Before even attending my first college class, I knew that I wanted to study abroad. From a young age, traveling was very important to me and a way that I am able to express myself and engage in different culture. I choose to study abroad in Australia because I felt as though it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I was nervous going into the program, for I didn’t know a singular person going. What if I couldn’t make friends? Upon arriving to Sydney, all of my worries quickly washed away when I was greeted with open arms by the CEA CAPA staff. Within the first week, I had already made so many new friends and bonded with people from all over the United States. I had to keep reminding myself that everyone is in the same boat and is living extremely far from home.

Something that I have recently been reflecting on as I only have a week left of my program is just how much I was able to do while being in Sydney. In the first couple weeks and even months in the program, I found myself comparing my experience with people on social media and others studying in different countries. Was I traveling enough to different areas of Australia? Was I fully taking in the country and all that it has to offer? This was something I struggled with for a while until I realized just how much I have done and learned. Not only have I been to three different countries and so many different towns and beaches surrounding Sydney, but I have also made so many great memories and have learned so many lessons since being here.

One piece of advice that I would have given myself four months ago is to take it day by day and embrace all the emotions. I look back to even just a few weeks ago where I was suppressing how I felt in the moment. I would do what other people in the friend group wanted to do and didn’t consider myself. It wasn’t until my trip for spring break that I realized I needed to do what I wanted to do and make the most out of the trip for myself. Recently I have found myself going to the beach by myself or exploring a different suburb by myself, simply because I wanted to.

Something that surprised me about this trip is how much I would bond with people in such a small amount of time. I would consider myself to be social, however I feel as though I was forced to be extremely outgoing and extroverted. With only a few days left with my classmates, I feel sad leaving them. I thought my biggest struggle with going home would be saying goodbye to the city and study abroad as a whole. While it will be emotional departing from Sydney, I will have the most difficult time with waving bye to all of my new friends. Every picture and every memory that I reflect on will bring me back to some of the most influential months of college thus far.