Hey everyone!

Well, finals are gearing up, but it looks like the all of the wondering about whether or not I’m going to Australia seems to be gearing down. The paperwork was a pain, running from office to office in my school desperately trying to find someone willing to put their name on a piece of paper was great loads of fun! But looks like that’s all done with.

I’ve been accepted to IES Abroad, I’ve turned in all the extra paperwork, about to get started on my visa, and I’ve been approved for my loans. Looks like I’m officially going.

The prospect of going down there kind of scares me, I won’t lie. I have to go down, and very soon after getting there I need to arrange to get a job. Then I’m gonna need to juggle a job in a strange country with my school work, and learning to get from my apartment to school by myself using the trains and busses. It’s gonna be really hard. But I think it’s something I need to do.

I’m glad I visited before I made an official decision on the trip. Sydney is an awesome place. It’s full of many cultures, a ton of different languages, different sights, different foods. But Sydney is also a very very big place. I’m worried a guy like me from a tiny place like Anderson outside of a smaller city like Cincinnati… I might be a little overwhelmed.

But thankfully, I met lots of friends on my visit to Australia. I think I can depend on them to show me the ropes, and show me how to get around. And to show me to the local sushi bar! (yum yum!)

The very sad thing is that I will not be blogging for you all next semester. The Mount decided not to have me blog while I am in Australia. I’ll miss telling you guys about all the things I’m doing and showing you what I’m working on, but I hope to resume blogging when I return, and tell you more about everything that’s going on at the Mount.

Hope to talk to you all soon! Finals are calling I have to go!

Bye!

Hey everyone!

Well life is starting to gear up! Just about a month left in the semester, and we’re starting to get ready for finals. I’ve already been assigned my final paper in Ethics, My two final papers in Glassblowing and Fused and Formed Glass have been assigned and are due in just a few weeks here. (10 pages each! Whew!) I have to start planning out my final projects in Glass. We’ve already been assigned our final projects in my design class.

Amidst all that, however… I did get a bit of good news!

IES sent me my acceptance letter. I’ve been accepted into the program for the University of New South Wales. I’m going to Australia!

It was a ton of work getting my application together, but I’m so relieved that that part is done. But the work is far from over. I’ve gotta get LOANS together now. Like seriously, if you think the application was a headache…

I’m having to apply for my own loans through a company called Wells Fargo. None of the Mount’s financial aid will follow me overseas, and because my application wasn’t due until April, the Mount also doesn’t offer me any travel grants or scholarships. And believe you me, this trip is gonna be EXPENSIVE. The plane ticket alone might be as much as $3000.

Anyway, with finals and numbers to plug into my calculator, I can’t stop for too long! Back to it!

Have a good week and Happy Easter!

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to share the good news! I got an email back frommy IES Abroad advisor. My application is complete! They have received all the parts of my application and the application process is done!

Now comes the hardest part of the whole thing: waiting. I gotta just sit back and wait for them to process my application and see if Iget accepted. There’s plenty more to do after that happens, but for now, I justhave to sit, and wait.

Now, you guys have heard me talking a lot about the company IES Abroad. IES Abroad is a not-for-profit company that will make it easier foryou to talk to other schools in other countries. It’s an awesome program andthey’ve been very professional in their interactions with me. I’ve beenimpressed so far! But, the one downside, if I had to pick one, is that theydon’t have an official affiliation with the Mount.

To be fair, I should let you know, there’s an organization exactly like that, except it IS affiliated with the Mount! The college has an official relationship with a company called AIFS, or the American Institute for Foreign Study. I don’t too much about these guys except for the fact that the closest school they have near Sydney is Macquarie University. Now I’ve been to Macquarie Pass, and it is a gorgeous part of the world, but the University there doesn’t even have an art program. They’re more of a technical school.

Also, I specifically chose the University of New South Walesbecause: #1 it’s an amazing art school, but perhaps more important it’s very near a friend of mine that’s letting me stay with him and split rent! An apartment, even a student apartment, in Sydney is EXPENSIVE. Like I looked into a student apartment and the cheapest way would be to share with like 5 or 6 strangers in a big communal dorm type deal, and that was going to be $350… AWEEK. That’s right $350 a week. That’s just a bit steep for me, for that price I could get some of the biggest apartments in Cincinnati!

Ooorrr staying with my friend, I can live there for much,much cheaper! And take a semester in one of the worlds greatest art schools at that.

Well, I gotta get back to homework! I’ll talk to you guys soooon!

Well guys, I’ve finished my sophomore review! This past Saturday, I brought in my portfolio and I got to have it looked over by all the folks at the Graphic Design department. I do have to say, it was much shorter than I would have liked (they didn’t even get to look at my glass stuff!) and one of our oldest and most experienced professors didn’t make it, but I still think it went well! I haven’t gotten my comments back yet, but I hope I will!

Aaaaand, I HAD planned to write most of this blog telling you guys how excited I was that I finally completed and mailed off my application for my Australia trip! I got my form signed and got an official transcript from the registrar’s office and I mailed them in! So for now, I just have to wait and see if I’m accepted into the program! I can’t do anything else to work for my trip until then.

Bad news is I got an email back from IES saying they received my transcript, and the email also said they’d send an email like that for every piece of my application they receive. Well, my Authorization form from the school was in that same envelope, and they haven’t sent me an email saying they have it! I’m worried it got misplaced somewhere, so I have to get a hold of them tomorrow, and see if they can find my piece of paper! I sent them an email and I’m probably also going to call tomorrow and find out what’s up.

It’s getting kinda scary and down to the wire, so I hope I can get everything sorted out soon!

I’ll leave you guys with a picture I took when I was over in Australia! This picture is from Taronga Zoo, which is Sydney’s zoo, and it’s right across the harbor from downtown Sydney. They have an open air amphitheater where they gave a terrific bird show, and just behind the amphitheater, this is what you can see!

