The End

My Aussie Adventure has come to an end. On my last day of student teaching, Junior B and Junior S threw me a party. All of the students gave me cards and brought in food. I can't post a picture of the students, but here is part of the spread they created for me. There were lots of great "Australian foods" including fairy bread (white bread with butter and sprinkles), lamingtons, and lollies (candy).

It was very hard for me to leave my students at the end of the day. I think it's always tough when you have to leave a group of kids you've become so attached to, but knowing I was going to the other side of the world made it even more difficult.

On the Saturday before I flew back, my host mum and Charlotte's host mum threw a farewell party for us. Over 40 people came to see us off. I knew it would be difficult to leave everyone when I went to Australia, but I really underestimated how hard it would be to leave all of my new friends to come home.

These are the two teachers I worked with everyday. Teresa (on the left) teaches Junior S and is in the classroom adjoining Junior B's classroom. Jo (in the middle) teaches Junior B and was my cooperating teacher.

Here I am with Helen, my host mum. We had lots of fun together!



More Aussie friends: Claire, Kandice, and Cameron

This is Charlotte (the other American student) and Chris (her new Aussie boyfriend). She came home to graduate from Auburn and spend some time with her family, but she is moving back to Australia in July.

My host family took me to the airport on Monday, May 3 and I flew out at 10:10 A.M. After a 14 hour flight to L.A., a layover, and another 4 hour flight, I landed in Nashville at 5:00 P.M. on Monday, May 3. It was the LONGEST day of my life, but it felt good to be home.

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo in Lexington with Anna, Cameron, and Katie! I was SO excited to see them again!

Graduation on May 8
"Kristina Ann Pickrell." Nothing like having the wrong name announced at graduation to brighten up your day.

Yay for participation!

With Mom and Dad afterwards.

Unlike Charlotte, I avoided the Aussie boys and decided to stick with the one I had before I left. With Mitch after graduation.

I can't believe how fast my time in Australia went. I'm sad that my time in Oz has come to an end, but I'm excited about (hopefully) getting a job and having my own classroom. Thanks for checking out my blog and I hope you've enjoyed my adventures!

Hobart: A.K.A. Civilization

After driving around Tasmania for a day and a half, Charlotte and I were excited to see lights, cars, and people again. Charlotte went to New Zealand over the holidays and made a friend that lives in Hobart. He was kind enough to drive us to the top of Mount Wellington and show us around. Here we are at the top of the mountain. Hobart is behind us.

Another view from the top of the mountain.

Every Saturday, there is a market on Salamanca Street. We missed the market, but there are some great little shops in this area. You can see Mount Wellington in the background.

After going to Mount Wellington and shopping, we decided to go the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. This is the second oldest botanical garden in Australia.


Tasmania is further south than Geelong, so it is cooler than where I've been staying. It is Fall (or Autumn, as they call it) in the southern hemisphere, but it doesn't look anything like a Kentucky Fall. A few trees have changed color and lost their leaves, but not very many. In Tasmania, I saw a lot more trees with colorful leaves and it reminded me of the Fall I'm used to.

More of the Botanical Gardens

This is the Tasman Bridge, which is the main route from the center of Hobart to the eastern shore.

After spending some time in the gardens, we went to Seven Mile Beach, which is about 25-30 minutes from the center of Hobart. It was pretty, but also very cold. Charlotte and I were wrapped up in fleeces and hoodies and we were still freezing from the wind. This didn't stop two little boys from swimming in the water though.

Our last night in Tassi was spent in Hobart. We took Charlotte's friend's advice and ate fish 'n' chips at a place called Mures. It was a laid back atmosphere and the fish was fresh off the boat. This is the view we had at dinner.

It's hard to believe, but my time in Australia is coming to an end. I had a great last week at school and my cooperating teacher and students threw me a surprise party. They also gave me beautiful cards and I had a hard time leaving them on Friday. Last night my host mum and Charlotte's host mum threw a farewell party for both of us. It was great to see my new friends one last time before I fly back. I expected it to be difficult to come to Australia, but I underestimated how difficult it would be to leave. However, I'm very excited to see everyone back home and will begin my flight back tomorrow morning. Time to pack :(