Submitted by Emily Whelahan on the 2016 winter session program in Australia sponsored by the Department of English…
After officially hitting the one-week mark in Australia, I think it is safe to say this has been one of the most eventful weeks of my entire life. In just one week, I have already been fortunate enough to experience some truly unforgettable moments. But, before I get to all of that, I wanted to talk about my initial reactions to arriving in this country.
First, the people are generally nicer here than they are in America. It may be that some Australians just love Americans, or perhaps it is really in their nature; whatever it may be, if you are looking for help you are sure to find it here when you need it. Next, everything is opposite in this country, and I’m not only talking about how the toilets flush in the opposite direction (yes, this is really true and was one of the first things I tested upon arrival in Melbourne). The light switches are clicked down to turn on, my shower in my dorm gets warmer when you turn the knob closer to the cold side and Australians drive on the opposite side of the road as we do in the United States. Finally, Australians use different words for things than Americans. For example, they call a sweater a jacket or a jumper, and McDonald’s is called Macca’s here.
Between attending classes and exploring the city of Melbourne each day, I have been incredibly busy the past week. I have already gotten to visit the famous street art on Hosier Lane, take a selfie with a kangaroo, spend the afternoon at Brighton Beach, watch the penguins come ashore at Phillip Island, visit The Royal Botanical Gardens and dine in one of the Italian restaurants on Lygon Street. However, my favorite experience thus far was definitely my visit to The Nobbies, a coastal area on Phillip Island overlooking the Bass Strait.
I spent about a half hour at The Nobbies on a tour of Phillip Island I took on Saturday, and the entire time I could not get over how at peace I felt there. As our tour group walked along, my feelings varied between totally relaxed and completely in awe while taking in the beautiful scenery. If you ever visit Australia, I highly recommend visiting The Nobbies.
I have also spent the last week getting to know the people on my program better, and I am enjoying meeting people from UD who I didn’t know before I left for Australia. Additionally, I am becoming more and more aware of just how far away from home I am; this becomes especially evident when I don’t have access to WiFi and cannot keep up with my friends from back home. In a way, I think this is a good thing, as I am learning to become more independent and realizing how capable I really am. Tomorrow, we are leaving for our long weekend at The Grampians and The Great Ocean Road, and I am excited to see what the next week of this adventure has in store.