See you guys soon!

Hey all!

Wow, it’s been awhile…normally I try to post every week, but I’ve been off my schedule for a bit, but there is an excellent reason why!

For those of you who might not have read my earlier blogs, I traveled during Christmas break to Australia, to visit a University I hoped to study at starting in July. It turns out I like the university a whole lot, and I’ve been trying to arrange to study abroad ever since.

Well, it’s getting down to the wire! My application is due in about two weeks, and I’m trying to get all the odds and ends together! I’ve already arranged for the loans, and I’ve put in my online application. Next, I need to get my study abroad advisor to sign off on the trip, then send the company an official transcript.

I’m very close to making this happen, I think!

Spring break was a load of really difficult work towards this trip. I’m going through a company called IES Abroad (www.iesabroad.org) and I’ve spent ALLLLLLL week sending them emails, as well as the financial aid department at my school, my registrar, my study abroad advisor, and my academic advisor for my major as well as my advisor for my minor! WHEW! All those people have to say that the trip is okay and that the classes I’m taking are acceptable, or else it won’t work. Without them, my loans might not get certified, or worse, when I come back I might not get credit for the classes I worked so hard on over in Australia!

This trip is probably going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and also one of the riskiest. I’m going to have to take out more than 15,000 dollars in loans to cover the trip, and still on top of that, I’m hoping to get a job over there while I study, to help pay my share of rent the place I’ll be staying.

It’s all kind of scary, but exciting at the same time! I’ll certainly let you guys know if and when things start coming together!

Wish me luck!

Hello again, everyone! And it’s good to be back!

Late this past Thursday, I landed in Dayton Airport after a 34-day trip to Australia! I can already tell you, I got to see more cool stuff in Aussie-land than I could ever possibly tell you in one blog, but I’ll try my best! Australia is a cool place!

I flew out on December 10^th, the day after my last exam. I have quite a few friends in Australia, but I was visiting my best friend, George, a working student outside of Sydney. I spent Christmas with him and his family. While I was over, I spent as much time as I could learning about Australia and how the country worked…because I was thinking about studying at nearby university over the course of next year!

I’m currently making plans to study at UNSW: The University of New South Wales! (it’s a mouthful, I know!) New South Wales is a state in Australia, just like Ohio is a state in the USA. And Sydney is close to the center of NSW. If everything works out, I’ll be studying there for six months next year.

As you may have guessed, the Mount isn’t officially affiliated with schools in Australia, so I’ll be going though a study abroad program called IES Abroad. Neither my family nor I could possibly afford to pay for this entire thing out-of-pocket, so after I apply to the program, I have to apply for a discover loan, and it’ll be up to the financial aid department here at school to decide whether or not I can be certified for the funds I need to go.

On top of all that, I got a whole new schedule filled with awesome classes this semester! I can’t wait to share everything with you guys! I'll tell you everything that's going on this semester, and I'm sure I'll have a ton to talk about!

2010 is gonna be a great year!

My very last final project has been turned in.

My Graphics brochure has been printed, cut to size, and wire bound by hand, and the poster that accompanies it is properly printed, and cut to the proper size…all handed in to my graphics professor. My typography pamphlet is printed, cut to size, hand bound, fabric covered, presented and turned in. My final spirituality paper is typed and digitally submitted. My math presentation has been completed and presented, and my exam has been taken. My final project in Science of Art has been completed and turned in, and my exam has been taken. All of my photography projects have been finished and turned in. 

I just have to give my room a good cleaning and final organization, and I’m out of here!

I don’t know if you guys have heard, but tomorrow… I’m headed for Australia! This will be interesting, as I’ve never flown before! So I decided the first time I ever fly I’ll be taking on of the longest plane flights you can possibly take. 1^st leg, 2.5 hours. 2^nd leg, about 5 hours… last leg FOURTEEN HOURS. Thankfully I have a long battery life on my mp3 player! 

I’m journeying to Australia to visit the university I hope to study abroad at next year. I’m nervous as heck, but I really feel it’s something I need to do. A man once said “Life’s real failure is when you do not realize how close you were to success when you gave up.” Well, perhaps I’m close to success! So I’m not going to give up now.

I have to finish up a few last-minute things, and then head home to pack. I wish you all the very best of holidays and the very best of luck in all your future pursuits, whether your striving for the next floor up in your school or the next continent over. 

Happy Holidays!

Hey, did you know traveling over seas is A LOT of work!

I’ve read all these stories where people just have a bit of money saved and they just get the inspiration and wake up one day and say “I’m going to Europe!! 

How do they do that?

I’m going to Australia over Christmas break. I’m visiting a good friend of mine and visiting a University I hope to study at next year. I’ve had this trip planned for about 7 months. And quite honestly, I don’t see how you could possibly plan a trip in any less time than that. 

I got up the money to get my passport about the middle of October. I put it on rush because by the time I put it in, 6 weeks (which is what they told me it would take) was gonna be cutting it too close. Ended up costing me $200 dollars, and I got the passport in less than a week. Anyway, that passport is good for 10 years so hopefully I won’t have to worry about that again.

But there’s so much more to plan than just getting your passport. I got my plane tickets arranged. Now I need to buy a short term visa. Yeah, in America, if you’re staying less than 3 months, you don’t need a visa. Not so in Australia. If you’re coming into the country, you need a visa no matter what. I mean, it only is going to cost $20, but it’s another batch of paper work I need to do! 

Also, before this trip I’ve never heard of Travel Insurance. Also expensive, but I’m taking a lot of electronics with me. So I need to be extra careful!

Oh and finals! Too much to do! 

Write more next weeeeeeeeek!