here we go again

in almost exactly 24 hours i'll be on my way to fiji!

believe it or not, i am actually almost packed. it took 6 unpacking/repackings, but i'm finally just about done. also, my wetsuit, fins, snorkel, mask, blanket, pillow, and a pair of shoes are packed in my carry-on since i ran out of space in my suitcase. dang. you think that i'd be better at packing having had so much practice.

the past few days have been absolutely insane. i discovered that i am not certified to a high enough level for scuba diving, so i had to go pick up the textbook from the scuba store. 400 pages. FOUR HUNDRED PAGES! ahhh. so i have to read that, study it, and take some practice tests to prepare me for the real tests once i get to fiji.

i have not started studying the hundreds of fish i'm supposed to learn, as i have been studying the scuba book. we have to pass a test where we can identify all the fish before we can dive. i also have to take a test on blueventure's research methods. haven't started studying for that either. shoot shoot shoot.

i also applied to "college." in australia, the university's are made up of colleges. basically, a college in australia is like a college in the US except you don't take classes there. it has dorms and sports and a caf and gym, but then you go to class at Uni. anyway, getting into these colleges (housing) is ridiculous. you have to have 2 references, 4 passport pictures, a biography, an essay on why you want to be in that college, a list of extracurriculars/leadership roles, etc. there's only one college taking applications for second semester, so hopefully i get in! figuring out how to fax that to australia was a process that took like an hour and a half. such good times.

so, things have been busy and i can't wait to get to the beach! i'm ready to live the island life and be away from the states again. even though i've only been home 2 weeks. oh well.

i will try to update my blog as much as i can, but our grass huts may not be internet accessible :) if i can't update, i'll be back may 14!

something about the ocean makes me rise up and praise. something about the heavens makes me stand in awe again. something about the sunrise reminds me of your faithfulness. something about the ocean and i'm lost in love again. --ten shekel shirt