A new chapter in my book and the bucket list!

Newcastle! A new chapter in my book

Well... I am still living in Australia but a few things have changed since the last post. I am currently living in Newcastle Australia in a suburb called... The Hill. I am surrounded by beaches that are with in 5-10 min walking distance! Bar, Merewether, Cooks Hill, Newcastle, and Noby's beach! It is absolutely amazing here there is the cutest street called Darby Street. I mean this is the place to be, there are things from chocolate cafes, the best pizza served at De Luca's, to this cute shoe store Tilly Rose, and many other cute vintage dress shops. I mean this place is down the street from me and you could spend hours there just wandering! I am currently living/working for the Henry's, Trudi and Beckett are amazing and have two beautiful daughters Elizabeth (8) and Camilla (3). Elizabeth is at school so I get to watch after little Milly. Both girls have strong personalities that make them so individually unique and wonderful! Never a dull moment I can tell you that, over all it's an amazing experience. I am so thankful I have been blessed to be with two amazing families so far! Trudi I have to say is something spectacular. She is the one telling me to get out and act like a 20 year old. She was so excited when I finally went out with some friends and helped get my outfit together! She is the best I really wish I could keep her around forever and help me pick out my clothes! I mean I've never really been one to dress up at all, a T-shirt and pants/shorts work fine with me. But she can really put outfits together and make you look better than you are! She is also an amazing cook... and the sweetest person! I started my own little notebook of recipes to take home and one day she brought me home a recipe Journal. I mean she is thoughtful! Also not to mention she bought me dirty dancing for Easter... I mean really I haven't lived till I met her! Well overall I am happy where I am at! I am currently trying to figure out how to stay here till August. So this can only happen if I manage to get a full time job and save up money so I can go back and finish school... or else its back to good ol road construction (not that I mind but I'd rather be living in Australia rather than Idaho.. no offense Idaho). Well the whole point of being here is to tick off things on my bucket list! So here is my bucket list.

Marisa's Life Bucket List

1. Skydiving (I'm planning on doing this in the next few weeks!!)
2. Move to Australia
3. Go to the top ten biggest roller coasters in the World!!
4. Go on a cruise
5. Buy a motorcycle and tour America on it! (Route 66?)
6. Adopt a child
7. Own a bullet bike.. (Ducati 999r please ;))
8. Devote my life to charities and making the world a better place
9. Learn a new language
10. Bring someone into the gospel
11. Get married
12. Be a mom :)
13. Learn to play a guitar
14. Run a half marathon of marathon
15. Go on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with my Husband
16. Have a cabin
17. Go to Florida to the restaurant where they serve a 50 pc BLT!!
18. Go to Disney Land
19. Make it back to the Celestial Kingdom
20 Places to travel
Germany, England, Australia, South Africa, Vanuatu, Japan, Mexico, Italy, Spain, Rome, Egypt, Ireland, Scotland, Las Vegas, Hawaii, Ecuador, Greece, France.
21. Basically Back pack through Europe... and well travel the world..

Australia Bucket List

1. learn Spanish
2. skydiving
3. Go to Uluru
4. Blue Mountains
5. Harbor Bridge Climb
5. Surfing
6. Paddle boarding
7. Skinny dipping (girls only of course)
8. Port Stephens
9. Ride a Camel
10. Hug a kangaroo
... ok so I basically hugged one... I had 6 kangaroos all around me claw hand things on my shoulders clawing at me... so ya it was real hilarious when I had poor milly crying while I was trying to shake off these Kanga's.. also this lady in front of me was literally being attacked by a kanga.. the little bugger wanted the feed and nearly ripped off her dress for it! Oh not to mention I had a Wallaby latch onto my leg.. not going to lie it freaked me out a bit!

11. Go on a tour of Australia
12. Visit Adelaide, Queensland, GREAT BARRIER REEF!, Darwin, Perth, The outback! Gold Coast
13. I need to have a full Aussie experience in the outback
14. Tug boat
15. Prawn Catching
16. Opera at the Opera House
17. Full time job
18. Stay at a hostel
19. Snorkeling
20. Hot air Balloon ride
21. Take dance lessons
22. plan a 5k color charity run for children in Vanuatu
23. Visit Beaches!!!!!
24. Move back here
25. Go sailing!
This isn't all I mean I add to the list everyday!! I've also started a tab of why I love Australia... Well this has been one experience I have even managed my friend Sierra Burns to move here and lined her up with a job with my family! So we'll live together in my cabana with the Henry's!! Can't wait to have a friend here!! I've also been introduced to two new websites that will forever change my life... livingsocial.com and groupon.com!!! I can travel for so cheap now!! I'm so excited!! One day I hope to bring all my family out here!!
Australia is a magical place I love it and it has forever changed my life, but nothing is like being with your family and friends who love you. I can say that I am missing my fam and friends back home a lot. Mind I did move out here alone by myself not knowing anyone. I got here December 18, 2012 it's now been almost 4 1/2 months of being here! Amazing how time flies, it makes me so nervous to go back to good ol BYUI... more of a reason to get school done as fast as I can! Another side note I got a calling in church as the sunday school teacher over the 12-13 yr olds! I am sooo excited to start this, it's like yes I have a place here in the Charlestown ward!

