Author: msierra@rollins.edu

Traveling to a place and living within a place are different experiences entirely. Travelling to places for short periods of time and being a tourist, although valuable, doesn’t really give you a holistic view of the space you inhabit. For instance, when I arrived in Australia, in Melbourne, I was a tourist. Most of my…

This last time in Australia is bittersweet. On one hand, I’ve made lasting friends here and this entire experience feels like a test that I’ve passed. I’ve seen a lot of the world and done so very much on all on my own. Better still, this semester has crystallized for me that I need to…

I judge every city against New York City. New York city is a patchwork city of many cultures, languages, and experiences. Because of the sheer variety of experiences and people, it is relatively easy for me to blend in seamlessly. It is an international city and a city of travelers. Sydney measures up very well….

These first few weeks in Australia have been a whirlwind. As always, things did not go according to plan, a fixture in my life. Upon landing I made the almost immediate discovery my bags had disappeared somewhere between Orlando and Melbourne. This was not an auspicious start to this experience. I was forced to almost…

I exist in a space somewhere between American and Colombian identities. I’ve been traveling for my entire life. As a child, I left Colombia to come to the United States, and in the United States we found ourselves frequently moving. For this reason, tradition for me is solely associated with the people in my life…