Sleepy after a long day

I am officially staying at Kirsten's. It's good to be in a home especially after Courtney left the back packer's, but I'm yearning to find my own place. There is one to look at tomorrow but it's right in the middle of one of the only things I need to attend at Uni. It's an afternoon tea for Arts and Education postgraduate students that goes from 430-6 and the house viewing is from 530-545. I'll check it out anyway as long as I don't need to stay at Uni. I think it's a one bedroom place and it's in Hawthorn, which is one of the two places I am thinking about as it took me 50 minutes to get to Deakin this morning from the city. I need to cut that time down.

So my first day of O-Week was good. I made a friend. She's 19 and doing Education so we won't see each other all that much but it's nice to know someone. I got my ID card and it's funny. I'm all shiny on my forehead and two spots on either side of my nose. Oh dear. Zain, my new friend, is a self-proclaimed 'curry' and although she had lovely brown skin, it's not as dark as it looks in her picture. Something's wrong with the photographs. Haha. We had a walk around together, waited a while for me to get my ID, had some chips, and I joined the Anime society! Tomorrow we have to be there for 9 so I'll have to get up at 6ish to make sure I leave the house for a 7ish tram to get to town at 730ish for an 830/845 arrival at Deakin. It's all a bit early but it's only one day.

On Wednesday, Nicole [Sarah's flat mate] is coming over, maybe for the night, and we'll meet up for lunch or coffee. She said to me via Twitter that she's thinking of coming over to Melbourne earlier so I'll check up on that and maybe we can get a place together. I just want to find somewhere soon. It's bugging me.

Friday night is Kirsten's house's party for several birthdays. I think it'll be a big one. I need to get champagne. This afternoon, after dragging my luggage from the YHA to the Bourke St tram and then here, Kirsten and I went for a bike ride to the shops. We both bought a few things from K-Mart and from Coles. I have a few food supplies.

I am really tired. This morning the YHA room smelt like bad breath. It was gross. So glad to be out of there because it was always noisy [at night it was the trams, in the mornings it was the other girls slamming the door and being annoying] so I'm looking forward to a better sleep tonight. I'm considering going to sleep now, but Kirsten said she might be back but to use her bed originally. I'm not sure what to do. Maybe I'll just jump in bed anyway. I have to get up at 6am after all.

First and last days

I'm leaving the YHA today and I couldn't be more happier. This morning when I went out for a shower and came back in it smelt like bad breath. Icky! Having the window open helps but it's still there. I have my CK One perfume on to help me out. I'm just trying to spend the rest of my internet card but I won't have heaps of time as I have to check out and hopefully avoid some of the rush. It give me a little time to do some of my favourite internet things though -- Scrabble, catching up on my favourites blog posts...

Today I have my first O-Week day out at Deakin and I'm pretty excited. I wonder how long the tram will take. I'm excited to time it so if I don't live on the West I'll know what to expect. If it takes ages I will be more than happy to go as planned and search for a house in Richmond or Hawthorn. I haven't had any luck, well much, even with Gumtree, but something will turn up. All in good time.

Apparently I have already used most of my internet time. It said $1 which I thought meant an hour, but $4 is an hour! It must mean 15 minutes then. Haha. Silly me.

I want to start a new blog about my life in Melbourne, only the exciting adventures to keep it light and remind me of all the fun things I can do if I forget. I'm sure I'll still write all the heavier things in here though.

So now, check-out, breakfast, head to Deakin, come back and get my bags, take them to Kirsten's then maybe go back to Uni if there are interesting things on. What a day! I can't wait.

Job, museum, friends and family

I had a job interview today at Kamel, a multi-cultural restaurant that Jess works at in South Melbourne. It didn't take long to get there on the tram and I might get a trial next week. Today I also went to the Immigration Museum and had a look around. I came across a lovely symbol for bravery that I'm considering as a tattoo. I'll have to scan it. I took a photo of it I might be able to get off Twitter. I need to be more brave and I think it'll remind me that I am brave. I'm proving that to myself here everyday. This afternoon I'm heading over to Kirsten's. She called me last night while I was heading back from Jess's house [we watched The Runaways and had a Thai curry] on the train and offered to have me over for a while. A German girl is staying I think and I'll be able to use Kirsten's room as she might stay at her bf Tom's. I got a $105 refund here at the YHA so hopefully I'll be able to head to K's tomorrow after my first day of O-Week! I can't wait to go there tomorrow. Super exciting. That's about all the news I have right now. I might go watch some more of Miss Potter before I get the tram to K's. Yahoo! Oh, I also had a chat to mum and dad this morning. I'm so glad things are so much less stressful than Sydney. It was great to talk to mum too.

