Study Abroad Blog

I was looking back at my old blogs and I came across one about challenges I thought I would face on this trip.

 The first challenge was packing one suitcase. I succeeded in packing only one...well I did bring an extra small suitcase, but I'm not counting that one! However, I really do not know why they were so adamant about packing so little. There is not a day that goes by that I do not stop and think about something I almost bought that I need now. It is quite aggravating!

The second challenge is keeping up with world issues. I have failed at this one miserably. I think it might be because I am so busy with everything else, but I really have failed at keeping up with the world. I don't know how I am supposed to keep up with world events, Sydney events, and everything that is going on back home!

The third challenge is learning to manage my time around public transportation. This has been the most difficult. I lose SO much time on buses and trains. Thankfully, my homestay mom loaned me a bike. It has been a lifesaver.                                                   Me and my roommates on our first bikeride to school!

 It still takes 30 minutes to get to school by bike, but at least I get exercise while getting to school. Another way I have tried to utilize my time is by journaling on the train. I tend to forget my personal journal most of the time, so knowing that I have nothing else to do on a train is motivation to write.

So I guess it is obvious that the challenges I made for myself before the trip did not go over successfully. However, I think that the challenges I have faced and overcome have shaped my character more than the silly challenges I set for myself at the beginning. It is amazing the way my expectations and reality do not always match, but somehow I still end up getting a lot out of each experience I encounter.

So set goals, but do not fret if you do not always follow through... if you look back you can probably see SOMETHING accomplished along the way :)

I've continued to take boxing lessons on Sunday nights. Last Sunday was a particularly hard workout. At one point the trainer (aka my super cool priest/ philosopher/ boxing instructor!) punched me in the stomach. I learned a good lesson: always tighten your abs or you will regret it!

However, getting hit in the stomach was not nearly as bad as the sucker punch I received when I read some of my required reading for class. Here is a little exerpt:

Rich societies such as Australia seem to be in the grip of a collective psychological disorder. We react with alarm and sympathy when we come across an anorexic who is convinced she is fat, whose view of reality is so obviously distorted. Yet, as a society surrounded by affluence, we indulge in the illusion that we are deprived.

Affluenza: When Too Much is Never Enough

Clive Hamilton and Richard Denniss Page 6

Admitting that I probably fit into this category is very difficult. I don't want to admit to having a "distorted view of reality". It is easy to see the deprivation that is caused by malnutrition, but what about the amount of damage that is done by constantly reaching for the unobtainable? We convince ourselves that we will be more happy if we only have (insert ridiculous new electronic fad here). Yet, really we are just like the starving anorexic. The only difference is that it is socially acceptable to be on the "path to success". It is common to be defined by what you are wearing, what you drive, and where you live. These are the things that drive our society forward. Yet, as the society moves forward and debt is piling up, we still frantically search for our identity.

The obvious solution to the problem is to stop buying so much stuff. Give it up and leave it... then you will be happy. For some reason, this solution seems empty too. If you give everything up then you will go hungry, be cold, and furthermore, be a burden to society.

Maybe there is a better way. Maybe the key isn't what you have, but what your connections to those things are. I ask myself these questions: Can I live without my "stuff"? Is there anything that I cannot live without? Is there some materialistic item I am depending on?

I think for me the solution to this problem is to assess my connections to material items. I'll leave you with a challenge too. Reflect on what materialistic items you depend on and try to live without it for a week... who knows... maybe something positive can come from it J

My high school English teacher made us memorize quotes. I hated it at the time. In fact, I hated most of the work she gave us at the time. I've now come to appreciate the values she instilled in my life. There is one quote in particular that stuck with me. It is a small quote from Tennyson's Ulysses and in many ways it has shaped the way I look at life.

