Hello everyone! My name is Peter Busch, and I’m a junior studying accounting, finance, and business information systems at the University of Pittsburgh. I’m currently participating in Pitt’s Global Business Institute program in Sydney, Australia. I chose this program for many reasons, but there are two in particular that I’d like to highlight. The first reason I chose this program was because of my taste for adventure. Australia is a place that I knew very little about before coming here, so I was very excited to dive into what feels like an entirely new world. The second reason I chose this program was because it aligned with my interests academically. The Sydney program offers classes that are both interesting and work toward my degree. My goal for this program is to immerse myself in Australian culture as best as I can.

While in Sydney, I’m studying at the CEA CAPA center located within the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Both the CAPA center and Pitt share excellent facilities for studying and working, and both share excellent professors. The UTS campus is integrated into the city almost identically to how Pitt’s campus is integrated into the heart of Oakland in Pittsburgh. Aside from the strange electrical outlets, the transition to academic life here has been very smooth.

While staying in Sydney, I’m living in an apartment downtown. I live on the 17th floor of the building, so the view is quite nice! The building came equipped with a gym, laundry facilities, and other awesome amenities. I’m still adjusting to all of the gym weights being in kilograms! For the program, I have roommates from all over the United States living with me. It’s been fun to learn about life at their home campuses and to make new friends.

Adjusting to life overall in Australia has been a unique challenge for me. I miss my friends and family back home, but fortunately there is plenty to do in my new environment to keep me distracted. Adjusting to the time difference has been a challenge for me in its own right – I keep waking up at 4 in the morning! However, navigating these challenges is a part of personal growth. I look forward to conquering them with excitement!

That’s all from me for now. I’ll keep you all posted with tales from my adventures in the coming weeks. I can’t wait to see more of the city and learn more about life as an Aussie! See you all next time!