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When I was looking to study abroad in Australia I immediately knew I wanted to go through a program where I would be living off campus and with other new international students. I was referred to The Education Abroad Network (TEAN) by a friend who went abroad the previous year and I can truly say it was the best decision I made before leaving the states. They walked me through the steps of retaining a travel visa, enrolling in the university I would be studying at, and also had a 5 day orientation that began the minute I got off the plane in Sydney. The immediate immersion into Australian life made all of my nerves disappear and it was extremely helpful meeting new students and several of the girls I would be living with for the entire semester right away. TEAN organized two excursions throughout the semester, one to Cairns before classes began and another to Thailand (or New Zealand, but I chose to go to Thailand for the elephants) during Spring Break. Having the option to go through a guided trip of new areas was amazing and I experienced things I never would have been able to plan on my own such as a day trip to an island off of Cairns, or spending the night in a local village in Thailand. During my stay in Sydney, TEAN went above and beyond with the housing as the beach was my backyard and even helped me find an amazing internship at the start of the semester! With in-country staff always available for help, I never felt unsafe and the TEAN staff were always giving us heads up about any events taking place all across New South Wales. When I got sick in Thailand, the group leader knew exactly what to do and had everything I needed to offset the nausea and dehydration. I honestly do not know what I would have had to do had she not been there and lived in Thailand and other countries in the past where the food sickness was common due to the water. She made sure that I along with the rest of the group was still enjoying our time in the beautiful country and made me want to one day travel as much as she has. Going through TEAN opened my life up to the endless possibilities of working abroad and traveling the world. They never babied me and I knew that I had to figure out most things on my own which in turn allowed me to grow personally. This made me realize how much I can accomplish once I set my mind to something, especially when I took one last trip in the semester alone, as this was something I had never done before but know that I will probably have to do it for future jobs and events.