Homeward Bound

G’day,

Well today is my last day in Sydney. It’s really hard to believe that this experience is over. I have had the most incredible time here and I have very mixed feelings about heading home. On one hand, I am very excited to see all the friends and family that I have missed SO much over the past 4 months. On the other hand, I have made some lifelong friends here and am going to have a really hard time leaving them, knowing that they will be on the other side of the world now when I talk to them and that it will most likely be a very long time until the next time I see them.

Spending four and a half months in Australia has taught me a lot about myself. I’ve learned that I am a much more independent person than I ever knew. I always considered myself to be a fairly independent person, but being on my own in a brand new country without knowing a single person really pushed me to do things for myself and learn how to adapt to a new environment.

Australian culture is very similar to the U.S. which was neither good nor bad. In one way, I sometimes wished that I had gone somewhere that I would experience a completely different culture with a different language and people with different values and traditions. However, in another way, going somewhere so similar to the U.S. made me really look deeper into the small differences between the two countries. Australians seem to be much more laid back in general which makes for a much more relaxed environment in school and in the work place. Also, even though the language is the same, there were times when I felt like I needed a dictionary to translate the slang words and terms that are so different from our slang. For example instead of “how are you doing” they greet you with “how are you going?” These slight differences aren’t very noticeable on the surface, but they are things that I will miss and will have a strange time adjusting to not hearing or experiencing once I’m back home.

Being abroad has been a life changing experience and one I will never forget and will always hold close to my heart. I hope that anyone who has the opportunity to study or work in a different country will take that chance because until you do, you can’t understand the emotional and life-altering effects of being on your own in a foreign place. I am going to miss Australia SO much and it’s really hard to leave all the great friends and acquaintances I have been here. I’m sure that someday I will come back and visit everyone and re-visit all the amazing places that I’ve been.

In 24 hours I’ll be landing in Boston, Massachusetts with a whole new perspective on life and a whole new appreciation for traveling. I can’t wait to see all of you and give you big giant hugs and kisses!! See you back in the U.S!!!

Love,
Lauren