For this blog post, I decided to talk about the reasons I was hesitant to come on this trip and leave home for a semester. At first, I wasn't sure if I wanted to talk about this, because I didn't want it to seem like I am complaining or not having a good time, because I really am having enjoying this trip and having the time of my life. But, today in class we talked about some of the challenges of being away from home and I realized that everyone is feeling the same way I am and that it is totally normal to be homesick.
Moving away from home isn't a new feeling for me. I was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, and senior year of high school I made the decision to go out of state to the University of Tennessee. I was the only person from my high school to come to UT and it was so hard leaving all my friends, and my boyfriend at the time, behind. I just felt like getting away from where I have lived my whole life would be a good experience for me. And it was. Going out of state was the best decision I ever made. If I never came to UT, I would not have met all of my best friends and I would not be in Australia right now. I know that leaving home and moving to a new place is very hard and not everyone is brave enough to do it, however, I also know how rewarding it is.
I would say the main reason I was hesitant to come on this trip was that I was scared to leave my friends and family at home. I still get sad when I look on social media and see all of my friends doing things without me. It's a weird feeling to know that even though I am not there for a while, life still goes on. I feel that I am missing out on events and fun times with my friends. One of my very best friends is graduating this semester and we were both really sad that I couldn't spend her last semester ever at UT with her. The time difference is so crazy too, I was scared that I wouldn't be able to keep in contact with them as often as I do when I am in Knoxville.
When I first applied for this trip I was really excited because I've always wanted to go to Australia and to travel in general (I mean, I am in school to be a travel writer). The trip was a year away at the time, so I didn't think about what it would be like to actually leave and go to a whole new continent. And as the trip came closer, I actually started to get really nervous and wondered if I was making the right decision.
Being away for so long in such an amazing place brings a lot of different emotions. It was all very overwhelming at first. Being a foreigner and not knowing literally anything about the place you now live in is a hard thing to except. Mostly, I feel excited to be here and I feel grateful to have this opportunity and I know years from now I will look back and wish I was still here. There are days I get homesick, which I think is normal, but I just remind myself to take a step back and realize how blessed I am and to enjoy life right now. As for my friends and family, the time difference hasn't really stopped us from contacting each other. I actually think my friends and family reach out to me more than normal to keep me updated on what is going on back home and to check on me.
Overall, I feel blessed to have such good friends and a supportive family. I am also very grateful to be living here in Sydney for these next few months. I've met and gotten close with a lot of great people and I love that I am having all of these amazing experiences that I wouldn't be able to have in the US. It's only been two weeks and I am in love with Australia, and I have a feeling that by the end of this trip, it's going to be really hard to leave.
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