Dear Future CCI Global Scholars

Dear Future CCI Global Scholars,

Congrats on being accepted to the best study abroad program UT has to offer! Dr. Swan and Dr. Miller have truly put their hearts and souls into this program to make it the best it can be. It was a life-changing experience for me, and you’re about to have the time of your lives.

If you’re anything like me, you will spend this summer and the fall semester researching Sydney and all it has to offer. Well you’re in luck, because during my three and a half months abroad I compiled an Ultimate Australian Bucket List to help you out.

P.S.-- If you have any questions, feel free to ask Dr. Miller for my contact info!

Eat

Concrete Jungle Cafe

• The CUTEST cafe with Instagram-worthy dishes great for brunch. My recommendation: the blueberry and lemon hotcakes

Cheeky Burger

• I wish I had found this sooner! Best American burgers and wings around town. Plus they have Dr. Pepper!

Soda Factory

• This became a weekly favorite for our group. Tuesday is Dollar Dog Day at this American themed bar, so stop by to enjoy gourmet hot dogs, classic rock music, and milkshakes with a twist ;)

Speedo’s Cafe

• One of the most popular brunch spots in Bondi, also known for Instagram-worthy dishes

Local Mbassy

• Cool cafe located in Ultimo known for their red velvet pancakes and red velvet lattes

Nando’s

• Easily my favorite place to get a chicken burger while at Manly Beach

Pancakes on the Rocks

• Pancakes turned up a notch. Be aware that they do not split checks!

Chunoma’s

• A hidden gem located in Glebe. Stop by one Saturday afternoon after exploring the markets for pancakes with fresh fruit

Queen’s Wharf Hotel

• If you travel up to Newcastle, you have to try their Mexican food! It’s reasonably priced, and Mexican food is a rarity in Sydney.

Wings and Tins

• Hole-in-the-wall restaurant that has $1 Wing Wednesday’s; P.S. ranch is apparently not a thing in Australia.

Max Brenner

• The ultimate spot for someone with a sweet tooth

Zumbo’s

• Heaven for macaron lovers

Gelato Messina

• The best gelato in Sydney! Located in Circular Quay

Bars

Ivy

• This three story bar (club?) became a favorite for our group. Go on Thursday night, known as Backpacker Night, for a $10 entry fee

Star Bar

• A smaller version of Ivy; good for Friday’s and Saturday’s

Scruffy Murphy’s

• Lowkey bar that usually has live music

Maloney’s

• Great for dancing!

Bar hopping in Newtown

• Newtown is full of hip, small bars, great for bouncing around throughout the night

PJ O’Brien’s

• Our group went on St. Patrick’s Day and it was so much fun! They even played Shania Twain and Sweet Home Alabama, which made Tennessee feel a little bit closer

Shark Bar in Manly

• We went to the Ball Pit Party and it was a blast! Keep a watch out for their weekly fishbowl special

Beaches

Bondi

• Touristy beach; known for the Icebergs Club, cute cafes and shops, and the Bondi Markets

Manly

• Known for its rich Aboriginal history; beautiful yellow sand, eateries, and shops; visit on Sunday’s for a cheaper ferry ride

Hyams in Jervis Bay

• The most beautiful beach I visited in Australia; known for having the whitest sand in the world

Coogee

• Family beach that is usually pretty crowded. Make sure to explore the rock pools that were built by convicts!

Dee Why

• Less known beach that isn’t very crowded; great for laying out and throwing a football around

Palm

• Take a daytrip to explore this area; one of Australia’s best-known TV shows is filmed here

Bronte

• Easily my favorite beach because of the surfer vibe

Nobbys in Newcastle

• Take a daytrip and explore this awesome area about 2 hours out of Sydney

Activities

Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb
Icebergs Club at Bondi Beach
Surf Camp with Australian Surf Tours
Powerhouse Museum ($8 student tickets)
Luna Park
Hunter Valley Wine Tour
Grounds of Alexandria
Westfield Mall
Watson’s Bay
Royal Botanic Gardens
Royal National Park
Wendy’s Secret Garden
Blue Mountains
Coogee to Bondi Coast walk
Spit to Manly walk
Darling Harbour
Hyde Park
Taronga Zoo
Wet’n’Wild water park
Paddy’s Market
Glebe Market
Rugby game
Outdoor cinema at Bondi

Post-Mortem

Welp, that was weird.

