Finally.

I am here.

After knowing about this trip for over a year, preparing for it for months, and being ready for it for weeks, I am finally, FINALLY here! I still can't quite believe it, even after the (roughly) 37 hours total spent in airplanes and airports over the last two days. Yet when I woke up the first morning, I knew exactly where I was.

I think I'm going to like it here :)

As I type this, I'm attempting to log into the finicky wireless internet the Cairns Student Lodge is nicely letting us use for free for a week or so because someone accidentally cut the internet hard line that goes across the street to the college. Ah, success.

It has poured rain six times since we've been here, but it is lovely warm fat splatty rain, and I think it is fantastic!

I ventured to the grocery store yesterday, which was an adventure in itself. First of all, everyone drives the shopping trollies (not carts) on the left side of the aisles, just like cars on the road here. The prices of everything seem higher, and probably are, but they are fairly consistent from store to store. The cost of living is just higher here. Also, I need to look up what cities and such are close to here, because I am still going to try and eat as locally as possible, and when a bag of apples says that it's from the Riverina, I have no idea where that is (I looked it up later, it is in Tasmania).
I ended up just trying to get the basics: oatmeal, peanut butter, jam (not jelly, because jelly is Jell-o and they will look at you strangely if you want to put jelly on your toast), bread, eggs, pasta, veggies, cheese (cheddar cheese is called "Tasty Cheese" here, which I find quite appropriate), hummus, chips/crackers, tomato juice, tuna, rice, and pasta sauce. All that should last me for a good while. AND today my roommates and I may venture into downtown Cairns and go to Rusty's Market, which has delish and local fruits and veggies (so I have been told) for reasonable prices.

Off to more adventuring!

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Song of the day: In the Dirt by S. Carey