This is the third World Youth Day (WYD) that I will have attended and while the actual event entitled 'World Youth Day' has yet to begin I would say it has been by far the best. Perhaps the 47 hour trip over wasn't what you would look at as a 'good time' but it truly allowed the group to bond. I suppose going through high points and low points together such as being either hyped up on candy or coffee or the sheer excitment of WYD or being sweaty, stinky and utterly exhausted would do that to a person. This bonding experience, while quite simple, is what will make World Youth Day be alive for us and help it to carry-on upon our return home. Travelling and living in close quarters, whether it be with family, friends or complete strangers in this case can be difficult, but it is this glue which was created during the trip and fostered during the Days in the Diocese which will make it not only bearable but fun and memorable.
 
While I have attended two other WYDs this is the first time that I have had the opportunity to participate in the 'Days in the Diocese' (DID) and I believe that I have been truly blessed to do so. While others in the group might argue, I believe Natalie Albert and myself had the best host family one could ever ask for. These people whom when we arrived were complete strangers very quickly became so much more by simply welcoming us into their home and making us a part of their family. We participated in family events, spent hours on end chatting, visiting with the neighbours, sharing meals, cleaning laundry... well everything a family would do I suppose. It was quite sad when leaving Melbourne as these people had become not only our family, but our Australian parents.
 
While it was sad to leave Melbourne I was quite encouraged and uplifted by the hospitality that I continued to receive in Australia. In a very similar way to East Coast hospitality, Aussies will fall all over you and I am very thankful to say I have first hand experience in this. Not only did the bus driver who escorted us from the airport to our simple accommodation provide an exquisite guided tour of Sydney but the two women who organized our stay at Stella Maris College were very helpful when I was victim to the showers. Yes that's right the showers. I tell you one must always watch out for those showers as they can and in this case will come out and bite you when you least expect it. You see I was one of the first to test out the portable showers here at the girls college and instead of enjoying a lovely warm shower I managed to acquire a pretty deep wound in my toe. As a result I needed medical attention and the very kind women here were very quick to arrange for me to get the medical attention I needed. Again I was witness to the Aussie hospitality at the clinic I visited to get my three stitches. The sheer joy of the nurse and the doctor over my being here in Sidney for WYD was not only enough to get me through the pain of the anesthetic injections and stitches but enough to last me throughout the week.
 
To sum things up, Australia has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience and even if it wasn't let's just say I won't be forgetting it anytime soon with the scar or WYD war wound it has left on my toe. But in all honesty, Australia and this WYD have once again surpassed all expectations and I attribute this to how the face and love of God have shown through in the simplest of things. Australia through the power of the Holy Spirit has left an indelible mark upon my heart.

Jennifer Kolz

Pro-Cathedral of the Assumption

North Bay