WEll I encourage anyone and everyone to take a leap of faith and move somewhere new, try something new and most of all chase your dreams. This is the time in our lives to live it to the fullest don't get stuck on what everyone else is doing or what everyone says you should be doing! You are the one who makes decisions in this life, don't waste this  precious time we have doing what the crowd is doing!

This is a view from the Taronga Zoo of Sydney! You can see the  Harbor bridge on the right
I actually slept in tents at this zoo!! such an amazing experience!!!

Tim Tams and Milo.. Yummmy!!!!

Me and Camilla at Bar Beach!! when I was skinny enough to wear a bikini haha!

Port Stephens this was taken from on top of      Tamarama! Amazing view

 Me, Elizabeth, Camilla, the cousins Clementine, Beatrice, and Harriet

 Light house at Port Stephens... I'm obsessed with light houses.. Just saying Noby's beach has one!!

 Yay me in my favorite white dress over looking Port Stephens!

Sydney Opera House!!! amazing!

AUSTRALIA!!!!!

I cannot believe that I am finally here! Well let me back up... so it's two weeks before finals and the end of the semester. Well I was talking to my wonderful roommate Tawnymara about traveling and being an Au Pair. I really want to travel and get out in the world and so I was excited that I had this wonderful opportunity to get paid to travel! So I hoped onto the site and found a family to work for in all in a day! From there everything started to fall into place! I had my pass port already got a visa in 20 minutes sold my contract in two days and everything else has slowly fallen into place! After a long long.... looonnngggg 16-18 hour flight I made it to Aussie land! I was so lucky I almost missed my flight from LA to SYD... I was the last one they boarded! Let's just say I had some help from the Lord getting on both flights! But my arrival was a bit confusing not having a phone and trying to figure out where to go and who was going to pick me up but the people are so sweet here this guy helped me out lended me his phone so I could call my family! Here I am an Au Pair in Australia for the Myers family! Currently I am staying in their beach house in Avoca Beach! It's wonderful! They have a pool in on their patio and a beach to go to down the street! Everything is lovely here! the people are all so nice and welcoming! Today we went to a small bakery and it was my first time trying anything there and I had some pastries that I've never tried before as well as a meat pie! The lady was so nice she gave me the meat pie and another lemon tart for free because it was the first time I have ever been and said merry Christmas! Like I said the people are wonderful here! The atmosphere is great it's so laid back and easy! I am still suffering from jet lag and lack of sleep and am trying my best to catch up on it! this is all so surreal! Hopefully I can figure out how things run here... tomorrow I get my international license... driving on the wrong side of the road... ummm ok pray that I can do this!!

Turning a New Leaf

Life is all about bringing on change. People come and go in our lives just as much as changing your underwear. I've been so blessed to have so many amazing people come into my life in this past year. Finally finishing my first year of college has made me see the world in a different light. A lot of heart break, tears, frustration, and stress seems to have snuck up on me, but a lot of happiness, laughter, new friendships, goals, and traveling the world has also taken place! This semester is all about change and making something of myself! I am so excited to start this spring semester and accomplish many goals! This past year I have found that even if you are moving on in your life to not forget the ones who love you and pick you up when you fall or congratulate you when you succeed those are the people who should come up multiple times in your recent phone calls! I'm so thankful for family and friends! 

“It doesn’t matter where you are, you are nowhere compared to where you can go.” 

-Bob Proctor

These are wise words! Never sell yourself short!

Hopefully I can live up to these words! Hopefully I can get the hang of this whole blog thing! Comparing this to my last blog I have made much progress in the world of being on your own and in college... I can now find my classes and haven't had that many problems.. except needing a new car!

That's all for now!

Marisa:0

My FiRsT DaY oF cOlLeGe

Well here I go! This is my first blogging experience! Thanks to Kenzie's big sister Amber I am now a blogger! Cailey(my sister) had one but I didn't really understand what it was... or even how neat it is!!! So this is how my first day goes... I wake up 2 hours before my alarm clock goes off and can't get back to sleep! I'm packed up ready to go on to my new chapter in life! Well it so happens that the night before my tire goes flat... so back to IF I go to get new tires and find me a laptop! Finally around 3 pm I get to college but all my roommates are gone and at the get connected so I had aloootttt of alone time! But finally everything is coming to place... soon I'll be ready to be a college student!! Well unfortunately that wasn't the end to all of my crazy day!! We get home from orientation games and before we all left I told some of the girls to make sure they don't forget to not lock their keys in their rooms.... well I did just that!!! wow I should take my own advice!! Good thing Tami the tenant lady was there!! Or else I'd be sleeping on the couch my first night on my own!!