pics!

im just writing this blog so i can share some pictures and make you all that much more jealous that while your wearing jackets and boots im laying on a beach with my bikini! love you all <3

my two roomates and i (Ebony--from Australia, me, Lauren-from New York)

lexi and i at the lagoon

the beach/island that we snorkled at

on the glassbottom boat taking pics of fish and turtles

this is my favorite picture so far :)

School has started!

here i am again and this time i have actually attended classes, if thats what i consider it here! classes started on monday even though i dont have them that day i did have some tuesday and today, wednesday. i am taking 4 classes (communications in nursing and midwifery, science of physical activity, diversity of animal life, and australian society.) the schooling here is really different with only one hour lectures per class and then there is another hour called "tutorials" which is kinda the same as a lab so just more opportunity to ask questions and understand the topics. i have a lot of getting used to but i think, and hope, it will all work out. the walk from my apartment to the campus is about 15-20 minutes or if i power walk it i made it in 10 today! with school starting we have not really being going out or doing and activites just cuz it is taking up time but thats what "studying abroad" means i guess! something fun i did get to do and be apart of was being in the largest group EVER doing zumba at one time. the guiness book of world records came to my town, cairns, and we had 3105 people zumbing for an hour--it was awesome! there was a light rain and tons of people which made it kinda hard to cha cha and shimmy when i had a grandpa in front of me who could barely walk but it was quite an experience and now im in the book of world records so thats pretty cool! my skin has offically rejected the sun here and is reacting badly. i have peeled off a layer of skin on my face, arms, back, shoulders, and neck all in a week. seriously no matter the amount of sunscreen i wear i have been getting burnt and my skin is just getting crazy so i have taken a couple days out of the sun and letting my body hopefully get a little more adjusted to the new lifestyle. on a more postive topic, a couple friends and i are beginning to plan our spring break trip and it looks like im going to be going to new zealand! i am super pumped and will be there for 9 days. i am also going to fiji once school is out so i will offically have been to 3 countries (if all works out) yes it is VERY expensive but you only live once and i will probably never be back here so im going to do it while i can. if anyone has friends or knows of anything in any of those counties i would love to hear about it! two of the things on our to do list while in new zealand are are climbing a glacier and swimming with whales so that should be quite an experience! i think this is all i have for now. i keep trying to think of things that would be interesting to read about and come to a blank..hopefully the pics that i post will actually load this time cuz they didnt last time! hope all is well back in the states and based upon the NDSU girls that lost thier lives this week (i did know the girl from prior lake) lets all make sure to count our blessings and tell those who mean the most to you I LOVE YOU! xoxo to all :)

Snorkeling!

I finally got to check something off my "to do" list..snorkling! OMG is all i have to say i thought the pictures and magazines were cool but it is no comparison from seeing it personally. i wont get ahead of myself tho and explain whats happened  the past couple days. On friday we went on an all day bus tour on a double decker bus throughout the city. it was once again another beautiful day and just spectacular. we got to see some tourist spots and go to the surrounding beaches while learning about the safety and rules here in aussie. ending the tour we went to this place called Crystal Cascade which is a fresh water stream/waterfall thing that we got to jump off cliffs (did it) swim in the river, drink the water, and walk across rocks to act all adventourous. it was really quite a site and i will definetly be going back because i was not able to jump off the 40 foot cliff entitled "no fear" so i will be back. today, saturday, we took a boat out to Green Island and got snorkel gear and was set free! we really had no instructions but just directed where to go to see the prettiest reefs and coral. the island is not directly part of the great barrier reef but the coral leads into it so it looks exactly like the reef. while on the boat we got the option to buying "stinger suits" which protects you from jellyfish. i have been hearing alot about the jellys and everyone says they are so deadly and this is the prime season but i just wanted to live life dangerously and decided not to get one (saved myself 8 bucks!) so while snorkeling i got to see beautiful fish, amazing coral, SEA TURTLES, and many other things that i cant even name. i even found dory and nemo! many and many of them actually. i was kinda paranoid the entire time about jellys and there was only 3 of us who did not get suits out of a group of 40 and of course i was one of them so i was pressing my limits (i can just picture my dad saying "thats my girl!). seeing the images and being in the prime blue water was just breathtaking and so unreal. i think it really hit me that i was actually in australia at this point cuz i knew i would never be able to see these images back at home. after snorkeling for about 2 hours we got out and walked around the island to just be more amazed with the sites. on our walk back to the beach we saw 2 helicopters come and were kinda wondering what was happening but didnt really think much of it. upon walking to lunch we were informed that a lady was stung by the deadliest jelly and was rushed to the ER cuz once you get stung by this kind you have less than an hour to get hooked up to IVs and such before it takes complete control of the bloodstream and kills you. needless to say i risked my life to the fulliest today and the good lord was looking after me and allowing me to get out of the water safely. after this occurred they closed the beach down in hopes of not having it happen again. luckily there was a pool that we got to swim in for awhile before we boarded our glassbottem boat. on here we got to venture out and see many more kinds of plant and animal life and was even more astonished. it is truely incredible what the water has to offer. after a day filled with sun, which every day seems to be thus far, we boarded the boat and returned to land. to say the least my mind was blown today and i cant wait to actually get to the reef and be able to scuba dive and see things even more closely. i get one more day of freedom tomorrow, sunday, and then classes/real life start on monday. no doubt the sun is hot as ever here as i currently have sun blisters and a bad reaction happening on my back even though i put 50 and 30 SPF on twice today. our american skin is just not made out for this! but its not stopping me baby im here for the long run! thats all for now, ill pick the best pictures to show. im pretty bummed that i dont have an underwater camera cuz it would be so cool to share those pics but just take my word for it! im one with the water now!
Peace and blessings :)

I've arrived!

