Submitted by Taylor Lynch on the 2023 summer program in New Zealand and Australia…
After spending the last 10 days in Sydney, Australia, we traveled to Brisbane, Australia for the last 10 days of the trip. It is crazy to think that my study abroad journey is coming to an end, but I have greatly enjoyed my time so far. Once we got to Brisbane, one thing that I noticed right away was the difference in the weather. It is very warm here and the sun feels a lot stronger. It is a nice change from the start of the trip when we were in New Zealand, and having warmer weather allows us to take more advantage of the beautiful beaches here. The city of Brisbane is also very beautiful but isn’t as built up as Sydney is. One thing that I have found really nice about living in a city is the public transportation system. We have been able to take the train or the tram to any place that we wish, and it has been really easy to hop on one and get to our destination. I have never lived in a city setting like this before, so it was a nice surprise to be able to see what having public transportation options is like.
Since we are here partially for the World Cup, we were able to go to the Australia and France quarter-final game. I was really excited to be able to go to this game specifically because I would be able to see the host country’s team play. As expected, the majority of the stadium was filled with Australian fans, and the excitement and pride that they had for their team was definitely able to be felt. Whenever their team got the ball and was close to scoring, the stadium would erupt and it was so crazy to be in an environment like that. It was truly an amazing experience and just added to the love that I have for this sport. The game was also very close and ended in a tie even after extra time. As a result, the game was forced to go into penalties, which caused a tense feeling among all fans watching. The penalty kick round was back and forth for 10 rounds until the Australian team was finally able to pull out the win. The whole stadium went crazy, and their fans were even cheering for their team and the victory as we were walking back after the game. Being in that electric atmosphere is a truly crazy feeling, and being able to be there in person at these high-risk games is a lot different than watching it from home.
Another fun activity that I have done when in Brisbane was going to the Australia Zoo. The Australia Zoo is run by the Irwin’s in memory of Steve Irwin. I have been a fan of the Irwins for a while, so I was really excited to be able to visit their zoo. They are really big advocates for animals and wildlife conservation efforts. They also ensure that each of the animals in the zoo have the proper enclosure, and are fully taken care of. I am at times weary of going to zoos because the animals sometimes may not live in not ideal living conditions. However, this was not the case at the Australia Zoo, and each of the animals there had a very large enclosure and seemed to be content. It was really amazing to see the native Australian animals like Dingos, Kangaroos, Koalas, and so many more amazing animals. A highlight from my time there was being able to feed and pet the kangaroos. They had this area there called Roo Heaven, where you are able to go into a large open field with kangaroos and go up to them to pet and feed them. The kangaroos were surprisingly calm and were fine with people going up to them. Everyone in there was very respectful of the kangaroos and was mindful of how they were going to interact with the kangaroos. This wasn’t something that I was expecting the zoo to have and I am really happy that I was able to have this experience with a type of animal that I have not seen or been near before.
Overall, I have had an amazing time in Brisbane so far and on this study abroad trip as a whole. It is sad to think that I have less than a week left in Australia but I am thankful for the amount of time that I had to be able to explore Sydney as well as Brisbane. I really enjoy being able to immerse myself in new cities and a new culture and being able to learn about a different way of life. Being on this trip has helped me find a love of traveling, and finding comfort in pushing myself out of my comfort zone and trying new things. I have done a lot of new activities while on this trip, so being able to let go of some of the control and put trust in others has been really important, and a skill that has grown in me.