Friendship Series: Catarina and Sonya
I started writing this post on November 10th at the State Library of Queensland Australia. It is now November 29th and I'm sitting in my bed at home. I took a break from writing it, and posting on here in general, because I wanted to enjoy and fully experience my last week in Australia. I've missed it everyday I've been gone, most specifically I've missed two of my most favorite people in the world: Catarina and Sonya. So, enjoy this probably way too long but simultaneously not long enough novel about how wonderful they both are.
When I got to Brisbane on July 13th I didn't know a single person, it was both terrifying and thrilling. When I left Brissy on November 17th, I had to say two of the hardest goodbyes of my life and I'm still not over it. Even though I didn't know Catarina or Sonya before July of this year, now it is hard to imagine life without talking to them everyday.
I met Sonya through the Arcadia program we both came to Australia through. I hung out with her briefly while we had orientation in Melbourne and then once we got to Brissy I didn't truly hang out with her until about our third day there when we went to explore campus together. After spending that day with her I was so excited to have a friend here, someone that I knew I got along with.
Through Sonya I met Catarina. I went with Sonya to a food and wine festival and that's where I met Catarina. Food and wine festival pretty much sums up our friendship, so it's quite suiting. Honestly, at first I was intimidated by Catarina because she was so stylish and outgoing and I was like 'oh my god she hates me.' However, it's turned out to be quite the opposite, I mean she is stylish and outgoing but she doesn't hate me (all the time) which is pretty damn cool.
Our friendship happened so quickly it's hard for me to even remember a time when we didn't all eat dinner together in Catarina's apartment or that I wasn't raiding Catarina's closet for an outfit. The three of us just sort of clicked and were inseparable for five months, and I don't know what I would've done without them.
Being abroad is a funny thing because you have to sort of make a 'temporary' life for yourself in a completely new place for only a short amount of time. I had not family or friends where I was so since Catarina and Sonya were my friends, they became my family. We were there for each other through the happiest as well as the hardest situations, whether we were dying of laughter or needed to scream and cry we were there for each other and I am forever grateful for that.
When I say that my five months in Australia were the five happiest months of my life, it may sound cheesy and sappy, it is true and I owe so much of that happiness to Catarina and Sonya.
To Catarina and Sonya: Thank you, thank you, thank you. You both made Australia so much fun, I can't even put it into words. I'll miss our walks to Camel Thirsty, elevator run ins, and every adventure that came with a $5 bottle of moscato and a bag of sweet chili & sour cream chips. I miss you endlessly and love you always.
Here's a few of my favorite memories:
