Confessions From a Shopaholic:

Oh P.S. I did not overdraft while in Australia, Yay me! Coming home well.....that's a different story :) But for "Buying half of Australia" (thanks Beth) I think I did pretty good! Well, off to the mall..........










(Just Kidding) ;)
Angie

I TRIED VEGEMITE!

Yes, indeed I did! It was gross :P very salty and when it was on my tongue it left like a burning feeling of all the Vegemite yuck! Anyways, I am happy to be home, but still there is a part of me that wishes I was back in Australia. I absolutely love it and plan to go back someday and visit places I didn't have time for. Thank you Dr. Jutte and Tonya for this amazing experience. I've learned alot and had so much fun. I still, a week later, have jet leg haha. The first Sunday when we came back I went to bed around 4 am and woke up around 6pm. I definitely adjusted much better over there. I still haven't looked at ALL of my 1,500+ pictures I took, but soon will have them uploaded to facebook, well maybe not all of them but the best. Also people keep asking me to tell them all about Australia and my response is well do you have about 3 hours for me to talk to you? I miss everyone and still feel like I can wake up and everyone will be sitting out in the kitchen talking. I hope sometime soon we can all meet again and catch up! Have a great year and keep in touch! :)

Cheers,
Angie

Can I go back?

Australia...there are no words. I keep getting asked how the trip was and I feel like by just saying it was an amazing time is not doing it any justice. I've just been telling everyone that you have to go and experience it yourself. I could show pictures and tell stories but no one will realize how amazing that place is until they see it for themselves. I've been home a week now (can't believe it) and it's still all I talk about. I think people are getting sick of me, but I seriously can't stop thinking about it and wishing that I was back there. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we will be back the first chance we get. I loved the people and the culture and I learned a ton of new things while being there. I can't express how grateful I am that Dr. Jutte and Tonya gave me the chance to share this experience with everyone. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. All your hard work definitely paid off and I highly recommend this trip to anyone thinking about going in the future. I'm also fortunate to have made new friends and I have intentions of seeing you all again in the future. I can't imagine how I could share this experience with you all and then never see you again so keep in touch! London 2012? haha I've heard negative things about places like Italy and London but I always wondered why I have NEVER heard a negative thing about Australia. Well now I know. Thank you the trip of a lifetime. I will never forget this!

When are we going back??

First off, I would like to say thank you to Dr. Jutte and Tonya for making this whole trip possible. Not to be cliche, but it really was the experience of a life time and the two of you did a wonderful job. We had some very valuable lectures and some life lessons taught by the man himself Phil the maintenance man. Everybody that was on this trip brought something to the table that made the trip special. If there is one thing I took from this trip and all of the Aussies it is not to let your occupation get in the way of life. I for one get very wrapped up in school work and clinical hours and all that other stuff that gets in the way of doing stuff like fishing or shooting hoops with the guys. The Australians don't let their jobs define who they are or how they live their lives. It is quite impressive. Well, I hope everyone has gotten reacclimated to the U.S., Lord knows I'm still jet lagged. If you guys are ever in Holland, MI give me a ring.

Cheers,

The trip of a lifetime

I have been home almost a week now and I still can't believe I spent the last three weeks in Australia! As I have been telling family and friends about the trip I realized how much we did in the short time we were there. During the trip I guess I just didn't notice, but we crammed ALOT into the short time we were there. Throughout it all, not only did I have a lot of fun, but I learned quite a bit as well. I have to admit, I was a little nervous about the trip seeing as how I really didn't know anyone else going. We didn't stay strangers for long though and one of the things I liked best about the trip was getting to know each of you who went. A different group of people would not have been near as much fun. I can honestly say going on this trip was a great decision, and I know I will remember it forever. Thanks everyone for making this trip to Australia such a great experience. Have a wonderful summer!:)

I think I'm still on Australia time.

Ladies and Gentlemen it was a pleasure sharing the last three weeks with everyone. I saw things I never thought I would see (thank you to Dr. Jutte and Tonya) and some things I wish I never did see (that was probably my own fault). I arrived back in Miami late friday night and I heard a song by Train on the radio when I was driving home from the airport. I became very emotional. I wanted nothing more than to be back in the observer, singing obnoxiously loud and generally having an awesome time. Despite all of my shenanigans I actually learned a lot on this trip. I learned about hot-cold baths and the proper exucution of a power clean. I learned about the importance of stretching and how stiff we can become if we spend all day hunched over a computer. I'll stop listing things there because if I go on I'm sure to leave things out (looking back on my notes I really did learn a fair amount) Again I can't thank everyone enough for making the trip as incredible as it was. As soon as I got home I packed my bags for Montana and hopped on a flight the next morning. I still wonder if I'm ever going to get back on a regular sleeping schedule. If I don't I guess I'll just have to go back.

It's Friday In Australia

Alright people, I've had enough. No more whining about not being in Australia anymore. We are back in the good ol' US of A! Old Glory! The Red, White & Blue! Supersize meal options! These colors don't run, people! I for one am glad to be rid of that waste of space they call Australia and hope to never go there again. I prefer my weight in pounds and my spiders small. I for one can say that I, without a doubt, hated Australia.
Just kidding, but could you imagine if I was really like that? No, my friends, I loved Australia. I had an awesome time and I think all of Australia knows it. Jared mentioned basically everything fun so refer to him at this point for a refresher in many of the events that took place that I, for one, will not be forgetting anytime soon. I even learned stuff. I learned they have a plant that cures hangovers (thank you, Phil). I learned that Australians hate mustard (and therefore I hate Australian Subway restaurants). I even learned how to read good...gooder....goodly.
In all seriousness, I would like to extend a sincere thanks to Lisa and Tonya for all the work they put into the trip. I know we may have been the cause of some undue stress at times, but I do hope that they enjoyed us and got as much out of the trip as we did. I think we made it work relatively well considering the majority of the 18 students that went were strangers before the airport. I hope to stay in touch with many of you and look forward to stealing your facebook pictures. I can't wait until I get to return to Australia.
I really would prefer smaller spiders though.

Back to Reality

So it hasn't exactly hit me yet that were all seperated back around the U.S. and basically gone from the best place on earth. I keep thinking i'll wake up and be back in Australia, this is all just a dream that I'm home. Then i wake up and its back to reality, not Australia. Looking for jobs, carpooling siblings, driving on the right side of the road. Such a nightmare! But Australia was the most amazing experience of my life. I KNOW i'll be back one day, i have too! I can't die without doing the bridge climb ofcoarse. I learned a lot on how others live and how much school I really dont have to do. I took care of my first stubborn athlete and knee injury. Thanks Sarah for preparing me, sorry to hear the bad news. The trips were amazing and I couldnt have asked for a better group of people to travel with. I went into this trip not knowing anyone and came out with friends that I'm sure will last a lifetime. Yes, i know its clique but its true. I had an amazing time, tripping and falling and laughing my way through three weeks. I wouldn't of had it any other way. Thank you so much Dr.Jutte and Tonya you guys did an amazing job! I know how hard it was for you both to set this up and deal with us but I hope you both enjoyed it as much as we did. Thanks again. Miss you guys and Australia
No Worrie ;)

Judment Day

As promised, this is my blog about what actually happened to me on this wonderful adventure. After the results of my MRI and the visit to my lovely orthopedic surgeon today, the verdict is....

1. Torn ACL
2. Partially torn MCL
3. Sprained LCL
4. Meniscus

This means that Megan was the closest in diagnosing the meniscus and ligament combo..Everyone was correct in assuming the MCL was more severely injured rather than the LCL due to MOI..and not even the ER doctor found an ACL component!!..the ortho nicely explained that this is because it was not checked bilaterally (note to self lol)

However all is well that ends well..he's making me get full ROM back w/o using a brace before performing surgery and after that I will be having reconstructive surgery..which in his words ends in a month with crutches and a brace, then 6-9 months before I'm back to full capacity..In my words that means we'll see how I feel =) Moral of the story, don't be stupid (I clearly have yet to master that concept!)

Back home!

