This will most certainly be an adventure, it hasn't even really started yet and already my family and I have been going slightly crazy working out the logistics of my trip to Australia-WHICH IS STILL HAPPENING. So please, enjoy this wunnerful song by the fantastic Prince of Spain (Away We Go) that encapsulates my excitement and feelings for this adventure:)
To fill in ya'll who remain unawares of my venture this summer, on Friday (yes, the Friday that is about two days away from the time of this post) I will be embarking on an airplane ride across the country and then across the Pacific Ocean to Melbourne (pronounced melbun by most, who knew?!). Why Melbourne? Well, there's a pretty amazing institute where I will be working on a research team that is looking at the molecular effects of paternal stress on mice babies. How will I do that exactly? I'm still not entirely sure... it could be anything from just being exposed to DNA sequencing techniques to actually learning how to look at the changes in DNA sequence using PCR (polymerase chain reaction) sequencing and other techniques. The reason I don't know yet is because they have to evaluate my skill set when I actually get there, so I'm looking at it like....
(Enjoy the Ride by Krewella)
I have talked to my supervisor over Skype and he seems super nice and I'm hoping the research team I am temporarily joining will be the same! I have also used Skype to talk to my homestay hosts/roommates in Australia and they also seem like pretty amazing people. I'll be staying with a couple, Michael is Sri Lankan and Karlyn is Filipino, oh, and my building manager will be Peruvian so I may even get to practice all that Spanish I learned this semester. Yay? Overall I'm incredibly stoked about this trip. I haven't let it sink in entirely because it seems pretty unbelievable still and it feels like there's still a possibility that it could fall apart for various reasons but mainly because of money. Which is a nice segue to a classic Kristin Wig gif (Maddie, this is partially for you, partially because Kristin Wig is amazing and partially because this is perfect):
In all seriousness though I don't think I can ever thank people enough for donating to my GoFundMe page and there's an entire list of things and events that I will be forever repaying my family for, needless to say this trip is second or third if not first. Come to think of it, the top of my list might be Gavin buying me that Justin Bieber Christmas CD, the sign of true brotherly love <3 . Or maybe it's Missy, my slightly antisocial cat, putting up with all the random noises I make throughout the day to her that tops the list (Sarah knows what I mean having lived with me for a year and a half). I made enough noise at her today that she literally ran away from me, but now she's oh so sweetly lying in bed next to me, something I will definitely miss during my time abroad.
So thank you, thank you, thank you not only for the monetary support but also the tidbits of information you guys gave me, any suggestions about what I should do, any traveling advice and for your happiness for me. Yes, I am tearing up a little bit while writing this now, hahaha. It's ok! They're tears of happiness, promise!
So, this week has been crazy because not only have I been figuring out my homestay details, the transfer of money to Australia, health insurance and other things, but I have been unpacking and packing all of my stuff all at once since I only just got home last Friday from Wheaton. I definitely wish I could have stayed longer, and by longer I mean until graduation, since there are a great amount of great people that are moving on to the bigger and better parts of their lives. You guys know who you are, and I love you all.
I think there was also part of me that wanted to stay at Wheaton because I'm really scared about this trip and what happens when the trip ends, and because time is what it is, three months will seem like two days or something outrageous like that. At the end of the trip it will be the start of senior year, the part of college that seemed, literally, to be leagues away from me when I started at Wheaton. So, yeah, I wanted a little more time at Wheaton as a junior/pseudo-senior, especially since Wheaton will be a different place with new people coming in and all you good people leaving. Again, you know who you are:)
On that happy note, I will try to keep this blog goin' and any Skype dates would be awesome. My Skype name is sydneydl so don't be afraid to chat! And I don't know if you've all noticed this but I do use Facebook on occasion (and by on occasion I mean a BUNCH) so the likelihood of me answering a Facebook message is very high. I will be leaving for Australia from Boston on Friday morning at 6 am (I'll be leaving my house at midnight, gross) and should be arriving at Melbourne's airport by 9:45 am on the 10th (that Sunday). I will be experiencing my first 12 hour layover, hoooraaaay! So, I may be calling you to chat, for funsies, at that time. And if you don't answer I'll just leave you a nice, long and random voicemail, muahahaha.
If you've made it this far this li'l song is for you and for all the people who have supported me thus far, one way or anothah.
(Through and Through by The Royal Sons)
Much love,
Syd
