Royal National Park: The Greenest Green

“The self is not something ready-made, but something in continuous formation through choice of action.” – John Dewey

I set off to adventure and experience learning in the outdoors on Sunday, March 24^th. The bus ride showed a dramatic change of scenery from the inner city of Sydney to the luscious green outskirts to which could be considered a beautiful escape from civilization and all things industrial. The scene went from grey to green and I felt myself become entranced and mesmerized by the beauty that was just outside my window. It was refreshing to have a break from overpopulated city life. Humans have been living in nature the majority of our existence and just recently confined to man-made environments such as cubicles as opposed to being out and about like hunters and gathers. For all of our existence we have been so connected to nature. “Contact with green spaces is therefore like going back home, and fills us with the same sense of safety and belonging. We crave nature in the same way that a child needs a mother, and derive the same feeling of comfort from it (Steve).” John Dewey stated, “Nature is the mother and the habitat of man, even if sometimes a stepmother and an unfriendly home (Roth).” As I stepped off the bus, the first thing I noticed was the immense amount of green, it is sad but I had forgotten what this looks like. I had become accustomed to industrial, tall buildings and city streets. I was happiest about the fresh air. At home, I was always worried about holding my breath to avoid the gusts of smoke coming from various smokers as I made my way about. There was no need to worry here.

 

We broke up into our groups and met our leader for the day. Our leader made it clear that she was not our tour guide and handed out maps. She told us that we would be responsible to find our way throughout the Royal National Park and stay on course.

We started the trek and made our way through trees and amazing views. Our first picture spot was by a creek overlooking a forest. I got lost in the view as my senses became overwhelmed with the beauty before me. We walked along cliffs and beaches overlooking the ocean with its wondrous, unending blue horizon. We stopped to have lunch at Marley beach. A couple of us climbed the rocks all the way out to the edge of the ocean to sit under shade and feel ocean mist. It was a delightful lunch!

Then we arrived at a spot called “Cheesecake Rock”, a white rock shaped like the perfect slice of cheesecake high above the ocean. We were asked to do a “solo” in which we sat for 5 minutes and attempted to shut off all thoughts and stresses from the outside world and our daily lives. I sat on the white rock overlooking the waves as they crashed on a cliff far below. In those 5 minutes I transformed my thinking from daily tasks to the big picture of what I wanted my life to be. I realized how shallow my breathing was and how bad my posture was. I sat up and took a deep breath. I became attuned to my body and my senses heightened. As my lungs filled up with the cleanest air I had breathed in a while, my eyes opened wider and a bigger smile became plastered on my face. I always knew I loved the outdoors, but my love was deepened in this moment.  At the end of my 5 minutes, I was so at peace. Nature has a calming and mind-quieting effect. The beauty and majesty of nature allows for a state of meditation, “slowing down the normal ‘thought-chatter’ which runs chaotically through our minds. This creates an inner stillness and energy fills us, generating a glow of being and intensifying our perceptions (Steve).” The unending ocean made me realize the presence of this immense world and all the possibilities of what I could do with my life. It made me want to take advantage of each moment in my life and be truly mentally present, not just physically, wherever I am because moments pass and add up to a completed lifetime. It was an epiphany, “awakening” moment for me. Nature provides episodes called “awakening experiences”, these are “moments when our vision of our surroundings becomes more and we feel a sense of connection to them, and towards other people. The world may somehow seem harmonious and meaningful, as a strong feeling of well-being fills us (Steve).” This describes the peace I felt at the end of my solo and I can say I have experienced the power of ecotherapy.

In recent years, the power of nature has been recognized by scientists as an effective healing therapy, just as effective against depression as medication and traditional therapy (Steve). This is called “ecotherapy.” It not only heals the mind, but has the power to transform us, just as I transformed my whole outlook on life in those 5 minutes.“The inclination to learn from life itself and to make the conditions of life such that all will learn in the process of living is the finest product of schooling (Roth).”

John Dewey believed that education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. He revolutionized the way education was defined into a different paradigm of cycles through experience. He thought all was subject to change and that education should teach habits of learning that will continue throughout life via experiences. These habits included awareness and interdependence. He believed learning was a process of living, the deepest form of freedom, and that it should not be used to create human capital, but to create opportunities to find significance in life. He said, “Education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living (Roth).”

