15 to 30: sydney
My Past Accomplishmente: Studying Aboard in Sydney, Australia
At the end of August 2001, my parents dropped me off at Newark Airport, bags in tow, to head half-way around the world for a semester. First I flew to Los Angeles to meet up with my fellow classmates before boarding a Quantas plane headed down under. Although I had a couple of acquaintances from Boston University participating in the program, I didn’t know very many people–a challenge for a shy girl like me.
Less than two weeks after we arrived in idyllic Australia, tragedy struck back home. We couldn’t have been further away from Ground Zero, but we were all terribly affected by the September 11th attacks. I remember I couldn’t walk through downtown Sydney without envisioning airplanes flying into skyscrapers. We attended memorial services held in the city and walked past the US Embassy to leave flowers. We hugged and cried with our teachers, most of them Australians, and tried to make sense of it all.
Somehow we forced ourselves to maintain our sense of adventure in the wake of 9/11. I’m so proud to have participated in so many activities that required me to challenge my fears, including:
- Learning how to surf
- Climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge
- Abseiling (or “rappelling”) in the Blue Mountains
- Scuba Diving off the Great Barrier Reef
- Riding in a Hot Air Balloon over Cairns
- Taking a 6-day safari from Darwin down to Alice Springs
- Oh, and getting a tattoo…
But my semester in Sydney wasn’t all about outdoor excursions. I learned about Australia’s history and art, interned at 20th Century Fox promoting new releases around town, tasted unique cuisine like emu and, of course, frequented local shops and flea markets. All in all, it was an amazing experience that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to replicate.
(my photos)
