After a few months of living in Australia, it felt more and more like home. I was getting adjusted to dorm life down under, class structure and general day-to-day living. That being said, there were a LOT of challenges accompanied with living in a brand-new environment away from everyone and everything you know. From struggling to haul laundry across buildings, getting groceries only obtained through public transport, to having to take extra time to get places because you have no car and have to walk up to 45 minutes to get somewhere you want to go.  These challenges help you recognize the diversity of lifestyles and experiences around you, and may even lead you to appreciate your new reality more than your past one. The difficult tribulations that I faced in this new space made me realize that everything in our lives has become so convenient and fast that it is hard to sit and appreciate the beautiful world around us.

The normally small and quick tasks turning into long and sometimes tiresome chores got me to find joy in the mundane and small tasks that are presented in everyday life. Instead of quickly getting from one place to another and moving from task to task in quick succession without thinking, having to actually put in a considerable amount of effort to do the simplest things brings me to a place where I can enjoy the everyday little moments of life. Coupled with the famously laid-back Australian attitude, I began to see life so much differently than I had before going to Melbourne. Life is meant to live to the fullest, away from the distractions, chaos, and business that has become the American way of life.

Although most do not have quite the same challenges as an international student living in a dorm, Australians have figured it out. Instead of robotizing themselves, Australians made romanticizing life the norm and live life to its fullest potential. From traveling to new countries, going out and seeing all the new sights on a weekly basis, to being expected to take time away from work for themselves, the Australian way of life is the closest that I have ever come to living life the way it was meant to be lived. And it has truly made me the happiest I’ve ever been. Away from the stress that is often put on people to perform and the great expectations that are put on oneself. It’s a life that I’ve decided that I want to live. This is one of the greatest lessons I will take away from Australia: Live life to its fullest potential, take risks and take in the scenery along the way.  

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: Monash University