i'm here!

so... i'm finally in australia! turns out i'm super busy already, and i'll probably be busy quite a bit, so this will only get updated about once a week. but here's what's happened so far:
i got to la on tuesday at about 1:30. after i got my bags, i had no idea where to go, so i sat in a corner for about an hour then found out the air new zealand counter was on the complete opposite side of the airport. at first a lady told my i had to walk all the way there, but then another more awesome lady told me that i could take a shuttle. but i still didn't get over there until about 3:30. i met a pretty cool girl who was also going in the line to check my bags, so we basically hung out the rest of the day. eventually we were joined by some other people (including my awesome roommate elle) and we just hung out until we had to get on the plane at 10:30. it was a long time in the airport, but it really wasn't that bad because of all the new people. then i was on a plane for 14 hours. i watched smart people (disappointing...) then slept for 8 hours, then watched 21 (pretty good...) then we were there! (pretty much...) so that was the easiest 14 hour plane ride ever. new zealand has a gorgeous airport, in case anyone was wondering...) then we got to sydney and went straight to campus, which is tiny and awesome, then we came to our homestays. my homestay family is super awesome! we live in the guest house, which is really cool, and apparently they are like the party house. so this should be fun :)
my roommates all seem really cool. i actually haven't even met that many australians yet outside of my host family and the few people from wesley that greeted us when we came, but that will start on monday when i start classes.
for the semester, we have to do 35 hours at a service placement that they put us in, and i got placed at st. mary's villa, a nursing home that's like a 3 minute walk from my house. i'm pretty excited, but also really nervous about it.
i still haven't been into the city because it's national youth day and the pope is here, so it's ridiculously crowded. but we're going to the big mass tomorrow, so i'll get to see him :) haha... so random.
i have only taken 2 pictures so far, and they're both of elle (my roomie) trying to walk on a ladder... haha. but i'll take more and start posting them up here.
i can't really think of what else to say because i'm so overwhelmed right now, but whatever you want to hear about or know, just ask me. and if there's nothing... then just put up with my random, probably sometimes too much information, sometimes too little, probably not very interesting or funny blogs. and wait for me to come home :)