My Aussie Crew: Who Are They?

I know all of you have been waiting for the friend blog post and here it is, finally! Looking for photos that match people's personalities was harder than I thought. I didn't want to embarrass anyone with terrible photos, but I think I may be doing that anyway. I realize my time is almost up here and I should have done this earlier, but I think doing it at the end really means more. I have gotten to know these people better and I feel that I really have a grasp on what kind of people they are...maybe not totally. We had a good mix of personalities in the group and there are so many people that I am not able to add to the list :( It would take forever, but I do want you to know, that everyone that I have met here, even if it was just for a day, has made an impact on my experience here and I wouldn 't give that up for anything.

Let's start with the Australians...

Katee and Caitlyn are the dynamic duo and I feel like they have been the source of much entertainment this semester. They are both from Mackay and I believe they are some of the nicest girls I have ever met, minus their inner bitchiness that comes out once in awhile. Caitlyn, you know you have it in you :) That's why I like her so much, she is like me in a lot of respects.


Katee was lovely for welcoming us into her home for study vacation and she really showed us a good time. I will miss her smile, giggle, and her happy go lucky personality. She was always the stress reliever for me because she is always so positive and giddy. I think that's an important trait to have and I love that about her. She loves to go out and have a good time and she loves to show you new things. I think having American girls here really made her smile because she always wanted us to see new places and experience "Australia" whether it be food, movies, or anything of the sort.

Caitlyn is for sure a lively girl with lots of spirit and determination. I think we are alike in that we are strong people that don't like to take crap from anyone, haha. She is always fun to be around and I never stop laughing when I'm around her. Her sense of humor lights up the room and I always love people like that. Everyone here that I have met is care free and I envy that about Caitlyn. She knows when to worry and when to let things go. We have had lots of fun this semester and she has shown me the real Australian way of life. Dancing is something we both love and Uni Club was always a party!

She is also the one who got me hooked on cinnamon bread for desert, or any meal really, and every time I eat it now, I will remember her :) Caitlyn is a beautiful girl and I wish I could take her with me. You will be missed :)


George Roberts is packed with some awesome people and I am thinking of three boys inparticular. Shaun, Matt Dawes, and Frosty (aka Andrew). They knew each other before coming here and this was their first year at uni. They made fun of me for being middle aged :( and I do feel old living on college. Despite all of that, we became good friends. They taught the Americans how to love rugby, how to play key drinking games, and how to have a good time. We did all kinds of things together...went swimming in Alligator Creek, went to the Cowboys games, and they are the ones I won the banner competition with! They were always keen for a party and they always made me laugh. They were all such good friends before coming to JCU and I was so excited that we got to spend the semester with them and become part of the crew. I hope I can come back here again and relive the memories I had here. Here's to the boys!

*Frosty, Shaun, Matt*
Amazing isn't it?

My other Aussies are Mel and Leesa. They were some of the first people I met when I got here. We were inseparable during orientation week and we loved getting dressed up together! The most recent event was home ball :) That was a great time and we were able to put on our dresses, curl our hair, and enjoy all the free booze! They are such great girls and I hate that I have to leave them. Mel is thinking about doing an exchange program in the U.S. and I told her she would definitely have somewhere to stay. Leesa, from Mareeba, QLD, is my sporty girl, she sails and plays soccer, but she always loves to sit down and watch American chick flicks. Mel from Tully, QLD is my hippie girl :) She reminds me of so many friends back home. She has the laid back persona about her and the key phrases she taught me to use daily are "right-o" and "you're alright". She printed out a poem about friends for me and it explains friendship "the Aussie way". I will cherish it :) I have a teddy bear that they bought for me after my uncle died and I brought it to Brisbane with me when I visited my parents. I will have it forever. <3> *Me, Leesa, Mel*
Now for the Americans...

There were so many people that came here, to JCU from America, to study for the semester. It was great to have so many people in the same position as me and I shared so many amazing experiences with them. Even though some of you know the kids I hang around with at Coastal Carolina, I have seen them in a whole new light here in Australia and I believe it's important to tell our tale.


Todd getting bored with measuring trees in Paluma Range National Park, HA!

Oh Todd, where do I start? He was my room mate last semester before coming here and we planned the trip together. We both were able to get psyched together and it was great that I had a good friend going over with me. I knew I was going to come to Australia, whether I was alone or not, but having a good friend here to share memories with was unreal. Umm to say the least, I believe Todd and I are some of the craziest people around. He is my sarcastic relief and sometimes, people don't understand us. I think Australia brought out our real personalities. We weren't scared to put ourselves out there and just have a good time while were here, in paradise. We bungied together, we ate cold fries in New Zealand together, we relayed for life together, we measured trees together and there are just so many more things that I wish I could add. Todd is a great friend and he has always been that for me. We read each other well and I don't know who else would be a better person to come to Australia with. Dreams came true for us both, here's to Toddy!

Sam is another friend from Coastal that might love Australia even more than me...maybe. She was always the one I shared my love of Steve Irwin with. She has visited Australia before, but she claims this time has been more rewarding due to all the crazy events that have taken place here. We have gotten closer from this experience and I have loved my time here with Sam. She came with me to Mackay with Katee and Brittany and we realized that it is great having girls weekends. There are a few words to describe Sam...smart, Disney freak, and comical. She always has something to say about anything and everything and her stories are always outrageous, but that's why I love them. She is loyal and caring and puts her friends first. I know we are both having a hard time leaving this place, but we always have each other to help us remember.
Photo of Sam at the Australia Zoo-I'm jealous.


