If you had told my five-year-old self that I would be living out my Finding Nemo fantasy as a 21-year-old college student, I would have jumped up and down and asked how I ended up in Sydney. When I applied to study abroad I was stuck between two cities one of which was London and the other was Sydney. I spent the next five months perfecting my application and telling my mom how excited I was. So when I met with my Sydney adviser, she talked me through the entire process. I was over the moon excited to pack my bags and head to the airport. After 22 hours of traveling, three power naps, terrible eating habits and two portable chargers, I had finally arrived in Sydney. My mom and I grabbed our luggage from baggage claim and ordered our Uber and the first site I saw was the Sydney Opera House. Just like in Finding Nemo, it was big and full of life, and two days later I was inside getting a tour and learning about the 14 years it took to build the world-renowned building. My eyes lit up as every detail caught my eye and the 360 views of the harbor around me sent me into a spiral of joy and love.

Once the sun set and the moon came out the city of Sydney once again shocked me and showed me another reason to love the stars. During May and June, the city is lit up with their annual event called “Vivid.” The entire harbor and city are filled with lights and colorful shows. With interactive activities and treats all around to try and indulge in, there is always something for everyone to take part in.

As the days started to speed by and my internship program was about to begin, my homesickness began to subside and my excitement kicked in. I packed up my suitcases again and hugged my mom goodbye as I walked into my apartment to be greeted by my roommate, and now friend, Olivia. We spent the next few hours unpacking, grocery shopping, talking and spending our nights watching The Vampire Diaries. I didn’t think I was going to fit in and I was worried my life was going to stop while I was here. But that all changed once I got to live out my hiking dream and go through the Blue Mountains and take once-in-a-lifetime photos.

Now for those who are wondering what the food here is like I would personally like to say it’s a 10 out of 10 dining experience. From the wonderful Asian cuisine in Chinatown, pastries from local coffee shops and seafood, all around the food is so good. I still haven’t had any kangaroo but once I have I’ll make sure to circle back and give my honest review. Before I snap back into reality and let the beautiful aura of this city consume my life and phone storage. I want to end on the notion that Australians love rugby like Mizzou loves football but they do it better. With indoor fireworks, Krispy Kreme, warm and comfy with scarves and good food. I entered that 80,000-seat stadium knowing nothing about rugby and left knowing I was a New South Wales fan for the rest of my life. I didn’t plan on finding Sydney in my junior year of college but in a way Sydney found me. All I had to do was just keep swimming!

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: Global Internship: Sydney (IES)