I got to spend the Fall 2019 semester in Brisbane Australia at the Queensland University of Technology and it was amazing. I was fortunate to live in the middle of the city meaning I was walking distance from the university, train stations, malls, and nightlife. I developed independence and self-confidence that I didn’t know I was lacking.
Experiencing “Australian Culture” was eye-opening for the sole reason that simply being kind is part of who they are. I did not meet a single rude person in my time, everybody was willing to help me out or point me in the right direction when I needed it. It just made me want to be kinder to the people I meet in my day to day in the states. A little kindness goes such a long way.
This is an example of my perfect day in Brisbane. I am a huge Theme park fan, one of the first things I bought was a season pass to the local theme park and I absolutely got my money worth out of it. Imagine waking up early in the morning, the sun just rises as you walk out onto the nearly empty city streets. You walk to the train station, passing through the Saturday market that’s being set up for later in the day. An hour train ride later, you arrive at the theme park, spend a couple of hours, and head back after lunch. That night, you eat dinner with a group of other Abroad students from all over the world. Chicago, Hawaii, Denmark, Norway, Germany, and the UK. You and the group head out to the local nightlife party, hosted by the university, and dance the night away.
This trip created the best memories that I’ll never forget. I still talk with my friends from around the world all the time. Brisbane was a welcoming and safe place for me to grow as a person into somebody I am proud to be.
