This semester, I have been studying at the University of Newcastle in Australia since mid-July and have been loving every second of it. I am lucky enough to have been able to come on this adventure abroad with my two best friends, Mirabella and Tiarnach, as well, which has made the experience that much better. When the three of us first arrived in Newcastle we were of course nervous and unsure of what would be in store for us, as we arrived on a (semi)cold Australian winter night, while all our flatmates were still on their holiday break. We live in a two story, 20 person dormitory, so it all felt overwhelming and somewhat lonely those first couple of nights with not many people there. But, as more students came back from their break, the three of us were warmly welcomed into the community and we began to feel much more at home. Each person we met was so kind and laid back, giving us a great first impression of Australian customs and culture. We live in a dorm (they refer to it as a college) called International House, which holds a tight-knit group of 250 students from not only Australia, but countries all over the world. I have really loved that integration of international and local students all living together, it has brought so many interesting and incredible people into my life, from so many different backgrounds and cultures. I could not have asked for a better group of people to live and experience this semester with. As the weeks went on from July and the weather warmed up a bit, Mirabella, Tiarnach and I got to explore more of Newcastle and all the beauty it has to offer. Newcastle is known for its beautiful beaches and we were more than excited to check them all out. Newcastle also holds endless quality restaurants, pubs and shops, so we had our hands full trying to visit each place that was recommended to us, so we made sure to spend a decent amount of time walking around the city itself and getting familiar with our new home.