THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 25, 1994 TAG: 9408240217
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, SPECIAL TO THE COMPASS
LENGTH: Long : 102 lines
Consider this: The average work commute in Hampton Roads is about 15 minutes. But for Heidi Justus, a camp counselor at the YMCA's award-winning summer camp program at Maury High School, it took a bit longer to get to work: 30 hours.
The native of Melbourne, Victoria, in southeast Australia, left her home on a Saturday night to fly to Sydney, South Wales, where she stayed before flying to Osaka, Japan, the next day. She then flew from Japan to Detroit, her first stop in the United States. From there, it was on to New York, arriving - thanks to the time change and the international date line - early on Sunday morning New York time.
For a week, Justus stayed at Columbia University in the Big Apple. Through a program arranged by the YMCA, she came to Virginia to begin her summer job.
``It's good being in America,'' she said. ``I really enjoy it. My first impression was that New York was the fast food and false eyelash capital of the world, but my point of view changed as I've come south. New York is just like any other big city, but people in Virginia are really friendly.''
Things have happened fast for this energetic 24-year-old. Back home in Australia, where her parents own a deli, she worked as a clothing buyer before finishing a three- year college program, majoring in special education and working with children who have disabilities.
``I love children and I love working with them,'' she said. ``My first goals include having a family myself.''
While working as an aerobics coordinator at a fitness center, she became aware of the opportunity that would bring her to America.
``We don't have summer camps in Australia as you do here. But I became involved organizing a school holiday program through a fitness center where I worked out. They just asked me to help and I said `Yes.' That led me to the `Y'. In April of this year, I applied to come.''
Justus said she had to submit a big photo-collage with her application, to ``show my personality,'' along with recommendations from others. She went through an interview process and training program.
In June, she was told that her destination would be Virginia. And soon after her adventure began.
Did she know much about Virginia?
``No!'' she said, laughing. ``All I knew was that it was in America!''
She's not a complete stranger to globe trotting, however. Before coming here, she had twice visited Bali.
``It's not that far from Australia, about six or seven hours.''
And she had spent about four months touring Europe. Her father is Austrian, her mother Australian.
Justus, who sees herself as an ambassador for Australia, was surprised at how little the children here know about her homeland. She said that when she shares information with them, they are shocked by the differences.
``They are blown away by the fact that we only have four TV stations. And we call things differently than you do here: `rubbish bin' instead of `trash can'; `sweet biscuits' instead of `cookies'. I've had to pick up some Americanisms.''
Someone once observed that the United States and Great Britain are two countries separated by a common language. The same would seem to apply to Australia.
``And, of course, it's winter back home now, because we are in the Southern Hemisphere.''
Justus is quick to share her first impressions of this country.
``Peanut butter and jelly: the idea repulses me! We have peanut butter, but we'd never put it with jelly! But I LOVE Oreos crushed over yogurt; it's delicious! I can't get addicted to it, though, because we don't have Oreos.
``And those fast-food restaurants. We have McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken, but here, they're everywhere. And so many different ones. Americans are convenience crazy.''
The Australian hasn't gotten homesick, but does miss her friends and family. In addition to her parents, she left behind a younger brother and sister-in-law. She had been living in an apartment with a girlfriend, but moved back into the family home, in a suburb of Melbourne, for five or six weeks to save up for the trip.
She also left behind a pet cat that her parents are taking care of. Kangaroos and other exotic flora and fauna can be found about an hour and a half from where the family lives.
``I do have a good picture of me with a kangaroo that the children here like to look at,'' she said.
Justus' work at the camp is nearing an end. After that she hopes to travel for several months. She's visited the Statue of Liberty in New York and attended her first baseball game, here at Norfolk's Harbor Park. So what's next on her agenda?
``Disney World,'' she said without hesitation. ``And the Grand Canyon. I'd like to see Niagara Falls. And New Orleans is a definite must. I may go by bus; I've been on so many planes lately, it loses its excitement.''
Justus will celebrate her next birthday here in Norfolk, several days before leaving to begin her grand tour.
As young hands pulled her toward a dodgeball game, and she ran off into the fray. It's apparent that here, as back home, this active young woman who loves children is comfortable on the go.
Lucky for the Norfolk YMCA summer camp program. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by DAWSON MILLS
YMCA camp counselor Heidi Justus with campers Lina Kuhn, left, and
Sarah Turner.
by CNB