Goodbyes are never easy but when you fall in love with a place that is 22 hours away it’s impossible. I’ve come to terms with the fact that leaving Australia is a necessity because I’m a senior graduating in May. Thankfully for me, I won’t have to say goodbye, I will say see you later. This summer has been one of the best summers I’ve experienced so far in my life. Being able to learn how to adapt to another country is an amazing opportunity. But to be able to share that knowledge with my friends, family, and school community is one of the greater experiences. My freshman-year self would be so proud of everything that I’ve accomplished while being over here. She would also laugh at me for getting homesick after telling everyone how I wouldn’t get homesick because I wanted to be here so badly.

There are places in the world that you get excited about because of the pictures and when you get there they look nothing like the photos. The moment I stepped into Sydney the pictures matched what I was seeing in reality. Between the Opera House and Bondi Beach, I was never disappointed by the beauty of this city. I spent my weekend exploring the vast parts of the city that were full of color, culture, and light that would bring tears to your eyes. I wasn’t expecting my time here to go by so fast because two months sounds like the longest thing ever but yet I’m five weeks about to pack up and go back home. Instead of a sad story about how I don’t want to leave, I’ll offer advice and some of my favorite moments while I’ve been here.

Let’s start with some advice, traveling abroad takes a toll on the mental and emotional side of your life. You aren’t going to be in the same mood the entire trip even though you might think you will be. Being away from family, friends, and a comfortable environment will make you question a lot of things. It’s your job as the student to do your best and find balance, 100% easier said than done. These are the tips and tricks I learned that helped me once I started to burn out.

1. Make a schedule with family, friends, and spouse for when you can talk.
   1. This will help you keep everyone updated but also allow you to feel as if you are catering to everyone’s needs.
2. Stop looking at things going on back home.
   1. FOMO is real and it hits hard when you are constantly looking at your friend’s story and checking in about what everyone is doing. This is your time to embrace another country don’t miss out on it because of what friends are doing.
3. It’s okay to want to be alone. It’s okay to say no.
   1. I grew up as the only child in the house and I didn’t like being surrounded by people all the time so most of my weekends were spent alone watching a movie. While abroad you’ll probably be with a large group and events might get planned. It is okay to say no, you don’t have to go to everything if you don’t feel like it or want to. Do what you are comfortable with.
4. Budget wisely
   1. It’s okay to spend just make sure you have money in case of emergencies. You never want to be in another country without money. 9 times out of 10 a budget will be created for you, but it’s still a good idea to create a budget that suits you personally.
5. Take photos!
   1. Trust me when I say that taking photos is a crucial part of this experience. You don’t want to come back home with nothing to show. I’m personally making a scrapbook about my time in Sydney so I can keep the memories and one day show my kids how cool I was.

Advice is really easy to give but harder to put into action once you’ve been given it. I was given so much advice and I probably ignored half of it up until I needed to focus on why I was studying abroad. One piece of advice that I didn’t mention but want to include is to give yourself grace. You aren’t going to like everything and that’s okay, be comfortable with the knowledge that you tried and learned from it. This learning experience will help you develop a higher sense of self and teach you about the world outside of the United States.

Now that the advice has been given and hopefully I did well and gave you some good stuff I want to touch on my top 7 events and experiences while being in Sydney. Normally people do top 10 but 7 just so happens to be my favorite number so it’s only fitting that I use this number.

1. Surfing at Bondi Beach
2. Blue Mountains Hike & Featherdale Wildlife Park
3. Bangarra at the Opera House
4. Omar Apollo
5. Beach Clean Up
6. Vivid Light Show
7. State of Origin

I’ll never forget the time I spent in Sydney and the friends I made because they made this program unforgettable. While I’m happy to get back home and buy Chick-fil-A and have a nice cold glass of water with extra ice. Until I see Sydney again, see ya later Slater.

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