Expectations and Goals

So, here goes.  My first post…

I must admit, I was pretty nervous when my mom dropped me off at Logan this afternoon.  I haven’t been out of the country since high school except for Canada (which is really part of the US anyway), and this will be the longest I’ve ever lived away from home.  Until now, this all seemed kind of informal, but now that it’s really happening I’ve got some butterflies.  I actually met a kid on my flight from Ithaca College (he lives near Worcester) who’s going to be at UMelb also, and that calmed me down a bunch.  He’s pretty cool.  I’m pretty sure there will be no shortage of cool people in Melbourne.

Right now I’m sitting in the international terminal at LAX.  The flight from Boston was pretty uneventful, save for the rough landing (I think an air mask actually came down somewhere) and the fact that they don’t feed you on domestic flights.  The plane (B767) was not full, so I had room to spread out.  The movie they showed was pretty weak, so I queued up V for Vendetta instead (great decision). I stayed awake for the whole flight so I’ll be tired on the next leg and arrive in Melbourne tomorrow morning ready to start my first day in Australia.

Speaking of the next leg, this is the part I’m really excited for.  I chose to fly Qantas because they fly the new Airbus A380.  You know you’re a nerdy mechanical engineer when you chose a flight because you want to gawk at a huge airplane.  But seriously, this is pretty cool: two stories along the entire length; snack bars; staircases, lounges, the whole shebang.  My entire house would fit inside this plane.  Until now, the A380 seemed like a myth I only know through YouTube, but tomorrow morning I, along with 449 others, will arrive in Melbourne on the largest and most luxurious wide-body jet ever built.

So I guess it might be smart to hash out some of my goals and expectations so I can see in June if this was all worthwhile….

Expectations:

1.     I know Melbourne is a pretty substantial city.  It’s got a reputation of being a really cultural city, with lots of food, entertainment, bars, etc., but not as much of a hard-core party/club city as Sydney.  We’ll see if that image holds up.  I hear there’s a ton to do, and I’ve been instructed (Thanks, T) to try everything.

2.     Melbourne is supposed to have less Americans than Sydney, which is really good.  After all, I’m not flying halfway around the world to hand out with Americans.

3.     Australians have a reputation for being really outdoorsy.  I brought a sleeping bag, and I plan to use it.

4.     According to trusted sources, the women are beautiful.  Enough said.

5.     I have this picture in my head of what my apartment (flat) will be like.  I know it’s small, but that’s just a good reason not to spend a lot of time in it.

6.     UMelb (the “uni”) is supposed to be a great school.  I’m hoping my classes won’t be too hard, but I know the engineering classes aren’t a cakewalk.  But let’s be honest, I don’t really intend on studying all that much.

7.     I am so excited to be surrounded by the Australia accent.  It always makes me happy.

Goals:

1.     Get away from Princeton, both physically and mentally.  Check.  There are a lot of things at Princeton I need a break from.  I was starting to feel really burnt out last semester, and this trip should be exactly what I need to unwind and reset so I can come back senior year ready to finish strong.

2.     Meet lots of people.  Hopefully I’ll get better at remembering names along the way.

3.     Try a ton of new things:

a.     Surfing?

b.     Vegemite?

c.      Foster’s (although supposedly its hard to actually find in Australia)?

4.     See the Great Barrier Reef.  Scuba dive?

5.     Tour New Zealand.  It’s one of the four places I need to see before I die (Italy, Alaska, and Machu Pichu are the other three).  More on this later.

6.     Do well in school (without trying too hard).  I’ll have to get used to the Aussie system.  That being said, I don’t want school to get in the way.  Studying dominates Princeton culture in a way I don’t like, so this is an opportunity to really branch out as a student.

7.     Have fun.

8.     Have a blast.

9.     Enjoy every minute.

Things I’m looking forward to:

1.     Everything.

2.     Living independently (finally).  Cooking for myself (no more dining hall food).

3.     Good weather.

4.     Good (and beautiful) people

5.     New Zealand.

6.     Visiting Sydney.

7.     Barrier Reef, camping, hiking, etc.

8.     The Australian Grand Prix in March—the first race of the 2012 Formula1 season

9.     Everything

Well, that should be enough for now.  Congratulations if you made it to the bottom of this post.  Thanks for reading.  Keep checking in, hopefully I’ll be good about posting.