Moved to Melbourne update

Success! I have finally gotten onto the internet here in the YHA Melbourne Central back packer's and there is no one else around to spy on what I'm writing. That's the worse. I'm in a small lounge room with two computers and a couch facing the TV and it's not private at all. I wanted to write in here but I hate the fact that people can be watching me doing this, which I am slightly embarrassed about when other people are watching, so I am really glad I'm alone!

So, it's Saturday and I arrived in Melbourne on Thursday. Holly and I were on the same flight, me in the middle and she was up the back, but we caught the Sky Bus together, had chats, then went to the back packers and dropped my bags off. They weren't ready with my room quite yet so I went back that afternoon and checked in properly. The place is great! It's the best one I've been in. The rooms are nice and have personal bed side lamps attached to the walls. The bathrooms are amazing, although there are only 3 showers on the floor, one of which isn't working as it has no tap handle. There is a toiled right next to my room though so it's very convenient. I met a lovely Canadian lass who is leaving today. She's heading back to New Zealand to study until June/July then back to Canada. We were going to hang out today but she had to check out and I suppose she had to give her key back so she might not be able to get back up to our floor. Might not see her. The other two in the room, one of which left last night I think, are weird and annoying. The traffic is pretty loud, which is a bit hard to deal with, so I didn't get much sleep on Thursday night. I caught up last night though. Very pleased about that.

So, Holly and I hung out for a few hours, did some window shopping, had a tea [Holly] and a milkshake [me] then went to where her job interview was. It was next to the ANZ Bank Museum so we had a quick look in there before she went in. After that Amy called me and we met up 15 minutes later at Riverland, a cute place next to / under the bridge next to Federation Square alongside the Yarra River and I met her boyfriend Cal. We had a pint of Bulmers each and had some lovely chats. I'm going to a hula hoop class with Amy sometime! I can't wait for that. Then they both went to work and I went to the back packers to check in. After that I went to my room, then got some dinner at Thai Culinary. I had a lovely Pad See Ew noodle dish, similar to what I have at Cool Thai, but not the same unfortunately. I doubt I'll find something as good as I have at Cool Thai. Sad. I got invited to the Thursday night free pub crawl by one of the roommates and I went for a little bit but I'm not a drinking fan so I left and watched some of a DVD. I met the Canadian roommate and we had some nice chats.

Friday was a sleep in day. I got some breakfast in the city, then went to Big W and got some shampoo as I had forgotten that I deliberately didn't bring my bottle as it was almost empty and that means when I go back to Hobart to visit I won't need to take any with me. After that I came back here and had a nap, then got up for my appointment to see Kate, a friend of George and Katie's who works at the Police Museum. We had a coffee/hot chocolate and a crumble lemon yoyo and talked about Uni and volunteering and houses. She's so nice and said if I ever need help seeing places that she can drive me and not to worry about asking her. There's nothing to go and see though so that's a shame. Then her colleague Monica came down and we had a nice chat. She's also doing the Diploma of Museum Studies via Deakin but is finishing it off this year and she does one day of volunteering at the Police Museum and one day, Thursdays, at Mission to Seafarers. She took me on a tour of the Mission and I'll be doing some volunteering there with her next Thursday! It's such an amazing place. It has a beautiful chapel and is still used for seamen/seafarers to relax and have a drink, play some pool, and use the internet. There are also functions done there [they were setting up for a wedding whilst I was visiting] and is an amazing apartment for a Chaplain to stay in as well as one for the caretaker[s]. I met Cally[?] and I'll be doing some hospitality functions work with her, paid work. I'm not sure how much work and how often but it's a start. She asked off hand if I had my RSA and I said yes and she asked if I'd be interested in work and I said yes and that was that! They said I was sent from Heaven or something like that. The previous volunteer had to leave or something so the timing is perfect. It's such a cute place and I'll get to do similar work to what I did at the Maritime in Hobart. Some of the main museums here get you started out the front, then you work your way out towards the back and the kind of work I'm interested in. Apparently the Mission will be useful for class assignments, Monica told me. I can't wait! That night I went back to Thai Culinary then watched another movie and chatted with the Canadian girl. Not sure we actually introduced ourselves. Haha.

