Caution: Nation of Extreme Toxicity

So I've been reading Bill Bryson's  travel book "In a Sunburned Country" in order to learn more about Australia before I leave (10 days! yikes... I should start packing!). At the very beginning of the book, Bryson succeeds in terrifying me about the many toxic creatures that reside in the country I'll be living in for the next five months.

He says:

"[Australia] is the home of the largest living thing on earth, the Great Barrier Reef, and of the largest monolith, Ayers Rock (or Uluru to use its now-official, more respectful Aboriginal name). It has more things that will kill you than anywhere else. Of the world's ten most poisonous snakes, all are Australian. Five of its creatures - the funnel web spider, box jellyfish, blue-ringed octopus, paralysis tick, and stonefish - are the most lethal of their type in the world. This is a country where even the fluffiest of caterpillars can lay you out with a toxic nip, where seashells will not just sting you but actually sometimes go for you. Pick up an innocuous cone shell from a Queensland beach, as innocent tourists are all too wont to do, and you will discover that the little fellow inside is not just astoundingly swift and testy but exceedingly venomous. If you are not stung or pronged to death in some unexpected manner, you may be fatally chomped by sharks or crocodiles, or carried helplessly out to sea by irresistible currents, or left to stagger to an unhappy death in the baking outback. It's a tough place. "

My Australian Wildlife Biology class should be interesting.

Home - Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros

This is one of the unofficial anthems of Australia. In this version, which is shorter than many, a cute little girl sings the song with her father.

Home- Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros Acoustic Cover

This one is a longer version:

Home- Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros

3 weeks till take off

Hey all! Thanks for joining me on my blog! Right now I've been getting all of the paperwork and flight information together before I leave for Australia. The program I'm studying in Australia with is called IES Abroad, and you can look them up at www.iesabroad.org. Ithaca College is affiliated with the University of Melbourne, which is where I will be studying. That means that all my credits and grades (yikes) will transfer. My flight leaves February 6th, two days before I actually have to be there! I will be traveling for 33 hours in order to get there, fun stuff! The program begins with an orientation starting on February 8th. Until then, I won't be writing much on here. But I will sure to be keeping you posted with pictures and descriptions of classes/travels when I finally arrive in Australia! I'll see you down undah!