Wow! It is hard to believe that my time studying abroad is at an end. My time in Sydney has been unbelievable and I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything in the world! During my time in Australia, I was able to travel along the coast, and visited Brisbane, Morton Island, Cairns, Fitzroy Island, The Blue Mountains, Whitsunday Islands, Airlie Beach, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, New Zealand and so much more! I enjoyed my time walking along the beach, trying new food, and learning about the past and present of Australia. During the week, I would try to see a different part of Sydney by using the train, bus or ferry each day. This made me feel more independent because I didn’t rely on other people to make my way around the area and tested my navigation skills. There’s so much of Sydney to see and it’s unbelievable that even after 3 months I wasn’t able to see or do everything I wanted to. However, I am insanely grateful for what I did see and experience! Everywhere I went was beautiful and I already want to plan a trip to come back!

Reflecting upon my time abroad, I learned that no matter what, always stay true to yourself. Adjusting in a new area comes with its difficulties, and it can be easy to try and change yourself to “fit in”. I believe doing this loses one of the many benefits of studying abroad – meeting new people and trying new things! During my time in Australia, I made sure to do some excursions by myself, with friends in my program, and locals. Academically, my cultural awareness has grown significantly. I learned a tremendous amount about the culture in Australia as well as their government initiatives, sport marketing strategies, and how it manages to be a global city! 

One of the many things I wanted to accomplish during my time abroad was to understand the different perspectives and values of people from different cultures. As a student pursuing a degree in Human Resource Management, I have discovered a passion for working and helping individuals in the workplace. Along with my dedication to diversity and inclusion initiates, I believe this program has made me more aware of what people from different backgrounds value. 

This has been a very bitter sweet moment. Not only am I leaving Australia, which has easily become one of my favorite places I’ve visited, but also the end of my time at Pitt since I am a senior. I could not be more grateful for this opportunity Pitt Business has allowed me to pursue and excited to see how this experience will impact my future endeavors.

Thanks for following me along my journey!

Cheers,

Mariah Smith