With just a little over twenty-four hours left in the States before my four and a half month hiatus, I realize I really haven't been thinking about the "leaving home" part of the experience as much as the "oh my God, I'm going to live in Australia" side of things, and it's only now starting to hit me. But I'll push those thoughts aside for this post to express all the excitement I'm feeling about leaving and the good nerves that are giving me outrageous butterflies. To do that, here are my hopes, wishes, and goals for this next semester. In no particular order.
1) Go places. I love traveling and seeing new places, and Australia will be incredibly new and different from anything else I've ever experienced. I'll be at at the University of Wollongong (UOW), just south of Sydney near the coast. I'll be on the other side of the world, and I don't know when I'll get another chance to be anywhere near this corner of the world, so I want to see as many of the nearby cities and places as possible. Top of my list for places to travel and see while I'm in Australia are: Sydney, Melbourne, the Great Barrier Reef, the Outback, and New Zealand. Though there are many other places I'd like to see, I'm hoping that these trips will give me a taste of Australian (and Kiwi) culture, as well as expose me to a variety of terrain, animals, and lifestyles.
2) I want to DO things! I'm already signed up for surf camp as part of UOW's orientation week activities, and learning to surf is at the top of my to-do list. Also on the list is bungee jumping, since Australia is famous for its extreme sports. I'm all about the adrenaline rush, and bungee jumping seems as good a way to achieve that as anything, and Australia seems like the best place to do it. On a slightly different note, I've been told that I must see a platypus. They're not exported anywhere else in the world, so I may as well venture to a zoo. While I'm at it, I would like to hold a koala and pet a kangaroo, because how could you go to Australia and not?
3) Grow on my own and be independent. Though I'm confident and have a strong sense of myself, it's not as strong as I would like it to be. Being forced into a new situation where I'm by myself in a new environment is going to test me in ways I'm sure I can't imagine; I'm hoping this will force me to grow up a bit and become more independent. On the independence thing - thank you to my parents for supporting me in this endeavor (emotionally, financially, mentally, etc., etc., etc.). Hopefully when I come back, I'll be a more mature, more independent person that will no longer suck the life force out of you, as well as give you the peace of mind that I'm capable of really being on my own =)
4)Make friends. Let's suffice it to say that I'm bad at making friends quickly. I'm hoping to develop a new-friend-filter and learn from my past in order to avoid the people I probably should have steered clear of and hone in on people that will continue to have a wonderful, positive influence in my life, like so many friends already have.
5) Stay in touch. Simply stated, I suck at staying in touch with people. I want to change that. Balance has always been an issue for me, so I'm hoping to learn to walk that line between old and new and be a better friend to those that have supported me for so long that I know would do anything for me. I'd do anything for them too, even though I might not be the best at communicating it effectively or more than say once a year. I'm trying, and I hope you'll try and stay in touch with me, too.
6) Get an outside sense of America. Socially, politically, geographically, historically. All of that. I'm from one of the greatest countries in the world (let's go USA women's soccer!!), but we definitely have our faults. I want to get a better measure of those faults, as well as the liberties, we have compared to those of other countries.
7) Relax and have fun. For someone as obsessive compulsive and detail-oriented as I am, it's hard to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the moment. I'm sure Australia is going to fly by, and I want to savor the experiences, sights, people, and lifestyle as best I can. I tense up thinking about letting go and not meticulously planning every detail of every day, but as long as I can keep some order and organization (which will be totally necessary for budgeting at least time and money), I think I'll find it to be a huge stress reliever.
I wasn't expecting to have such a hefty list, but I think that about covers it. I cannot wait to get overseas and start my "spring" semester at UOW. Until tomorrow, I'll be packing and continuing to say what I'm sure will be tearful goodbyes, including a goodbye to the greatest series of all time, Harry Potter, which I will be seeing at midnight with some of the best of friends.
Here and there,
Kiley
PS. A Harry Potter quote seemed appropriate, and though I'm in no way dreading this coming year, it seemed to fit. So here's a tidbit from J.K. Rowling's Goblet of Fire: "It's a strange thing, but when you are dreading something, and would give anything to slow down time, it has a disobliging habit of speeding up." Time is already flying by!
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