Australia: Daily Surprises

Submitted by Bryn Carlin on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Australia sponsored by the School of  Nursing…

I am currently in Sydney, Australia for my 2020 Winter Session study abroad program. The experience has been wonderful so far, and I have already learned so much about this beautiful place. As this is my first time out of U.S. territories, I did not know exactly what to expect, but there has not been a single day without a surprise. While Australia and the U.S. are very similar they have many small, and sometimes confusing, differences as well. My classmates and I have been eating out quite a bit and we have found that there are many foods that are called different things in this country. I was surprised to learn that lemonade here is actually Sprite, even though you can still call it Sprite, and the actual squeezed and sweetened juice of a lemon is practically non-existent. Another small difference is that all condiments are referred to as sauces, for example, ketchup is called tomato sauce. While there are many other large differences between the two countries, I am enjoying learning the small parts that not many people discuss. I am beyond grateful for this opportunity and am excited to learn even more from it.