Submitted by Natalie McFarland on the 2018 winter session program in Australia sponsored by the Department of Hospitality Business Management…
I began my travels to Australia exactly a week ago and in this short week I have already learned so much. Coming to Australia, I knew that things would be slightly different than the United States. People in Australia are much more laid back than Americans in many aspects of life. For example, no one seems to be in a rush to get anywhere and at restaurants the waiters don’t hand you the check to get you out the door – you have to let them know when you are ready. When our group traveled into Sydney we were all surprised at how quiet the city was. There was very minimal shouting or honking and people strolled through the streets. I think it is the beach culture that promotes this laid-back lifestyle. Another thing I noticed about the culture is that laws are taken very seriously. I saw someone litter and then they weren’t let into a club. Also, there is a law specific to New South Wales that does not allow people to hold koalas which I found disappointing when I went to a wildlife preserve and could only take a picture with a koala. Although there are many large similarities between Australian and American culture there are many small differences that make Australia a unique and exciting place to study abroad.
