A lifelong dream of mine has been to one day visit Sydney, Australia. I can’t put an exact birthdate on this aspiration of mine, but it must have started sometime in early in elementary school. Perhaps it was while looking at my grandparents National Geographic or Time magazines, or maybe it was through Zoboomafoo or Crocodile Hunters’ frequent exposures into the crazy wildlife of Australia. This fascination started way back, we’re talking even before the days of Finding Nemo (which is probably a good reason why it is still one of my favorite Disney movies to date).
Applying to college, the thought of going to Australia for all four years even crossed my mind. While browsing through various college prep websites early on in high school, I stumbled across a virtual tour of the University of Sydney and instantly fell in love with its campus. From its beautiful gothic buildings to its sprawling courtyards and student friendly campus, I was instantly interested in learning more about life at Sydney.
However, over the course of the rest of high school, my naïve 18 year old self realized that this wasn’t a very practical option (for both for monetary and logistical reasons) and that being away from my home, family, friends, and dogs for that long just wouldn’t work well for me. Therefore, I turned to the next best option, to study abroad.
<3 my mom too much for 4 full years away
Studying abroad became a top priority of mine when contemplating schools junior and senior year. At tours and information sessions, I would always check out the school’s study abroad programs and connections to see if they would allow for my dream semester in Sydney. As soon as I saw Australia listed in their Asia and South Pacific connections, they had my interest.
London England, 2014
As time would have it, Northeastern won my heart in 2014, and I decided to attend in the fall as an NUin student to another favorite place of mine, London England. Although I wouldn’t change that experience for the world, and still yearn to go back to London again every few months, I knew I still really wanted to pursue my dream in Sydney. After two years of research and planning with both my academic and co-op advisor, I am thrilled to say this dream is finally becoming a reality, and I am moving to Sydney, Australia tonight for the next five months.
I overpack, I know
I leave today, Monday July 17th, and will land in Sydney Wednesday July 19th (I know, please send positive thoughts my way on this 36 hour journey). Orientation starts next week, classes the following week, then my semester really takes off!
Hopefully this semester I will get the chance to:
- Explore a lot of Australia, both in Sydney and beyond
- Coast along the Great Pacific Drive
- Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef
- Visit the Gold Coast and see its world famous beaches
- Experience (at least some of) the Outback
- See the southern cities Melbourne and Adelaide
- Experience some of Australia’s famous islands like the Whitsundays, Tasmania, and Fraser Island
- Discover some of the other countries in the south pacific such as New Zealand, Bali, and Thailand
- And of course, do really well in school and ace all my classes ;)
This once in a lifetime opportunity has been a long time coming, and I could not be more thrilled to finally see these sights I have dreamt of for years come to life. Studying abroad round two, entering my 4th of 5 years at Northeastern University, with two co-ops (six month internships) and three years of knowledge, travel, and experiences under my belt, I more than prepared to study. After months of research on Pinterest, Lonely Planet, and various travel books, I could not be more excited to finally be en-route to this dream of mine.
This blog will be updated with photos, videos, and stories throughout my trip, so check back for the next update or subscribe to updates below. I can’t wait to start sharing my adventures!