Australia: Lessons Learned

Submitted by Spring Global Ambassador, Meg, Gold Coast Australia

I’ve been home from Australia for exactly two weeks now. It still blows my mind that I’m actually in America. I can afford to eat more than oats and lettuce here, which is nice.

This is where I begin a new chapter in my life. Living in Australia, I learned that you need to take one day at a time. I used to worry about what would happen when I got home, or what people think. In Australia, I felt like a new person. At home, I would never go to an event by myself. In Australia, I didn’t care. I always thought people would judge me if I’d show up alone. In Australia, I went to so many events by myself. I also rarely wore makeup. I didn’t spend hours getting ready. I also didn’t care that I only had a suitcase of clothes to pick from. I always had something to wear. It’s a waste of time to worry about where you will be in 2 weeks. If you worry about where you will be then, you’ll be missing out on what’s in front of you at this very moment. It’s the little things in life that matter most.

I also learned that I don’t need to plan so far ahead. I’m perfectly okay with getting on a plane and doing my own thing. I’m okay with not booking a place to stay or things to do when I arrive. I’m so much more adventurous now.

I’ve also matured. I went to a foriegn county without knowing a soul. I learned how to survive on my own without parents or friends. I learned how to manage my money. I had to live off of my own bank account without having a job. So, I learned how to budget for food, traveling, etc. I alo learned how to survive on very limited amount of clothes.  I don’t need heaps of clothes. No one cares. I stopped thinking everyone was judging me.

I left Australia a better person than I came. In the begininng of my journey, I kind of lost myself. I surrounded myself with negative people. These negative people, I’m sad to say were my closest friends back at home. These people made me feel badly about leaving America. Luckily, within a few weeks, I realized that I am much better without them. My true friends supported me throughout this entire experience. At first I was sad to lose some people in my life, but this journey has made me realize who my friends really are. Friends are there for you no matter what, even in the hardest times.

Overall, Australia is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I would not change February 15th 2012  - June 24th 2012 for the world. Those were the best days of my life, and I will never forget them.

Thank you Australia.

Also, thank you to everyone who read my blog. I hope everyone enjoyed reading about my amazing adventures abroad. I loved writing for you all!

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