Our next two stops on our journey in keeping the dream of International travel alive are New Zealand and Australia. Numerous students attend programs in these countries like the Gold Coast, Brisbane, and Sydney in Australia, and Auckland as well as Wellington in New Zealand. One TLU student that I interviewed studied in Sydney, Australia, and the other studied in Wellington, New Zealand. When going to study abroad, there are some factors and experiences that can hold individuals back including uncertainty about classes, fear of the unexpectedness abroad, and even lack of support from family. Here is a glance at some advice, what they have learned through their experiences, and the classes they were able to take.

TLU senior Lexi Call studied abroad in Sydney, Australia in the Spring of 2017 because it was her dream vacation spot. She liked that Australia was home to many different types of terrains such as beaches, desserts, and forests and wanted to bring her camera for photography. Lexi states that, “I absolutely loved it! It was the best time of my life,” when she was asked how she felt about her experience abroad. She made a point to note that it was also a growing experience for her and allowed her to find out what she was truly capable of. Her highest moment of her experience was skydiving. Lexi explained that she both felt in control of everything and out of control at the same time; it was a thrilling experience. She shared that two of her lowest moments were the day that she left all her friends to go back to the US because she was stuck between wanting to go home and staying in Australia and missing her family around Easter. The friends that she made are very important to her, and she continues to stay in touch with them. Her experience with her friends leads to her tip to give other students studying abroad, which is to find a destination that you are interested in and make friends. She encourages you to make friends that are American in the program as well as to make friends with the local people that can show you around.

In reflecting about her studying abroad experience, one of the biggest challenges that she overcame was on her first day arriving in Australia. She and a group of people from her program had difficulty finding the way back to their dorm on the first night after dinner. Once they were able to figure out the train system, they made it home safely; however, Lexi realized that she had left her phone on the train. It had a different number so, when she finally figured out the number, she borrowed an RA’s phone to call it. Someone had turned it in, and they drove to go get it. On the bright side, Lexi states that she did not really get lost after that incident.

As far as finances, her budgeting was a bit different. She had saved up a lot of money for her trip, and because her parents didn’t want her to lose her debit card, she used her credit card abroad. Her parents took the money out of her account as she spent it, so she didn’t know the amount she was spending but knew that she did not have to worry because she saved a lot for this experience.

The classes that she took were statistics that transferred back as a general math course, Indigenous Australian Cultures that counted as a history credit, a philosophy course that transferred back as a social science with a competency, and Neurophysiology that counted as Neuroscience. This helped her get closer to graduating with a major in Molecular Biology and a minor in Chemistry.

TLU senior dramatic media major Devin Taylor studied abroad in Wellington, New Zealand in the Fall of 2019 and lived in flats with three others. When he thinks about his study abroad experience, he thinks about the growth by being away from things that are comfortable, especially from friends and family. He states that it is an “opportunity to find yourself in a whole new way out of your comfort zone”. It gave him a chance to learn how to budget financially since he did not prepare entirely before he left. Devin also states that this experience made him want to branch out and talk to others. All the individuals that he met had so many interesting stories and there was so much culture, love for the land, and love for the water in New Zealand. He also points out that the most beautiful thing about studying abroad is experiencing so many things that you can adapt into your own life. For example, he takes more walks in nature now, focusing on the beauty and absorbing all the energy. When speaking to his mom, she told him that studying abroad has granted him the ability to have a greater appreciation for life, nature, and love. Devin notes that “the experience was much needed for him spiritually, emotionally, physically, in every way shape or form. He can see the growth within himself, and others can to. If you don’t take advantage of it now, who knows whenever you will get another opportunity like that.” Some tips that he wants to pass on would be to make sure you understand the currency as well as exchange rate in the country that you are going to, go abroad with an open mind and heart, learn as much as you can both inside and outside the classroom, and balance your schoolwork with your travel/exploring.

His lowest point was when he felt homesick thinking about the family that was in the states and how he was missing spending time with them. He was very lonely and did not want to burden others with his sadness, so he prayed on it. A few days later he went to try to do something about it and found a church called “Arise”. When he went, he said that there were so many smiles when the church greeted him because he was a new face and willing to go there to seek happiness. Devin met some amazing people that greeted him with laughs and hugs which was strange to him since they had just met, but the love helped break down his walls. He points out that it was at that time when he knew that he was not alone and that there was love all around him. Additionally, further stepping out of his comfort zone, he joined the choir at the church and let his abilities transform words into messages that others could receive. On the day Devin and his best friend Julia were leaving for the US, they participated in a grand performance at the church, and he states that it was an amazing experience. Furthermore, his other high moment was a chance to go to Northland in New Zealand to experience Maori culture. He states that the event was like a family reunion where there was a lot of food, family, and culture. It also gave him the chance to play rugby for the first time in their tournament where he was given the nicknames “Wheels” and “Texas” since they could not remember his name. At the end of the tournament, he was honored to win player of the tournament and felt that his team was like a brotherhood. During this experience, he was given a stone that was blessed, and it must be given to you by someone else. Devin wears this on a necklace, and the lighter colored stone represents his artistic side while the stone protects you emotionally. He says that it is powerful because even though they are from different places, it is about love.

After listening to the stories of Lexi and Devin, you can see how they each had unique experiences in New Zealand and Australia. It is true that they can go through similar experiences, but your study abroad experience is truly what you make of it. I hope that through these two individuals you can see how impactful that their study abroad stories are on their lives. On our next journey, we will meet students that studied abroad in Spain and Latin America. Stay tuned!

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Photos courtesy of Devin Taylor

Written By: Audrey West

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