Here I am, back in The States, eating too much buffalo chicken dip, reflecting on my time on what can only formally be known as a "big dumb island," and, uh, lemme tell you: what a ride. 

I wasn't sure just how different things would be back home, but I'm glad to say that mostly everything's the same. All the bowls are still in the same place, my dad keeps the house too hot, and somehow my car is covered in pollen, despite being in the garage for three months. Hooray for East Tennessee! 

Despite spending way too much time in transit to get back here -- 36 hours total! Thanks, United! -- maybe the most exhausting part was giving the same answers to the same questions over and over.

"It was great!"

"No, I didn't get eaten."

"At no point did I see Crocodile Dundee, although one guy was running around with a whip in the desert, so that's kinda close."

This wasn't exactly a non-formative experience for me, so it's a little weird for me when people ask me questions as though I was on vacation, instead of stuff like, "What cosmic truths did you unearth about yourself?"

The hardest part about re-acclimating to The States has been my sleep schedule. Other than that, it's been jarringly unjarring. I dunno, I guess I was just expecting more. I halfway expected the country to be nuked while I was gone, but that doesn't seem to have happened. 

I'm still trying to process a lot of my thoughts about Australia, so forgive my loftiness and ambiguity. Until I parse all that out though, let me just say this:


It was weird. I'm glad I did it. 

Color me depressed

Well, here we are, back in the United States. I've had a few days to get over jet-lag - although I'm starting to wonder if you ever really get over jet-lag and this is just the way my life is now - and it feels strange to be home.

Before I go on about my time in Australia, let me answer some common questions I've been getting.
My first meal back was at Waffle House at 2 a.m.
The flight back took 36 hours including fly time, layovers and delays. That's a full day-and-a-half.
The first thing that made me cry was seeing how many shades of green there are in the Smokey Mountains.

Growing up 20 minutes away from the nearest city, we always had to drive I-26 between Johnson City and Asheville to and from home and all our activities. Every day on the drive out of the city back home, my mom would sigh and say, "I love living here," as we passed through some of the most breathtaking mountain scenery in the world.

Throughout my stay in Australia, I missed those moments. I would think about the purple mountains capped in snow, the crystalline frost shimmering on the grass of the fields and the sounds of spring breaking through the frost. I would think to Lake Watauga and how the blue-gray sky would turn vivid shades of orange and pink as the mirroring water would turn to an inky black. I would think about every sunset and rainbow I would chase down the interstate and how, more than anything, I missed the comfort of those quiet colorful hills.

It did not take much to remind me, however, that as beautiful as the colors of home are, Australia plays host to a whole different spectrum, one that I know as the weeks march on I will inevitably miss with my whole heart.

Just as you've never seen green until you've experienced summer in the mountains, you've never seen blue until you've walked along Sydney's eastern beaches. Just as the golden colors of the sky create their own scale during our Appalachian sunsets, the reds of the Australian desert create their own rainbow as the sun sets over Uluru.

I have always found comfort in color and light, and when I was at my lowest points abroad - it happens to everyone - I was comforted in the knowledge that the world is the same no matter where you go. It's colorful, it's bright and it shines. You just have to go to the right spot.

Australia's nickname is Oz, a fair title given its vibrancy. And while there's no place like home, and I'm simply overjoyed to be back with the colors I love so dearly, I know it is only a matter of time before I am scrolling through pictures of the Australia's natural beauty and planning my next trip across the world to see it again.

Hard to believe it’s over.

