Australia – College Admission at Loyola

ANZAC Day 2013

By | April 29, 2013

April 25th, or ANZAC Day (Australian New Zealand Army Corps), is a day of big celebration here in Australia.

It is a day to remember the group of armed forces from both Australia and New Zealand who served during WWI.

Australian culture is particularly proud of this day– school is cancelled, businesses close early, and all the locals gather in the city to celebrate.

Common traditions include memorial services, parades and special ANZAC cookies. I am fortunate enough to have an Australian roommate that makes these delicious cookies every year. The story behind them is that the wives all got together to bake and send them to the troops during the war. They are made with special ingredients to help them last quite a while. I highly recommend them. Here is a link to the recipe if you want to try your own: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/anzac-biscuits-i/.

Aside from the food, the festivities in the city were a great sight to see. People were heading into central Melbourne as early at 7 a.m. to avoid the traffic and get a jump start on the day. The parade included everything from little children playing instruments to military officers marching in uniform.

Although it obviously meant something different for me than it did for the Australians, it was a great experience for me to witness and be a part of as an international student.

Sydney, Australia

By | April 17, 2013

Break part two! Sydney was probably number one on my list of places to visit while studying abroad in Australia. Calling it beautiful is an understatement.

When I stepped out of the airport and got my first views of the city, I was instantly reminded of Chicago, which was really comforting to me. The crowds, skyscrapers and business are all the similar, but have a European twist.

Despite the rain, my friends and I were determined to make the best of the small amount of time before break ended.

Of course, all the major tourist areas were our first priority. We were lucky enough to catch a young tour guide that showed us around and knew all the history and fun facts behind the city and monuments.

All the action was on the harbor, they had several lookout spots that viewed the bridge, opera house, and dozens of fancy cruise ships. I went into semi-shock standing on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. We made a completely full day out of walking around and gazing at all the sights.

On Saturday, the locals were running their weekend tradition, the markets. Either you’re there featuring your own specialty, or you’re shopping around for something unique and artsy. They had everything from baked goods to Aboriginal paintings.

We filled the rest of the time trying out restaurants, different neighborhoods and reccommended night spots. I can definitely say that I will never forget the memories I have made over this break. There is something liberating and empowering about being young, living your life and seeing the world.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” -Mark Twain

Koalas and Kangaroos and Devils, Oh My!

By | April 9, 2013

Easter break gave me my first real opportunity to travel and see what Australia has to offer beyond Melbourne and Victoria.

I never in my life thought I would get to see Tasmania, but I did and it was beyond beautiful. I’ve been lucky enough to have met friends here at school that have the same travel intentions and desire to explore the world as I do.

We spent the first days of break on Hobart, which is Southern Tasmania. At first glance I was shocked to see the amount of hills, trees and green space in general. Something very different from the city life in Melbourne.

We spent the first day climbing the famous Mount Wellington, one of the highest points in Tasmania. The weather was chilly, but we got some amazing sights out of it, including a waterfall view which I had never seen before.

The second day we traveled to Richmond, Tasmania to go to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. Being an animal lover, this was naturally my favorite day. I touched a koala bear, saw a tasmanian devil and best of all fed a kangaroo.

The third day, our last day, we stayed in central Hobart to explore the city. This basically meant that we spent way too much money on food and shopping. Lunch was compliments of the Hobart port, where things like fish and chips or calamari was all you could find to eat. I also collected various Tasmanian trinkets and souvenirs for friends and family back home.

There are still a few more days of break left, so check back to find out where my next Australian adventure takes me!

The Game of Footy

By | March 27, 2013

Footy – it’s a big deal. I finally got the opportunity to see my first match, as the season here is just starting to kick off. This match was just a scrimmage at my school in preparation for the upcoming games, but it was still great fun.

In my opinion, the game resembled something between soccer, rugby and football. I have to say I don’t know how accurate that is though, because it was a game unique to any other I had seen before.

Basically, the objective is to get the ball down-field and kick it into the goal to score. There are two teams of 18 players on the field at once. I think the thing that makes it so unique are the passing methods– drop kicking, handing off and bounce passes are all common.

Hopefully as the season goes on I can understand the rules more clearly. I might even get the chance to try my own hand at footy and add it to my list of growing firsts.

Beach Welcome Trip

By | March 13, 2013

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.

Hello from Melbourne, Australia

By | March 3, 2013

After 31 hours of traveling, I’m finally here! The feeling is incredible. I’ve worked for months making sure I was prepared by reading books, filling out paperwork and visiting advisors. As I stepped out of the airport I knew it was finally time for the pay off!

The first and biggest difference I noticed about being in Australia is the weather. Right before I walked into the O’hare airport in Chicago, I tossed my heavy winter coat back into the car hoping I made the right choice. It was a good one – I’ve been here for about a week now and the weather has been upper 90s everyday.

This week has been a crazy one to say the least. Finding wifi, buying food, exchanging currency and brushing up on the metric system were all adjustments I had to make. However, I finally feel like I am settling in. None of this would have been possible without the support of the friends and family I left behind. Each time I see a good sight, I instantly think of them and wish they could experience it with me. I’m doing my best to photo document the trip, but I am finding that nothing can capture how beautiful the views here actually are.

Along with people back home, I have found a few angels along the way. The first day I arrived was a rough one. I was jet lagged, had no food or any idea how to get some and I was really feeling the stress of being so far away from home. I have five roommates that immediately took me in, literally. They taught me how to ride the tram, gave me food and most importantly gave me my first connection to finding friends. I have also really bonded with a group of five girls from various parts of the U.S. and Canada, which is what has really helped this place feel like home.

This is just the beginning – many adventures and stories lie ahead here in the land down under!