The past week and a half since I got home has been a bit of a whirlwind. My parents wasted no time finding things for me to do around the house, and I have been trying to work as much as I can at Blue Ribbon BBQ (Still the best BBQ in Boston). Sudbury is a sleepy town when nobody your age is in it (although its pretty sleepy even when my friends ARE home). Luckily friends will start to come home this weekend for Thanksgiving, and Turkey day will be followed by my return to Greenville.
Before I reflect on the experience as a whole, I first thought I would give you a quick overview of my trip to Australia. Here are some of the highlights:
Melbourne-Walking 9 miles from St. Kilda to Melbourne city.
-The Chicken Parma scene-Melbournians love their Chicken Parma (over fries of course). How this scene developed I couldn't tell you but those who are a part of it take it pretty seriously.
-The nightlife-amazing.
Sydney-Coogee Beach, my home for two nights. So easy and laid back. The walk to Bondi Beach along the bluffs will take your breath away
-Sydney as an icon: Sydney is one of those places that when you get there you cannot believe that you have actually made it there. Standing in front of the bridge and Opera House definitely makes you feel that way. I was lucky enough to actually get to see a show in the Opera House as well.
Byron Bay-Much like most beaches and surf spots in Australia, Byron Bay could not have been more laid back. The people were friendly and the whole town never let you forget that you were on a beach.
-Kangaroo-I was proud that I made an unbelievable kangaroo dinner for myself at the hostel. Its a meat that I have always wanted to try and it lived up to the hype. Delicious.
-Brisbane-Getting to pet kangaroos and hold Koalas is something that seems truly Australian.
Overall, Australia was a great end to the trip. The beaches are unlike any in the world. Its beauty may match that of New Zealand, but in far different ways. They really are not even comparable.
Thanks to Susannah Kelly, Kristin Tanabe, and Adam Mark for putting me up, showing me a good time and saving me some money along the way-always crucial in Aussie!
A lot of people have asked me what I took away from the experience. My response, though different every time, has lacked luster. In all honesty, I don't know how to describe it. You can try to describe the friendliness of the people or the natural beauty of the land, but no simple adjective would really do it justice. I would be lying if I said that I had the perfect study abroad experience but, if I were to look back on my goals for the trip, I think that I got out of it everything that I wanted to.
Furman has a way of grinding you down. People say that there is a bubble around Furman and until you escape it you don't really realize that its true. I knew that I needed to get away for a semester and try my hand at something new. Furman's strengths are its weaknesses as well. Its a close knit community, but it sometimes feels like everyone is in your business. My hope was that in leaving for a semester I would come back feeling refreshed and ready to get back to the bubble. Sure enough, I am refreshed and more than ready to return.
You know the old saying "You don't know what you've got till it's gone"? Well I have never felt more confident that the saying is true. There are certain aspects about Furman that will always be frustrating and I admit that. But what the New Zealand experience taught me is that I need to have my priorities in order. At the top of that order is friends. I don't mean doing everything for the fraternity-something I got far too caught up in-so that we can all have a good time together. I mean actually spending quality time with them. Sitting around the apartment with some beers laughing and picking on each other. That should be priority number one.
Priority 1A? Grades. However, I was obviously (well...maybe) smart enough and had the work ethic to come to Furman in the first place. So learning in my opinion will fall into its place if you devote enough time to it (it is here that the reassessing priorities comes into play).
There's a lot of stuff that falls below the two that I mentioned above. Extracurriculars (this is where time towards the fraternity should be focused), club sports, etc. All important, but not nearly as important as the two above.
Admittedly, I did not have my priorities in order when I left. But I know that I will now.
I would be wrong to not include family. When I am at school, my friends may become my family, but I have never had a greater appreciation for the group of people that are waiting for me back in Sudbury, Southborough, New Hampshire, North Carolina etc. From my grandparents to my sisters, parents to my dog, it was extremely hard being thousands of miles away and hours ahead. I like my proximity to my family. I'm not too close, yet not too far away. I never appreciated that enough.
One thing that I could not be more thrilled about is the revival of my relationship with reading. I ended up finishing 14 books in New Zealand, for leisure that is, which I think is more leisure reading than I have done in the last 7-8 years combined. I think part of the reason for this is the lack of distractions. When I was not traveling, I was cooped up in Hamilton. When I face this situation at school, inevitably one of my friends will always be there to distract me. My New Zealand American friends, as great as they were, were never really kicking me in the butt to come out. This allowed me to have a lot more time with my kindle.
I legitimately believe that reading makes you smarter. It sounds simple but I think far too many people take that for granted. I have opinions on so many more topics purely from the books that I read in New Zealand. It stimulates the brain and makes you think. That can never be a bad thing.
Finally is my relationship with Walker. From reading this blog, you would probably think that Walker is my best friend at school. Truth be told, he and I did not hang out as much as one might think at Furman. But through our travels I learned a lot about him. I can't speak for Walker, but I would hope that he would feel the same way about me. I couldn't have asked for a better travel buddy. We may have gotten sick of each other over the two weeks that we were with each other seemingly 24 hours a day, but I think that we can now consider each other to be two of the closer friends that each of us has at school. One of our mutual friends said that he did not expect us to hang out as much as we did. To that friend and the rest of our school buddies I would say that you cannot really understand how lucky we are to have each other (and I mean all 15 of us, you know who you are) until you are separated from the group. Wait until graduation. You'll see. In the end, I don't know what I would have done without one of my friends to travel with me. Thank goodness for Walker!
If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.-Ecclesiastes 4:10
So that's my journey. I don't know if there will be much on this blog anymore, but if there is I will be sure to let you know. I would like to firstly thank those who helped to make my experience in New Zealand unforgettable. Walker, being able to travel with a friend made the experience 1000 times better. To my American friends that I made in New Zealand, I hope that we will be able to reunite soon. To my kiwi friends and Bryant Hall mates, thank you for helping to make the transition into the New Zealand way of life seamless. To those I met along the way, I hope that your journeys are filled with joy, fun and adventure. As mine were.
And to all of my readers-friends, family, and those who helped me reach over 3000 hits, THANK YOU. You are the reason I kept this going throughout.
Kia Ora,
Wilson
Praise the Lord, everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom. -Psalm 103:22
