Happy May, everybody! I'm embarking on the final leg of my North American travels in 2024. Currently, I'm sitting at Toronto airport, ready to board a flight to Denver for one last road trip. I'll be visiting Niall and his daughter, and spending two weeks exploring Colorado with Alexander.
But before I dive into May, let me share some adventures from April. For the Easter break, Julia and I commenced the Lake Michigan Circle Tour. The road trip took us through four states: Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. In Chicago, we snapped selfies from the London House rooftop, shared a deep dish pizza from Pequod’s, and caught Australia’s Bryce Halliday’s solo comedy set at the Davenport Piano Bar. Our stop in Green Bay included a taste of Cousins, featuring Wisconsin cheese curds and Mac n cheese. Heading back into Michigan, we visited Kitch-iti-kipi, Tahquamenon Falls, and enjoyed a lookout point at Sleeping Dunes. Highlights included Julia's insistence on accommodation with free breakfast, the presence of pools and hot tubs at each stop, and my escape from charges for a small dent on the rental car bonnet. And of course, the views and company were spectacular too.
Shortly after returning, I was inundated with commitments to coursework, ice skating lessons, the musical, Groove, and my student organization Uniting Nations. Within two weeks, I had five assessments due, my final two final skate lessons, three musical shows, one a capella showcase, and two student events. Phew! The last month in West Michigan caught me off guard. I completely forgot to book end-of-term travel plans, making them more expensive than I planned for. Luckily, I had saved for this kind of situation. Nonetheless, I managed to accomplish everything. I completed my coursework efficiently (achieving my best grades yet) and skipped the ice skating lessons due to illness and oversleeping. I received a heap of compliments for my musical performances, our acapella group showcase was a success (despite a minor hiccup with a key change) and Uniting Nations earned nominations for several student life event awards winning me a cute little GVSU pin to take home.
Wrapping up April, I spent a week in Toronto bidding farewell to some of my favorite people. Chase took me on a getaway to Collingwood and Georgian Bay, where we hiked to waterfalls, watched Lindsay Lohan's new romcom, and attempted to enjoy a brand new, incredibly dry sauna. Back in Toronto, I joined in celebrating Brennan's birthday, became an amateur photographer on a day out with Jaime, and binge-watched "The Circle" with Sarah. I also spent a day with the Hawthorne family, laughing about my appearance on "Untold Stories of the ER," reminiscing about the horror of my 2019 emergency stint at Toronto West, and (not) feeding horses at Riverdale Farm (oopsies). Finally, I went on a few trips with Julia again. We road-tripped to Niagara Falls with two other friends where we adorned ponchos and boarded the Niagara Parks boat. Do the boat trip - it was so worth it and only $30! We also explored the St. Lawrence markets, the distillery district, and Toronto Island.
Other highlights for the month of April include progressing through the AFP Graduate program, finding my movie "Zombie Bro" on North American Amazon Prime, witnessing the solar eclipse with GV Stage members, and sharing Qdoba with Emma and Maize. This month, I read “The School for Good Mothers” by Jessamine Chan (really depressing book), and watched two feature films; "Irish Wish" (oddly satisfying) and “The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare” (very violent but also oddly satisfying).
Most of May will find me in the United States but I'll finally be heading home to Australia on the 24th. Looking forward to seeing some of you very soon, and sad to say farewell to my new friends from exchange (come visit me in Australia).
Lots of love, May