Here it goes my official first blog! i have been in this country for a little over a week and i have two things to say 1. i am never coming home 2. feel free to send some money/food! as beautiful and exotic this place is, the prices are insane! ill try to start from the beginning of last week and make my way up to now. i arrived on monday feb 6th after a long 15 hour plan ride. it wasnt bad at all thus me sleeping the whole time. upon arrival we got on a bus with our orientation group and headed to our hostel. it wasnt long before i realized that the drivers here are CRAZY and if you are not paying attention you will literally get run over. driving here is completely different than at home with them not only driving on the left side of the road but also the drivers seat is on the right side--very strange. after getting settled into the hostel we went to the rooftop for a BBQ and got to mingle with the other american students. we received our "phones" here which are more like a brick from 1980 that has one ringtone and the game brick breaker. but its a phone none the less and it will have to make due! from here we went on a walking tour of sydney and got to see all the tourist sites and learn a little about the town. i guess i forgot to mention that the minute we got out of the airport i started sweating and had to take off 3 layers of clothes that i was wearing from back home (guess i wont be needing any of the sweatshirts i brought). proceeding that we had dinner at a local pizze restaurant and tried a variety of toppings including the infamous kangaroo! it was quite a taste and i cant say i was really in love with it but i will definetly be trying it again. on tuesday we got up right away and went to a wildlife park and got to feed kangaroos have a picture taken with koala bears and play/see a lot of wild animals. it was kinda like a homeless shelter for animals and they take them in and care for them so it was cool to see all the indigineous animals to the land. following that we got back aboard and went to a rainforest, and when i say rain i mean rain! i had to purchase a poncho to keep my clothes and bag dry while we walked up the side of a mountain and then back down. the views were breaktaking and just too good to be true. i had a leech inside my shoe and it was so far in we had to cut it in half to get it out--great expereince! after this we went to a aboringinal park and got to participate in a lot of activities that the people of the land do. we got face painted, make boomerrangs, and watched a traditional dance that they do. being completley drained from the day we went back to the hostel and went out to dinner then came back and passed out. wed the 8th was a free day and a couple of us went shopping and just explored the city more once again being outraged by the prices and not getting anything. on this night we had a beautiful dinner boat cruise under the sydney harbour that let us see the opera house and all of downtown sydney with the lights and just spectacular views. we all went out that night and experienced the nightlife--it ended with seeing a dead body as a person jumped out of a window and cracked his head open :( not a good way to end the night but nonetheless it was a great experience. on thursday we got up really early and headed back to the airport to board the last plane to my current city of cairns (pronounced CANS). we got picked up from a worker at the place we live and got to our room. where im living is pretty much a 3 person apartment with our own rooms a little living room and bathroom. very simple but homey. there are 2 main complexs and all the students are housed there so it is nice as we are all together and it makes for making friends a lot easier. this day was mainly unpacking going to KMart, which is my new best friend, and getting aquainted with the city. friday we had orientation for school and it was a day spent just getting to know my way around and trying to figure out things. saturday the 11th until today the 15th it has mainly been spent going into town to the lagoon (our version of a pool but with salt water) which is right next to the ocean, shopping, going out, meeting people, doing random orientation things on campus, spending money, going to the beach, trying to find jobs, going out, laying by the pool, catching dead and alive beetles and spiders from my room, applying loads and pounds of sunscreen on my body, and going out. this week as really just been a do what you want and have fun. there is really not a set schedule yet since classes dont start until the 20th so im trying to get all paperwork and financial things straightened away before classes start and i have to give time to my studies! so far the people here have been really nice and totally laid back. the society is so go with the flow it is crazy. literally people only know information that is necessary to them otherwise they dont care. for example i asked an elder woman on the street "which way to the lagoon" and her response back to me was "why does it matter to me where it is. i dont go there" and then she proceeded to walk off. dont get me wrong they are really nice (with real sexy accents) but they dont like knowing more information than necessary to them! i think this is all for now. i am going to try and upload some pictures so you can all get a hint of what im experiencing. my email address that i will be checking most often is jhechsel@gac.edu so feel free to email me questions or anything and i would love to converse! i only get limited internet time and use but i would love to keep all connections going and stay aquanted with live back in america! my address here at school is:
Jessica Hechsel
Cairns Student Lodge
10-24 Faculty Close
Smithfield QLD 4878

hope all is well for those back home and just when you think it is cold and gross just picture me with a pina colada laying on a beach :)

peace and blessings!