Well I am back home and I actually adjusted to the time change pretty well. Australia was a blast! I have always wanted to go there and now I actually got to! I had so much fun got to try so many new things..Surfing, the beach, the ocean, flying, train rides, learning how to use a train system (which was very interesting for a country girl), and climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge ( I am afraid of bridges..thanks Mandi) haha. I am so glad I got the chance to go and if I get a chance I will be going back again!!!!

Back to reality..

Australia was a place I had always dreamed of going. Who knew that I’d ever get this sort of opportunity? It was an amazing trip full of beautiful scenery, tons of adventures, and so much more. I will never forget the great times on this trip. Just some of them include surfing, Phil, leeches, recovery lab, train rides, the bridge climb, and everything else. The friendships I made on this trip only aided in the experiences I had. Thanks for tons of fun, memories, and laughter. Now it's back to reality for me. Cheers!
P.S. I look forward to hearing from you all.

Our Last Day In Sydney!

Wow, how fast can 3 weeks go? In the blink of an eye for me. We had an early start to the day meeting downstairs in the lobby by 7:15am. We wanted to get to the Taronga Zoo right when it opened at 9am. We headed to the bus stop outside our building and waited in anticipation. We saw a bus go by on the other side of the street and Dr. Jutte thought we missed it, but it turned out a few minutes later one came from the other way and we were on our way to the Sydney Olympic Park Wharf. Now some of you may not know what a "wharf" is, it's simply another word for a ferry. It took us through the harbour to our destination, Circular Quay (pronounced "key"). The ride was fairly nice with not too many problems in the category of motion sickness, except a few. But we all made it safely. Then at Circular Quay we got onto a direct wharf to the zoo. It was a beautiful view of the city from the boat. We all enjoyed taking pictures of the bridge, city, and opera house. We arrived at the zoo and we egar to see the animals. One main goal of our trip was to see a kangaroo, well we did not (all) see a kangaroo in the wild but we did get to see AND PET them in the zoo! The zookeeper was very nice in letting the group take turns, 2 at a time, petting the baby joey. He liked it when we would rub his belly and give him food. He tried to eat my fingers because he thought my nails were food. We all got really good pictures with him. Speaking of pictures with animals, Mandi, Laney, Tamara, and I signed up for a Koala encounter. We were allowed to go into the cages where they lived and have our picture taken with one. Unfortunately we were not allowed to hold or touch them but we were allowed to be as close to them as you could get with out touching them and take as many pictures as you want with your own camera. We saw many other animals there too such as, penguins, lions, dingos, Tasmanian devils, a kimono dragon, 11 of the top 15 deadliest snakes, many different kinds of birds, monkey's elephants, even a baby gorilla with his family. They had a wonderful assortment of animals there that was great to see.
The next adventure of the day came for me, Mandi and Tonya (originally) but we added 3 more people, some reluctantly, Laney, Tamara, and Allen to climb the Sydney Bridge with us. I think I was the most calm about it and others were not happy to be doing it. We started off watching a video of what we would be doing, then we went into another room where we pretty much signed our life away and got a breathalyzer test. Then it was off to the change rooms where we put on what looked like space suits and got geared up with harnesses, radios, hats, handkerchiefs, and our "balls." Which of course were to keep us connected to the bridge safety cable at all times. We did a practice walk up stairs and across a catwalk and down the other side, then it was off to the real deal. We started underneath the road in the frame work where our guide, by the way was hilarious and a great entertainer, told us the history of the bridge and the town. We ascended up the stairs in between lanes 7 & 8 of traffic, don't worry we were not directly IN the road, and up to the catwalk. We waited a bit for our group of 11, 6 BSU people and 5 people from England, to all make it up and then we started the "real" climb up the arch. It really was not that hard of climb once you got to that part, and it was not as scary as you would think because the steps were not see through anymore and just thick steel. We got more stories about the bridge on the way up from Dale our guide, which by the way knew each of our names, pretty impressive to remember complete strangers in less than 3 and a half hours! He told us when the bridge was built at least 1,400 people were working at a time and only 16 people died in 10 years. Almost unbelievable. That was a close guess Tonya...."7,000." Yet we have to give credit to her because she answer almost every trivia question right, props to Tonya! When we almost got to the top we took a group photo of just the 6 of us with the opera house and the city in the background. I really liked the one with all of us giving a thumbs up! Then when we finally made it to the very top, 134 meters (about 440 feet) we took a whole group photo of the 11 of us. it was a great view and we were about to see so much of Sydney. To name a few: the city downtown, Manly and Bondi Beaches, and even the Olympic Park where we were staying at. Wow it sure was a beautiful view! I would recommend it to anyone that goes there. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity that how many people can say, "I climbed the Sydney Bridge!" Also many celebrities climbed it and we saw their pictures in the lobby after the climb. It was a great way to end the trip with one final view of Sydney and reflect on all that we've done on our journey here. Now time to pack those suitcases and head back home!

Back Home Again in Indiana

These past three weeks have been unbelievable, a dream come true! From the tears, laughs, and smiles, I loved every minute of my time in Australia. For me it was bitter sweet to leave because I feel in love with Australia and it became my home. One day, I plan to return a) to snorkel and dive the Great Barrier Reef, b) to see the Outback, and c) to find job and live there. Anyways, once I returned to the States, it was back to reality for me, as I worked a volleyball tournament as a first responder (athletic training).

My time in Australia has been a trip I will never forget. Thank you Dr. Jutte for everything that this trip had to offer. I am so glad that I went.

Cheers!

Home Again

This trip has been one for the ages. Australia is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. There were so many experiences that I will never forget...surfing even though I can't swim, nights out in Sydney, getting lost in the zoo, leaving places early and getting on the wrong train and having everyone else beat us back, nature walks with Phil, bus tours with Barry, people getting stuck in things (you know who you are). So many memories. I had a lot of fun and met some great people. Cheers!

Lauren

P.S. Beth I better see you in Muncie come September 12th!

The End?

Hello my friends. I am sure you are all experiencing the same emotions I am feeling being back in the USA. My Australia hangover will be around for weeks I'm sure. I think something that will help us get through this withdrawal is to think of some of the best times we had in Australia. I think I can sum them up pretty well with just a few phrases or words for each. Lets get started. The first day in Lennox Head. Surfing with Mojo. Cheeky Monkeys. Boys Night In (haha). Fabilicous. Phil the Groundskeeper guy. All you can eat at the AIS. The first annual Stinky Bowl. Plunge Pools. The guys sweet rooms at the AIS (sorry girls, lol). The Rugby game. Chicken Dance. Singing at the Observer. Uber Night!!!! Alex and I's tardiness. Megan and Sarah running into things, tripping, or injuring themselves in some way. Petting those Kangaroos. And last but by far not the least, "The Incident." Just writing about these things makes me laugh hysterically. Anyways, I am looking forward to seeing lots of pictures. Tag me as you wish, I have no shame. I think we all owe Dr. Jutte a round of applause (CLAP, CLAP, CLAP). She did a wonderful job. If it wasnt for her we would have had average summers at best. I'm so glad I persued her email that I got way back in early fall I think it was. Looking forward to hearing from you all. Tamara and Mike especially because we have a project to do. Stay in touch. No worries!!!! Cheers!!!!

-I have since edited my post. I changed the title to "the end?" because who knows, maybe some of us will see eachother again someday. Hopefully we have all made lasting relationships. Also, I cant believe I forgot this the first time I wrote but here it is. After arriving in Indy, saying bye, and driving off into Indiana, I fell asleep on the ride. I awoke at one point and caught the DJ on the radio getting ready to play a song on the radio. Believe it or not he played "Land Down Under" by Men At Work, a song we should all download. I was in total disbelief as it played. It is as if someone requested it for me. I had sang it almost the entire trip but only new have the words. If you listen to the lyrics, the guy in the song requests a Vegemite sandwhich. Its pretty funny. Well thats all I wanted to add.

back in Mass

To go along with what Sarah said, I do agree that I had a lot of fun over the last 3 weeks. I also agree with almost everything she said. This has been an unforgettable trip in more ways that people can imagine.

