Finally moved in!

G'day mate! (I have already been introduced to many Australian slang terms) Phew, has this been a whirlwind! I finally arrived in Wollongong yesterday morning around 10 am after a long night of flying and a rather stressful customs experience in the Sydney airport. I am living in what's called Campus East: it is a residential village comprised of four buildings that house around 600 students. It seems to be a great place to develop friendships and gain a sense of community at a very large "Uni". Yesterday was fun, yet very overwhelming and scary. My room had to be changed due to a door jam, so much of it was spent being shuffled around to various locations. I live in my own room, and share a bathroom and living area with four other people (3 Aussie boys and 1 girl I have yet to meet). We went out last night for a theme party sponsored by the school which was great fun, the Aussies are extremely friendly and there are also tons of other American exchange students eager to have a good time. We have taken the bus into town several times to get stuff for the dorm, setting up bank accounts etc. It is MUCH colder than expected at night so down comforters are essential. The culture is very different, yet in subtle ways. The bus has been a good way to get out and see Aussie life in action, as well as get a sense of the city. The town is beautiful, and the views of the ocean are breathtaking. Tomorrow is the beginning of orientation, followed by a pub crawl, complete with UOW tee shirts. Orientation will be my first visit to main campus! So much to see, good thing I have four months! It has been wonderful to begin meeting people and see all of the future adventures I have ahead of me. On the contrary, the thought of being over here for an entire semester is still rather daunting. Taking it one step at a time seems to be the way to manage the overwhelming feelings. I miss everyone at home a lot! I'm off to finish unpacking, more details on my adventures soon. xx (as they do in the Australian texting world)