A semester away from everything and everyone you know isn't for everyone, but it was a dream come true for me. For years, my biggest dream was to travel to Australia and I was willing to work hard to make that dream a reality. After a long application process applying to my dream study abroad program in Australia, I opened my email on October 2, 2019 to a letter that started with "congratulations" and found out my dream was coming true.
To say I was excited would be an understatement. I spent the next few months packing and getting ready to move to Sydney, Australia. I made countless lists of places I wanted to see, foods I wanted to try, and bucket list things I wanted to do.
On February 14, I landed in Australia. Naturally, I found my way straight to the beach as soon as I got there to try and cure my extreme jet lag. While the beach did not cure my jet lag (it ended up taking about a week to adjust to the time difference), it turned out to be even more beautiful than any picture could have captured.
The first month of my study abroad experience was extremely eventful. Here are some of the highlights:
Jervis Bay // I took a day trip here with my friends and loved it. Jervis Bay is said to have some of the whitest sand in the world and the water was extremely clear. I visited on a chilly and cloudy day so I did not take a dip in the water, but I took a long walk along the beautiful white shore. I came back here several times and saw some of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen.
Sydney Mardi Gras // What better way to get introduced to a new city than a massive festival? Sydney Mardi Gras was a truly unique experience. As a newbie in AUS, I loved seeing the whole city come together for an event filled with so much joy and color.
Seeing Kangaroos, Wallabies and Koalas // Cuddling up to a kangaroo was definitely on the bucket list so I was sure to check this off within my first month in Australia. Let me tell you, feeding the kangaroos and wallabies (which are like smaller kangaroos) was one of the cutest things ever. I spent a good hour or two hanging out with the kangaroos and wallabies and loved every minute of it. In New South Wales (where Sydney is located) you are not allowed to hold koalas so I admired them from a far.
This was just the beginning of my journey in Australia and stay tuned as I share more of my adventures!