So, now that I’ve been home for almost two weeks I figured it was time to write my final blog and say goodbye to IES Melbourne. To begin with let me just say if you’re scared or uncertain about studying abroad DO IT. It’s been such a rewarding and unforgettable experience. Of course at first it was daunting to be somewhere new and know zero people but that’s what makes it so exciting! Going to Melbourne on my own opened me up to so many new people and allowed me to be completely independent for almost six months. Most importantly, explore and make sure that, if you’re interested, you make the effort to get out of Melbourne as well. Travelling in and outside of Australia has been one of the highlights of my time abroad. Being able to plan my own trips with people my age and try so many crazy things like skydiving, glacier climbing, etc. while getting to see different parts of the world is something I will always appreciate and remember fondly. There were ups and downs while I was abroad but that’s to be expected. At the end of the day, being adventurous and open-minded is what made my experiences abroad what they were.
Being back in New York has been, as I said before, extremely bittersweet. Of course I missed my family and friends and NYC is home for me but after being gone for so long, it’s hard to readjust. The lack of Aussie accents, goofy lingo, driving on the “wrong” side of the road, and simply being in a different place again is a bit, well, odd. I keep saying no worries and predrink and getting funny looks but that’s only one small way I’ve realized I changed while I was abroad. I’m not saying I’m a whole new person but IES Melbourne helped me come into my own and I feel much more confident and comfortable in my own skin now that I have had time to really take risks and be myself. I can’t wait to have reunions with all of my friends from Melbourne across the globe and hopefully one day return to Australia. I may have crossed off a few things on my bucket list but I’m pretty sure I added just as many!
To finish things off here’s a list of all of the things I still look forward to doing when (not if) I make it back to Australia and New Zealand:
Go bungy jump
Get my scuba diving certification
Visit Western Australia and Perth
Go zorbing
Go to a footy game
Have my family (especially my big bro) tag along
Go cliff jumping
Cheers for now,
Ali