Day Seven: June 12th, 2011

          Today, Alec took us on a tour to see even more of Sydney. First, we took the coach to a beautiful, rocky area along the coast for a picture-perfect view of the Sydney Harbor. Of course, we had a photo opp here, and then we moved on to see Mrs. McQuarie's chair, where she would wait and watch for ships carrying the latest fashions from other countries.
Alec then took us around town and over to the place where whale watching typically takes place. I would call it a beach, but it was actually a cliff. We got time to explore and play on the rocks as well as to take in the view of the perfectly blue water beneath us. A few of us even spotted what looked to be a seal, although we still aren't quite sure whether or not it was living or dead. From there, we moved on to Bondi beach, which was gorgeous; too bad it was fifty degrees and rainy! After stopping for a snack at Bondi, we visited the Opera House, but unfortunately did not have tickets to go inside. We got time to explore the harbor area before meeting up for a harbor cruise. We got to see the place from every angle, and it was a lot of fun and a beautiful view! The cruise dropped us off right by Sydney Wildlife World, and the group went inside for a chance to see all that Australia has to offer. We saw kangaroos, koalas, wallabys, and more! It was an awesome opportunity.

Prompt: Feelings about travel this far (Have I grown? How do I know this?).
          I think that simply staying together has been my biggest difficulty while traveling. It's not that I go off on my own, it's just the fact that I have made friends with the majority of the class, so I may start off walking with some people, talk to others, and get distracted. However, my group typically waits up or starts talking to the other group, too, so it has all worked out fine. I think my biggest problem is just that I've never traveled with this big of a group of friends before, so I feel the need to keep track of them because that's just how I am. I always want to make sure everyone is where they need to be and is feeling okay.
          I have surprised myself with my ability to keep up with the time zone differences and I really do think that I am simply tired from having these long days of go, go, go. I have branched out and gone out of my comfort zone. Every day I try new things and grow closer to another person on this trip. I love the feeling that I am being able to accomplish so many things at once. My days have gone to good use! I've grown in the sense that I feel so much more cultured in every sense of the word. Not only have I learned so much about the culture down under, I feel as though I have experienced it. I have also had to take on more responsibilities, as I have seen that I really am being treated as an adult on this trip. I feel as though I have so much more respect for so many different types of people, both foreign and in our group, after learning so much more about their personal journeys.