The Land Down Under: Australia

Australia.

It’s been a month since I returned from studying abroad in the coolest place I have ever been and I am so excited to finally sit down and write about my experience. To be honest, it’s hard to find the words to accurately describe the wonderment and pure joy this place brought me, but I am going to give it my best shot!

THE FOOD (and coffee of course)

As you click through the pictures above, it is easy to see that Sydney prides itself in food presentation. I couldn’t help but take a picture of my meals before eating them #phoneeatsfirst. The best part is the food tasted just as good as it looked!!

Anyone who remotely knows me knows I have a slight obsession with coffee, so naturally I had to visit a new coffee shop every day I was abroad (pictures to prove it in the slides above). This was not hard to do, as there was a different coffee shop on practically every corner. If i had to choose, The Coffee Box Espresso would by far be my favorite. I would honestly go back to Sydney just to have their coffee again…it was THAT good.

THE BEACHES

I have never seen more beautiful beaches than I did in Australia. I think these pictures will speak for themselves. The photographed scenery is from Bondi Beach, Manly Beach, Coogee Beach, Noosa Heads, Bronte Beach, The ‘Fairy Pools’, Gordon’s Bay, Clovelly Beach, and Tamarama Beach.

THE ADVENTURE

I am most certainly an adrenaline junky who is always searching for something borderline crazy to do (sorry mom and dad), so Australia was the place to be! From snorkeling The Great Barrier Reef, to jumping out of a plane, to surfing the waves of Bondi Beach, to climbing The Sydney Harbour Bridge, and everything in between, Australia DID NOT disappoint when it came to seeking adventure. A kangaroo even tried to box me!! Don’t worry…I was ready to square up and he backed down. My sweet Koala friend, Nellie, was MUCH sweeter than the joey.

THE BEAUTY

It is safe to say that Australia is home to some of the prettiest views in the world. What makes Australia so interesting and beautiful lies in the diversity of it’s scenery. In the 6 weeks I was there, I visited numerous beaches, beautiful mountain ranges, city centers, reefs, gardens, vineyards, harbours, and everything else in between.

A short 20 minute drive from the concrete jungle (Sydney), could land you in Bondi Beach, which is home to the prettiest water and the most incredible rock formations. Take Sydney’s Fast Ferry and in 15 minutes, you’ll land in Manly Beach—the birthplace of Australian surfing. Fun Fact: in one year, the Manly ferry travels a distance equivalent to traveling two times around the world!! I fell in love with the botanical gardens that overlook the harbour and are in the middle of the bustling central business district. It was so easy to feel like we were far removed from the big city when we stepped foot into the 72 acre Royal Botanic Garden. We also had the opportunity to venture 3 hours west of Sydney to the Blue Mountains—home to around 1,000 canyons, where about 130 bushwalkers get lost or require rescuing every year. And finally, a 3-hour flight from Sydney landed us in Cairns, Queensland—home of the Great Barrier Reef, which flourished with sea creatures and unparalleled beauty. As you can see, Australia is home to the most beautifully diverse landscapes and I only got to visit a tiny fraction of it!

THE PEOPLE

Honestly, this trip would not have been half of what it was if it wasn’t for the amazing people I got to enjoy it with. I did not know it was possible to make some of the greatest friendships in a short 5 weeks, but BOY IS IT POSSIBLE!!! My “Aussie Gorl Gang,” kept me sane and entertained 24/7…there really wasn’t a dull moment with those girls. The cherry on top of this trip was my mom bearing the flight all alone to come visit me. She let me drag her all over the place, as I tried to convince her of my local status. I knew she was a trooper when I talked her into climbing the 440 foot high, Sydney Harbour Bridge (keep in mind her extreme fear of heights). Mom, if you’re reading this…I had the best time with you! Let’s go again soon? :)

I learned so much about Australian culture, about the world’s perception of America, and how to get around in a foreign country, how to convert to the Metric system, that the US dollar is worth much more than the Australian dollar (7/10 to be exact), but I mostly learned a whole lot about myself.

As an introvert, the thought of spending every waking second with a group of people for 6 weeks sounded pretty miserable if I’m being completely honest. I was apprehensive going into the trip because I really value my alone time and I feared I would be overstimulated by the chaos of studying abroad with 100+ college students. To my delight, this experience was nothing like I had thought up in my mind. In fact, it was far greater than anything I had imagined. I learned how to be a team player and how to “go with the flow,” even when I didn’t necessarily want to. I learned how to put a smile on my face and relax after missing two busses, then getting on the wrong one, and eventually having to Uber to church. I learned how to lead and how to follow. Being surrounded by so many people opened my eyes to different personalities and viewpoints that I had never seen before. Fortunately, this opened the door to new friendships and relationships that I would not have entertained naturally in my comfort zone.

Most importantly, I want to make sure I take the time to thank my parents for allowing me to experience all that Australia had to offer. They graciously provided for me and trusted me to take the 23+ hour trip to a place unbeknownst to them for almost 6 weeks. I am beyond thankful for their support, trust, and willingness to let me explore the other side of the world.

If you are reading this and contemplating whether or not you should study abroad or if you should visit Australia in the near future, contemplate no more. PLEASE take my word for it…Just do it! You will not regret your decision. It was truly the best experience of my life so far.

Finally, I regret to inform you that Australians do not ride kangaroos to school :/

xoxo,

Brooke