Beach Welcome Trip

Beach Welcome Trip

This week past week, I got the amazing experience of visiting Lorne, Australia. Lorne is a beach town about three hours from where I am staying in Melbourne.

My host university set up this trip for all the international students, as a chance for us to meet each other as well as settle into Australian life and culture.

Even on the way there, I knew it was going to be an amazing trip. We drove on cliffs where we could see the ocean, mountains and trees. I also have officially spotted my first wild kangaroo in the forest, a big accomplishment for me.

After having lunch and unpacking in our beach houses, we were divided into six groups for the various activities. These activities included surfing, beach yoga, mountain biking, hiking and beach games.

Right off the bat, I was up for surfing. I can say it was quite an experience, not an easy one. Out of the two hours we were in the water, I was only able to plant my feet on the board twice, which was actually impressive. My body was definitely sore the next day, but I am confident I will have another try at it.

My second favorite of the activities that we did throughout the week was the mountain biking. This too was challenging because of the hilly, sandy terrain in Australia. Nonetheless, it was beautiful.

This trip was the first time I felt like I was settling in here in Australia. I am constantly reminding myself to stop and take a look at the beauty around me, a sight much different from Chicago. This is exactly what I was hoping for in the study abroad experience and I couldn’t be more thankful that it is happening to me.

Throughout this blog I hope to be an inspiration to those who are thinking of studying abroad during their time in college as well as spark a thought to those who haven’t even considered it.

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