Do you ever have those moments? You know, those moments where you decide you could be content forever if time decided to never tick forward a minute more? I've had those moments, and the majority of them were in Melbourne, staring down from a rooftop while Passenger played from a dingy laptop and friends from four different countries sat around me in makeshift chairs staring down at the city lights below. It was magic. I'd wanted to go abroad since high school but had never been further than the United States because I always saw finances as an obstacles that only grew larger. After attending a global studies session, I realized the only thing stopping me from applying was fear of the unknown. The thought lightened my heart, made me stop at nothing until all paperwork was in my past and only Australia loomed in the future; what a beautiful sight it was! I met people who changed my life, saw post-card landscapes that will never be recaptured no matter how many times I look at the pictures, and discovered parts of myself I never knew existed. I became a better writer though immersing myself in the Melbourne creative writing community and fell in love with Aussie flora and fauna. I met people from all over the world just to realize a friend is not made but discovered, because once met, you realize you've known each other your whole lives. Or at least, it feels that way. I never felt unsafe in Melbourne, even when I explored the city on foot alone taking in the hidden laneways lined with cafes and stood in awe of beautiful displays of graffiti gracing streets full of both new and old architecture that took my breath away. (Well, there was that one time I almost stepped on a venomous snake while trekking with friends, but that was outside the city.) The Unilodge housing was mediocre but the company, free food, and the fact that I could see the Uni from my window more than made up for it. The one time I got sick a few weeks after arriving, I was so relieved when an Irish friend I'd just met the week before came up to check on me and walked down to the local Woolworths to pick up standard over-the-counter meds. I was so thankful to have friends I could trust and was full recovered in no time.The UNC-Chapel Hill program at Melbourne Uni changed my life, I would recommend it to anyone who wants to experience self-discovery, meet once-in-a-lifetime friends, and fall in love with a culture so different yet familiar to our own.
What would you improve about this program?
I wish they had prepared me a bit more for how currency exchanges worked and how it was better to open an Australian bank account. I feel as if I had to endure an awful lot of paper work when it came to acquiring an Aussie bank account, purchasing an international track phone, and signing up for my classes. Maybe having introductory sessions where previous program attendees can walk you through those specific processes beforehand. (Then again, it's hard to know what questions to ask before you get there if it's a first-time experience!)
