Mental Health vs Physical Health

I've been meaning to update the blog since my last whiney post.  Things got a lot better almost as soon as I posted that, which is what I was hoping would happen.  I talked to a few people back home, and after a few good conversations I felt almost completely better. I just needed to talk to someone who knew me and someone who would understand what I was going through.  I also revitalized to go back to my original plan to put my head down and spend my extra time on working out, and thankfully I have a number of Uni friends who are helping me :)  Two of my friends are legitimate personal trainers, and another two friends who like to do the fitness class with me...which helps sooo much.

I also booked my trip for the semester break!!  I leave June 21st for Perth, spend 5 days in Perth and the surrounding area.  Then take a 5 day tour to Exmouth, spend 3 days in Exmouth, hopefully diving in the Ningaloo Reef!  Then I take an overnight bus to Broome, which is the pearling capital of Oz, if not the world.  I'm only going to Broome so I can get a flight to Darwin.  In Darwin I take a 9 day tour that does the surrounding sites of Darwin and then down the center of the country to Ulurulu.  Then I fly home to Sydney on July 15th!  Below is a map of Australia that I drew a thin blue line to show the cities I'm going to.  It's quite a large trip if you remember that Oz is about the same size as the states!

With the trip on the horizon, and the semester coming to an end, I don't really have time to feel all sorry for myself.  I only have two exams, but they are going to kick my ass.  I am at a real risk of failing my biostatistics class, and epidemiology is going to be a lot harder than I've been giving it credit for.  I've started going through biostats trying to re-learn everything I haven't learned all semester.  My exams are June 15th and 17th, so at least I have a few weeks to study, but it doesn't feel like enough. 

When I get back from the west coast, I've decided to get a job.  This mostly because I have a lot of time on my hands, and it will be a better use of my time, allow me to network, be more efficient, and maybe meet some new people.  I also realized that if I can find a job that covers my living expenses, then I will have a lot more money for traveling :)

And by the time I start the next semester, there won't be much time left in Sydney.  As of now, I'm looking to come home in February.  I want to be here for Australia Day, which is January 26th, but after that I'll should be fine to come home.  Here is what I hope to be able to do:

• September break: Melbourne and Adelaide
• December head up the east coast
• New Years in Sydney
• January head to New Zealand and Fiji
• Back to Sydney for Australia Day and pick up my stuff ;)
• Home in February!

Obviously that's all subject to change, but that's what I'm hoping for.   Oh, and there is one trip that makes me giddy as get out....I'm hoping to spend some time at home just chilling and hanging out with people for a bit, but after that, I really really really want to do a massive US road trip!  Oh, its going to be cool.  I figure that I know enough people around the country that I could cut my accommodation costs considerably, to almost nothing.  And since, I think I should leave Thailand out of the travel options for now, I'm hoping I'll have travel money left over to do this :) 

So yes, the cure to my mental health break down: find things to concentrate on. 

1. working out
2. school
3. travel

Just as my mental health comes into focus and I'm back on my feet, I get slammed with the worst case of strep throat I've ever had.  Thankfully my family knows how very much I hate hate hate being sick and for as independent as I can be, I turn into the worst kind of whiner and sympathy beggar there is.  They allow me to whine and complain without guilt.  I thank Facebook for this.  My status were sent out straight to my parents to get them to skype so I could soak up their pity and sympathy. I'm not ashamed to admit it.  And they came through marvelously!  And talked me into walking my sick butt to the doctor who immediately knew what was wrong with me and gave me some antibiotics and now I'm feeling much better.  I'm still sick, but at least able to function!  I just have to take these antibiotics 4 times a day for the next two weeks! ugh, at least I feel better.

Until the next mental break down....