I had a hard time with the time difference yesterday; I believe I finally got out of bed at 3:45pm, yeah I slept basically an entire day. It was strange to not wake up to a beach that looks like Lennox Head, or the lovely confines of AIS, or Olympic park and the crazy subway system of Sydney. I am also currently loading the 1000+ pictures that I took while in Australia that will make it impossible to forget.

I'm happy I went on this trip, I'm happy I got to do things I wouldn't have normally done, and I'm happy I met everyone. Hope the rest of all your summers are awesome!!

Cheers! (last time I'll ever write that haha)

If home is where the heart is...Can i go back home?

So it's my 2nd lovely day back in MA and I've been up since 5am..thank you jet lag! Well after crying hysterically at leaving all of you at the airport, I figured it was a sure shot that all of this was out of my system. -ha "doutable" The weathers nice at home and all (no real complaints) but really, did those 3 weeks just happen?!? I've spent the past 4 hours researching how to go back and if my degree transfers to Australia because I for sure have not had my fill of that country. I can legitimately say that was the most amazing, exciting and outright entertaining experience of my life thanks to each and every one of you! Yes I just said legitimately but really, let's be honest, you'll all probably start using wicked on a regular basis now (i thoroughly enjoy that word as you've noticed).
Anyways, I think we can all agree that the learning wasn't all bad and really I enjoy their medicine (acupuncture and such) far more than what we have in the US. Probably because I'm bitter the ER doctor thinks I have patella tendonitis and the orthopedic surgeon isn't available till Tuesday! Yea, gotta love doctors back home..apparently that loud crack was my tendon snapping over the bones in my lower leg? (that should probably scare many of you seeing as well, he's a very highly paid and respected individual that has no idea what he's talking about! lol) O well, future updates to come..
But really, back to reality and what's really important about this trip. I could not have had a better time with a better group of people and I can promise that I will never forget any of you! Whether it's Mike's sarcasm, Tom's late night lusting, Alex's..well....habits?, Jared's love for Fabulicious, Jenny's fish, Beth's motion sickness, Lauren's leeches, Deanna's wonderful picture taking! (not ha), Danielle's adventures (or what the boys version of them were) or all of Megan's blonde moments (elevators still don't move sideways!) I'm sure I will be telling these stories for a long while. By the way, the parents loved the Cheeky Monkey pics - WARNING - do not go to sleep before removing you're camera card! haha
Well, I hope I've left you all with some good memories and good luck to everyone with whatever you choose to do in life! For some of you this isn't goodbye it's more like see you soon but to the others, stay in touch and never forget what was Australia 2009!

A busy day in Sydney...

This morning started early with a lecture at the New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) by Dr. Thomas Gan. He explained the sports medicine team at the institute and the different programs and scans available to both the athletes and the public An interesting fact was that the scans here in Australia (MRIs, X-rays, etc) are much cheaper here. Where our MRIs costs thousands, theirs run about two-hundred and fifty to three hundred dollars. Sorry Mom and Dad, I guess you'll have to send me Australia from now on. ha After the informational lecture it was time for a tour of NSWIS. The facilities are much smaller than the AIS, but basically run in the same manner. NSWIS does include more sports than AIS. So much of what sports are held at the institutes depend on the governments funding. For instance, softball is no longer a program at NSWIS or AIS because it lost government funding by not performing well enough. As we toured the building we realized that most desks were empty. Luckily it wasn't that they were missing, instead all coaches from all programs were in a meeting with the dietitian's. It was great to see how well the communication and resources work at the institutes. Then it was to a group meeting with Dr. Jutte about our papers. I think a lot of us had chose to excuse them from our memory for the time being. ha I guess it's almost time to come back to reality, although we never really left. Once the tour and lectures concluded we all went our separate ways. Some went and ate, some went and slept, and some went into town. Personally, I went into town, eating on the way of course. Laney, Tam, and I went to the subway station to go to central station For two country girls, Laney and I have dominated the subway. We can definitely put a check mark for that life skill. The three of us then went off to find a post office. Who knew that finding the post office, which we hadn't seen since Lennox Head, would be the easy part? After asking and finally getting there, Tam went to find out how to send her package back to the United States. After three or so tries and being told "you can't send it that way, try again", we got a little frustrate and asked how we COULD send it back. Let's just say it involved a mall floor, lots of bubble wrap, lots of packing tape, many laughs (both from us and those staring at us), a couple rubber bands, and strategical planning to get it sent. Whew. After that we just did some shopping and got some pretty sweet things. Sorry, but if I told you what they were they wouldn't be surprises, get pumped. Then it was back to the subway. During our walk back Laney and I were hit by a swooping bird and then both almost hit by a bus, literally within inches Luckily Tam had enough bubble wrap in her hand to probably save us. Once everyone finally got to our destination, the entire group went to dinner at Macchiato, an Italian restaurant. It was amazing food and dessert, and best of all, Dr. Jutte paid for everything but the drinks! Bonus! I think it's fair to say that no one left hungry. After dinner is was our separate ways again, so it was to a few more shops, headed back, and now I'm talking to you. Time for bed now, we've got an early morning ferry ride to the zoo! Cheers!!!

The Trip to Sydney

Well this blog is a day late but I couldn't get to internet yesterday! Yesterday we had stretching and toning class which was actually yoga! I love yoga. Our instructor had us do some of the common yoga poses, the ones most people think of, the tree pose, downward facing dog, cobra, but then she gave us a more advanced pose, I am not sure I remember the name but it was basically a modified hand stand. We finished the yoga lesson with relaxation. We relaxed everything from our toes to heart to thyroid and parathyroid. Who knew you could relax your thyroid gland!! We then had a lecture on nutrition which helped me to learn what a pre-game, during game, and post-game meal should consist of. I have been trying to learn about sports nutrition and this really helped! It was then we were off to our bus that was taking us to the train station. We were all excited to see a kangaroo while on the train we were told by many people that we would see lots of them but no luck. We never saw a kangaroo in the wild I guess we will just have to wait until the zoo! When we got to Sydney it was a little hectic trying to figure out the train system especially for a country girl like me! To my suprise I actually figured it our quite quickly! I would say I am on my way to being a train system pro! haha, okay maybe not that far. I am excited to see what the rest of our time in Sydney will bring us!

Sydney

We left Canberra yesterday and began our train trip to Sydney. This train trip turned out to be one of many train trips to come while staying in this large city. When we finally arrived at our wonderful hotel, we quickly put our things in what little floor space we had and got ready to go downtown. After about what seemed like an hours worth of train riding, we got to the downtown area near the famous Opera House. It was a wonderful site to see. We split into groups and explored the area and the culture it had to offer. It was a great night to kick off our stay in Sydney. The morning was a little rough for some of us but we all made it somewhat on time for our tour of the Olympic Park. It was very interesting to see the top of the line facilities. After the tour we all gorged ourselves, some on Subway and others on McDonalds. We all miss Canberra for the simple fact of all you can eat food. I would kill for a plate of spaghetti for breakfast now. Alot of us chose to go to the Sydney Aquarium. It was somewhat crazy and difficult to get to but it was worth it. We saw some of the most dangerous animals in the world like the Blue Ring Octupus and the Stone fish. I finally got to see the elusive platypus. What an odd creature. Some of us also elected to do the Sky Tour, which is a skyscrapper view of the city. It was a magnificent site. After a few bus rides, I am now back at our luxurious hotel to clean up and go back out. As for the rest of the night, it is to be announced. Cheers!!

We Heart Footie

So today started off like every other day at AIS with some breakfast (fully stocked with the infamous spaghetti... PS Jared, I know a lot of places that serve baked beans as a side for breakfast, might be a New England thing). The nice thing about today was that breakfast was at 9 which meant we got to sleep in for once. After breakfast everyone did their own thing, most of us packed and did laundry (which took forever because the dryers in Australia take a minimum of 3 hours to dry your laundry) in anticipation for Sydney tomorrow. Then at noon we had lunch (basically all we do here is eat, sleep and learn... what is this place?)
So after taking forever to eat we left to go take yet another group picture to document our time here. Then the excitement started as we made our way to Canberra Stadium where we would soon get to see a rousing game of rugby or footie as the natives call it. We were excited because this was a Rugby League game which was supposedly more violent (aka more injuries and more excitement for us sports medicine students). The game was very interesting to say the least, especially with Mike pretending he knew some of his made up rules. We got to the point where most of us understood the basics so that we could cheer for the Canberra team at the appropriate times. There were many times where the refs (who were dressed in bright pink shirts) would do weird things indicating some penalty (like drawing a square in the air with their hands) and there would be a scrum.

