Hello everyone! For today’s blog I’ll be reflecting on my time in Australia. Sadly, this is the last blog I’ll be posting for the semester since I’m home in Pennsylvania now. Let’s begin shall we?
This semester abroad provided me with an incredible opportunity for growth. Honestly, before the semester began I was questioning whether or not I had any more room to grow after 3 years at Pitt. As a junior, I felt that I was reaching the limits of how much more I could change before heading to the working world. Luckily, I had never been so wrong.
On the personal level, I have changed more than any semester since my freshman year. I started the semester in Sydney content with the social circle I had built back home; I found myself walling myself off from the rest of the program socially and being distant at first. I resisted change because I felt that the routines I had gotten into back home were foolproof and that there was no room for improvement. However, as the semester moved on I was able to relax and begin socializing with the other students on the program. Thanks to my colleagues, I was able to find myself again and become the outgoing student I was back at Pitt. I was able to have fun and make new friends, all while finding a new mix between the lifestyle I had lived back home and the new lifestyle I developed in Sydney. I’m grateful to have met such amazing people on my program; the relationships we created will last forever.
On the academic level, I have changed slightly. The workload while abroad was significant, but different in the sense that the work involved a lot more writing than I’m used to. I hadn’t written an essay since my freshman year before this program, so the opportunity to brush up on my writing skills was a breath of fresh air. It was interesting to see the Australian classroom environment and to compare it to the US. I did well in the classes I took, but I certainly prefer the structure of US courses.
On the professional level, I grew as my intercultural skills grew. After the program, I feel I have a better understanding of business practices in cultures far different than the US. I have to give credit to my intercultural communications courses, where I was introduced to East Asian business philosophies. I think it would be fair to say that I was “stuck in my ways” before the program, but the courses I took opened my eyes to new ways to work with others. I now feel much more confident in my abilities to navigate differences with others.
I think the main takeaway from the program for me is to embrace every single day to its fullest. I’ve lived in Pittsburgh for 3 years now and there is so much that I haven’t done to this point. Simple things like visiting the strip district in downtown or going for a hike in the Allegheny mountains are things that have been on my to-do list but just haven’t materialized. If this trip has taught me anything, it’s that every day is a gift. Every day has the potential to become one you’ll remember forever; you just have to get up and go make it happen. So whether it’s a day trip, a career goal, or a personal milestone, I know that I’ll now work to make it happen every single day.
I had an incredible time abroad. Thank you to everyone who made this life-changing journey possible. I’m sincerely grateful for the opportunity given to me.
Thank you for reading,
Peter
