Goodness gracious, I miss these guys!!! For those of you who don't know them, Sara's on the left and Petey's in the middle. They're two of my favorite humans on earth.

I had this whole elaborate plan for how to update you guys on the past two and a half weeks, then I checked my email and found that Sara had sent me a novel about her recent weeks in Charlottesville. Needless to say, I realized just how much I missed that place I call home for the majority of the year...

It's funny, because I find myself going about life here in Sydney as though it is completely normal for me to be here. I'm not 12,000 miles away from home, I'm just the next city over- and these people have an interesting way of speaking, and their school system is quite interesting (but makes tremendous sense), and their healthcare is not something I want to deal with... Just when I realize just how comfortable I feel here, I hear a bird call (it's generally the kookaburra laugh) and it jolts me into a realization that, yes, I AM thousands of miles away from home, and no, this isn't my normal life. Then, to remember that time doesn't just stop for the people I've left behind...

The picture of Sara and Pete and myself was taken at a football game. Sport is (thankfully) a huge part of Aussie culture, but it's SO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT OVER HERE!!! It's funny, because Aussie Rules football is referred to as football ('footie'). The other night in trivia, there was a question that asked, "How many times would a football turn if it were rotated around the circumference of another football?" Of course I had to ask, do you mean American or Aussie football? Guess the answer probably woudlnt' change, but there lies the difference.

I knew when I came over here that I would be missing my last season of Virginia football. I'll be rooting for the team from all the way around the world!!! Even if the Aussies make fun of the sport, I'll stick up for 'em. And to all you guys back home, I want you to get creative with some sign that lets them know I'm there for them:) Rush the field for me, hehe.

So, there's my sentimental entry for the time-being. It had to come sooner or later, right? I'm sure they'll pop up here and there as I continue to get uber-long emails from Sara (keep 'em coming, they make me GRIN!) and the rest of you back home that I love and miss. Still, I promise, next entry will be full of all the excitement and adventure that I'm experiencing here in Aussieland!