We are Family

For years I started my mornings next to by brother and sisters watching The Crocodile Hunter encounter the strange wildlife of Australia; I think my fascination of the country stimmed from those many mornings on the couch. Fourteen years later, my dad and I made a deal that if I got a higher score on my ACT and received additional scholarship money, I could study abroad wherever I wanted. I had always thought I would find myself somewhere in Europe but from the moment I heard about the CCI Global Scholars Program I knew it was for me. I would be attending the University of Sydney, completing an internship, and spending a whole semester in breathtaking Australia.

But let me tell you, leaving the country was hard. Not only was leaving the country difficult in the instances of attaining a visa, filling out what seems like endless paperwork, and following the extremely specific packing guidelines, but it was challenging to say goodbye to each one of my relatives and friends. To drive over to each one of their houses with the intention to say goodbye and knowing I will not see them for almost four months is daunting; I really struggled with this task before I began my journey to Australia.

After all of my goodbyes and a 25 hour and 25 minutes plane ride, I stepped out into the Land Down Under. I was immediately comforted by the fact that I was not alone and that everyone in the group had just started their journey in a country on the other side of the world. In this moment, I realized that I would not be completely without a family on the trip, the group would become my Sydney family. Upon our arrival, we were rushed into activities to avoid jet lag and I enjoyed every minute. From Circular Quay to dinner at Blackbird, Sydney had stolen my heart and the group grew closer and closer together.

A few days into the trip, I received a text from my fourth cousin, Angel inviting me over for a family dinner at her house in Bellevue. If I am being completely honest, I was nervous about how I should respond. Angel is a model, which allowed her to travel all over the world until she met her husband in Australia. I had never met Angel before but the chance to meet new family excited me more than it made me nervous. After the group toured the Maritime museum, I headed to Bellevue to meet my family.

I expected my cousin, her husband, and their son to greet me, but twenty other smiling faces joined theirs when I opened the door. I had no idea that I would have the honor to meet so many of my Australian relatives that night. Everyone was so kind and eager to explain everything Australian to me; they also wanted to know about everything I did back in the States. After dinner, a game of cricket, and a walk around their neighborhood I felt like I had known this side of my family for forever.

Even though I am only finishing up my first week in Sydney, I know that finding family in my peers and meeting my Australian family will be some of my favorite memories on my adventure.

Cheers,
Victoria