I have to admit: I was scared to begin my time abroad in Australia. The long flights and bus rides, new group of people, totally new city, and different culture frightened me. I was afraid that having planned events every day, waking up early, and constantly being on the move during my orientation in Sydney would overwhelm me. And it did, but in such an incredible way.
From the minute I arrived in Sydney, I knew I had made the right choice coming to Australia for four and a half months to study abroad. Immediately, I started to appreciate the city. I expected a big city like Sydney to be similar to New York City, which is my home. Boy, was I wrong in so many ways.
It baffled me how there were skyscrapers and huge buildings in every direction, but surprisingly surrounded by tons of trees, plants and grass. It was so interesting to see such a large city be in the middle of actual greenery and beautiful aspects of nature. Not to mention how clean everything was! I love New York City, but I can admit that there is definitely garbage often floating along down the streets and littering the highways and sidewalks. I can honestly say that I saw one piece of garbage on the street in Sydney, and it was a wrapper for a granola bar.
That’s another aspect of Sydney and Australia in general that I really noticed. It seems as though everyone here is health and environmentally conscious. I constantly see people running or doing crunches in the grass, and Australians seem to be very big on eating healthy foods. Of course many New Yorkers are very health-conscious too, but definitely not as much as the Aussies!
The events that TEAN planned were wonderful. Everyday, I got the opportunity to check off things on my Australian bucket list. Between climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge, playing with kangaroos, touring the city of Sydney, and having lunch at the Sydney Opera House, I really feel like I got thrown right into the heart of Sydney, and I couldn’t be more thankful for that! The hostel I stayed in had an unreal view of the opera house and the Sydney Harbor Bridge, which allowed me to take some pretty awesome pictures.
When the day finally arrived for me to leave Sydney for the Gold Coast, where I will be staying and attending “uni,” I can proudly say that I have a pretty good understanding of the layout of Sydney, much of the history and fun facts of the city and the country, and how to navigate it by train and bus. Although I was sad to leave such an awesome place, I was excited to finally arrive at the Gold Coast. Besides, I will definitely be returning to Sydney. I miss it already!
Christina Sullivan is a student at Quinnipiac University and a TEAN Featured Blogger. Christina is currently studying abroad with TEAN on the Gold Coast, Australia.
