April has been a whirlwind of new challenges, big decisions and a visit from home. I have been making a lot of choices this month, hoping to figure out what my life will look like after graduating this summer. There are so many opportunities in Australia and I have decided to take advantage of them. However, in the meantime I will be enjoying my study abroad experience!

In early April, I had a very special visitor! My little sister flew across the country to stay with me for a week. I took her to several of Australia’s beaches and as a big beach girl like me, she was loving every bit of it. I had her try some Australian goodies and of course sent some home with her. We also went to a Sydney FC soccer game and had a blast. It was so funny having them play “Down Under” over the speakers and watching all the locals sing along. I showed her my school and some of my favorite restaurants and cafes. It was so nice having someone from home comes see my world here and also give me a sense of comfort. It was sad having to put her back on the plane, but she said she was happy for the life I have here and truly loved Australia as well.

There are lots of things I have been working on — some challenging, some just fun. I started surfing, which I would say is a challenge and fun! It is so difficult, and I really do not understand how the surfers make it look so easy. I am not very good, but I have been able to catch my own waves a couple of times, and I really do not mind getting demolished by waves. My roommate and I are also big runners, so we have been getting up around 4 or 5 a.m. to run to a beach and watch the sunrise. In fact, on Easter morning we got up to run and got rewarded with a gorgeous sunrise and a hot cross bun after (hot cross buns are a huge Easter tradition here).

I have been working on my internship inductions since I will be working in a lab on coral monitoring. There is a lot of safety work I have to get through and a full walk-through of the lab, so I am prepared and understand the risks associated with my position. A challenge I have been dealing with is balancing all my papers at once. I had to write a 15-page paper for a class at Mizzou while also working on three other projects for classes here. It was slightly overwhelming, but I was able to work it all out and turn everything in on time. I find it hard sometimes to work on school when I am so close to a beach and all the events that are happening!

Finally one other hard thing that happened was I said goodbye to one of my friends already. She is not a student anymore, but I met her through running and we built a little friend group around it. She is the kindest soul and is going back home to Canada for a bit, hopefully to return to Australia later. I already miss her so much and I feel like I am getting a taste of how it is going to feel when all my roommates and international friends leave at the end of the semester.

My biggest update is about graduation and my future. In previous blog posts, I said I was in love with Australia and I didn’t want to leave. Well, I decided I am not. After graduating this summer, I will be an au pair somewhere in Australia for six months. An au pair is like an international nanny, so I get to live with a family and help take care of their kids and the house, and help out where I am needed. This is a great opportunity to get paid and have my accommodation paid for. I also get to spend time with kids and stay in Australia longer! This is also a great choice for me because after speaking with my coral reef professor, I will be applying to start the honors program at UTS in February 2026. This is a program following a bachelor’s degree that is a one-year intensive thesis project. Following, students are eligible to go for a Ph.D. I realize things do not always go to plan, so I am not closing all my doors yet, but since I am in my twenties, I just want to do it all. I am super excited about my decision and cannot see what else I get to do. On a final note, it is starting to cool down here, and I know it is getting warmer in the States — not happy about that. I love the sun and our beach days are limited, so I guess I will be going to the beach in the cold!

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