These first few weeks have been such a whirlwind. I can’t believe I’ve already been in this country for 28 days!
When I first moved to Arcadia from a small town in Pennsylvania, I thought adjusting to life in suburban Glenside was a challenge. I expected that moving to a foreign country would be even harder for me. However, I feel at home here in Brisbane already: it’s been almost a month, but yet it feels like I’ve been here years. Of course I miss some things from home, but yet I can’t quite remember what I did before living here. The weather is beautiful, I’ve made heaps of Aussie friends, and school is going pretty well.
My first days here are a groggy, sleepy blur. Luckily, I had all of orientation week (O-Week) to help me recover from jet lag. The next week I started classes, and really settled into the groove of life here in Queensland. Already, I know I’ve made the right choice to study abroad in this location. Brisbane is such an easy-living city.
I've spent these first weeks looking for places in this city to make my own space: places that excite me or interest me or remind me of home. I love walking under the great ivy-covered metal archway that runs along South Bank. The City Botanic Gardens right by one of QUT's campuses is a great place for me to walk or lounge around between classes and appreciate this country's native flora and fauna. For breakfast, I go to a small bakery that sells fresh-baked rolls. On a sunny day, I'll read books by the man-made beach that sits right next to the Brisbane river. Doing all of this exploring has taught me a lot about Brisbane and life in Australia in general.
Things I’ve Learned During My First Few Weeks In Brisbane:
In my next few blogs, I want to cover how I’m adjusting to living in student accommodation, my Aussie university, and I have some pictures/video to share of my trip to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary (yes, I got to hold a Koala, and yes, it was awesome)!