During the past two weeks, I have had so many adventures during my university’s midsemester study vacation. A group of friends that I met through the international program while abroad decided to travel north of Sydney to Townsville, Airlie Beach, and Cairns to see the natural beauty of Australia. In Townsville’s Magnetic Island, we saw wild koalas sleeping in the trees of the National Park, along with kangaroos hopping across the trail. In Airlie Beach, we saw beautiful beaches and took a sailboat to the Whitsunday Islands for two days, which was incredible. We ended our trip with a visit to Cairns where, in my opinion, the most exciting adventures happened. A friend and I decided to skydive over the ocean and mountains, which was an unforgettable experience. Finally, we took a boat a few hours out to snorkel over a portion of the Great Barrier Reef. I saw squids, turtles, the most amazing tropical fish, so much coral, and even a shark! These travels during my studying abroad have been absolutely irreplaceable and I can’t wait to explore more of Australia throughout my next six weeks here.<\/p>\n\n\n