If only the 40-hour day could have been with friends instead of on an airplane!

When Katie and I woke up we went down to breakfast even though it wasn't supposed to start yet. There were still a lot of people there, though. Breakfast was kind of like musical chairs because every time someone got up, someone else would sit in their chair. It didn't matter if you left something at your chair, either. It was funny though because then we got to sit by quite a few people since it was our last day. After breakfast the principal, David Cook (no, unfortunately not the singer) said a prayer. We were then on our own for the day. Katie and I were kinda standing there for a while figuring out what we could do in the few hours we had before we had to pick up her bags and get to the airport for our flights. During that time Steve gave me a book about the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism. He said he 'used to be Catholic but then in his 20s became a  Christian.' I really don't understand why people don't think that Catholics are Christians. As a Catholic person, I find this insulting.

Anyway, we went to the city with a bunch of people. We all walked to the train station together. When I got my ticket, the person asked my age. I probably could have saved a few bucks if I wasn't so darn honest! We then all got on the bus, except a few people didn't get their tickets on time and had to wait for the next train. Most people got off a few stops ahead of where we were going, but since it was Katie's first time in Sydney we wanted to go to Sydney Harbour and see the Opera House. It was Katie, Monica, Ruby, Amber, Nathalie, Tom, Rohan, and myself. We got off the train and started walking toward the Sydney Opera House and Rohan had to stop at his favourite gelato place because he has to go there every time he is in Sydney. He bought Katie and me some gelato. We then walked up to the opera house, but a lot of it was closed off. Oprah was in Australia and they were setting up for her show. I left just in time because her show was the next day.

Photo courtesy of Katie

Didgeridoo players

Photo courtesy of Katie

Me, Nathalie, and Katie in front
 of Sydney Harbour Bridge
Photo courtesy of Katie

Octavius at Sydney Harbour

Octavius and the Sydney 'Oprah' house

Oprah was everywhere!

Oprah's stage

Katie and I still had to pick up our luggage from SMBC, get her luggage that was delivered to Sydney, and make it to the airport for our flights at 3-3:30, so we headed out. We said goodbye to everyone except Rohan because he went with us since he has been to Sydney many times anyway. We took the train back to SMBC to get our luggage and then had found someone there to help us call a taxi. Since Katie didn't really know where the place was that she had to pick up her luggage, it was easier to take a taxi. We saw Liz, Caitlin, and Amanda, so we said goodbye to them before our taxi came. We went to pick up Katie's luggage. (it's a long story how it finally got to Sydney) We had to have some of her stuff in the back seat with us since it wouldn't all fit in the trunk.

We then went to the airport. We separated to check in, and then we met back up. Katie had to repack her suitcases because they were over weight, so Rohan came to get me at our meeting spot and I went back and watched. It was actually quite funny, although I probably should have been helping. I had no idea how to help, though. After she finally got her luggage checked, we said goodbye to Rohan and went to security. After security we went to our terminals, which were of course at opposite ends of the airport. Katie and I said goodbye. It was so sad but we are roadtrip buddies, not airplane buddies. I still can't believe I didn't cry at all, but then I remember that I can't really cry anyway. (Not that I'm a heartless person, although some people may say so, I just have an emotional block from years of depression)

At the airport, I had to use up my bank account because it wouldn't work in America. I had to buy a present for my mom's Goddaughter because she had asked me to and I just took a bunch of money out of a machine that converted it to USD. I still had about $20 so I ended up buying a stuffed koala that is holding a didgeridoo and when you press its hand it plays the didgeridoo. I then boarded the plane from Sydney to Los Angeles. It is a 14 hour flight, and I was hoping to sleep like when I came over. No such luck! I was in the middle seat and only took a nap. It wasn't a bad flight and it actually seemed pretty short after being on a bus for 60 hours.

The next leg of my flight was LA to Chicago. I was really rushing through the airport because my plane didn't land in LA until 10 minutes after I was supposed to be boarding my flight! Luckily, I made it. I had the window seat this time and could sleep for a bit of it. It was only a few hours, though. There was a cute baby next to me, too. The baby was nursing, though, which I find disturbing. I don't care if you nurse your baby, just don't do it in the seat next to me! When I got off the plane was my first experience of being in the snow again. There was some freezing wind blowing in the passage thing between the plane and the airport.

The final part of my flight was from Chicago to Detroit. I had to run to make my flight again. I can think of a few people that would probably pay to see that. When I did get on, my seat was taken so I had to sit in the emergency exit row. The flight was less than an hour, so it wasn't a bad flight at all. After we landed, we had to stay in the plane for a while because the door wouldn't open. It had frozen shut or something and they had to call the mechanic. I kept texting my parents to let them know, and my mom was taunting me with the fact that she made me scotcheroos! I finally got off the plane and to my parents. They had brought my winter coat, new boots, scarf, and kangaroo hat for me so I wouldn't freeze on the walk to the car. My suitcase ended up not making the last flight with me and was stuck in Chicago. We had it delivered the next day. When I got home Buddy would not leave my side! I could tell that he missed me!

Yup, I'm a nerd!