This will be my final study abroad post.
Whether you're a family member, friend, or prospective study abroad student, I hope you've enjoyed following my travels in Australia and New Zealand. When I started this thing, one of my goals was to give you a real, unabashed glimpse into this wonderful adventure I've had.
One of the things, I think, that happens when you're abroad is that you gain an appreciation of other people and other cultures. You start to understand how the world works. You also start to appreciate some of the finer aspects of America.* You grow as a person because you see what it's like to be on your own. You see some amazing sights and do things that you never in your wildest dreams thought you were capable of.** All of this makes it harder to say goodbye.
**Like bungy jumping in New Zealand. Or sleeping on an airport floor.
Here's something else I learned: embrace the chaos. Being on your own means a lot less structure and a lot more free time. It's really daunting and kinda scary – but it's also liberating. An absence of structure means a lot more is going on and you have to organize everything yourself like traveling and exams and eating and exercising. It makes your struggles more difficult and your successes more rewarding.
I fully expect to keep this blog going, but with a slightly different flavor. Instead of focusing on Australia, I'll be focusing on some of my other passions: sports, movies, music, and my summer in NYC. You can expect many filtered, opaque, instagram-esque photos of pizza, bagels, tall buildings, parks, and Yankee Stadium. I've got a lot of American culture to catch up on.
Finally, thanks for reading. I have appreciated all of your comments and words of encouragement. See you on the other side.