To GO or Not to GO

**To any current or future college student, this blog is for you.

Opportunity is a funny thing. Sometimes, it comes when we least expect it. Like a missed shot by your opponent in pool. You may not have expected the person you are playing to miss (unless you are playing me), but they did and now you have an opportunity that you did not expect to have. So what do you do? You take that opportunity and make it yours.

Other times we expect for opportunity to be ahead. Like an extra credit assignment that you are expecting the the professor to announce soon. You know the opportunity is coming, but you are just waiting to see exactly what it is. And what happens when he or she informs the class? You take that opportunity, and you make it yours.

I am coming up on the final days of an opportunity that I have made my own. With just 23 days left to go here in Sydney, I can without a doubt in my mind say that this has been an experience and an opportunity of a lifetime. I have learned so much about the world, the people who call it home, and myself in general. It's tough to fully describe the experience as a whole since I am not quite through with it yet, but when I make it back to the States in a couple of weeks, I'll make sure to sit down with another blog and give everyone a full wrap up of this experience. However, I am ready to give some advice. So here it goes.

College is such a transformative time. It's constantly a barrage of new faces, new places, and new things going on. But just like anything, we find a way to find our comfort in our college experience. Easy Chick-Fla trips. Free and unlimited wifi. A car nearby to go anywhere at a snap of a finger.

And there is nothing wrong with those things. Believe me, if I could hop in my car right now and head to Chick-fla I would. But what is the challenge in that? It'd be easy, normal, and routine to do something like that. But what about hopping on a train to find this Portuguese chicken place that you keep hearing locals talk about? Or how about hopping off the wifi for a little bit and heading to the local market to see what awesome stuff that people from all different cultures have brought in?

So to the current or future college student, my advice to you is pretty simple. College teaches you so much in the short four years spent in undergrad. But one semester studying abroad can show you so, so much. Going abroad challenges you to step out of that comfort zone like a semester at home just can't simulate. You learn how to communicate cross-culturally in ways that you didn't think you could, even in predominately English speaking countries. Trust me, Aussies are hard to understand at first.

You learn how to work differently abroad. Expectations are very different in the workplace, in the classroom, and in other things as well. And you know what, that's alright. It's a challenge most assuredly, but why not embrace it? My Australian history class might possibly be the hardest collegiate course I have ever had. And I am probably not going to need Australian history at all in my work field. But I am a better student because of those expectations being challenged in the classroom. Just as I am a better worker for my expectancies being challenged in my first five weeks with the Sydney Blue Sox.

And lastly, you learn how to live differently abroad. No short five minute drives to Chick-fla. American food isn't sitting at every corner like at home. Grocery shopping is different. Living spaces are different. To be honest, 90 percent of the things that are familiar at home are different. But guess what? That's the fun part.

So when I said that advice was simple, I really meant that. So to the current or future college student, here is my advice. GO. Go for it. Embrace the challenge. Spend a semester or even a mini-term doing things differently. Because you know what, different experiences are just fine. And that's what new places, new things, and new people give you. So when that opportunity comes, don't let it run by.

GO

Cheers,

Jonathan

**By the way did I mention that you get to see views like this?

Queen of the Rally

About a month before I got on a plane to come to Sydney, I decided that my motto for the trip was going to be "say yes!" This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I didn’t want to turn anything down. So far, it’s been a killer strategy.

But it got seriously tested this past weekend.

Picture this: I collapse into bed at midnight on Saturday (or Sunday morning, if you prefer) and think “Gosh, why am I so tired?”

Then I realize, oh, it’s because I’ve only slept about four hours since Thursday morning.

Let me explain how this happened. Every Thursday night, a lot of our group goes out. Since Thursday is our Friday, it’s a great night to live it up and de-stress from the week. Everyone was going to Ivy, a giant club that is probably the bane of humanity but also kind of fun.

Here’s the thing. Thursday isn’t my Friday. I actually work Tuesday to Friday, so I have an alarm that goes off at 7:20 Friday morning.

