"I know in my heart it wasn't you, I knew, but now I know what I want."

My life has changed, a bit.  I have moved out to East Brighton, which is a fancy-pants suburb south east of Melbourne.  I'll be here for about three weeks living in a house with an English guy (who I used to work with at the Icehouse) and an Australian woman.  A Brazilian man moves in tomorrow.  It's a different experience from what I have lived in before, but I really like it.  I get home-made meals and have my own room.

I'm still working at the cafe, but have quit the Icehouse.  I now have free weekends, so my first free weekend in exactly three months consisted of seeing Inception Friday night with Arron (highly recommended!), sleeping in Saturday, going to Arron's favourite cafe and getting a few drinks, going to a bar that night with my friend Mark to have a few drinks and watch the All Blacks vs the Wallabies, a rugby game (the All Blacks kicked the Wallabie's asses!).  Then Sunday, Arron, Brooke and I did the Great Ocean Road.  I got to drive for the first time on the left side of the road!  It was nice to be driving again... forgot how much I love it!  And, the road is absolutely beautiful.  It runs along the southern coast of Australia, between Geelong (South of Melbourne) and Adelaide.  The cliffs are breathtaking.  Even though it was terribly windy and had spouts of rain, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

I have 6.5 weeks left in Australia, which means I am that much quicker to having to say goodbye to the amazing people and experiences that I have met here.  The things that I have learned about myself, and other people, are more than I could ever put into words.  I made a promise to Arron the other day that I would, when I go back to Des Moines, not revert back to my old ways.  I sometimes have desires to see Kipp... talk to him, kiss him... but, it goes away as quick as it comes.  I can go days without even thinking of him.  But, what happens when I go back to Des Moines?  Will being that close to him make me fall back to my old ways?  I promised Arron I wouldn't.  If I did happen to see him, I wouldn't let him get to me.  I am better than that.  I am better than the person I used to be.  I also made Arron promise he wouldn't do the same... that hopefully he has taken something from this experience and can be a better person to himself and to the people in his life.  

We both came with such similar stories, and have been the closest of friends from the beginning.  Hopefully we have both learned something from each other. :)  Man, I'll be a mess when I say bye to him...  but, like that famous saying, it's not a good bye, it's a  see ya later.

Anyways, I will be seeing you all soon back in America... which, both excites and terrifies me.

Love,

Michaela