Today I got up fairly early feeling pretty refreshed, although last night the girl who moved out was so annoying. She may have moved into another room but she was doing this at 11pm back and fourth out the door which has a loud slam and she kept her bed side lamp on and it was shining in my face and lighting up the whole room. How rude. She came back an hour or so later and turned it off. She did it again in the morning. Poo poo. Glad she's gone. So this morning I had a nice shower with my new shampoo, which didn't smell as it usually does [contemplated taking it back]. I read some catalogues that the Canadian girl left for us to check out letting visitors know what's on and where it's happening. Then I went to get The Age newspaper to look for jobs and houses but nothing took my fancy. First I need a place, then I will look for a job near by. I don't want to do hospitality but I'd rather go in and see the place before applying, and know how to get there and whatnot. So that's step two. Now I'm here and not sure what to do. I think I'm seeing Jess this afternoon but I'd like to go to some gardens and other museums at some stage. Tomorrow I'll go to the Campberwell markets with Amy and Cal then on Monday it's out to Deakin! I can't wait to get there and check it all out. I might only be going on Monday and Tuesday depending on the activities on the other days. I need to get my ID card and go on a tour, or take myself on a tour. There are some library tours available so that'll be fun. I can't wait!

I actually love being here. I love that there is so much to do, that I'm in a fantastic city, that I have many friends here that want to hang out with me, that there are trams, the weather, and so many other little things. I am surprised at how much I like it. It's nice that I do. Now I just have to find a house! Eek.

Hangs with Holly and Monika and packing and moving!

I met up with Holly today and we had a cup of tea at Fullers book shop in the Afterword Cafe. It was really nice catching up. Adult. As it turns out she'll be flying to Melbourne on the same day and same flight I am for a job interview! So we'll meet there and catch the Sky Bus in and get some food. We talked about my plans for the first few days there and she helped me set a goal to get a house/place first then let everything else happen, like sorting out some volunteer positions and a job. I hope I can find somewhere great within the first week so I don't have to stay at the Backpacker's too long. Please!

After meeting Holly I went next door to visit my old friend Monika. We sat outside and had a cup of tea overlooking Mt Wellington. It's such a great view and you can see so much more from there than our place, which is 100m away maybe, because our block has so many trees. It's still a lovely place though and I do dearly love it. It's just nice seeing a different view. I am so excited about moving to Melbourne and getting on with my life. It all changes permanently on Thursday! Yay! I can't wait to get a place and be settled. That in between period scares me a bit but hopefully it won't last too long. I can't wait to start class! Eep.

Tonight we're down at the Longs for dinner. Daddy's just having a shower and we'll head off. Tomorrow at 11 Sarah and I are going to visit Nan and Pa, then we'll grab some lunch then come home and I'll do more packing. Maybe she can help me with that. Then it's dinner with James, George and Etta. I can't wait to see Etta's first tooth. What a milestone! Eeeep again. I can't wait to get my stuff sorted. I always leave this stuff until the last minute, like assignments, but I just have to get it done. I'm more productive then I believe. I just don't know what to do with all the other stuff I won't take with me. Clean/tidy it up? I don't know. I'll be back every so often and can sort stuff out then. I'll probably take more things with me. Who knows until I get there and settled. I've packed boxes of things I'll definitely want like towels/tea-towels, Uni books, kitchen stuff, clothes and DVDs/books, so they can be sent over once I'm settled but everything else? No idea. I'll just do what I can.

Right! Off to dinner now. Yum, I'm rather hungry.

House hunting

I have just started looking at places near the Uni online and it's a bit confusing. Because it's student accommodation the houses are for over 5 people! That's a lot of people. I would rather fewer people to live with but I'll have to see what I can get. I might have to look elsewhere. Who knows. I'll stick with it.

Things to do before I move to Melbourne on Thursday

I have a lot to do before Thursday. Thursday doesn't count as a day I can do anything though because it's the day I leave Hobart! It's taken me a while but I'll get there. I need to call or visit my Grandparents and finish packing and organising boxes of stuff for my parents to send me. I have to take the dog for a walk tomorrow and Wednesday. I am seeing Holly at 3 tomorrow and hopefully Andi before that. Then it's to the Long's [the neighbours] for dinner. Wednesday I'm meeting sister at 1 in town for lunch and a wander, then it's home. That night is a pizza dinner with everyone but mum as she's away. Hopefully I can fit it all in. I'm most worried about the packing I think and the amount of time that takes up. It might be hard to fit anything else in. As long as Andi can work around my schedule! Time has suddenly run out. I also need to organise houses to view once I get to Melbourne. It might pay to schedule some earlier but then again it may not. I'd feel better doing it though. They might get snapped up before I even get there but they may not. We'll see. I think that's about it. I'll just have to get up earlier and focus on packing and utilise the time I have. It can be done!

