One Month Reflection

I left home exactly one month ago today! Its hard to believe that I have been in Sydney for a month already. I thought I would share some of my feelings about the last month....

First, an experience like studying abroad is one that I could never fully explain in words. I anticipated this for so long, and had all of these visions about what I wanted to do and see and experience, etc. People from home supported me and were happy for me and even though I was sad to leave them I knew that I was about to embark on possibly the greatest experience of my lifetime.

When I got here a month ago, I experienced like 1,000 emotions in a 2-3 day time span. I was sick and jet lagged from the long flight, tired from walking around in the rain, overjoyed that I was finally here, in shock that I had actually made my dream come true, and quite confused about what was going on around me, among other feelings. Those first days were an interesting but wonderful mixture of fear and happiness.

In the last month I have been able to fully explore Sydney- from the top of Sydney Tower, to the Blue Mountains, to the Botanic Gardens, to the aquarium, to Manly beach, to China Town, to Bondi and Coogee beaches, to Circular Quay, to Darling Harbor, and to the top of the Harbor Bridge. And, I still haven't seen everything this city has to offer yet! Looking back, these experiences seemed to have happened in a whirlwind... I really was a super tourist for the first couple weeks I was here and my days were filled with non-stop action. The best part is that Sydney is everything I had hoped it would be- and even better for that matter! It is the most beautiful and charming city, and I truly love living here.

As anyone who studied abroad in the past knows, there comes a time when you no longer feel like a tourist. I can't say that I really feel like one anymore, because I am adjusted to living here. And to be honest, I feel a lot of pressure to make every day here the best day of my life. But that's not reality- not every single day is going to be the most amazing day. The truth is that the last month has had its fair share of ups and downs- there are days that I am in love with this city and there are other days where I really miss my family, my dad's cooking, my bed, my friends, nate, etc. I have been able to stay positive because of the support of everyone back home. And so rather than being consumed by home-sickness I have stayed strong knowing that I am only going to be here and do this once. I got an internship, I got involved with classes, and I joined some clubs and put myself out there and have met really nice people on campus. I feel that up to this point, this experience has been everything that I had hoped it would be.

The thing about studying abroad is that it really challenges everything you are. I was completely ripped from my comfort zone, and thrown into a completely different culture. Out of this experience I know that I am going to be a more independent and confident person. Sort of like, 'if you can survive in Sydney, you can survive anywhere' type of deal. My life has already been changed as a result of being here, and I know that the next 3 months hold a lot of fun, a lot of challenges, and a lot of great memories to be made.

Thank you for your continued support over the last month and for reading this blog. I have really enjoyed writing about my trip so far. I have some exciting trips planned in the next few weeks (Melbourne next weekend, Outback in 4 weeks) and I'm looking forward to sharing even more stories with you.

Love,
Becky