Here's to new beginnings

So the semester officially finished June 28th and most of the exchange friends I made have left by now. It was a strange goodbye for most, knowing it's likely I will never see them again even though they had become some of my closest friends during the past 5 months. However for others I am optimistic that our paths will cross again some day. I now have many people I can visit across Europe and it was great exposure to many different cultures. I was planning on staying a few weeks after the semester to travel anyways, so it's great that it worked out that my closest friend here had the same plan in mind so we're not alone. Simone and I moved into a new apartment with 3 Slovakian students in Bondi. It's a great location, walking distance between Bondi Beach and a very central shopping/transportation location.

So far we have just been spending time enjoying Sydney and trying to get to all the things we didn't have time for during the semester. We've been re-visiting a lot of the markets, finally went hiking in the Blue Mountains, and took a wine tour of Hunter Valley. Just got back from spending 4 days up the coast in Byron Bay. It was much warmer than Sydney and we were lucky enough to have perfect sunny weather every day. I thought Sydney was laid back, but Byron Bay is really the epitome of the 'no worries' Australian attitude. It's a fun little surf town with lots of great shops and beautiful beaches, we really enjoyed our time there.

Now back to Sydney for just a few more days, can't believe it's almost over! I don't even know what to do with the rest of my time here since there's so much I would love to do again just one more time before I leave but I have no idea where to begin. Will probably end up spending most of the time preparing for the rest of our upcoming travels. Leaving for Melbourne Wednesday for a few days before Bali! Ahh so excited for warm weather, Indonesian culture, and finally inexpensive travel. Planning to have about 3 weeks there before heading home in mid August. Still can't get over how quickly time seemed to fly here but I must say at least I am not left with regrets. Although I will never really be ready to leave Australia I am very happy with the time I spent here and if given the chance to do it all over again there are not many things I would do differently. Such a great experience, without a doubt coming here is the best decision I have ever made.