Day 29 (LaTrobe University) - Bendigo, Victoria Australia

I feel so lazy because there hasn't been a lot of homework, but the one assignment I do have is taking me ages to do (that actually came out naturally, without thinking, using the word "ages," which is used a lot here instead of saying "long time" - I'm picking up on the lingo!). I need to buckle down. I'm not in the academia mindset; it might be this foreign country thing. I think I'm going to start getting up at the same time everyday to get my body in a sleep routine. I might even (gasp!) WORK OUT! Crazy s***, I know. If I'm going to start hiking in the bush I need to be fit…it all sounds good on paper, or on the computer screen, but I'm sure it won't actually happen. Here's a story of how Brad messed up today though:

I decided that today, after my first and only lecture, I was going to go into town and get clothes and equipment needed for my first trip this weekend. I have to take the bus to get downtown, which is a big deal because I'm not used to using public transportation. In addition, no one has shown or explained to me what I'm supposed to do, partly my fault because I didn't ask, but I have to learn someday. I did miss my first stop, but I learned from that.All baby steps…After getting off at the bus station and walking five blocks, I realized that there weren't mass amounts of people walking on the sidewalks. This excited me because you know how I DESPISE shopping in herds of people. I finally made my way to Snowgum, the outdoor equipment place, and find that it's closed. That's weird.Actually, now that I think about it, most of the shops are closed. I finally see the answer on the door of a shop, "Closed for Labour Day."Damn it.My professor even made a comment about having class on a national holiday, and I still didn't get it.And when I told people I was going to get stuff today they didn't say, "Wait! It's Labour Day! Everything will be closed!" I didn't want the trip to be a complete waste, so I headed to the mall and bought some other supplies that I needed. But tomorrow, look out downtown Bendigo because I have a plan! And I'm getting what I need…at the poor expense of my wallet…