There were some similarities to American sporting events at this stadium:
- Annoying people at the door trying to sell programs... check
- Over priced food, drink and merchandise... check
- Tons of fans wearing brightly colored wigs, #1 fingers, thunder sticks and jerseys... check
- Mascots trying to be funny... check
- Advertisements everywhere you look... check
- The golden arches... check
- Cheerleaders that can't dance and are not dressed weather appropriately... check

We found some differences in Australian sporting events though:
- Small children being used to advertise on a 4 wheeler... Only in Australia
- Running time with no time-outs for a shorter game... Only in Rugby
- Men in shorts that were far too short... Only in Rugby
- Refs wearing pink... Only in Australia
- Cheerleaders that have seats to sit in on the sideline (lazy)... Only in Australia

Over all it was a really great day, the weather was perfect and the footie was fantastic. Canberra took the game with ease which was nice because that was the team we chose to root for (I chose them purely due to them wearing lime green). After the game we went to dinner after going over with Dr. Jutte what our plans were for tomorrow so she could drill the plans into our brains. I think its safe to say that we are all a little over excited to go off to Sydney tomorrow (especially because before this trip a lot of people thought that was Australia's capital and not Canberra). Hopefully it lives up to our expectations.

Cheers!
Jenna

Canberra, "the Meeting Place"

Saturday morning we started off with our breakfast of champions at 7:45 am, (Jared eating his baked beans and spaghetti), with pancakes, eggs, cereal, toast and fresh fruit. After our hearty meal, we started off the day with a bus tour around Australia’s capital, Canberra. Our bus driver for the day, Barry, gave us all the knowledge that we ever need to know about Canberra. In doing so, Canberra has over 200+ roundabouts, and roughly 200 stoplights. Plus, Canberra means “meeting place”, and that is why it is the nation’s capital. (Sorry for all you who thought Sydney was the nation’s capital, but you’re wrong.) On our journey to our first destination, Parliament, we learned about the Australian government. The tour was very informative and gained knowledge of their government. In a way, their government is like the British. As our time came to an end at Parliament, we got back on the bus and headed to the Australian War museum. There were a few that didn’t know Australia was in wars, especially WWII. (However, I learned a few days earlier Australia was in WWII while in Lennox Head because I talked to a retired veteran of the Air Force named Gram who happened to be in WWII.) Anyways, our bus tour came to an end around 12:30pm and it was time to head back to AIS where we had the rest of the afternoon free. For some of us (Angie, Beth, Jenna, Laney, Lauren, Mandi, and I) decided to head back to the city to go shopping; ending up at the mall, Canberra Centre. The mall had the normal department stores, but also had a butcher and grocery store in side as well. As our day came to an end, we all sat down for our supper around 6:30pm, and then over to the theater to watch Muderball, which was a documentary on the 2004 USA Paralympics Rugby athletes. In all, our day was fun filled and even very educational.

May 22-Mind, Body, Name-calling

Hello out there Sports (Medicine Field Study Australia 2009) Fans,
You're all in luck because I am back to chronicle for you one of the best days we've had in Canberra. Tom feels that you all do not care what I have to say, but I know different. I think he is just an angry person because he has red hair and burns easily, but I suppose that is neither here nor there.
My day got off to a great start. We had fried eggs for breakfast. I loaded them up with salsa, as I like to do with eggs, and sat down eager to indulge in the most important meal of the day (besides second breakfast). Unfortunately, the bottle I thought was salsa was actually sweet and sour sauce. Not exactly what I was going for, to say the least. Regardless, this little setback could not keep me down for I was very excited for the morning's lecture. We would be talking with a Strength and Conditioning coach here at AIS. Since I am in the minority in this group because I am not an athletic training major and instead major in exercise science with an internship in strength and conditioning (I only picked up the sports medicine minor so I could go on this trip...man it feels good to get that off my chest) I had a vested interest in this lecture. I assumed that their training techniques would be very similar to ours in America, but it was good to have my assumptions verified from a professional. Their techniques were very similar to those we use in America (aside from the weekly bouts of crocodile wrestling), but I did learn a few new tools I could use in the future.
After the lecture we had a hands-on practical titled "Trained By Some of the Best". There we got to showcase our skills in basketball (stop laughing, Jake) for our good friend Brock and another ball player here at AIS, Shane. There were a few minor injuries: Tom caught a ball in the nose and Megan got a nice bruise from putting her knee in the way of mine (shouldn't have been standing there). Alex showcased some impressive range with his shots while the rest of us did some charity work and built a shelter for the homeless with all of the bricks we shot. If nothing else, I hope we gave Brock some confidence in his own abilities as he prepares to play for Washington State in the Fall.
After lunch (where there were thanfully no condiment malfunctions), we had a lecture with a Sports Psychologist. Many people in the group were eager to see how a Sports Psych works with the athletes to improve performance. I already had an idea, having lived with a psychologist for 18 years (hi Dad). She did a very good job making absolutely sure we understood all of the basics of her field and even managed to hypnotize Alex in the front row.
Immediately following the Psych lecture, we had another lecture with a "Physio" here at AIS, which is something of a mix between an Athletic Trainer and a Physical Therapist in the states. I was actually surprised by how interesting it was. In Australia, they take a much more hands-on approach to injury prevention and treatment. In America, an Athletic Trainer usually only sees an athlete once the injury has already occured. Here at AIS, the athletes are made to complete a survey every morning detailing how they are feeling. If the physio feels the athlete is coming close to an overuse injury or needs a break from training all it takes is one phone call and the athlete is rested for the day. Their philosophy is that the greatest injury treatment is preventing it all together, which seems simple enough for me. The athletes also have mandatory bi-monthly meetings with the physio for checkups and, according to Brock, are "forced" to get a massage once a week. It sure is tough here at the Australian Institute of Sport.
With our lectures done for the day, many of us decided to get out of AIS for a night and go to a local pub to watch a Rugby Union game. This is different from Rugby League and you better not mix the two up. Believe me. The Chiefs beat the Hurricanes 14-10, a chicken sandwich was $16, and I used the terms "wanker" and "tosser" roughly 317 times while referring to the shaved gorillas playing rugby on the television. I learned many things at the pub that night. For example, I never want to upset a rugby player in Australia. They are massive and they can run forever, so they take away both the fight and flight options. Also, I learned that American Football is for "wusses and poufs". I'm not 100% sure what a pouf is, but I think we all have a good idea what he was calling me. Perhaps most surprising, though, I learned that Dr. Jutte isn't mormon (I know she went to BYU. That's what I said. Who knew?).
We addressed the body, we addressed the mind, and I got called insulted by a middle-aged taxi driver. All in all, a very successful day.

Breakfast Variety

So the other day we had breakfast for the first time at Canberra. I looked down at the spread on the buffet line and saw the usual suspects like pancakes, egg loaf, fruit, and spaghetti. Wait....spaghetti? Yeah you read this right, spaghetti. Pretty bizarre a mate? When I think of eating spaghetti I usually think of it around dinner time or sometimes lunch. But for breakfast? No way. So then I figured it was just a fluke and maybe the chefs messed up or something. Man was I wrong. This morning they had it again for breakfast along with some delicous baked beans. Nothing says waking up like a nice plate of baked beans and spaghetti. More like a day filled with gaseous excretions whether they be the sneaky ones you let out in class or the ones you let rip in your room. I am still puzzled at the fact though that someone things spaghetti is so delicous at breakfast that they need to serve it on a consistant basis. That someone is sorely mistaken. Thats all I have to say about that. Cheers!!

