Homeward stretch..

Well this past month has flown by like crazy! Feels like it was just yesterday that I was coming home from safari. A few days after my safari I had that music festival called ‘Groovin the Moo’ it was literally one of the best days of my life! It was so much fun, alot of music, dancing, people, more dancing, and a day that I will definitely never forget. I wish I could go back and replay the day over and over again.  Then I went to school for a few days, I haven’t been going all that much because I have been just too busy. But when I do I love seeing all my friends, that’s my favourite part of school now. A few weekends ago one of my friends had a birthday party and it was a bonfire sort of thing. That was a blast; again more dancing, my feet were sore the next day but definitely worth the fun night! The weather here is getting colder and colder so it was time to buy some new jumpers and I sent home some of my summer clothes. Two weekends ago I headed down to Sydney to visit my friend Mia from Finland. That was a blast; we spent all of Saturday shopping with a heap of other exchange students. And then we watched the Sydney Opera House Light Show. That was so cool! The whole harbour was sparkling with different flashing lights and figures. Then on the Sunday we went for a three hour horseback ride! It was amazing and even better because Mia and I were the only other ones on the ride besides our leader. We walked through rivers and through the jungle and past waterfalls all on horses, so incredible! That was a busy weekend and I was exhausted when I came back to the bay. Last weekend I and my friends had a cute dinner date at a Thai place and then we went back to my best friend Georgia’s house for a little girls night get together. It was alot of fun; I’ve been trying to spend as much time with my closest friends here before I have to leave. My best friends here are, Georgia, Bronte, Eden, Kirra, Bridget, and Sharla. I love them so much, they’ve shown me what it’s like to have true friends, and we’ve all become very close since I have been here. Last week on Friday me and Sharla went with the school to go play some field hockey, we were pretty excited! It was so much fun even if we didn’t win, the coach was really impressed with how I played and wanted me to play for his team as full back, and sadly I had to tell him I leave soon.

I’m starting to get used to the fact that I will be back in the states in no time. Pretty scary, and I’m honestly really nervous, and sometimes sad about it but I do think that it’s time for me to be home with family and friends again. I think the best thing I have gotten out of my exchange is definitely the friendships I have made here in the bay and also in Gilgandra. I just can imagine life without them now. And I know that no matter where in the world I am that we will always be good friends. I have learned alot about myself this past year too. And really have grown up and become more mature. Another scary thing I think about is that if I have changed so much during my year abroad and then I come home to all my friends who haven’t changed at all, it just makes me worry a little of how things will be. But I know that I will get through it. I am so excited to do my sport again when I get back home, and also looking forward to the warm weather, I’m not really liking the cold here all that much. Well I’m at school right now writing this during business studies, and school is nearly done for the day. Tonight I am going late night shopping with Bronte my host sister and my host mum. So I’m pretty excited for that, and tomorrow night I am headed to Maitland to go to an exchange student get together, so this will be the last time I see these people in Australia. There will be more and more tears coming as my time here dwindles away, it won’t be easy. I had never expected to make this many amazing friends on exchange. It’s funny to think that before I came to Australia actually my only worry was that I wouldn’t make friends and that no one here would like me, which should have been the last of my worries because the people here are that great! Have missed my American life a little bit and now it’s sort of an excited, nervous, happy, sad all mixed emotion s!

My exchange year hasn’t been just a year in my life; it’s been a life in one year.

Thanks for reading! See you Americans soon!

-Bailee Jo

Xoxo