I'm a big girl now.

Marissa here.

I have less than one week left in Oz. Time sure flies. And it's strange how quickly things become normal. It feels like living out of a suitcase, and traveling city to city has been my life for a lot longer than 10 weeks.

Last night, we hung out with some YSA here in Penrith. It was a blast. These encounters generally result in the same conversation with questions about our travels, and about the differences between the States and Oz. But last night was definitely one of the better conversation. We converted someone to the idea of backpacking, and he's planning on heading to the States when he can to do what we're doing. Another girl thought it was funny that neither of us had tried driving here, so she offered to let us drive hers. But we had the same problem as usual: it's a manual. Robert hasn't driven one in years, and I never have. So combine that with driving on the other side of the car (and thus shifting with your left hand), driving on the other side of the road, in a city we don't know. You can see why we've declined any previous offers. I wouldn't trust myself behind that wheel. But she did. So we drove.

My first time in a stick could have been a lot worse. I only killed it a few times, and she said she was impressed for it being my first time. I was so stressed, though. Doing anything in the car with my left hand was just weird. The worst part was when we got to a light at the top of a hill, so I had to stop. When it turned green, I killed it, so I had to wait for the next cycle. In the meantime, a car pulls up behind me, and I was really worried about rolling backwards into it. A cop car also pulled up at the opposing light. I waved the car behind me on, and the cop passed without trouble. But it could have been disastrous, as I didn't even have my license on me. Robert hit a curb, but did very well. It was a crazy experience, but no one died.

So in the spirit of things, I decided to compile a list of the things I tried for the first time in Australia, including foods, and excluding tourist-y things like attending a certain zoo for the first time or something.

Skydiving.
Camel riding.
Surfing.
Running on the sand.
Riding on a train.
Sleeping on the beach.
Hitchhike.
Kayak.
Kiss an Aussie.
Throwing a boomerang.
Playing the didgeridoo.
Meat pies.
Lammingtons.
Tim-Tams (and Tim-Tam Slams).
Vegemite.
Kebabs.
Nutella.
Pavlova.
Pumpkin pie.
Sausage rolls.
Prawn sandwiches.

I'm sure there are more, and I don't think I could ever compile an exhaustive list. This trip has been one of firsts nearly every day. I've never traveled so much. I've never lived out of a suitcase. I've never spent so much time with one person. I've never been on holiday like this. I've never had such irregular sleeping and eating habits. I've never eaten so many treats. I've never prayed so much. I've never been homesick before. I've never been so grateful and appreciative of the beauty and goodness that is in the world and people around me. It's has been a learning experience that I will never forget. I have met the most amazing people, and tried some crazy things. I've learned to really love Australia. The culture, the climate, the people, the mindset are all so different. But different is not bad. Different is just different, and I'm grateful for every experience I've had here. I still have a few days, so I'll see how many more firsts I can accomplish. Keep posted for my final adventures! We're heading to Canberra tonight, then I fly home on Friday.

Peace, love, and Jesus.
Marissa