The Drives to Come to Australia

Travelling from home can be a daunting task regardless of where you go. Now being halfway around the world in Sydney, Australia, this point is even more true. I'm in a totally new place with new people and new surroundings. Yet, I have an eerie sense of calm about me. Everyone kept asking me before I left if I was nervous. My response was always, "not really." People could not believe that I was embarking on this grand adventure and did not have any worries or concerns. I have my mom to thank for that, however, because she gave me the travel bug. She knew the day would come when I would want to jetset and country-hop around the globe. Additionally a major sense of curiosity and wonder about what else is out there beyond my little slice of the world kept the anxiety of leaving home at a minimum.

Since I found out I was accepted to go on this program, everyone gave me the spiel about all the deadly critters in Australia. However, I wanted to see if that stereotype was actually true. That curiosity to explore and find things out for myself is what, I think, drives me and keeps me from being nervous. Here I am, as far around the world as I can go before I start coming back, and it feels like it's just another day in paradise. In the short time I have been here I have toured the Sydney Opera House, seen Tasmanian Devils and koalas at Taronga Zoo, walked through The Rocks with an aboriginal person, ate kangaroo, won a surf lesson, stood on the Gold Medalist platform from the Sydney 2000 Olympics, got a true Aussie sunburn, and made a great group of friends. The point is that each day holds a new adventure. Already I have decided that I am going to make the most of each and every one of the ninety-six days I am here in Australia. I plan to scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns, coddle a koala in Queensland, see animals at the Australia Zoo (Steve Irwin Zoo) in Brisbane, hear Adele sing sweet melodies in ANZ Stadium, learn to surf at Manly Beach, traverse the island of Tasmania, and explore as many nooks and crannies of Sydney that I can. I also plan to travel to Hawaii, New Zealand, and Vanuatu, because if you are already on this side of the globe, you might as well get as many passport stamps as possible. The possibilities are endless!

When your curiosity runs out, that is when you start thirsting for something new. I think that is what happened to me at home. Of course I love my family and friends. They are my home. But at this point in my life, I wanted something new. This program gave me the opportunity to see the world, learn at a acclaimed higher learning institution, and get real world work experience, which is a win-win-win for me. I aspire to go back home to Tennessee in three months and be the same Hunter, but Hunter with a greater respect and appreciation for other cultures and peoples.