I ventured off the beaten path to see some of the best views. It was amazing what you would miss out on if you just continue mindlessly on a trail. There is much more to see in life than what is just mapped out for us. I realized that this is a metaphor for life and doing what you truly want to do to make yourself happy and find your passion. The world may have expectations of you, but regardless, what you desire for yourself is of the highest importance, you chose your own path in life. As John Dewey said, “To find out what one is fitted to do, and to secure an opportunity to do it, is the key to happiness (Roth).”

After a quick sip of water from a waterfall by the beach, it was a short walk back to the bus. I had a lovely time at Royal National Park. I feel like being in the outdoors was so refreshing and gave me the ability to tolerate the dreary grey portrait of the city. I long for the green of nature and what other discoveries I can make about myself and the life I want to live, as when I am in nature I feel the most aware and connected to my own thoughts. I think this awareness makes me more capable of the challenges of the future and confident in my ability to accomplish what I set out to do and live a happy life.  Experiences can become a part of you. The element of nature is embedded in my being. Nature is my therapy.

When Dreams Became Reality

It’s been another awesome week of adventure and cultural immersion. I went to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Stadium and saw the place that Michael Phelps started his Olympic career in the aquatic center. It so surreal to watch a swim meet in a place that had so many spotlights pointed at the place I sat in just 13 years ago. I saw an Olympic gold medalist, Akihiro Yamaguchi, compete in breaststroke and complete 100 meters in 1 minute, which if you are swimmer and understand the sport you know is crazy fast! 

I went to see my friend’s friend compete in an archery tournament there. We arrived just in time

 to see his last round as we had to cross the huge park to reach the archery area in the upper corner. On the way back we ran into a glorious fountain and pool area with a sculpture of cones jutting into the sky. We frolicked about in the water and enjoyed cooling off on the hot summer day. Then we climbed up a hill for a great view of the whole Olympic Park. 

I wanted to find the Olympic rings, but apparently they didn't exist. There was however white Olympic rings etched into the ground. I saw the Olympic torch among a bunch of pillars with athletes names on them. It was so inspiring to see! There was even an entire block of Campbell's. 

After another night at Max Brenner’s Chocolate Bar (aka Club Max, and yes I go here way too much) trying their famous Babka, it was off to plan some trips! I want to go to Bali and Fiji if possible while I am here. I also want to explore Australia by going to Melbourne, the Gold Coast, and Ningaloo Reef among other places. I feel like this experience has sparked a deeper desire to travel and see the world.

 

The next day I explored the Royal Botanic Gardens. It was the perfect place for a lovely stroll in the harbor, I want to come back and picnic under the trees and among the amazing greenery! I sat on Macquerie’s chair at farm cove as runners ran past. I found a Wollemi Pine tree, which is extremely rare. It looked skinnier than a normal pine. Then we found a wishing tree!! I got way too excited for that! You are supposed to walk around the tree 3 times forward and 3 times backwards to make your wish come true, so I had to do it. I also touched the tree for extra luck! After a long day of walking around the gardens, I wanted to try some more Australian native cuisine. I read about a place that makes kangaroo pizza and it was nearby, so that had to happen! We split a pizza so that each of us got a slice of crocodile, emu, and kangaroo meats. It was delicious! The emu was my favorite with kangaroo in a close second.

Classes have been going well! They seem a bit easy so far! I’m hopeful that they won’t get too much harder so this can truly feel like a vacation. On Tuesday I spent my whole day in the library so I could at least feel like a student a little bit. On the walk to the library I bought a pair of Australian brand Blue Ridge high-waist denim shorts. I read the textbook for my hardest class, Operations Management, and did my homework for the class. I was then in need of a coffee break to revive myself from the 6 hours of drowning under books in the library. I went to Gloria Jean’s near home and got a cappuccino and brought along a couple Tim Tam’s for some prime slams. The coffee here is amazing! Mine came with a lovely heart shaped in the foam. I feel like I have tried the majority of the Tim Tam flavors now. There is original, double coat, dark chocolate, white chocolate, chocolate with white filling, raisin rum, Turkish delight, honeycomb, orange, and mint chocolate. Most people here joke about how addictive they are and refer to them as “crack cookies”, which I definitely agree to.

