Alison is here!!!

Alison has arrived in Australia!

I've been planning for a week now for Alison's arrival: making sure everything is properly cleaned, figuring out where she's going to sleep, what we're going to be doing, and most of all, how I was going to be picking her up. So this morning I woke up at 6am to get ready to catch a bus to the train station, then a train to the airport to "pick up" Alison whose flight arrives at 6:45am. The first bus scheduled is at 6:54am - so I know I'm going to be a little late. I'm sitting waiting for the bus and 6:59 rolls around. I'm waiting waiting waiting... and all of a sudden a wave of panic and fear passes through my body. I remembered that today was a public holiday: Good Friday, and buses don't run on the normal schedule! I ran to the timetable to find that the first bus going through to the city would be arriving at 9:30am!! I freaked. First person to call was mom - she had told me that Alison would be calling her upon landing, so it'd be good for her to know that I'm going to be late. Second to receive a call was Esther - the greatest girl in the world - who woke up right away and told me she'd be on her way. Third call was back to mom to let her know things were okay. It took me awhile to calm down... but everything was fine. Esther was so great.

We got to the airport and I walked around the arrival area looking for my sister. I turned around and THERE SHE WAS! At the phone, trying her best to call me. :) I came up behind her and gave her a huge hug!! It was so great to see my sister!!

We drove back to campus. Alison got a kick out of driving on the wrong side of the road. But other than that, it was all "pretty normal". She said it feels like Indiana. :)



So... it being a public holiday, everything was closed leaving pretty much nothing for us to do. So the first day seemed a bit boring - sorry Alison. We walked around campus so I could show her where I'm studying. We came back to the room and ate some lunch. Then we decided we'd take in a movie at the theatre. Hopped on a bus and got to Garden City (shops were closed, but the movies were still running).

Upon arrival we quickly decided that we wanted to see 'Vantage Point'... but not in just any ordinary cinema... in Gold Class (dum dum dummmmm). Gold Class is pretty much awesome. If you plan it out in advance, you can get there early, order dinner, wine, dessert and have it all given to you in the theatre, while you recline in your very own recliner. We got there just as the movie started so we didn't order anything, but the chairs were wonderful!!! Wish I could say the same for the movie, but it was entertaining all the same.




Got back around 6:30pm and I tried my hardest to keep Alison awake for as long as possible. Although she nodded off here and there, she did stay awake until 10.

Tomorrow is the city! Hopefully it'll be a little more eventful.