In one of my very first blog posts, the theme was continuing to pursue a goal and after completing 3 months in Australia, this is exactly what I did. Memories and friends were made and I learned a lot during my time in Sydney, but it’s hard to believe that it is over. Maybe it’s still the jet lag, but I feel like I should be in Sydney and it’s a little strange being back home. It’s hard to leave a place where you learned so much about yourself and the world, but unfortunately it was time to come home.

Coming home was bittersweet, while I missed my friends and family, I knew soon enough that I would begin to miss my Australian life. Sydney taught me so much and was an opportunity that I am so thankful to have had. I want to thank The University of Tennessee, Dr. Miller, and Dr. Swan for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. My time in Australia will always be special to me and will be an unforgettable experience, due to UTK and these incredible professors.

I already miss hanging out with apartment 508, exploring the city, and not having to spend money on gas. The time that I spent working and learning in Sydney is one that I would never change.  For any one who is considering studying abroad, do it. My time in Australia was definitely an adventure, one filled with laughter, fun, and even challenges. It was not easy at times, but that is part of the reason it was so great. From getting stuck on trains with JJ and Cal, having to climb on the roof of a train station, and to Liza and is stressing about our internship, there were definitely a few bumps in the road, but some that I will always remember.

My adventure down under was the time of my life and I am beyond grateful for every single second of it.

Cheers,

-Ryan Sellers

Final Thank You

After an indescribable experience abroad in Sydney, Australia, I have learned so many valuable lessons on friendship, patience, independence, intentionality, honesty, and the importance of taking time for myself. It is honestly crazy that I got the opportunity to live and work on the other side of the globe for three and a half months, and I cannot believe that it has already come to an end. Coming home has been so bittersweet, as I have been so sad lately thinking about all of the amazing experiences and relationships that I have made in Sydney, yet it is so good to be home seeing my old friends and family again. It has been brought to my attention that the next batch of CCI Global Scholars has been selected, and I am already jealous of them, since their journey has not yet begun. Watch out folks, you are in for the time of your life.

Being home, living with my parents after living in a foreign country on a completely different time zone has been quite the interesting experience so far, but I know they mean well. I have never felt so independent before Sydney, so the transition back to the usual parental overprotection can be overwhelming at times. I walked to and from the grocery store at a minimum of every three days. I rode the train to work every day, and quickly learned all forms of the New South Wales public transit system on my own. I bought new phone plans, planned trips to different cities, travelled internationally to New Zealand, and did so many other things on my own, so re-adapting to my Knoxvillian life is taking me some time. 

I could not be more grateful for this overall experience as well as the friends I obtained along the way. To my fellow CCI global scholars, thank you for putting up with my weird and goofy self. I truly love y'all and do not know what I would have done in Sydney without you! To Dr. Miller and Dr. Swan, thank you for choosing me to be a part of this incredible program - I will never forget how special this experience was, and I will never be able to express the amount of gratitude I have for you all. To the team of Cardinal Spin (the public relations agency I had the privilege of interning with), thank you for teaching me so many vital skills that have added to both my professional and personal growth, and thank you for being dear friends to me. Lastly, to my parents, thank you for making this trip possible in your openness and willingness to let me travel so far away from home.

Although I will miss Sydney dearly, I am certain that I will return in the future. Thank you Sydney, I promise I will be seeing you later. Until then, you will always hold a special place in my heart. Knoxville, I am so thankful to have you as my home, and for such a special welcome upon my return (pictured below). I am now back and ready to apply all that I have learned to my life going forward, so look out world!

xx,

Liza

Through the eyes of a tourist

Since been back in Chattanooga, Tennessee, I have been reflecting back on my time in Australia. I cannot help but feel overwhelmingly thankful that I was able to take this amazing adventure and have so many opportunities along the way. I have been explaining to my friends and family that I feel like a different person after coming back from Australia. I have learned so much about Australia and myself over my time abroad and know that I will be taking a lot of amazing memories and knowledge back with me to the states.