I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethrough
Gleams that untravelled world, whose margin fades
For ever and for ever when I move

Sometimes I feel like I'm living multiple lives simultaneously. It all started after high school. I was used to one church, one school, basically one way of life. Going to Judson was a great eye opening experience. I was exposed to different people with different backgrounds, views, and ideas. I was forced to learn to accept other people regardless of agreeing with them. And now, an even larger change has occurred. I'm on the other side of the world. I'm in a different culture with a different accent and a different way of life. Again, my small boxed up world must expand. However, while my mind is expanding and my horizon is changing, I find it difficult to accept that the rest of my world is going on without me. As I go exploring in the Great Barrier Reef, chase Kangaroos in the Outback, and ride my bike along the Pacific Ocean to get to school every morning, my friends are in the states enduring horrible heart break and wonderful new beginnings, my sister is going to prom for the first time, and my entire family is starting a new phase in life. Don't get me wrong, I'm thoroughly enjoying being in Australia. However, it is hard to let go of the life I once knew... the person I once was... and the life that continues without me. Though I will return home, there are memories being made that I cannot be a part of. I think this is the problem with change. I think this is the reason so many people do not venture far from their known comfort zone. Every time you leave one place, you leave behind a part of you.

So, again I will say: I feel like I'm living more than one life. It is hard to stay connected to all the people and places I want to hold dear. It becomes overwhelming at times, but I'm grateful for every person and place that has shaped me. As I continue on the journey of life, I hope to be able to hold onto the challenges and joys that have made me who I am. Regardless of where life takes me (which for me could mean ANYTHING), I hope to remember that everything I do, every person I encounter, and every place I roam is part of me. It will never be lost because it is imprinted in my character.

I cannot conjure up words powerful enough to describe my experience in the Australian outback. It was probably the most amazing place I have ever been IN MY LIFE! However, it did not start out that way.

At first, the outback adventure was not too kind to us. It rained the first day on the road as we sat in a bus filled with 40 people. The countryside was gorgeous and I could not ignore the thought of getting out of the bus and running up and down the hills. Unfortunately, it is not easy to do in a bus... so I just let my mind wonder. When we arrived in Dubbo (our stay for the night), I expected a very grungy, nasty hotel. Instead I was met with a nice family motel. In Australia, the term motor lodge or motel means a place that families can stay. There are large and small rooms depending on the size of the family. We had a nice meal at the hotel and I stayed up talking with Joi (the girl I roomed with). We ended up staying up way too late, but it was worth it to get to know her.

On our second day, we got stuck in a town called "Cobar". It is an old mining town that has been almost abandoned. The reason we were stuck is because there was so much rain that the dirt road we were supposed to use to get to Trilby Station (our final destination) was flooded. Instead of risking being stuck in the middle of a dirt road in the middle of the outback, we opted to stay in this small town. Again, we had a wonderful time despite the circumstances. Even if a little terrier JUMPED the fence and chased me and a friend when we went for a run! At night, we told life stories, ate a fabulous meal, and danced. I even got to do a little swing dancing, which I love!

We finally arrived at Mount Burrathumble at around 3 on Wednesday. Although there was much rain, there was still limited water. Our group decided to challenge ourselves to go without showers for the entire trip. Although it was only a few nights, we ended up getting extremely dirty.

Our time in the outback was incredible. We went on the back of trucks and chased Kangaroos and Emus through the fields. It was very muddy, so we got very dirty. In the evenings, we sat around a campfire sharing stories about ourselves. We ended up forming a deep bond through roughing it in the outback.

Nights in the outback were my favorite. The beauty and stillness cannot be matched by any place in the world. I slept outside both nights. The sky was filled with stars. I could see the Milky Way galaxy from where I was laying. I felt so small amongst the giant sky in the outback. Although there were many locusts, I didn't really care. It was such a wonderful place that the millions of bugs did not bother me.

I continue to learn so much about myself through every experience I encounter in Australia. There is something about separating from normal routine that catapults you into discovering unexplored areas of your life. I HIGHLY recommend any other Judson student to look into this program... or any other Best Semester program (though I'm partial to Australia).

-Christina Lee

P.S. I used the color orange because it reminded me of the outback!!!! I miss it already!