I have finally established somewhat of a routine since being here in Sydney, but things are starting to pick up even more as I progress in my classes and start thinking about my future. There have been so many exciting things happening, but with that comes a bit more chaos and stress.

This past week, my little sister came to visit me! I was so excited because I had not seen her (or anyone from back home) in a couple months, and it was exactly what I needed. I got to show her around my school and to all my favorite spots. We spent the day at Manly beach, went on lots of walks, I took her to class with me, we went to the Australian men’s national soccer game and visited all the cute cafes. She said Australia was amazing and supports my vision that this is where I want to be for the rest of my life.

So far, I absolutely love my classes. We do lots of hands-on field work and data collection, which is then analyzed throughout the rest of the semester to create our final project. In my coral reef ecosystems class, we completed our snorkel induction and are progressing through lectures as we gear up for Heron Island in two weeks. At that point, I will travel to the small island in Queensland to conduct a coral reef study of my own design. Sounds terrifying and absolutely amazing!!

Also, I was able to confirm my coral reef internship, so I will begin working alongside a post-doc student on coral deoxygenation in April. I will be gaining experience in coral monitoring, site collection and coral 3d modeling, as well as experimental design and protocol. Additionally, in my aquatic ecosystems class, we traveled to several sites to do testing and macroinvertebrate collection. We are sorting and IDing these samples right now.

Australia’s classes are definitely set up differently than what I am used to at Mizzou, but after I got the hang of it, I think it has given me a great work-life balance.

On that note, I have been brainstorming ways to extend my stay. My first step was getting a job, which was way harder than I thought it was going to be. Finally, after lots of applications, I got a position working at a cafe in Bondi Junction. Yay! I start next week, and I think it is going to be helpful so I can start saving to pay for relocation costs.

In relation to my internship position, my professor Dr. Emma Camp agreed to support my initiative to continue my education at UTS as an honors student after I graduate this summer with my bachelor’s degree. In Australia, they offer a one-year intense study as an honors student where, at the conclusion of the year, the individual is eligible to move on to a PhD and expedite the process of getting a master’s first. It sounds more complicated than it, is but it would allow me to continue my education on coral reef studies and work alongside Emma’s Future Reefs team, who is currently working to regrow the Great Barrier Reef. Amazing!

Australia was my dream, and it is living up to my expectations.

Some of the other things I have been enjoying lately is being a part of The Sydney Run Club at 5:30 a.m. every Friday morning. It is the best time and what I look forward to every week. I love the coastal walks because they provide the best views of the beaches and the horizon line.

The coffee, as I mentioned, is top tier. Nothing beats a flat white with almond milk. My friends in my classes are the sweetest people and make me want to stick around longer even more than I already do. I also love Centennial Park because it is always active with runners, walkers, games and practices, bikers and even horses, which just make me so happy to see everyone out and about. The acai here is probably the greatest I have ever had, and it is at pretty much every corner, so I get it almost every day.

It’s starting to cool down a little here, but everything is as gorgeous as always- and what is cold for these Aussie’s is really nothing compared to Missouri weather. There is really nothing to complain about so far, but as I am a couple months in, I am starting to miss my friends and family a bit more. Since I am also unsure if/when I will be back, there are a lot of questions I have left unanswered.

There is so much opportunity and excitement coming and I can’t wait to see what is going to happen next!

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: University of Technology Sydney