My name is Kira Erickson and I am a Junior in the College of Business Administration majoring in Business Analytics with an LCJS minor. I am currently studying abroad through the Pitt GBI Sydney program in Sydney, Australia. This is a semester long program located in NSW, Australia with many courses ranging from business related areas such as Sports Management to more general education areas such as Australian Literature. To be honest, when choosing my study abroad location, Sydney was very appealing to me simply because of the weather and beaches. Right now, we are in Australian summer with high temperatures and lots of sun. Since being here, the hottest the temperature has reaches is 108 Fahrenheit and about 42 Celsius. This means lots of beaches and outdoor adventures. However, the ozone layer in Australia has a big hole in it, resulting in more intense sunshine and UV rays. This means we have to be very mindful of the sun and wearing sunscreen all day. On this program, I not only hope to explore all the nature and biodiversity that this country has to offer, but I also hope to learn about this country’s rich history and culture. I am attending classes through CEA CAPA through the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). While I will always love Pitt and its faculty, there really is just something special about this tiny school. Averaging about 6 or 7 people per class, we are really given a great opportunity to engage in class conversation and learning in ways that we can’t necessarily do in our large classes at Pitt. Each class ranges from 2-3.5 hour sessions, one day a week. While this was extremely daunting at first, I have found it is something I actually prefer. Halfway through out classes, we are given a 5-10 minute break to eat some of the snacks provided everyday or make a coffee with the student Nespresso machine. School is about a 10 minute walk from my living accommodations. We are located in the Chinatown/Haymarket district in downtown Sydney. The neighborhood is booming with a huge variety of Asian cuisines and cultures. Regarding my apartment, I am living with 7 other girls in a full apartment including shared rooms and bathrooms and a full kitchen and living room. All of my roommates are great and get along really well. It has been great meeting people from all over the country through different universities. We all have similar and different interests that help to form bonds and relationships with each other. While I was a bit nervous to move in with a bunch of people I didn’t know, everyone was so welcoming and excited to be in a new country together. I have only been here for about a week now, however I can see the beautiful things that this country has to offer.