For the past couple months, I have had a large array of emotions.
From feeling on top of the world, to feeling like I am at the most lost state I’ve ever been in, this journey has been one of the most unique experiences of my life.
I absolutely LOVE Aussie land. I have found some of my favorite people I have ever met and made more connections than all of my previous college experience. During the beginning of the school year, the only sense of security I had was knowing I am only going to be here for a couple months and it is going to end at some point. Coming with a few people from Rollins had initially made me feel like I should have gone somewhere else, farther away from home and my previous life, but being here now makes me forget that we are actually all going back to the same place. The block I live in are mainly filled with people whom I don’t talk to, which has been a new aspect in my life, but also forces me to step out of my comfort zone when it comes to building relationships. Living in International House has been one of the best aspects of studying abroad because the community is so tightly knit that you can walk into a random apartment for a gathering and not feel like you are over stepping your boundaries. This is the first time I have ever had a “friend group” ever, even compared to middle and high school and leaving these people I consider family now is going to be extremely difficult. I have never been the type of person to have a friend group pretty much because I love hanging out with a huge array of different types of people, but here after a while I can actually say my friend group is made up of some of my favorite people out of the 20 years I have existed. Another good aspect about being abroad is the fact that I am living a whole separate life compared to anything I have experienced before. I understand why people would be scared to go abroad for so long, but going from Massachusetts to Florida every couple months has made me feel adjusted to drastic living styles.
I really never want to come home and I do want to continue my life here. Nothing I have ever seen compares to it and this place really does feel like home. I don’t know if I could live here in the future because I haven’t really travelled to many places in the world, so it’s hard to say where I could picture myself living besides home in Sutton, Massachusetts. This place really has a special place in my heart and I would do anything to come back here in a year or two.