Three Weeks Left To Go

Another week down, only three more left of the program and only five weeks left in Australia. I can’t believe how fast this time has gone by. It feels like we just arrived in Sydney yesterday but in reality, my flight home is closer now more than ever. Part of me is super excited to go home and see my family and friends, return back to normal life. The other part doesn’t want to leave Australia behind just yet because there is still so much to do. I still have so much I’d like to see in Sydney and the pressure is on now since I only have three weeks left.

So much has happened in the last few weeks. My weekends have been filled with adventures, from going to Surf Camp to traveling to Jervis Bay for a day to seeing an amazing band at Soda Factory and plenty of laughs. Like I’ve probably said before in these posts, I didn’t have a plan of what do to or what to see coming here and I’m so happy I didn’t because this has allowed me the freedom to just go with the flow. I have seen so much more than what I expected. I got to go to Surf Camp for a weekend where I fed kangaroos, got to pet stingrays, learned how to surf and actually caught a few waves. I got to go to Luna Park where I had an amazing time laughing on the rides. Honestly, Surf Camp was one of the best experiences I’ve had. I also got to go to Catmosphere, a cat café where for an hour I got to enjoy a chilled coffee and be surrounded by cats. I got to see one of the whitest beaches in the world at Jervis Bay, while being a part of our groups shenanigans. I’ve grown closer with friends that I wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t had joined this program. Throughout this entire experience I have been open to going with the flow and saying yes to experiences that I wouldn’t have had if I had stayed home.  

However, with each passing day, I feel a pressure to go out and do more, because who knows when I'll come back to Australia. I still want to go kayaking in the harbour, see some of the museums and check off more on my bucket list. I already can't wait to go to the Great Barrier Reef in a few weeks and to visit family after the program ends. It's funny how at the beginning of the program, we felt like we had so much time to go and do stuff, but now the end of the program is looming above us and there's still so much to do and see. 

My internship has been an interesting experience to say the least. It hasn’t been what I expected at any point. There is definitely never a dull moment at work and I definitely feel that it has helped me to improve my journalism skills. Coming into the internship I thought my time management skills were good, but after writing for Altmedia, I have learned how to better meet deadlines for articles and for other projects. I also feel that I have improved my writing skills, so that I am writing more “punchy” leading lines and more relevant stories. I’ve also learned more about my local community, how to research areas and then how to communicate with local businesses to try and get them to promote with us. I now have three weeks left of the internship and time is just flying by. Hopefully by the end of the next three weeks, I will have improved all my skills and reached my goals that I have set for this internship. Don’t get me wrong, it has been quite difficult adjusting to the cultural differences at the internship. I have felt super frustrated at times and confused, but it has taught me so much and I appreciate the opportunity so much.

So, with only three weeks left of the program, and five weeks left in Australia, I plan on enjoying every single day and making the most of them.

That’s all for now.

Cheers,

Gabi