Dear pre-departure me,
No words can truly describe the amazing experience you are about to embark on – from meeting tons of new people to camping in the mountains of New Zealand. This will be a once in a lifetime experience, an experience that you will never forget and one that will seriously change your life.
Having spent a lot of time abroad in the past, I came into this experience excited and not expecting to grow as much as I have. Throughout my time in Sydney, I’ve had to face many challenges and learn to live out of my comfort zone without my support group. I learned to put myself out there, talk to strangers (safely of course), and just take in all the moments because time really does fly when you’re having fun. I’ve grown to love this new city and country as I got the opportunity to travel around Australia and explore new places.
As I got more adjusted to the Sydney lifestyle, I surprised myself with my ability to socialize and meet new people. I have always viewed myself more as an introverted person, but having the opportunity to paint myself in a different light with new people, allowed me to explore a different side of myself. This obviously came with many challenging times but there was always a light where I was grateful to myself for going out of my comfort zone because 9 times out of 10 it paid off. I’ve gained many cross-cultural skills that I am excited to implement back at school and in my future career.
Experiencing the local lifestyle, I continue to be surprised by Aussies. Although there is no significant language barrier, I think our sides of the world live pretty different lives. The cultural differences are subtle but they’re there so it is always interesting to learn more about the local ways. With only 2 weeks left, I am sad to see this experience slowly come to an end. I’ve truly loved studying abroad for all the challenges and adventures it came with as I do believe I am a better person for it. But it’s not over yet and I’ve got one more trip planned to Byron Bay, where I can soak in the sun and sand before heading back home.