Submitted by Katie Gitin on the 2017 winter session program in Australia sponsored by the Department of Behavioral Health & Nutrition…
We’ve been in Australia for four days now and it feels like we’ve been here for almost a month already. Everything here is absolutely gorgeous and the weather is unreal. I call my friends and family members from home and can not explain enough how nice it is to be in warm weather compared to the cold temperatures of Delaware. All of the trees and grass are so incredibly green especially considering how hot it is here. Now that I’ve been here after freezing in the States for a few months now, I can absolutely confirm that seasonal depression is a real struggle.
Adjusting to the time has been a little strange, but I think it’s definitely all part of the experience. Landing here a few days ago was confusing because it was 9:00 am and 80 degrees- it’s almost like environmental shock. We go to bed at a normal hour and we all wake up at 6:30 am as if it’s an instinct. So, we are awake longer and have longer days, but sleep so much less here than at home because of the jet lag. It’s almost as if we don’t need to sleep. It’s a crazy feeling.
So far, we’ve gone to the beach, the Queen Vic market, several different parts of the city, restaurants and everything in between. It doesn’t even feel like we’re in Australia, it feels more like California or another state in the USA.
Overall, I absolutely love it here so far and I really could not be happier to see what the next month has in store for us!