Wes, or Wez as he is known here, is another one of the Coastal gang. I really didn't know much about him until I got here. We spent some time together before the trip, and now we have had plenty of time to hang out. Traveling with Wes has been an experience. He tends not to worry about a lot and fits in here perfectly, which is something I have learned from him. We sometimes bicker like brother and sister, but it's all in good fun. He is always up for drinking, hiking, swimming, diving, video games...pretty much anything you ask him to go do with you, he'll do it. Sarcasm is a common trait of everyone I hang out with here, which basically makes sense, because if you know me, that's what I thrive off of. We have had a good time here, and I know for a fact he is not looking forward to leaving because we prefer Australia over the U.S.A--no offense :(


Some people are just hard to read and this applies to our friend Chad. He is the most random person I have ever met, but there is something that makes him friend worthy. No but seriously, he has the tendency to wander...and I mean literally take off and then you never see him again. I remember meeting him for the first time in Cairns and he was part of our dive group, he is very witty, funny, but sometimes quiet. He feels like everything he does makes sense, when sometimes it doesn't. On our Easter dive trip, we literally made up an underwater signal for "Where's Chad?"...the common question on everyone's mind. Despite this, Chad has been a great person to hang with. He is easy going, really doesn't care about all that much, and loves to have a great time. What more could you ask for? He teases me a lot, but so does everyone here, I can't get away from it. He is from Michigan and goes to Rose-Hulman University in Indiana. He is engineering so I guess he's smart, I wouldn't know because he never goes to class ;) Overall, Chad has soaked up his experiences here and in Tasmania where he went for lecture recess. He is okay doing things on his own and I respect him for that. Hope you appreciate this post, Chad.



Last but not least, the girlies!! One girl in particular is from my home state, who would have thought? I actually contacted Ashley before I left for Australia because I saw that she went to Transylvania University. I had no idea what to expect and when we first met in the airport, she was the classic KY girl I expected. The southern accent was perfect and I found out that she is originally from near Elizabeth town, which explained it. All throughout the semester, we gave her a hard time about it, but secretly I loved it. She is crazy to say the least and she loves claiming Kentucky as her home...I don't think I can disagree. When I first met her, she didn't put off the best first impression, but once I got to know her, I knew she was going to be great. I learned a lot from Ashley and she overcame a lot during her experiences here. I was glad to spend time with her even though we didn't get to do any traveling together. She has already left me for Sydney and New Zealand, but I know we will keep in touch. She's my Kentucky girl!

*Ashley and Sara*

Featured in the photo above with the strikingly beautiful Ashley, is Sara Mitchell :) If you ask this girl where she is from, she will tell you Colorado...don't let her fool you. She is originally from Oklahoma. I thought nothing good came out of that state, but look at her! Sara and I really became close over our trip to New Zealand. We share a lot of the same interests...photography (she is a professional, I just enjoy it), hiking, scuba diving, extreme sports, and music. She is such a funny girl and we love to give each other a hard time. Laughing is always a common past time when her and I are together and it makes for some funny stories. She loves her family and her friends and I really believe she is going places in this world. She is strong willed and when she wants something, she reaches out and grabs it. Sara will be doing another semester abroad in NZ! I wish I could join her, but I know she will love it. I'm so glad I have connections in Colorado now! See you soon, girl. Miss you already.



Last, but not least, is Brittany. She is three people in one so I saved her for the end. Brittany has three personalities (Brittany, Danielle, and Sharonda). I would love to give you a breif look into each of these lovely ladies.

Brittany is who I met at the beginning of the year...very smart, reserved in away, and beautiful. She loves to have things planned and she is like me in the fact that she likes to get things done early and not wait until the last minute. As the year rolled on, we figured out that she had more than one personality. One night at dinner, there was no seat for Brittany so as she was walking away, a girl yelled, "Danielle, you can have this seat." We realized that the girl was talking to Brittany and we lost it. From then on, we just had to call her Danielle. It kind of stuck and now that's what I call her a lot of the time, and it's just normal now. We believe Danielle to be fiesty, yet hilarious. Her famous phrase is, "I don't give a shit." The attitude comes out and she is Danielle. Her third persona is her drunken self, Sharonda. When we go out, Sharonda is the life of the party and she is just a peach. The healthy attitude is still there, but it's all in good fun. All of these people make her an amazing person. Brittany and I are very close and she has been a great addition to my friend family. She goes to Eckered College in Florida, so I hope to see her soon after we return to America. We have traveled together (NZ, Mackay, Sydney) and I love to have her around. She stands up for what she believes in, and I love that about her. I always go to her for advice and she has no problem telling me the truth. It's going to be hard to say good bye, but we shall see each other again!



I hope everyone enjoys this blog because it took me forever! I really wanted to spend some time on it so I could give an accurate account of everyone I spend time with here...I either did or didn't. I miss everyone here already and thanks again for making this the best trip of my life. Here's to you all!