Welcome to Canberra, where you can't have too much fun

This morning began bright and early with breakfast at 7:45 am. Most of us were up around 7 and not very happy about it...strange considering if any of us could sleep til 7:00 four days ago we considered that sleeping in. After breakfast we were off to Pilates class, we never knew we could contract the muscles we had to contract for the exercises required for Pilates. After an invigorating and refreshing workout we had the pleasure of a tour of the Australian Institute of Sport. The facilities are top notch here, which is not surprising seeing as how the best of the best Olympic athletes train here. Part of the tour included playing in Sportex, which brought out the inner child in all of us. We had a break for lunch before out lecture on skill aquisition which translates to sports psychology to Americans. We went through some skill exercises ourselves and some of us discovered we wouldn't quite cut in as Olympic athletes. A tour of the physiology lab was next on the agenda, we found out they're doing some pretty high tech research here too. The main focus seems to be on finding the best way to detect drug doping...good to know this is a problem worldwide. Following the tour of the lab we had a little bit of much needed downtime before our next lecture on recovery methods. This lecture probably made Dr. Jutte really happy seeing as how it was all about rehab and preventing injuries. The information could not prepare us for our recovery lab after dinner. Before our recovery lab we had "social sport" we got to pick the sport we wanted to play. We ended up playing a game of football with a rugby ball. Minus Lauren who sat on the sidelines nursing her swollen ankle. The game was going well and everyone was having fun until tragedy struck. Sarah hurt her knee which brought the game to a screeching halt. After taking care of her we moved on to our recovery lab. First we did a pool workout, which wasn't bad at all and we were all thinking we could handle this. But then the real fun began. We were taken into a room with a cold pool (about 50 degrees Fahrenheit) and a hot pool. We had to get in the cold water for a minute and then get into the hot pool for about 4-5 minutes. It wasn't too bad the first time, but we had to do this cycle three wholes times. Except for Tonya how was a pansy and skipped on the last cool bath. Deanna on the other seemed to enjoy the process and even spent an extra minute in the ice water...what a trooper. Thankfully our day ended after this torture. We were all pretty tired after our jam packed day of learning fun. Hopefully we will survive tomorrow, because it looks to be as busy as today.

Lauren and Marie

The most glorious thing I've ever seen

I would not call myself a devoutly religious man (and anyone reading this right now that knows me is probably laughing out loud at the computer). Regardless, I do believe I saw Heaven today. Was I at the top of a beautiful mountain looking down at the scenery and saw it reflecting in the snow? No. Did I see it in the clouds as we took our forty-fifth plane ride of the trip today? No. Was it in the eye of a child? I do not know, for I do not go around looking into baby's eyes. No my friends, Heaven is in none of these things, but it is here in Australia. It is here in Canberra at the Australian Institute of Sports. It is the cafeteria.
It would be an understatement to say that after a steady diet of cereal, ham and cheese sandwiches, toast, scrambled eggs, and a very subpar Subway restaurant (No mustard? I wasn't aware Australia had become a Communist country) we were a little tired of the monotony. Jared even got a little twinkle in his eye whenever Alex walked into the room and I can't be sure it wasn't because Jared thought he could eat him whole. Today we entered the gates of Heaven. They were big automatic sliding glass doors (the kind that make you feel like a Jedi whenever you walk through them) with AIS etched on the front.
The spread was amazing. Pastas and meats and fruits and cereals like we had not seen in ages. Jared gorged himself on a pasta with tomato sauce that included both oysters and small octopi. It was interesting to say the least. Alex enjoyed a Chinese spicy steak concoction. If you mixed the two it tasted just like gumbo. Tom dabbled in a bit of everything. I made myself a bit of ice cream. And they had sprinkles. Yes, sprinkles. Now I know you all are thinking the exact same thing: "Well, what kind of sprinkles? Rainbow or chocolate?" Both, my friend. Both. Now you're wondering which ones I put on my ice cream and again I say both. Oh yes. I was able to put both rainbow and chocolate sprinkles on the same bowl of ice cream. My parents once told me that were I to do that my bowl would explode and Santa Claus would die. I have proven half of that wrong, but if the other half was true then my apologies to many of you come December.
I wasn't sure if I would be able to pull off the sprinkles in my ice cream. After all, the last time I had done it I believe Tom Hanks was winning an Oscar for something. Luckily, it went off without a hitch. Turns out eating sprinkles is somewhat like riding a bike. You may go away from it for a while, but you never really forget and doing it too much may cause prostate problems in older men. (That last part may take some extra research)
Now that I have explained to all of you what and where Heaven is there should only be one question left: What time is Breakfast?

Oh hell.."Doubtable"

So we woke up this morning to crazy winds coming off the beach; it looked much like hurricane waves from the beach. However it was goodbye Lennox Head and hello Canberra (aka too cold for me!). We packed up our stuff and bye 10:45 our luggage was smooshed into the bus and Phil was driving us to the airport. The plane ride was only about an hour before we arrived at Sydney airport for a layover. I had my first Krispy Kreme experience and I have to say that I do approve. The next flight to Canberra was only 23 minutes! and by the time we were leaving the airport we were all too wiped to function. All you can eat dinner was next! the boys pigged out and I did as well, not going to pass up free food at this point. The night ended with a brief lecture given by 18 yr old basketball player Brock Motum (future Washington State player). He spoke briefly about the structured life at AIS, his struggles leaving home and his plans for the future. We did our best to fill him in on all that is American culture and a few things to look out for in college. Tomorrow we're scheduled to be up at 7:30am and we won't finish till 9pm, lord help us! I haven't functioned that many hours since leaving the US! Cheers =)

Snapshots!

World's smallest flower

A flower that is related to tomatoes

Kangaroo Tracks

Phil, the grounds keeper here at the camp, gave us a nature tour around the camp

Spider

Jared, Mike, and Tom after surfing

The crew at Lake Ainsworth sign

Harvest Moon

A bad day in Australia still beats a good day anywhere else

So after an entire day of rain yesterday we woke up this morning happy to see that the rain had finally cleared and that it was just a tad overcast. So we got up and around for our 9am lecture on acupuncture, not knowing what we were getting ourselves into. The lecture began with a brief introduction to Chinese medicine and a description of what acupuncture could be used for. Then the fun began. The two acupuncturists then asked Dr. Jutte to come up so they could take a number of pulses to find how much "chi" (which is sort of like energy in the body) she had throughout her body. From those readings and a brief look at her tongue the acupuncturists were able to tell her that she is a "spleen", which apparently means that her body is "damp". Now, I'm still not sure what the heck this means, but apparently I have the same problem. Then the two ladies had us form a circle and began to walk around, sticking a needle in each of us. Some were a little sceptical at first but everyone gave it a try and found it to be quite painless, and I think this was everyone's favorite lecture by far.

Now before we left for Australia I had made a mental list of things I wanted to do while I was over here. One of the activities on the top of that list (second to finding a koala and smuggling it back into the States) was to go snorkeling in the Pacific ocean. So for the past week I have been trying to organize a snorkeling excursion for any group members that were interested. After days of searching for the best place to snorkel, planning around the bus routes, calling to make appointments for a group of 12 and listening to Mike and Jared tell me that it was all my fault that the snorkeling trip didn't happen the first time around, we had finally found a time that worked. So this afternoon after our lecture we set out for our walk to the bus stop to ride the bus into Byron Bay. After finally finding the place, we walk up to the counter, excited that we had actually made it there, only for the gentleman at the counter to tell us that they had actually been trying to call us all day to inform us that our snorkeling excursion had been cancelled due to the bad weather.
Now this might sound like a pretty awful day, from getting stuck with needles to taking a half hour bus ride that cost $12 only to find that our plans were ruined. But I must say, I would still take a day like today in Australia over most days back home.