Tonight I went and had Cool Thai with Emma and we hung at her place for a bit. I love our Cool Thai dates. They're awesome. Then I went to Jessi's and we chatted lots. It was really nice. Then I got home and had chats with dad. We're both quiet so it's nice when we have chats. They're uncommon but that makes them special. I usually talk to mum about everything and I know they know what the other knows. Hmm.

I can't wait to get settled in Melbourne. I don't like this in-between period but it has to happen unfortunately. I'll be quite busy though so that's comforting. I just hope I find a place soon/straight away so I don't have to spend more money in the back packers and so I can be settled before Uni officially starts on the 7th. Plenty of time, right? I hope so.

6 Week Running plan

Running for beginners.

"Haven't run since middle school gym? No sweat. This women's workout plan, designed by fitness guru Amy Dixon, will help you build from a walk to a run. By the end, you'll be able to run 30 minutes without stopping--and you'll be showing off a rock hard body under your running shorts.

Do all walking and running at an intensity level that feels challenging but comfortable. Feel free to switch the rest day, but make sure you do one day of rest each week. And don't forget to stretch after each workout.

The best part? You can print the entire workout plan to take wherever you go."

Week One

Monday One Walk 10 minutes. Next 6 minutes alternate running 1 minute and walking 1 minute. Walk 4 minutes. Stretch.

Tuesday "Tone Zone" Strength Training Program. Stretch.

Wednesday Walk 10 minutes. Next 8 minutes alternate running 1 minute and walking 1 minute. Walk 2 minutes. Stretch.

Thursday "Rock Solid Abs" Strength Training Program. Stretch.

Friday Walk 8 minutes. Next 10 minutes alternate running 1 minute and walking 1 minute. Walk 2 minutes. Stretch.

Saturday Rest Day

Sunday Walk 6 minutes. Next 12 minutes alternate running 2 minutes and walking 2 minutes. Walk 2 minutes. Stretch.

Week Two Monday Walk 10 minutes. Next 10 minutes alternate running 1 minute and walking 1 minute. Walk 5 minutes. Stretch Tuesday "Tone Zone" Strength Training Program. Stretch. Wednesday Walk 10 minutes. Next 12 minutes alternate running 1 minute and walking 1 minute. Walk 3 minutes. Stretch. Thursday "Rock Solid Abs" Strength Training Program. Stretch. Friday Walk 10 minutes. Next 12 minutes alternate running 2 minutes and walking 1 minute. Walk 3 minutes. Stretch. Saturday Rest Day Sunday Walk 8 minutes. Next 15 minutes alternate running 2 minutes and walking 1 minute. Walk 2 minutes. Stretch. Week Three Monday Walk 10 minutes. Next 10 minutes alternate running for 1 minute and walking for 1 minute. Walk 10 minutes. Stretch. Tuesday "Tone Zone" Strength Training Program. Stretch. Wednesday Walk 10 minutes. Next 15 minutes, alternate running for 1 minute and walking for 1 minute. Walk 5 minutes. Stretch. Thursday "Rock Solid Abs" Strength Training Program. Stretch. Friday Walk 10 minutes. Next 15 minutes alternate running 2 minutes with walking 1 minute. Walk 5 minutes. Stretch. Saturday Rest Day Sunday Walk 5 minutes. Next 21 minutes, alternate running for 2 minutes and walking for 1 minute. Walk 4 minutes. Stretch. Week Four Monday Walk 5 minutes. Next 20 minutes alternate running for 3 minutes and walking for 1 minute. Walk 5 minutes. Stretch. Tuesday "Lean Machine" Strength Training Program. Stretch. Wednesday Walk 4 minutes. Next 24 minutes, alternate running for 5 minute and walking for 1 minute. Walk 2 minutes. Stretch. Thursday "Lean Machine" Strength Training Program. Strength Training Program. Stretch. Friday Walk 4 minutes. Next 24 minutes alternate running 5 minutes with walking 1 minute. Walk 2 minutes. Stretch. Saturday Rest Day Sunday Walk 5 minutes. Next 22 minutes, alternate running for 8 minutes and walking for 3 minutes. Walk 3 minutes. Stretch. Week Five Monday Walk 5 minutes. Run 10 minutes. Walk 5 minutes. Run 5 minutes. Walk 5 minutes. Stretch. Tuesday "No Gear Here" Strength Training Program. Stretch. Wednesday Walk 5 minutes. Run 12 minutes. Walk 3 minutes. Run 5 minutes. Walk 5 minutes. Stretch. Thursday "Lean Machine" Strength Training Program. Strength Training Program. Stretch. Friday Walk 10 minutes. Run 15 minutes. Walk 5 minutes. Stretch Saturday Rest Day Sunday Walk 6 minutes. Run 18 minutes. Walk 6 minutes. Stretch. Week Six Monday Walk 5 minutes. Run 20 minutes. Walk 5 minutes. Stretch. Tuesday "No Gear Here" Strength Training Program. Stretch. Wednesday Walk 5 minutes. Run 22 minutes. Walk 3 minutes. Stretch. Thursday "Lean Machine" Strength Training Program. Strength Training Program. Stretch. Friday Walk 3 minutes. Run 25 minutes. Walk 2 minutes. Stretch Saturday Rest Day Sunday Run 30 minutes. Stretch. Can't wait to get stuck into this one! I would love to be a runner. This is a great way to do it and keep me on a track to getting better. Yay!

