Coming to an end...

Readers:

I apologize for not posting in a while. I have been staying incredibly busy with numerous assignments. Luckily I turned my last assignment before finals (a Theology paper describing the significance of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ according to St. Thomas Aquinas, John Duns Scotus, and Karl Rahner) on Friday. These past three weeks have been busy with presentations and research papers. I can now take a breath! :)

Where has the time gone? We are already in week twelve of the semester, with next week being the last week of classes. Although I believe I have learned a lot over my time here, there is so much more I want to learn and experience.

Next Saturday (June 4th) a group of Americans and myself are flying up to Phuket, Thailand for a few days. We will leave Perth on Saturday and return on Thursday. I have never been to Asia, let along an Occidental (not Westernized) country. I have heard a lot of things about Thailand, both good and bad. I will keep you all posted with my next blog. It will indeed be quite an experience.

Also, even though the semester is coming to an end, I am not coming back to the states for a little while. Instead of coming back to the states and "bum" around for a while, I have decided to stay in Australia for the month of July and volunteer in a remote Aboriginal community. My lecturer for my Aboriginal people course has hooked me up with a group up there. Likely, I will be working with the Yiriman Project and the Kimberly Aboriginal Law and Cultural Centre. Here is the link:

http://www.kalacc.org.au/


I will likely be staying in Fitzroy Crossing for a portion of time in a house with other volunteers. I will also be staying in the "bush" (the outback/desert/nothing, etc.) for a period of time. I will probably be working with at-risk youth. The project hopes to bring Aboriginal children into the bush to reintegrate them into the culture to show them where they came from. I will be driving the kids around, as well as helping with the different events. Should be an eye-opening experience. Again, I will keep you all posted.

Here is a picture of me after surfing. I just got a new tattoo on my right shoulder blade. Its a cross in a heart in a cross. The symbol has much meaning to me. In eighth grade I received a little "cross in my pocket" at church. It is simply a little piece of wood with a prayer on one side and the symbol on the other. Each morning and night I kiss my little piece. Since I have had the chip for about seven years, the woods is becoming very faded and cracked. I cherish it very much. Also, the tattoo, in a sense, marks my time here in Australia. I am very happy with it. No doubt.

As you can tell, I have had a wonderful experience here. In all honesty, I really do miss my family and friends back at home. I try to call my parents whenever I can. 

Well that is it for now. I will post later. Bye.  xoxoxo