But I went out anyways, because I wanted to say yes and be a part of the family. And guess what? I had a great time.

Friday morning dawns, and I’m so tired. But I’m still breathing, so I go to work and have a productive day.

For Friday night, I had two options. The whole group was planning to go to Luna Park, something we’ve been meaning to do forever. No way I was missing that! Creepy carnivals are my aesthetic.

So I could go to Luna Park until it closed at 10, then go home and go to bed like a human. BUT I’d been invited to a party in North Sydney that same night. I wanted to go, because it seemed like a rare opportunity to attend a party in a city where I barely knew anyone.

The only issue was that I was also planning to wake up at 4:30 the next morning for a trip to Jarvis Bay.

I was running on a solid three hours of shut-eye. I decided, like a maniac, to just say yes.

Luna Park was magical. The party was a cultural experience. I collapsed into bed at about 3 a.m.

My alarm rang at 4:20 Saturday morning, and I thought, “No way. I can’t do it. I can’t get up.”

But the white sands of Hyams Beach were calling, and my motto rang in my ears (along with my alarm): say yes!

I rallied, and our day in Jarvis Bay was a dream. It was one of the most gorgeous beaches I had ever seen.

At the end of our four-hour trip back to Sydney, I was practically salivating at the thought of my bed. We get into Urbanest, and I’m apprehended by my friend Allie.

I’m so tired I can barely comprehend what she’s saying to me. Saturday night. Newtown. $15 cocktail jugs.

“No way,” the logical side of me says.

“Say yes!” the maniac screamed.

An hour later, I’m sitting in Newtown Hotel nearly crying from laughter. It was one of the most fun, low-key nights out I’ve had in Sydney.

Lying in bed that night, I was tired down to my bones. But I considered what I had done over the three bleary-eyed days I had just lived through.

The images that played in my brain as I fell asleep were of the view of the Sydney Harbour from the top of the Luna Park Ferris Wheel; a whole group of my new friends doubled over with laughter as we headed out to Ivy; the view of the Opera House from a stranger’s home in North Sydney; the sun reflecting off the whitest sand I’d ever seen; a lively Newtown bar full of prime people-watching fodder.

I slept until 1 p.m. on Sunday with a smile on my face. But you know the thing about sleep? I can catch up on it anywhere. All the things I dream about are things I can only do here.

I’m grateful that I rallied, that I listened to the maniac.

I’m glad I said yes.

Three weeks to go! Thanks for reading,

Sophie 

Three More

As I sit here writing this blog post there are currently three more.

Three more what? You might ask.

Three more weeks left in the place that I have called home for the past three months.  Three more weekends left in my "endless" adventure traveling as a 20 year old.  Three more times I can go to Glebe, my favorite market in all of Sydney.  Three more Fridays I can spend dancing with my friends.  Three more weeks of my internship and commute as a local.  Three more weeks until this trip becomes a unforgettable memory.

I am not trying to make this blog post sad or to make home come faster, but simply to reminisce on the past three months.  This trip to Australia has been everything I could have asked for.  It has been unexpected, exciting, hilarious, bitter sweet but mostly unforgettable.  For everything in your life there will always be an end.  But to the end of something comes a memory, one that can be beautifully engraved in your mind for a lifetime.  Looking back, to say that I have followed and completed a dream of mine at 20 years old is something most people cannot say they have done.  I have laughed harder than I ever have trying to canyon down a mountain in New Zealand.  I have sung Rocky Top at the top of my lungs in a van on the way to the Royal National Park, when I found out the Vols were SEC Champs.  I have eaten way to many Tim Tams and binge watched Married at First Sight with people I can call forever friends.  I have been a part of the amazing Ukulele song a few of us made up one late night in the apartment.  All of these things probably mean little to the people reading this now but these are the little memories I will never forget.

So what am I gonna do for these last three weeks? Live it up for as long as I can.  Travel to the Great Barrier Reef.  Celebrate Christina's 21st birthday.  Go on a wine tour.  Take a yoga class in The Grounds.  See a ballet at the Opera House.  Spend way too many nights enjoying my beautiful home.  Spend Easter with everyone cooking for our highly anticipated pot luck (wish all of us cooking good luck).  Honestly just take in these last three weeks and make them the best three.

