The Most Triumphant Brooks: August 2011

A year ago I was here:

(Australia)

One year and one month ago I was here:

(BYU-Idaho)

Just 4 days after this picture was taken, I embarked on my journey to Australia, to live with and work for a family I barely know. I had no idea at the time that the experience would be one of the best of my life.

On the (looonnngg) plane ride over I was getting into my Hunger Games books, rereading the first one. In the first book, Katniss is preparing for the Hunger Games, and all sorts of emotions run through her. Mainly she is anxious because she's about to enter these games and feels that there is no way she is going to make it out alive. Well I guess I was really connecting with this book, because Katniss's emotions became my own, and I became really afraid that it wouldn't work out how I expected, or that the family would hate me, or it was just some huge scam.

I landed safely in Australia, and somehow managed to find the Happy Cabby that would take me up to Newcastle. The house they dropped me off at looked nothing like it did on googlemaps, so I panicked for about half a second, but then Nicci, Bridie, and Olivia came out to the driveway to meet me. They were so welcoming even the very first day I got there. Nicci made me a lovely lunch, I even still remember what it was... Chicken and a salad with feta cheese. Even within that first hour or two of being there, I had a lovely conversation with Nicci, told her a little bit about my church, and took some pictures of little Brides.

It didn't take me long to see how wonderful this family was. They welcomed me in, made me feel like I was a part of their family, and I began to love them like my own.

Adam, Liv, Brides, and I went on a dolphin watching cruise

On this day they gave me a lovely tour of the area

This was right after I got there, and we were taking pictures together already :)

Thanksgiving Dinner

Not only did they openly welcome me into their family, they helped make sure I had friends and could do other things that interested me. Nicci looked into and found the people in Newcastle that would play ultimate every week.

She also arranged for a work friend of hers to take me to church my first Sunday there. On that day I met these crazy ladies.

She nagged that same work friend to take me mountain biking. It was really hard, but SO much fun!

Funny story about that day:

Somehow when we were out there a tick found me and started burrowing into my skin. That night I found it halfway into my skin, not knowing what it was that was sticking out of me, I pulled it out with tweezers... then it started wiggling its legs. I about lost it there. I chucked it on the ground, then killed it before it got away. Then I stripped and searched my body, but there were no signs of any more. Just in case, I hopped in the bath tub. That night I dreamed about ants crawling all over me.

Anyway, I made some awesome friends at church there who always included me and invited to me to everything that was going on. They introduced me to other YSA, and also took me out to experience things, and make the most of my time there. The people I hung out with the most were Ashleigh, Vanessa, Emily, and Lucan.

Kissy kissy

Beautiful beach we went camping at about 2 hours north of Newy

With the Craigs :)

Ness and I are master climbers

This picture cracks me up... just because we collided in the air, and landed hard on the ground

YSA cruise!

This was after the YSA cruise in Sydney, we went down to the Blue Mountains

Ash

Beatles

High School Musical? I think? haha

We're dorks

Lucan! Yes, this is the boy I dated while I was there. He and I had lots of good times :)

These days Ashleigh and Lucan are both living up in Brisbane. Ash moved up there to nanny, and Lucan moved there to work. Vanessa just left on her mission to Melbourne. And Emily is on her mission in SLC Temple Square. It was really cool because a few weeks ago I got to go down to Utah and stalk the sister missionaries in Temple Square. After about an hour or so, we actually found her! It was so lucky because she was walking away, I barely caught her.

We caught up for a little while, and then her and her comp gave a little demonstration/tour thing in the Visitor's Center. It was an amazing presentation about families, I loved it. It was really cool to see Em actually on her mish, I could tell she's such a great missionary and was really loving it. Seeing her makes me really want to serve a mission.

Oh, back to reminiscing... Another really cool experience I had was getting to see my step dad. He flew in quite a few times while I was there, but I saw him twice. Once he took the train into Newcastle, and I showed him around, and he met the family. The other time I went down to Sydney and spent the weekend with him.

Anyway, I guess I'm just saying I had a really great time there, and I really miss it. I wish I wasn't poor and could go visit all the time. But there is a SLIGHT possibility that United might be changing their family flying policy, so I may get to go for cheaper if they do decide to change it. I'm trying not to get my hopes up though. Here are some other fond memories/fun pictures.

Tanning :)

Pretty beach

Evidence of my clubbing experience!! Yes, I went to a club... and stayed for five minutes

Shelly beach

Blue Mountains

Pretty waterfall... and Ness and I climbing up

Can't tell which way is up and which way is down

I'm on a horse... HYA

So serene

I'm riding a horse backwards... HYA!

Tarzan? No, Jane!

Halloween! yes... we carved a watermelon

Lucan and I, haha.

The day Lucan went hangliding... and I ALMOST got to go

The second time we tried going out so I could go hangliding... but then the wind died :(

Messing around while he was checking the wind

Hunter Valley Gardens

BIG SNAKE

Beautiful :)

Olivia Thomas Photography

Pretty Olivia

Olivia Thomas Photography

I love this one

Olivia Thomas Photography

Dancing

Pose!

Olivia Thomas Photography. I always bribed Liv to come on walks by letting her take pictures on my camera on the walk

Olivia Thomas Photography

Tasmania!! This was the gorgeous view from the balcony of the house we stayed in. And me posing in front of it... cause I'm cool :)

Tasmanian Devil. Ugly little guy, isn't he?

Surrounded

Feeding the roos!

Me in front of Port Arthur, the convict settlement. This place was so cool/pretty/creepy! They sent prisoners here, especially ones who were misbehaving. It was crazy how hard they punished back in the day. I was reading about some people sent there, and some were originally arrested for things as miniscule as stealing a hankercheif. Then, they could be sent to Port Arthur for anything ranging from trying to escape to being a "shady character." Fascinating stuff. Anyway, they say the place is really haunted, but I didn't really know that until after. I probably wouldn't have gone off on my own if I had known that beforehand.