Hello! 

I’m Mariah Smith and I’m currently a senior here at Pitt studying Human Resource Management and Sports Management. If I were to describe myself, I would say I am a highly motivated and determined person. Throughout my life I have always set goals for myself both personally and professionally, and continue to strive towards those goals in my everyday life. Most recently, a huge goal for myself was to step outside my comfort zone, and studying abroad was a great way to do just that!

Australia stood out to me because of how far away from home it is. I thought this was a great way to challenge myself, and travel to a country that I never thought I would have the chance to travel to.  Also, nothing can beat the Australian summer weather compared to the cold in Pittsburgh! Traveling to Australia was a long journey, and so far I have loved every second being in Sydney! I have met so many amazing people through my program and have spent a lot of time exploring the city and beaches. One of my goals being in Australia was to embrace as much of the culture as I can. Each week I try to go to a different beach, try a different meal, and do other activities that I wouldn’t do at home such as attending a rugby game. I have also enjoyed being in all of my classes, especially Australian History. It is interesting to learn about how past events still have a current impact on Australia today, as well as learning about some similarities Australia has with American history. No matter where I go or what I do there is a sense of comfort being in Sydney. This is because Australia is an English speaking country and has a very laid back lifestyle. Because of this, I don’t feel out of place being American and makes me more comfortable talking to all of the locals. 

One aspect about Sydney that stood out to me is how environmentally friendly the people are here. In each store you shop at you have to bring your own reusable bag or purchase a plastic one. Even the streets for being a city are very clean, and it is not uncommon to pick up a piece of trash that isn’t yours! Something that was very new to me was how my apartment uses electricity. In order to turn on the lights and use the air conditioning we have to insert our room key in a certain slot. This is to ensure that we don’t use more electricity than we need to, because once we leave the apartment we have to take our key out of the power slot. 

I am ecstatic to be here and cannot wait to keep learning about Australia and exploring the area. Thank you for reading and I look forward to continuing my journey in Sydney!

Cheers, 

Mariah Smith