Let’s give this a try

Hello!

Or should I say, G’day Mate!

This is to be the first post on my amazing new travel blog. Wow, a blog in 2020? Yes, because I gotta keep the people updated on the fantastical and interesting stories of my life. These interesting and fantastical stories should begin in approximately:

…but who’s counting down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds?

So wait, whats happening again?

In case you didn’t know, this semester, I will be trading mountains for beaches as I study abroad at the University of Wollongong in Wollongong, Australia, affectionately called the Gong by residents. I am going on an exchange program which means that I will take classes with real life Aussie students, in their real life Aussie classrooms, on the real life AUSSIE campus.

Wollongong is located approximately here:

And for those of you a little more familiar with this HUMONGOUS(seriously, I didn’t realize how big it is until now) country, Wollongong is roughly an hour south of Sydney, in the providence of New South Wales, about here:

The University of Wollongong is about comparable in size to CU, offers a wide range of really cool classes(I’m taking a Documentary class as well as one about Australian culture) and has some pretty cool on campus amenities(including a pub and a concert venue). It is also REALLY close to the ocean, and by really close, I mean my dorm room is literally across the street:

As a person who has lived in a land locked state for their entire life, this is something I am extremely excited about. Also the name of the beach is literally Fairy Meadow, I mean come on! I swear everything in Australia looks and sounds so magical.

And the weather!!!! It’ll be summer when I get there, with average temps in the 70s, and the beginning of winter when I leave, average temps in the low 60s. Kinda funny to think about how I’ll be experiencing two Falls this year. The other side of the world is weird. When I get there I will immediately see if the toilet truly does flush the other direction, taking note of the rotation here now…

Also, because I am going so far away, the travel is going to be an ORDEAL. The plane ride there will be close to 16 hours long and I’ll lose a whole day(on the way back I’ll technically gain a day).

Luckily for me, I will have my beautiful friend Meghan by my side when I do! Meghan and I are doing the same program and will be in the same dorm, but in different rooms. Meghan is an Environmental Studies major and will be taking some pretty awesome marine based classes. We have several mutual goals including seeing the Hobbit houses in New Zealand and learning how much is the right amount of sunscreen to protect from the Australian sun.

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The point is I’m Excited!

As the days number down, I get an even more vivid image of myself there, laying on the beach, relaxing after surfing all afternoon, listening to my delightful Aussie friends banter away as the sun sets over the ocean. Ah! Doesn’t that just sound amazing??? I am so excited and so thankful that I get this opportunity and I cannot wait to start my journey down under.

But

The Fires…

Its true that a huge amount of acres(14.5 million) have/are burning across Australia. It is extremely upsetting and heartbreaking to see the billions of animals and people affected by these bush fires. It is even harder when disasters like this happen and it feels like you cant do anything to help. But you can! You can donate to some of the amazing organizations that working to stop the fires and help recover the areas already affected.

For more information about where to donate to what, check out this article here:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/01/07/australia-fires-how-to-help-donate-victims-animals/2832145001/

Both CU Education Abroad and the University of Wollongong have sent out statements about the affect that this will have on students. As of now its next to nothing. Luckily(for me) the fires are not close enough to affect the campus directly. The biggest issue currently is air quality.

I am hopeful that within the next month before my departure, the fires are contained and extinguished far more then they are now. Meghan and I have already talked about volunteering with some recovery programs and hopefully we’ll be able to do more when we get there. In the mean time, all we can do is stay updated, donate, and hope.

Thinking positively and looking forward-

My plan is to update this blog weekly with stories and photos, almost like a virtual travel journal(but also a way to keep you all updated on my adventures). You can put your email into the bar below to subscribe to updates, which will be sent to your email when I post something new. I suppose this means that next time you hear from me I will be in Wollongong! Until then, Alexa play AC/DC and Men at Work.