Exceeded Expectations

            Before I came to Sydney, I was terrified. Of course I was excited too because I’d heard of the beautiful beaches and warm weather, but moving across the world for 13 weeks was intimidating. I really loved my life at home. I was close to my family and my friends who I spent most of my free time with. The thought of being away from them for such a long time, and for the first time, was something that didn’t quite sit right with me. Because of my nervousness, I didn’t have many expectations for this trip. In all honesty, I tried not to think about it. I wanted to savor my time at home with my loved ones while I still had time there. Finally, the time came to leave home and fly across the ocean.

            I was sad to say goodbye to everyone, but once I got on the plane all of my nerves seemed to disappear. I became excited at the prospect of having such big adventures soon. I had never traveled alone before but I knew it was time to learn how to be more independent. I was afraid that I would be sad once I arrived, but I’ve been nothing but happy since I’ve been here. Sydney is such a beautiful diverse place and everyone I’ve met has been so friendly. I imagine that if I had had prior expectations to what life in Australia would be like, they would’ve all been exceeded.

            Despite only having good times and making happy memories this first week abroad, I know that this is not a vacation and things might get tough as the semester goes on. Instead of seeing this as a daunting reality, I am looking at it with optimism. I am going to learn about myself and grow as an individual when hard days come about. I am excited to see what life in Australia has to throw at me, and I am excited to tackle everything with a good attitude and learn something new every day.