 

Saturday morning my friends in the building started a tradition of going to this place called “Pancakes on the Rocks”. It is hands down the best pancakes I have ever had in my life! They are served with ice cream and come in both classic buttermilk and chocolate forms. I sense another addiction coming along. Saturday nights at Darling Harbor are a spectacle of fireworks for all to see. They shot straight out from the water and it was amazing to see.

Sunday night is movie night at Urbanest. This week was “Looper” which I found to be quite an interesting movie. I had dinner in Chinatown at Campbell Restaurant (yes another place named after me, yay!) and tried real Chinese food. I got a seafood bowl of miscellaneous unknown sea creatures. It was fun to decipher what I was eating exactly, quite the interesting meal as my friend and I talked to our food the entire time.  Then we stopped at a gelato place called N2 that is basically a science lab. I spotted it on one of my walks in the city and wanted to share my discovery. It was then a movie night of “I Am Legend” with my friend, Conor, after a Coles run for our sweet tooth. I tried Anzac cookies which are another famous Australian cuisine icon. They were crunchy and kind of coco nutty. Wives made them for their husbands during the Anzac war.

 

Ellen DeGeneres decided to come to Sydney to film her show with her mother and wife, so I knew I h

ad to be in attendance. I almost made it into the audience, but I did get to see the show. After, I saw Ellen as she walked on the dock from crossing over the harbor on a boat. She smiled as she held Portia’s hand and they drove away in a large, white van. Then I wanted to explore around a bit so we first stopped at the Opera Kitchen for a quick bite. I ate a salmon salad under the sails of the opera house with a beautiful view of the bridge in the background as seagulls squawked at me in envy. It was quite a picturesque lunch.  It started to rain so I decided to explore the Australian Contemporary Art Museum. It was 4 floors of art, some of which I was confused by and some got me thinking. Once at the top there was a pretty view! At night the group was off to Ivy. There was an area around a pool and a live band playing poolside. It was fun, but way too crowded and we ended up leaving pretty quickly. 

There was a smaller group this weekend as most people went on a surf trip. I was happy to stay behind and do my own thing. The small group that remained united for a night out in Chinatown at the Dixon House foodcourt, an overwhelming display of the variety of Chinese food options available. I got some more seafood in a lovely sauté sauce. The end of the weekend meant it was time for my Outdoor Education class field trip at Royal National Park (separate post on that day). Monday I ditched my lecture to go to the Royal Easter Show, which was basically the Australian version of a state fair. There were animals, food, and rides.

The next week of school was the final stretch before spring break! Although it has come up so fast and I don’t even feel like I have done enough work to get a break, I will gladly take it! There was a strike on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday my class was cancelled, so basically this week was a start to my break. I found out my class was cancelled after I had arrived so I decided to make the most of it before my tutorial and I went to see the Sydney Fish Market. It was definitely not what I had expected, but it was still awesome to walk around and sample fish! I ate raw salmon for the first time and I must say it was delicious!

Now break is official. Tomorrow I am off to New Zealand to explore the South Island and road trip around to see Glaciers in Franz Josef, bungee jump in Queenstown, and see Milford Sound in addition to all the amazing sights and beauty of New Zealand. I also really want to frolic with sheep while I am there. There are more sheep than people, so it shouldn't

be too hard to make that happen! I can’t believe I get to see another country!  I feel blessed for all the opportunities this experience has given me so far.

An Enlightening Vacation?

So it started, the true reason I am here, school. I have been on break since interterm ended in late January so it’s been quite awhile. Basically, I had forgotten the concept of school entirely. My first class was in a building called Institute Building. It took me an entire hour just to find the building; even asking around nobody even knew what I was talking about. It was a scramble to make sense of the enormous campus, but I was happy I had left enough time for this search by leaving an hour early. I arrived with 10 minutes to spare. In my class we watched a video that had Obama in it and a clip of The Incredibles. I realized how America is imbedded in the culture in little ways.

