Missing Australia and friends

It's been about three weeks since I've been back and I am just now starting to get a little homesick for Townsville and all the people I've met there.I started to miss it during my trip to Sydney with Katlin, even more so when she left to go back to the US.Now that I'm back and can't sit and recall with anyone the memories I've made there, I'm even more homesick for Townsville.


I'm not sure exactly if homesick is the right term because I lived in Townsville for less than a year but whatever the correct term is, it should describe the longing I feel for a place and all that I've come to love about it.

I've found myself missing simple things about Townsville such as the buses-the fact that drivers offer change (here in Hawaii, they don't and bus fare is 2.50 flat for adults while in Townsville it's 1.25 onwards depending on how far you need to go).I've also started to miss Australian currency.I miss the feel of Australian dollars and the fact that their smallest denomination is 5cents so if I were there, my purse wouldn't be so heavy from all the pennies I carry around.I also miss hearing the Australian accents.

Lately I've been longing for Uni hall food, which I never thought I would especially because I hated most of what was made by the dining hall workers.But sometimes they did make delicious food like Fish and Chips Fridays or Pasta Thursdays (when the pasta wasn't under or overcooked and they didn't add so much sugar to almost kill a diabetic).And I can't forget the mini pancakes and tater tot patties on Saturdays.Yes, I do miss Uni Hall food, even the part about having to make a mad dash for the fruit platter so I could have some kiwi, passionfruit, or other rarely cut up fruit.

I've also been missing my room which was perfectly located, right next to the kitchen and across from the common room, far enough from the bathrooms so as not to smell the after-effects of someone that has gone #2 and close enough to walk to the shower room in my bath towel without being seen.I miss the conveniences of having my own room, which living at home doesn't render me.

But most of all, I miss everyone I've met.I remember how nervous I was about making friends before I left for Australia.This is because at Oxy, I was mainly friends with people from the Christian club on campus, so when I met one friend, she introduced me to all her other friends, providing me with a network of friends.I wasn't sure there was a Christian club at JCU and I wasn't sure I'd fit in.But after being persistent about meeting people and being friendly with everyone I met, I finally found a group of friends.One night, I asked to sit with a group of people and since then, we were inseparable throughout my stay in Australia.But now that we can't easily call one another's land line (JCU provided telephones with each room) or knock on one another's door whenever we want to hang out, communicating doesn't come that easily.I am sad that this is so, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised because after all we are on different time zones and etc.But I really hope that we do follow through with our reunion because I really do miss everyone.