Submitted by Kristen Tauber on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in Australia sponsored by the School of Nursing…
I am on a short nursing program this winter in which part of our assignment is to collect data through surveying locals. As a non-health sciences major and a visitor to the country, this course is constantly pushing me out of my comfort zone, though I am being welcomed on all fronts. I started traveling around Australia for a few weeks before my program in order to get a better feel of the country.
As an English speaking country, there are very few differences and hardly any culture shock to get over other than walking on the left side of sidewalks and looking for a “way out” instead of an exit. All of the people have been incredibly nice and Sydney is truly the most beautiful city I have ever seen. One thing that has struck me about Australia is that it is not only incredibly unique in wildlife, which I already knew, but that it is also rich in history for such a young country. Nearly everywhere you travel in Australia there is a UNESCO World Heritage Site like the Sydney Opera House for example. The other incredible thing that I was not expecting is just how diverse Australia is. Everywhere I go, I hear dozens of different languages. Not only are there a lot of travelers, but there is also a large amount of residents, nearly 50 percent in some parts of the country, who moved from other countries (double check that statistic though). I think this diversity has really impacted how welcoming Australia is, and it is amazing to see so many different cultures co-existing together.