My customised weight-loss plan from Jillian Michaels

I can't wait to get to Melbourne and start my new exercise regime. I want to get a treadmill and I can do that for say $10 a month. I want to get into the habit of bicycle riding and walking and running and doing aerobic dance classes as well as eating better. I can't wait to eat better. I will change my life!

1. Sweat

"You're a Pear - but you can pare down!

Like all pears, you tend to store fat in your lower body, so you're probably carrying extra weight around your hips, buttocks, and thighs. Anyone can be a pear, but this shape is more common among women, and it actually evolved because fat stored in these areas aids in fertility and breast-feeding. It's an interesting fact — but I know as well as anyone that this type of fat is harder to lose.

Not to worry! I have exercises that will target your fat storage areas. My personalized program will help you alter your pear shape. But you got to get a grip — you can only win against genetics up to a certain point. Once you understand this, you can let go of unreachable goals and replace them with real ones.

I'll create your personalized exercise program based on the days you prefer to work out, the goals you set for yourself, and the exercises you enjoy. After all, if you enjoy your workout, it's easier to stick to.

I'll encourage you to:

+ Have fun aerobic dancing! Depending on intensity, you could burn 500 calories an hour.
+ Cycle — indoors or out. At 13 mph, you could burn 600 calories an hour.
+ Power walk. You can do it anywhere, and at 4 mph, you’ll be burning at least 250 calories an hour.
+ Run indoors or out. All you need are good running shoes. And at 5 mph, you’ll burn over 400 calories an hour."

2. Science

"You're a balanced oxidizer.

Because you crave fruit and bread as well as salty foods, cheeses, and meats, you may be a balanced oxidizer. This is the fancy term for your metabolic rate. It simply means that you need equal proportions of protein, carbs, and fat to process the nutrients in your food optimally, and to produce and use the resulting energy. Lucky you — your diet is the easiest to follow! You feel your best on a diet that incorporates a wide range of foods, and your ideal macronutrient ratio is 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat.

But the bottom line is, you have to burn more calories than you take in. That's it. And to really do this successfully, you have to eat the ideal diet for your body and metabolism. Believe me — I've struggled with this myself. And I've done a lot of research and work to figure out my ideal diet. And now I want to share my findings with you. I have recipes and snacks that will help you eat better for your body type. And I have secrets and tricks to make it easier. (I didn't say "easy.")

3. Self

"1. Avoid dangerous situations. STOP driving by the doughnut shop on your way to work. When you go out to dinner, ask the waiter not to bring bread to your table.

2. Get a hobby. Start taking your dog on longer walks. Fix up your attic. By focusing on positive activities, you'll find yourself becoming more relaxed, happier, and thinner!

3. Curb mindless eating. Don't eat while standing up, and don't skip meals. Brush your teeth after every meal and snack. Food never seems as appealing when you have that toothpaste taste in your mouth."

* I was just thinking about the toothpaste thing the other day! I hate eating after I've brushed my teeth and I thought that if I do that when I want to eat but am not hungry then I can stop eating unnecessarily. It'll work too.