UniMelb Welcome Week

Friday to Tuesday was possibly one of the most exhausting yet fun times I have had in my life. It was non-stop of being on-the-go...get up at 7 or 8 am, explore all day, party all night.

My group aka Kappa Kappa Goon was SICK. While other groups seemed to get along, my group was pretty inseparable. Everyone was super chill, down to party, and mainly just have a good time. Besides the people in the group, our host (Caroline) was awesome. She gave us great tips on how to save money on food/shopping and pubs to go to, how to get to Dan Murphy's, and ideas on where we need to go see in Australia. Most importantly, she gave us TimTams (delicious chocolate cookie treats - better than Oreos). She definitely made all of us feel welcome and was a huge reason on Welcome Week being amazing. (Besides Kappa Kappa Goon, there is the rival Tappa Tappa Keg.)

 Kappa Kappa Goon: Me, Erica, Henrietta, Kelli, Giang

 Celebrating Henrietta's 21st: Me, Caroline, Erica, Henrietta, Hanna

Some of the highlights of the trip:
1. I found out that brotanks are called "chesties".

2. Surfing: I only surfed once before when I went on vacation to Hawaii in 8th grade. I barely remember doing it and had no clue if I would be good or not. Not only that, but the weather was terrible - freezing cold and cloudy - and I was in the first group going so it was barely even 10 am. However, after a quick demo on the beach from the instructor, I got right in the water and was surprisingly good at it. I actually stood up on almost all of the waves I rode during the hour lesson. The water wasn't as bad as expected too and the sun ended up coming out making it the perfect beach day.

Mike and I with our surf instructor

3. Queen's College: During the Welcome Program, everyone stayed at the Colleges on campus (like our dorms but are separated from one another - like its own little community) and I was in Queen's College. It wasn't that the dorms were super nice or anything, but it looked like Hogwarts. We even had a formal dinner where the Master and heads of the college wore robes. It was pretty sick. It was also interesting to here that older kids in the colleges "haze" the freshman each year with pranks and chores.

 Queen's College

4. Dan Murphy's: best liquor store ever. 1 bottle of wine = $3. You can also get "goon" here - the Australian version of boxed wine.

5. Iced Coffee: In Australia, iced coffee is nothing like at home. Instead of chilled coffee in ice, it's a shot of espresso, milk filling the rest, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream in it just floating around.