girl that has grown up in the suburbs, but finding the correct bus route has proven to be more of a challenge than I anticipated. For instance, yesterday Haley and I went to the fresh market near the central station, which is only a ten minute bus ride from our apartment. When we left the market at 4:30 we realized that we weren’t exactly sure which bus number to take back. There are over hundreds of buses constantly running throughout the city at all hours of the day, so it’s easy to get them mixed up. Thankfully, the locals were more than happy to help the two American girls that appeared lost, and we finally found the correct route and made it back to the apartments an hour later.

That night we went out to celebrate my roommate’s birthday and I met a group of local Aussies that insisted on taking us to their favorite pubs to dance. They absolutely adored our “American accents” and were so eager to ask us questions to compare their hometown to the States. A couple of the girls had been to New York or California, so they weren’t completely unaware about the way Americans live. Plus, I didn’t realize how much Australians watch American reality TV, which is kind of horrifying to think that that’s their perception of us. Overall, we had a great night dancing and meeting new locals, because they almost made us feel like celebrities as they gawked over the way we talked. It reminds me of the way I used to react when I would meet foreign exchange students, so I know how they feel. I find it crazy that we have only been here for a few days, and I couldn’t be more excited for the many adventures to come. Cheers! (as the Aussies would say to close a letter or email)