Cricket the Sport of Kings

So Sunday we all woke up excited and ready for round two of our surf lesson. Especially all of us that went out then night before. This time it was only 10 of us. We started out with a brief review of our extravagant techniques and learned also about the rip tides which happened to be a little stronger then they were the first day we surfed. We were all so excited to hit the water and start shredding it up, until we actually got in the water and it felt like it was 40 degrees and the waves felt like we were in the movie the perfect storm. So after getting bashed around for a couple hours it was time to carry the boards back to town and hit the cricket fields. We met up at the field at 12:45 and started out with a presentation on the wonderfully smelling equipment. We then all learned how to become professional bowlers. We didn't exactly meet the criteria when we tried though. It's pretty difficult i must say to through at ball without bending your elbow and then attempt to hit 3 golf club size poles about 90 feet away. We then got a diagram of what the field set up was suppose too look like. It was basically like giving a 5 year old a calculus problem. There was no way any of us could figure it out until he set us up. It a pretty difficult game to play and to understand but got easier after a few practice runs. I felt like a penguin trying to run with all the equipment on. your also suppose to run with the bat and its pretty hard to do when its 2nd nature for most Americans to drop the bat and run. After two hours of hitting, catching, running, and switching in and out of smelly equipment we were all pretty pooped. We split up after that and some continued their sporting adventures to play lawn bowling and the rest of us went and practically inhaled lunch. we were all pretty sore the next day but it was still an interesting game to learn and play. I also found out that the game can last up to 6hrs and they play 5 day tournaments. We all agreed our attention span isn't quite that long.

It's raining in the rainforest

Today I woke up to the first sound of bad weather in Australia. Rain. It rains in Australia!?!? This was the beginning of my first bad day. I proceeded to drop all of my makeup in the toilet and then burned a section of my hair off with my straightener, which could have completely been avoided since it got wet from the rain about 2 minutes later. Anyway, we all got up and listened to the most intriguing and interesting lecture we've had so far. Alternative medicine--thats all I have to say about that lecture. Afterwards, we had a rainforest walk scheduled so we allowed ourselves to fall victim to groundskeeper Phil's driving. On a side note, every Australian I've been in the car with since I've been drives like a maniac...and I'm from New Jersey so you know that's serious. After we all recovered from numerous motion sicknesses (seriously, it was that bad), we began our journey through the rainforest with our guide named Hans! It was really something else. The rainforest was beautiful. There were trees and plants and views that you would never see on the Northern Hemisphere. Apparently the best day to be at the rainforest is when it's raining because you can see all the rainforest colors. Hans lied. You know what comes out of the woodwork when it rains? Leaches. Yes, these blood sucking creatures ruined our rainforest experience. We had just gotten to the original rainforest (the plants and trees that started it all) when the attack began. It started with Laney. We had all forgotten that these things existed until Laney had one on her ankle and then we all looked down. Screaming, jumping around, slapping our legs, and ripping off our shoes followed. A few of us just tried to keep walking (they only crawl on you if you keep standing still) but some of us were a bit more freaked out than the rest so we had to turn around and walk back. We walked back a different way on a boardwalk, where the leaches couldn't get us. It was just as beautiful though. We stopped to watch for a platypus but he didn't come :( Just knowing we were in a rainforest was a feeling all in itself and we all got plenty of great pictures. After we were done, we picked our leaches off, thanked Hans and braced ourselves for the ride back with Phil where the leach attack was still in full effect. Those things are sneaky. You think you've conquered the war but really there are numerous battles left to fight. They followed us all the way back to Lennox Head where Megan found two more on her feet. On the way home we stopped to see a waterfall which was amazing because the lookout point looked down on the rainforest too. Again, another breathtaking view. We all got back on the bus and stopped again at the Macadamia Nut Castle (i know, we thought the same thing). So we picked up some nuts and got on our way again. It was a long and eventful day. It seemed like we would never make it home, but we did and we're finally all leach free, but the rain is still coming down. Despite the rain, my burnt hair, motion sickness, and leaches, me and Australia are still getting along. I'm loving it here :)

A day and night in Byron Bay

Despite it being our least scheduled day in terms of lectures or instruction, this Saturday was undoubtedly our busiest day yet. We slept in today until about 7 o'clock (the latest I've slept since I've been here). I woke up and wandered around the cabin in a daze for a few minutes, as I usually do upon getting out of bed, then had my standard breakfast of two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. My culinary habits have grown increasingly stranger since I got down here. We caught the 9:30 bus from Lennox Head to Byron Bay. While the rest of the group spent the day touring shops and stores around the town, Jared and I went with Tamara, Sarah and Megan to hike to the lighthouse in Byron Bay (the Eastern most point in Australia). After a short hike we were there, and by there I mean we were at the beginning of the ascent to the lighthouse. We went at least a mile down the beach and up stairs before reaching a sign telling us we only had 700 meters to go. It was no easy climb but it was well worth it once we got to the top. The views were breathtaking. The descent was not quite as difficult on the legs but I really could've used an elevator down. We then went into town and grabbed some souveneirs then caught the 3:20 bus bake to Lennox head so we could rent some surfboards for sunday morning before the shops closed. Mike, Tom and I each grabbed a board and walked from town back to the cabin. Sarah, Megan, Jared and Tamara followed. The day was fairly eventful already, so I grabbed a snack, headed to the gym and figured I would be tired and go to sleep when I got back. Ohh was I wrong. While in the gym, Jared poked his head in to alert me that some people were getting a cab back to Byron Bay to go to a bar called the cheeky monkey. Why not? I hustled through the workout and showered just in time to catch the ride. Nine of us in all took the journey out the Bay. Everyone was relieved to get out Lennox Head and take in some Australian nightlife. I think everyone really enjoyed themselves. Danielle and Sarah really submersed themselves in the culture, and I participated in and won a dance contest. Megan, Deanna, Mike and Jared also had a good time, trying some of the local brews and reveling in each others company. Tamara and Alan were the glue that held the crew together and should be commended for their cab organizing and making sure no one got lost and/or kidnapped. Bravo!

Fabilicous

Before coming to Australia I would definately not classify myself as being a drug addict. On May 13, 2009 that all changed. We were taking a trip into town to do some grocery shopping and by some food when I stopped in the IGA to look at some of the food. I just so happened to stumble upon the candy isle when I saw it. Starring up at me from its multicolored Wonka box was a candy I had never seen before. It was called the Fabilicous. The package sold me when it said it was sour because that happens to be my favorite. I bought it and took it outside and took it out of the package. Its a long red tube of taffy like material with a green center. Without thinking I took a bite. As soon as the delicous candy hit my mouth there was an orgy of flavors in my mouth. I was hooked. The next day I bought another one and then the day after that. I made the mistake of sharing it with others and now they are buying up all of my delicous candies. I hate them. I find myself having trouble getting to sleep at night when the Fabilicous is sitting in the store waiting for me. Recently, I have been sneeking out at night to get my fix. I run franticly to town in search of them. I bought about sixty and threw them on the lawn out front our cabin and rolled in them. It was glorious. Unfortunately the other day I went to buy more but there were only a few left. I bough as many as I could but I fear they may be out. I dont know what to do. Im so scared. I tried other candies like the Zombie chew but its not the same. I hope they have more soon or Im not going to make it.

May 15, 2009

Friends and family members,

Today was our surf day where everyone learned how to surf, even Dr. Jutte and Tonya. We were all very eager to get our lesson for the day started. First, we learned the basics of the surf. Then we stretched. Finally, we learned how to surf which we were all very proficient at until we got into the water.

Once in the water, some of us seemed to be born to surf while the others, not so much. However, we all had fun in our own ways. We had even more fun once we took a look at the pictures that were taken of us.

After our surfing lesson, we then went on a nature walk with one of the locals. He showed us a variety of plants and birds. Some of the plants were edible while others could be used for medicinal purposes. Some were just plain poisonous. Nevertheless, we all had fun on our nature walk.

To cap off our day, we had a lecture which was about the role of exercise physiology in the sport of surfing. The roles of exercise physiology in surfing, from our lecture, included: physical characterization, performance testing, research, surf specific fitness training, surf specific rehabilitation exercises, competition, training statistics, and travel support. Quite an interesting lecture to say the least.

Tomorrow, we are all planning to go up to the peek here in Lennox head at, yes, 4:30 am with Dr. Jutte and Tonya. Everyone is so used to waking up at 5 or 6 am that 4:30 am seems like a breeze. We want to see the sun rise and possibly some humpback whales. The gang also plans on going to Byron Bay to do a little more sight seeing, shopping, and a few more fun, exciting, and different.