Alongside of my stuffed suitcases and many souvenirs, I have taken so much knowledge with me back to the states. I have taken back my increased confidence and have carried it with me through meeting new people, applying for internships and looking for my next adventure to push me out of my comfort zone. I have also taken back all that I have learned about culture and communication. The ability to communicate across different cultures is of increasing importance in today’s world and is something that I have really grown to enjoy. I look forward to embracing different cultures in every opportunity that I get. I bring back a desire to learn more about cultures and other people. I also have returned with a very important lesson about seeing the place that you live in. One day in class we were discussing the beauty of Bondi Beach and how the Australians never recommend going to that beach. We talked about how they did not see the beauty that it held because they were used to it. It is very common that when you live in a place for a while, you start to forget its beauty as everything becomes usual. I never got used to the beauty of Australia and still am in awe over it; it blows my mind that everyone does not recognize the magnificence of the country. But then I think of Tennessee and how people often forget the beauty of the mountains that we have right in our backyard. I was thinking about this concept and realized that I had not gone hiking in the many places around campus. I had not gone to Max Patch or had a picnic in one of the many beautiful parks around the University of Tennessee. I had somewhat let the beauty of my every day surroundings get lost. Australia has taught me that I love every day adventures and that I love to push myself and grow. I never tired of the Australian costal walks or sitting in front of the Opera House on my lunch break every single day. One day at work I was talking with one of my co-workers about everything that I have gotten to do here in Australia. She was amazed and even said that I have done more than some Australians have in their whole entire lifetime here. When I responded to her, I felt like it all clicked. When you have a limited amount of time in a place, you often choose to see everything through the eyes of a tourist. Seeing through the eyes of a tourist allows you to witness everything that is new and exciting. You also have the mindset that your time will run out in this place and this fills you with the urgency to do everything you can while you are there. I felt this and truly did everything I could while in Australia; I soaked up every moment and took every adventure that I was able. I want to bring this back with me. I want to view my surroundings through the eyes of a tourist. I want to re-witness the beauty of Tennessee and see all of the opportunities that I have around me at UTK. I want to do everything that I can, because I do really only have a limited time here. After Australia, I want to look at everything around through the eyes of a tourist so that I can see its beauty and take all the adventures I can.

"To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of life."

The above quote, from the move The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, is one of my favourites of all time. It is an incredible reminder for me each and every day that this life is a gift, and each day should be lived to the full. I was constantly thinking of these two small sentences during my three and a half months in Australia, because I knew I had a limited time there, but also to remind myself that the now is so wonderful. I often paused, thinking about the past and the future, but at the end of the day, I decided to focus all of my energy and self on the present. How can I make today mean something? How can I make it memorable, even in a small way?

Changing my mindset and focus like this is what made my experience abroad so special. I was seeing the world, finding others and myself, and drawing closer, seeing behind the walls that I had created out of fear and worry over time throughout my life. To break free of former barriers was more important to me than I had ever realised, but to let go and learn to separate myself from senseless worry made all the difference to me. I think I had to get far from home to get this new perspective, as this was an entirely fresh beginning in my life.

During these months, I have done things that scare me, thrill me, and make me so full of joy I think my heart will burst. I have bungee jumped, seen the Great Barrier Reef with my own eyes, watched two shows inside of the Sydney Opera House, seen nature in the absolute raw in New Zealand, made new life-long companions of all ages and nationalities, and seen the world as it truly is: full of wonder. 

I encourage you all to read the quote I mentioned before over and over until you can recite the words by memory, because they will without doubt teach you something. I only hope they can do as much for you as they did for me. And I encourage you, more than anything, to have courage and to adventure, because time stops for no one and every day has a beautiful meaning and encases a colourful new beginning.

Australia, thank you for showing me the quintessence of life.

You blew my mind and I cannot wait to see you again.

xx Christina