I’d like to tell some big, dramatic story about how studying abroad in Melbourne was written in the stars for me, like the night an ethereal, winged kangaroo with flaxen fur came to me in a vision and whispered, “Go to Australia, Kate. It is your destiny.” However, that’s not at all what happened.
The true story is much less interesting and involves me sitting with my laptop, pajama-clad and doing an archaeological spoon dig for purpose in a pint of cookie dough ice cream. I had recently had a brush with The Grim Reaper, who was a relatively nice guy, but he was so brooding, and that scythe he carries around was a bit excessive. In all seriousness, a significant medical scare I had in 2015 ignited a fire in me to Carpe Diem the heck out of life, and do something bold, adventurous, and maybe just a little bit risky. The question was what? The world was my oyster, and I was determined to find a pearl inside that shell and not just a slimy little mollusk that doesn’t do much.
Maybe Melbourne?
For starters, I’ve known I wanted to spend a semester of college in a different country since I was a kid. My mom taught in Germany for a semester when she was a student and she tells stories about her experiences there all the time. While surfing the web on my surf-bored, I stumbled across Melbourne as a location that I could go, through the study abroad program at my home university in Phoenix. At first, visions of deadly, venomous spiders danced in my head, but then I considered all the positive things that could come from studying in Australia: world-famous beaches, experiencing Aussie culture, and a fresh perspective, to name a few.
Symphony Orchestra, to hear “Pixar in Concert.”
Let me point out that decisions aren’t my thing. I’ve spent hours deciding if I should buy a new shirt in blue-grey or grey-blue. Picking out what I want to eat at The Cheesecake Factory is a nightmarish experience for all involved. So, lucky for me, Melbourne was one of only two overseas locations that offered my animation program. My good friend Limited Choices made one decision for me, but now I was faced with many more, mostly pertaining to pulling this off financially, arranging my housing abroad, applying for a student visa, and picking out classes that would transfer back to my home university.
The Stars Aligned
After swimming through a sea of paperwork for many moons, purchasing a plane ticket for the same price as a used Ford Fiesta, and saving money working as a graphic design intern for the summer, everything was finally starting to line up. It’s safe to say I found the pearl in that aforementioned oyster, because I was offered an incredible part time job through my school’s marketing department! It would involve taking photos and blogging about my travels overseas, to encourage other students to consider studying abroad. I was on track to embark for my first destination, Auckland, New Zealand, in February of 2017, and I was as giddy as a schoolgirl, because I was in fact, a schoolgirl.
Up next: New Zealand!
Now that I’ve set the scene, and provided some backstory, my next post will cover the time I spent exploring New Zealand’s North Island, with a small bus full of backpackers from around the world, and an outgoing Kiwi as our guide. (Kiwi, as it’s used in this instance, meaning a person from New Zealand, not the delicious fruit, or the national bird. The birds aren’t licensed to drive there, mostly because they can’t see over the dashboard, or reach the gas pedal for that matter.)