After visiting the International Office to change a couple of things, I finally have the perfect schedule. I am taking 2 business classes and 2 classes about Australia. My business classes are People & Organisations and Operations Management. My Aussie classes are Learning in Outdoor Education and Indigenous Creative Expression. My outdoor class goes to the Blue Mountains, which are a must do and also Royal National Park. My creative expression class covers my art GE credit and examines different forms of Australian media and art in the indigenous Australian culture. I have classes in blocks and no big breaks which is awesome! Plus, no Friday class!

After the first week of classes was over it was off to celebrate at Max Brenner Chocolate Bar, which has come to be known as Club Max. I named it that jokingly because I would much rather have a chill night there with friends than go out. It was now my second time there and I got the Brownie Sundae. So good! Then it was another lovely beach day followed by a night at the casino. I played Pinkjack, which is basically Blackjack with a couple of rules changed. I lost $20 and I’m pretty sure I will never gamble again. It just isn’t worth the risk. However, most of my friends seemed to do well. Some won over $100.

The weekend consisted of Chinatown, The Rocks, and another American movie to make me feel at home. I strolled down Dixon Street in the heart of Chinatown and was greeted my two lions and a gate at both ends of the street. The gate I walked through read "Within the Four Seas All Men Are Brothers" nd the other said "Understand Virtue and Trust". Walking down the street brought so many scrumptious smells that made me want to walk into the restaurants for a quick sniff. There was even a Campbell Restaurant at the very front of the street! There were lots of noodles and traditional Asian cuisine. It was the weekend so it was very crowded on account of dim sum. I will definitely be back to experience the food there.

Sunday everyone wanted to go to the beach again, but I had gotten pretty burnt the previous tanning session. There is no ozone layer here so sunscreen is a must and sadly I had forgotten. I got a really bad Capri tan from the Coogee to Bondi walk and it still remains to this day. So instead of a beach day of further burning, I decided to explore on my own today and just relax. I went to the historic Rocks and had a lovely stroll through streets that have made Australian history. I walked the Argyle Cut with its walls jutting up into the sky. Ran into Campbell’s Cove (yes, I know it’s meant to be), examined Holy Trinity Garrison Church, and took in spectacular views of the harbor and bridge from the highest point in the city, Observatory Hill. There was a wedding as I walked to the park under the bridge. The background was the harbor and the stunning Opera House in the distance. It couldn’t have been more picturesque. Dawes Point Park had lovely views as well with its canons pointed straight to the Opera House. I walked Nurses Walk, a street walked when "Sydney" and “sickness” was the same thing. Then it was through Suez Canal, a narrow alley once the hot spot of gangs. Lower Fort Street was a lovely stroll as the Georgian houses and wrought-iron lacework were once the best addresses in Sydney. At the end of the street was the Harbour View Hotel. I sat on the balcony and took in views of climbers about to make their way to the bridge. The bridge was so close to the hotel and it was a lovely spot for a nibble of hummus, baba ghanoush, pita bread and some tomatoes and olives. After a very independent day of exploration, it was back home to reconnect with friends and escape reality with one of my favorite movies, Tangled.

I have now just finished the second week of classes and still haven’t done any homework. I feel like I am on vacation and forget that I still have readings and papers. They are definitely to come, but for now it is nice to relax. Yesterday, I volunteered with my friend Kaya at a park. We did made an area where children play look so much better than before. We pulled so many weeds, picked up trash and racked away all the excess leaves. Then, a boat was constructed by the boys in the group. Once they were done, Kaya and I painted the entire thing. I feel honored to be able to have made a difference in an Australian community and I hope many generations of children to come enjoy the waves we made on the side of the boat. At the end of volunteering we received free tickets to a concert! I would have volunteered anyway, but this was just the cherry on top.

Urbanest throws a waffle dinner every Monday and I finally had time to go. I met some Aussies and they invited me to their house in Cronulla Beach. I was so excited to meet more Australians! I have been with a lot of study abroad American students most of the time, which is nice, but I definitely want to further immerse myself in the culture here and I plan on taking every opportunity possible to do so!