Fun, fun, fun.

I will punch a shark in the face

Today we learned how to surf. This means that I now have one more thing in common with actor Paul Walker, besides the uncommonly good looks and successful movie career. (Wait...what?) You could tell that in the back of everyone's mind (and in the front of some, and coming out of my mouth) were worries about sharks. You may have heard once or twice that Australia has a bit of a shark problem. They are everywhere and they are nasty. I am here to tell you all that sharks are not that bad. They are boring. Not one shark in an entire day of surfing. They were scared and I can't blame them. We're Americans. We're crazy.
I looked around trying to figure out which person was our surf instructor. There was the lady with the two kids chasing around a bird. Doubtful. A young couple, both draped in dreads, that pulled up on bicycles. Possibly. A middle-aged balding man in a polo. God, I hope not. It turned out to be a sun-baked bleach blonde Aussie who's name until right before the lesson I thought actually was Mojo. Turns out Mojo was the name of the surf company. Who knew? Everyone but me.
After getting over the intial disappointment that I wasn't being taught by surf master Mojo, we began our suf lesson like I imagine many do: with a light stretch, some calistenics that I'm convinced he made us do just to see how stupid we were willing to look in public, and some brief instructions on how to get onto the board. We also got some kind of lecture over riptides and drowning, but most of us found it far more important to pay attention to how good we looked on the boards. And we did. Finally, it was time. I'm paddling and I'm in the zone and I pop up and land on the board perfectly. I am riding the board flawlessly. First try. I am amazing. I could do this blindfolded. I am the LeBron James of surfing. I'm feeling so good that I think I'm even ready to try it in the ocean.
It proved far more difficult with actual waves. Crazy, I know. Many of us spent the next twenty minutes being lured in by waves only to be smashed down into the ocean floor over and over again. I think many of us began feeling like dogs chasing cars when it came to the waves. We wouldn't even know what to do if we caught one. Just when it seemed like all was lost and I was about to go John McEnroe on my surboard ("You can't be serious!") it happened. I caught a perfect wave, didn't slip, popped up and rode it all the way into the beach (Though I have to admit it took all the strength I had to keep from channeling my inner Ninga Turtle, screaming "Cowabunga" or "Surf's Up, Dude!", and in doing so embarrassing every single American and offending every real surfer within earshot). Don't believe it happened? There was a professional photographer there. And he took pictures. Which I now have. Boom. How's your mind? Blown? Watch out Kelly Slater.
Since the majority of the group at least caught one wave I am sure they can back me up when I say that catching that first wave is kind of like a first kiss. You're shaky, you have no idea what is going on, it happens way too fast, it is a little more wet than you'd prefer, but at the end you can't wait to do it again.
Now I just have to hope the ocean doesn't have wi-fi.

Kodak Momements! from Lennox Head

The view of the beach


Laying on the Beach


Low back stretches


Our frist speaker, Danielle, who is an Exercise Physiologist


Where all 20 of us stay, Ocean View


Our big screen tv/living room area


Our kitchen where we all eat and make our yummy meals


Sara showing off our table/dinning area


Walking on the beach to supper the first night in Lennox Head


Landscape view from the drive from Brisbene to Lennox Head


Our first meal in Australia after traveling for 24hours


All 20 of us in LA


The Indy Crew at the Indy Airport

There are more photos to come! Like the Aussie say "No Worries!"

Tam

5:30 AM?

Hi everyone!!

So today has been another interesting day here in Lennox Head, as you can see by Mikes post earlier we all learned to stay away from that terrible substance that will not be named... Also, because of the time differences some of us are still having trouble adjusting and end up going to sleep around 8 at night and thus waking up around 6 in the morning with nothing to do. This hopefully will get better the longer we are here. Besides laying out on the beach, exploring around the area, and walking around town we had two lectures today on Physiotherapy and on Surfing Injury. We learned that physiotherapy is a very competitive career choice here due to the fact that it is in high demand. With this profession you can work at numerous places with many different populations. We also learned about what to expect tomorrow when we have our first surf lesson, which is apparently that we will all fall and as they say get "dumped on". That did not go over well with some of us and as we went over the different ways we can be injured, the words of advice we got were to protect our face. This is because we might fall off and bounce right back up excited because we still are in one piece but due to the recoil fact of the board being attached on a cord to our leg it will rebound and hit you in the face if you are not careful. None of us want this. Also, some stretches were learned to help us stretch certain body parts before surfing. These will come in handy for tomorrow. Right about now we are about to head into town and enjoy some dinner, most of us are heading to a little pizza place which should be fun! Then its back to our cabin, hopefully tonight we can stay up a little later then 8 and help fix the problem of waking up so early and having nothing to do! Thats all for now! Talk to you again soon!!

Hey,

The ocean is sooooooo cool.

Al

A Global Warning

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Every person on the planet, whether they be tall/short, fat/skinny, all races, religions, and creeds all think of the five same things when they think of Australia. These things are the wildlife (kangaroos, koalas, baby-eating dingos, etc.), surfing, Crocodile Dundee, Foster's (which they actually don't sell down here), and vegemite. In our current global situation everyone is trying to find a way to help the planet in their own little way. This blog post is my effort to help the world. I need to warn you all of a very real issue down here in Australia. Vegemite is terrible.
This is no laughing matter. Vegemite is legitimately the worst thing I have ever tasted in my entire life. We found some tucked away in our food pantry and after seeing the expiration date was not until December of 2010 (meaning it was probably made in 1973) it was only a matter of time before curiosity got the best of us. After our morning jog/walk (mostly walk) we came back all ready for some breakfast. After a bowl of cereal and cooking toast over the oven we wondered what to do next. There it was. The vegemite was looking at all of us. It was then that Tom, Jared, and I stepped up to the plate and decided to smear some of this topping on a piece of bread and dive in.
Before I continue, I feel a need to describe vegemite to those of you out there who have never seen or heard of it. It has been made since 1923, which I find incredible since this stuff is still around yet I can't find Dunkaroos in the states anywhere. It comes in a regular looking container like peanut butter or jelly would. Once you open it you are met with a substance that looks like what I imagine ear wax would look like if you cooked it over an open flame. It has the consistancy of tar and the smell alone causes dogs and other small animals to flee from the room. It has a few hard to pronouce chemicals and then lists among its ingredients both "colours" and "flavours". I feel this is meant to be a warning, saying that anyone who is too stupid not to avoid eating something without knowing what "flavors and colours" are in it deserve what they are about to get.
The first bite was not too bad, although I admit it was mostly bread. Then it hit. The vegemite touched all of our tongues at the exact same moment and the look on their faces, as I imagine was on mine, was one of pure terror. The taste is one which is hard to put into words, much like it is hard to describe a sunset and convey the full effect of its magnitude. The taste of salt was overwhelming, followed by a taste unlike anything I had ever tasted. It brought to mind licking the bottom of a construction worker's boot after a long day of reshingling a roof. Our eyes went wide, a cold sweat broke out, and we immediately began frantically looking for the door. Tom and Jared both made it to the trashcan with their piece of pre-chewed vege-bread, but in desperation mine ended up leaving my mouth and sailing into the yard, where I imagine it will stay for all eternity because no animal will go near the stuff. We all then stormed back into the kitchen looking for anything that could get the taste of this out of our mouths and out of our lives forever. Tom tried furiously chugging water, jared dove into a bowl of Fruit Loops, and I decided to try my luck with a glass of orange juice, or as they call it here "orange fruit drink" (one part water, one part sugar, one part orange).
Thinking that was the end of it, we vowed to never taste the stuff again and went about cleaning it up and making sure it never saw the light of day again. Then the headaches began. We all began feeling the same headache in the same spot of our foreheads. Being that we are on a Sports Medicine field study, we decided to coin the phrase "vegemite hangover" and will look to have it published in a major medical journal soon.
I write this to warn you all. Vegemite is the source of all evil. If anyone ever offers you vegemite, your response should be an emphatic "No" and then you may feel free to punch them in the face, stomach, or groin for trying to subject you to the perils of vegemite consumption. As we look to enter a new age on this planet, I feel a major step in this process is the destruction of all vegemite and vegemite-related products. Disposal may be difficult as burning of the vegemite would lead to toxic fumes, burying of it would inevitably lead to ground water pollution, and locking it away together somewhere would only give it time to regroup and devise a plan for escape. I will leave these plans to the suits in Washington, but I emplore you all to write your local Congressman and plead that he draft a bill making trying to smuggle vegemite into America a crime on par with trying to sneak in any other weapon. If we cannot destroy it, then it needs to come with a warning label similar to those on cigarette cartons: "Warning: Vegemite may lead to nausea, vomiting, dizziness, cotton mouth, birth defects, spontaneous combustion, leprosy, and sudden death. Use at your own risk."
That's all for now. Keep checking in for updates. Remember, a vegemite-free home is a happy home. G'day.

