I came to Australia with my mom. After a near death experience, an annoyingly long lay over due to the plan being diverted to South Carolina, and the airline losing our luggage, my mom and I made it to Sydney, kicking off our week-long adventure in Australia. Since this is not the point of the blog post, I’ll leave it at this: where we went was beautiful; we had our moments, but overall had an amazing time; and I love my mom.
So, flash forward a week, and my mom and I pull up to UOW accommodation. I think my face was the color of a tomato. Yes, partly because I was severely burnt from my time in the Whit Sundays, but mostly from the besiegement of worries that hit me on the car ride from Sydney to Wollongong, things I did not even think about until that moment.
Just for some background. My home university in NYC does not offer a program to Wollongong. The only programs in Australia offered did not fit my interests. So, naturally, being who I am, I petitioned to study abroad in Australia through an exterior program, CIEE. Every single one of my friends went abroad in Europe, most all together in London, and only one other person from my Uni is abroad in somewhere in Australia. Essentially, I elected to come to Australia alone, friendless.
An optimistic and daunting feat that hit me on that hour and a half car ride to UOW. To say I was overwhelmed would be a gross understatement. I was scared shitless. Pulling in, I walked to the counter with an air of confidence that masked my actual fear. I surprised myself with how smoothly it was handled, if I’m being honest.
I checked in and headed to my room. After the senior leader, my now flat mate and close friend, dropped me off, I realized I was alone. Completely fucking alone.
How it did not hit me that I would have to make all new friends in a place half way around the world with none of my normal comforts? I don’t understand either. I felt like a freshman all over again. Fuck, I was nervous. I called friends from home, texted my parents, and stressed over the idea that “I have no friends.”
After calming down from being dramatic, my parents reminded me that I had been there for only an hour and well, ya that’s about it. But logic was not in the cards for me.
After unpacking, I met my mom at Steamer’s (a delicious restaurant on the water in Wollongong) for our last dinner and wow was that a nice escape from what felt like an abandoned campus of unfamiliar bodies. Delicious food and a margarita settled my nerves.
I opened the door of my Uber back from dinner to gray hazy skies and the overwhelmingly bright light of what was now my new home, a weird concept that rolled around in my stomach all the way up the stairs to my room.
I guess awkward encounters make for awesome friendships, right? In my case, yes. Walking down the hall of my flat to my room I felt, well, shitty. I was anxious about what was to come and sad to leave my mom. But, a bit of comic relief shook these feelings when I just about walked into my roommate Alex as he left the shower in his towel.
And the rest is history. Literally, it has been a whirlwind. I met his friends. I met more people and we are all friends now. Once I snapped out of my stressed-out mood, I remembered why I came to Australia with such confidence and lack of concern for being alone: I am independent, and I am capable. Regaining this perspective has been super important for me.
So, take the leap, go alone, and enjoy the amazing feeling of being independent and doing something that excites adventure in your life 🙂
Catch ya!
Em
Em n Jules in OZ 