So here's to three more, may they be the best yet.

Cheers,
Katelyn

Wings and Deep Thoughts

Isn't it weird how every human is just a small piece of this vast and vibrant planet we live on? Some people make serious impacts for the world and others go through life unnoticed. It is such an interesting concept to me that I seem to always come back to. Will you live your life unnoticed or contribute to society in amazing ways? I just want you to resonate on that for a second and genuinely think about it.

Cal, JJ, Katelyn, and I went to have wings last Wednesday together. Typical American idea, but it was one of my favorite nights in Oz. We got to talking about humans, Earth, politics, issues in America, life, modern conspiracies, space, and everything in between. Yes, we have one major thing in common - we are all Americans. But at the end of the day, it was just four people having a mature conversation about pressing issues and similar viewpoints. We were all bouncing off of each other with these elaborate ideas and thoughts while eating American style wings....need I say more.

Furthermore, it makes me so sad when people tell me they will most likely never make it to Australia or this side of the world during their lifetime. I realize it is a long flight, but it is so worth it. You only get one life people.

Shameless plug: Explore new places. Experience new cultures. Meet new people. Create new friendships. Make new memories. Live your life to the fullest.

I know I sound like a pathetic motivational speaker right now, but being just comfortable around the people I am used to is not the life I want to live. Yes, I love my family and friends back at home and miss them dearly. However, there is a unique, sudden rush when you step off a plane into a new country...having no idea what to expect except that you are immensely excited to be there. For example, when I traveled to New Zealand for my week long holiday in February we stepped off the plane without a definite plan of what we were doing the whole week. This is so unlike me. I usually have a plan for everything. I mean right now I want to pursue a career in corporate event planning if that doesn't explain it enough. One of the major things I have learned here in Australia and especially from my trip to NZ is to enjoy the unplanned parts of life. These parts of life are definitely the most memorable. If you plan out everything, then what do you have to look forward to? The answer is nothing, and let me tell you it took me awhile to figure this out. It is so true though. If we went to NZ with a full itinerary then we wouldn't have experienced having nowhere to stay the second night and having zero wifi almost all week. Furthermore, I will never be able to put into words how much I loved New Zealand. The landscape is beyond unique, the people are so nice, and the best coffee I have ever had was in Te Anau. I will be back to visit the Kiwis very soon!

I believe my subpar motivational skills can resonate for any age, but for me, I instantly think about my four precious, younger cousins. They mean the world to me, and I want them to know there's so much more out there for them to explore and do. No offense to my amazing family, but we are not exactly what you would call avid world travelers. Our family vacations are always in the States or the Western Hemisphere (which do have beautiful places and people). However, we shouldn't discriminate against the Eastern Hemisphere fam!!!!! I already know my friends and family are going to have to tell me to shut up about Australia and New Zealand once I get home.

I don't want to leave Oz at all. I want everyone to come to me (no shame in being a little selfish).
Here's to my next adventure wherever that may be! I am already excited about it.

Cheers,
Cheyenne

Surf's Up

Surf camp this past weekend was one of the best experiences I’ve had during my time in Australia.

Australian Surf Tours picked myself and nine other UT students up from Central Station and we traveled about 4 hours south of Sydney to Bendalong Point. When we arrived the sky was pitch black and we were greeted with the most stars I’ve ever seen in my life.

When I say surf camp, I actually mean the camping part. We slept on cots in tents for two nights and embraced the nature that was around us. We even had a campfire on the beach one night.

Our weekend included three, two hour surf lessons with awesome instructors. I knew surfing would be hard, but I’m pretty athletic and figured I’d get the hang of it quickly. Boy was I wrong. I couldn’t stand on the board until the second session, and I didn’t ride a wave until the third. Major props to professional surfers because it’s a lot harder than it looks.

Interacting with the wildlife was the highlight of the trip for me.