Day 2- May13th

Today was our first full day in Lennox Head, most of us started our day at 6:30am because we are still a little messed up with the time change. A lot of the time today was spent at the beach or exploring town. At the beach it seems like every person walking has a dog, which is great because that meant that we got to play with the dogs! The town is a pretty small town but has a lot of little shops and some cute places to eat. Jenna and I tried the local fish place, fishy fishy, and the fish and chips there was amazing!! We have been eating other meals, breakfast and dinner, as a big group because we pooled our money and are cooking in the kitchen.
We had our first lecture today and learned about exercise physiology in Australia. It is recognized here as an allied health care which means that they can practice on their own and doctors can refer patients to them. We also learned a little bit about the Australian healthcare system and how doctors can refer a patient to a variety of health care professionals and they all will work together as a team to get the patient back on the right track. Also did a participation part of the lecture and learned all of us needed to stretch more!! Tomorrow is filled with another lecture and more exploring!! Have a great night/day!!!

Cheers,
Beth

Keeping Dr. Jutte off dateline

Hi!
Well we are finally here - everyone is still alive, accounted for and not in jail, so that's accomplishment #1 for Dr. Jutte. And to think that only 2 days ago we were sitting in Detriot, Michigan waiting for our flight. We're in Lennox head right now and it is awesome! The beach is perfect, the weather has been awesome and the town is so cute and small! The cabin we are staying in is a little small seeing how all 20 of us are staying in the same one, but it works. So far we've just been enjoying the beach and listened to one lecture on exercise physiology and we can't wait to see what else the week brings!

Cheers!!
Danielle & Jenny

We made it to Aussie Land!

Hello All,

We made it here to Lennox Head safe yesterday afternoon. It was a looong trip down but it is definitely showing it's rewards, beautiful weather, great temperatures, and the gorgeous ocean view and beach! It's my first time seeing the Pacific Ocean and pretty much the first time I've been anywhere West of Illinois, or as Dr. Jutte asked "Are we East?" I claim it to be West because that is the way we traveled :) I loved the plane from LA to Auckland, New Zealand!! It was really comfortable and had an awesome entertainment system with movies, TV shows, games, music (Make your own play lists) pretty much amazing and I did sleep, a lot. What to do with 13 or so hours.....lots of things #1 SLEEP. We walked down the beach last night into town and got Subway (buy one get one free on Tuesdays!) for dinner then walked around some more. We all were asleep by 11pm I believe last night. I went to bed at 9 and boy was I out when I hit that pillow. We all got up early today and some went into town to explore while the rest stayed on the beach. I went to town and it was definitely different in the daylight. This afternoon we had a exercise physiologist come and talk to us. She was really cool. She talked about the profession and even did a few activities with us! I really enjoy it here and wish it could last forever, well maybe not forever I would like to see home again, but it is beautiful!

No Worries! :)
~Angie

Day one in the books

So after thrilling day/days of traveling we have arrived in Australia. The flights all went well, with no major hang ups until we arrived in New Zealand. Evidently US airport security is not as tight as we had imagined. Our own Mandi Thelen was caught bringing a 3 inch blade into NZ via her carry on. Luckily she was not arrested, though it would have made for a better story. In the wee hours of the morning towards the end of our flight from LA to NZ we fly over a thunder storm which look amazing from where we were at. At one point I thought we were flying over a couple of islands but it turns out that is was just the engines on the wings of the plane (it was a bit dark when I was looking out the window). We arrived in Australia during the morning and with the time change from NZ was very hard to get used to. It seemed like the longest morning ever because we kept being set back a few hours. Customs and immigration were quite easy to get through then we had a 2 hour bus ride to Lennox Head. We stopped on the way for dinner at a food court of sorts. The food was pretty decent and there were these large birds hanging around which the bus driver fooled me into believing you could, can you say gullible! Anyways, we are all in a large cabin for the next few days until we move to smaller cabins were we are going to be broken up into smaller groups, mainly by gender Mom don't worry no girls in our room. We saw a python up in a tree and we explored the surrounding bush as they say. The beach is amazing and probably one of the highlights of our trip thus far. For being winter here it is quite nice and light years from a typical Michigan winter.

Cheers Mates,

Tom

yay we made it!

So we made it to Australia safely. I may or may not have been stopped at customs because I had pre-wrap in my bag... oh well. Lennox head it beautiful, the beach is awesome and there are tons of dogs to play with. The time difference is still freaking me out, but I did make it until 8pm last night before passing out. Tomorrow I think we may wake up to see the sun rise and possibly spot some whales. So far Beth and I have figured out that we do NOT like their burgers but we do enjoy their fish and chips. Things are going great.

- Jenna

DOWN UNDER!!

Hey Everyone,

So after countless hours of travel and a decent amount of computer struggles, not only am I in Australia but I finally can post a blog. It is beautiful here and I am so anxious to get going with different activities and just getting to know the culture. It seems to be a small town (Lennox Head) but hopefully we have some time to explore it over the past 9 days. We just finished our first lecture and not only do I love Australian teaching methods but they only have to go to school 4-5 years in comparison to my 7!!! Shocking and heartbreaking all at the same time. Well hopefully everyone else loves it as much as I do and our parents don't miss us to much, 1 day and counting =)

-Sarah

We made it to Lennox Head Safely

Good day mate,

Just wanted to let everyone know we arrived in Lennox Head yesterday. Students should have access to the internet later today.

Lisa Jutte

Indy airport

Hello! This is Tom, Al, Mandy, and Tam; and we're sitting in the Indy Airport waiting for our flight, with every one else that's going with us. We are looking forward to the long fights ahead of us. We were amazed by the x-ray machine and how how-tech the checkpoint area is. Plus it was speedy for all 13 us to get through in a timely fashion, which is not all of us. We are meeting more in LA. As we are sitting here waiting for the plan, we will catch you up to date on what has happened before all we all meet up. Tom and Mandy are both from Hope College and traveled to the airport together. Al and Tam are both from Ball State University. We all meet up at the airport this morning. As we got all our bags checked, it took Tam forever to get her's checked, just because she was the first to check her bag. Every thing worked out okay, and all our bags are checked to LA. Now it's time for a quick group photo every one in Indy. After our amazing photo it was time to say our goodbyes to our families. Then off to the checkpoint. As we sit here at our gate, we are all getting to know each other, by playing games and chatting. Its offical time for us to board our plane. Next time we blog we'll be down under.

Good day Mates!

Tom, Al, Mandy, Tam

PS... Happy Mother's Day.

Going Down Under

Sooooo...Laney, Marie, and I are sitting here in the airport in Indy. Going through security was interesting. Laney and Marie had to go through the body scan thingy. Meanwhile I had to halfway undress to go through security. We're all worried about the long plane ride, but it will all be worth it once we get there. We're excited about seeing all the different wildlife in Australia. The thing that we're most worried about is going on the bush walk. We're not big fans of snakes and bugs. Overall, it will be a good experience. Can't wait!

Lauren, Laney, & Marie

Welcome

Please follow this blog to keep up with the adventures of the BSU Sports Medicine Field Study in Australia students. Students will be posting our daily activities.