For as long as I can remember I have wanted to travel to Australia．As a little girl, I thought of the country as a faraway place where kangaroos wandered freely and things were a bit different from my home state of New Jersey．Anxious to spend a semester in Australia, my home college，Drew University，authorized(批准)me to do so．

The long flight to this far off country was definitely worth the experience that I had there．Although Macquarie University and Dunmore Lang College were different from my home university，those differences proved to help make my experience one I will never forget．With about 250 people living in Dunmore Lang College, both international students and Australians，the building provides a family atmosphere．Other Americans that stayed at MUC，apartments on campus that house mainly Americans，used to joke that we had “family dinners”．This was because everyone seemed to come down to dinner around the same time and to use that time to catch up with each other，make plans，and get to know one another．

The people that I met were amazing people. It was：amazing how well we all got to know one another in such a short period of time．This trip lived up to the high expectations that I had for it．I can think of no better ways to spend time in Australia than by going to school there on the AIFS program.

There is easy access to Sydney from Macquarie University by public transportation．Sydney itself is a great：city with amazing night life and plenty to do during the day．Although technically your main purpose is to study：while abroad, the teachers and staff are very understanding of the fact that you wish to travel and explore the country. Traveling is the main way you are going to get a sense of the Australia culture．

2012 was one of the hardest years I have ever known because I lost my husband. For sea-eras months, I found it hard to write, think, eat or take pleasure in anything; I could not imagine what it would be like to feel happy again; I could not find any hope or purpose.

I cannot remember the reason why one Monday morning I decided to go to a hot yoga studio in east London, where I signed up for a 3 O-day trial. I do not remember the class or how much I sweated. What I do know is that I started going to hot yoga every day, Sometimes, when my head felt as if it might collapse (崩溃), I went twice a day. I skipped parties, left social events and got up early to attend. There was something about the hot room that held me together, stopping all the dark thoughts inside my mind.

I chose the Bikram method of hot yoga: It has a set of 26 postured and two breathing exercises performed in heat over a period of 90 minutes. This form of yoga was founded by Bikram Choudhury. In 2015, he failed in an attempt to copyright (取得版权) his method. Many practitioners (从业人员) believe that Bikram is not real yoga. Some question the limita-lions of just 26 postured. Others wonder why the class has to be performed before a wall of mirrors. However, something in those 26 postured freed my mind, dragged me out of my thoughts and back into the present. I was able to focus on how my body behaved differently each day.

Little Tommy was doing very badly in math. His parents had tried everything—tutors （家庭教师）, cards, special learning centers—in short, everything they could think of. Finally they   took Tommy to a catholic （天主教的） school.

After the first day, little Tommy came home with a very serious look on his face.   He didn't kiss his mother hello. Instead, he went straight to his room and started studying. Books and papers were spread out all over the room and little Tommy was hard at work. His mother was surprised. She called him down to dinner and as soon as he finished eating, he went back to his room, without a word. In no time he was back hitting the books as hard as before. This went on for some time, day after day while the mother tried to understand what was happening.

Finally, little Tommy brought home his report card. He quietly put it on the table     and went up to his room and hit the books. His mom looked at it and to her surprise,     little Tommy got an A in math. She could no longer hold her curiosity. She went to his room and asked, “Son, what was it? Was it the nuns （修女）?”

Little Tommy looked at her and shook his head, “No. ”

“Well then,” she asked again. “WHAT was it?”

Little Tommy looked at her and said, “Well, on the first day of school, when I saw that man nailed to the plus sign, I knew they weren't joking. ”