When I was younger I envisioned kangaroos to be everywhere in Australia. Kind of like squirrels in America. To my dismay, when I arrived in Sydney the closest place I could find a kangaroo was at Taronga Zoo. Sydney is like the New York of Australia, and if you want to interact with wildlife, you have to take a trip along the coast a few hours.

Bendalong is far enough from the city to be vibrant with wildlife. We practically shared a campsite with kangaroos. We fed them sunflower seeds and pet the ones who seemed friendly. We also got to feed stingrays that afternoon.

One of the best parts of the trip was being away from my phone for a whole weekend. With the exception of updating my mom, I tried to stay off my phone as much as possible. I have been spending so much time on my phone and the internet recently due to my internship, so I knew a weekend fully immersed in nature would be exactly what I needed to recharge.

After the weekend I’m nowhere near being a pro surfer, but I’ve gained a new interest. If I ever find myself living in a city close to a beach, I hope to improve my skills and pick up a new hobby.

All the Light We Are Yet to See

I can honestly say that I emerged from my week in New Zealand as a new version of myself. Constant action such as bungee jumping (twice), seeing the eighth Wonder of the World with my very own eyes, and driving the entire length of the South Island kept me on my toes and in such awe for the entire duration of my stay, however it wasn't until I took a glimpse into the most secret place I have ever experienced in my life that I truly fell in love with everything around me in such a passionate way.

When we decided to tour the famous glow worm caves in Te Anau, I was excited, but it was a snap decision and I did not know what to expect. We went on the night tour at 9:30 pm, so I was also a bit tired when we headed out on the boat to the caves. Immediately upon my arrival to the welcome centre, I could feel such a stillness and peace in the air that made me ever so eager to discover what was next. 

As soon as I was led into the caves, I was rendered absolutely speechless. It was as if I had walked into a time machine, millions of years back to the beginning go the formation of this incredible part of nature that was the cave. We had to be strictly silence, and no electronics were allowed, which made this even more special. It was such a raw experience like no other I have ever had.

My astonishment became intensified even further when we took a boat further into the darkest part of the cave, where the glow worms reside. It was absolutely silent, and I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face. What I could see, however, were constellations of lights from the worms above and beside me. How small these creatures are, but how small I was in their effervescent presence! I have never felt so finely tuned and integrated in nature before in my life, and it was honestly so euphoric.  It's the greatest show on Earth, and it's tucked away in a little cave in New Zealand, millions of years old, that I was lucky enough to stumble upon. 

Every second in New Zealand brought something truly beautiful into light for me, and I can't wait to be back again someday.

Until next time,

Christina 





In case you want to watch us bungee jump!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbG7yLFKW2c&t=168s

My Own Boss?

I work with a vet clinic in Sydney. The clinic has created a charity called Project Hope that raises money to help out homeless people's pets. I was brought on the team to take full charge of the charity because no one here has time to deal with it. Everyone that works here is either a vet, vet assistant, or a receptionist (and one person that manages finances). So although I was initially brought on just to manage Project Hope, it turns out they want me to do all marketing, promoting, advertising, writing, and anything else you can think of. When I got here on the first day, the head doctor and owner of the clinic sat me down and threw a TON of ideas at me. Things that he'd been thinking would be a good idea to do for the clinic and for Project Hope but he just has no time to work with them. So, he gave me a bunch of ideas, and left me to run with it.

So here I am, wrapping up week two of interning in Australia, left to my own devices on how to fundraise and how to promote the clinic. But I'd say I'm doing pretty well. I met with the owner of a local pub and I'm in the process of organising a fundraising event (going to be held on April 8th if any of you readers want to fly over here and attend) and I am also creating a new system for the clinic to get more reviews. I've had to be a serious self starter because I don't have any set tasks or deadlines. Setting goals for myself has been so important in keeping myself on track and attaining tangible results. 

Being in charge of myself can be intimidating because this is a huge world with so many options and opportunities for expansion. However, it can also be really thrilling because I am not limited by set tasks.