What made this study abroad experience unique and special?
Nicole: When I researched the places that this program was going to take us, like Fiji and Perth, I found that Fiji had a lot of poverty. Without going there, I began to expect people to be closed off and maybe a little disengaged, because where I am from, when people have money issues, they tend to stress more about it.
To my surprise, when I actually arrived to Fiji and went into town, the people were so open and friendly. It was amazing to see that they were able to remain in high spirits regardless of their financial standings. Poverty in Fiji is completely different than in the US, mainly because they are a third world country, but it was inspiring to witness people who have significantly less than what a lower middle class American has and still be perfectly content with life. This experience made my trip very special.
How has this experience impacted your future?
Nicole: It is really scary to leave your home and travel across the world. Changing colleges is hard just in the US, so switching schools in a new country with little to no communication with your family or home university was challenging. Having done it successfully, I now feel more accomplished; it was huge confidence boost.
Personally, I feel like the trip had a larger effect. When I met the other students in the program, they knew nothing about me, they didn’t know who I was related to, what high school I went to or who my friends were. All I had to worry about was just being me. I made amazing friends while I was abroad, both Australian and American. This was huge for me because a lot of times people make friends based off common things like where you go to school or who you know, but I was able to make friends by just being me. It was nice. Academically there was no difference.
Tell us about an experience you had that you could not have had at home.
Nicole: There were so many experiences that I could not have had back at home. The students I met, both foreign and US were amazing, and if I never went abroad, I would not have made such great friends. The one thing that I know for certain I would never be able to experience was the perfect weather! I live in Washington State, also known as the rainy state. In February, Washington is never warm: there’s a 90% chance it’s snowing. But on February 14th while I was abroad, I was in a bathing suit on a beach in Fiji studying for an orientation exam. It was surreal.
What did AIFS do for you and what did you need to do on your own?
Nicole: The AIFS program took care of all my travel and housing. I never had to worry about paying rent on time because I paid in full before entering Australia. My flights were booked and I had no layovers or delays. What I had to do was buy my passport and visa. I had to coordinate with the school in Perth and my home institution about classes that I could take to get credit for.
I ran into a language barrier in Fiji because they speak a different language and when we took a study break in Bali. I have been to Bali before, so I can manage a conversation, but I definitely practiced while I was there again. Australia speaks English, but they have a very unique slang. It was fun learning that slang: basically, you shorten every word. The locals were very happy to teach us the languages.