As I reflect on my semester abroad in Australia, I've realized that I will really miss some things. Australia has been my favorite semester, so far, and I'm honestly not sure how any other semester could top it. Here are a few of those things.
1. Tim Tams.
Not sure how I went my entire life without knowing these exist. They are a godsend.
2. Milo.
Not sure how I went without this, either. You mix it in with hot or cold milk, and it's utterly delicious.
3. Airlines.
They are top-notch, here. You have the budget airlines like Tiger Air and JetStar, which are cheaper and give you less. You also have top-tier airlines, such as Qantas and Virgin Australia. They are awesome. They serve you a small snack or meal on every flight, often serve free alcohol, and offer movies, TV shows, music and other in-flight services. This can be accessed on the TV monitors, or on the app on smaller flights. Qantas even has personalized iPads on certain flights.
4. Being legal.
I'll admit, it was really exciting to come to another country and be legal to go out to clubs, or buy wine from the liquor store. With the 21-year-old drinking age I'm accustomed to, you can't do anything of this. Instead, you rely on cheap beers in the basement of various houses. Going out here was way more fun. It was also exciting because nearly everyone there is legal at 18, so you can have fun with everyone. Going out is not reserved for the upperclassmen.
5. Great weather.
When I first arrived, it was blazing hot. I'll admit, it wasn't fun. Once it leveled out, it was fun to be able to wear shorts and sandals all the time. Even in their winter, which is right now, it is fairly mild. It does not get any lower than 50 degrees fahrenheit (10 degrees celcius) at the absolute coldest (but this depends where in Australia you are). I didn't have to bundle up with my big puffy coat, gloves, boots, and hat. I could wear jeans and a sweatshirt and be OK.
6. The slang.
I've picked up so much slang being here. At first, it felt like everyone was speaking a different language, but now I've learned so much, and use it in my daily life. I will definitely miss hearing it all the time and will continue to use it in the U.S.
7. Traveling.
Being able to travel around was so incredible. I could spend a few days in a new city and experience a lot of culture. I got to see the Great Barrier Reef, the Opera House and the Remarkable Rocks to name a few. I became really good at navigating airports, public transportation and travel websites by myself.
8. Rugby.
I have to admit it, I still don't get it. But I completely realized how big it is there, and I tried to get into it. I went to Fresher rugby games and watched the State of Origin with people in my wing. I didn't really get it, but I tried to be a part of it as best I could.
9. Ibises.
I love to hate them. They are weird looking, annoying, and just all-around odd birds. However, I will miss seeing them around campus and having them get too close to me.
10. Cheap wine.
This is the majority of what I drank. You could buy cheap boxed wine (goon), or bottles of Whispers for $5 a bottle. Because it's so cheap, this is what nearly all the college students drink.
11. Vegemite.
Even though I still think it's one of the most disgusting things I've ever eaten, I'll still miss it simply because it's so perfectly Australian. I'll miss having everyone ask me if I've tried it and if I've liked it, and being lectured when saying I didn't like it.
12. Sausage sizzles.
There's nothing like an Aussie barbecue. I learned that the proper way to eat a sausage is on a piece of white bread with onions and tomato sauce (ketchup).
13. Good Instagrams.
I posted way more pictures on Instagram than I normally do. Why? Because I had so many cool things to take pictures of and show off. Everyone needs to see the cool things I'm seeing and doing too, right? This also applies to Facebook. Sorry for uploading 2,389,572,359 pictures of Australia. I promise some weren't uploaded, but for real -- look at all these cool things.
14. Koalas and kangaroos.
Did I even go to Australia if I didn't see them? I went to a wildlife sanctuary and got to hold and be photographed with a koala and play with, feed, pet and cuddle kangaroos. This was something I was most excited for, and it certainly didn't disappoint.
15. The atmosphere.
This is probably the hardest for me to explain. I remember talking to my mom on one specific occasion and telling her I loved it here. She asked me what I loved about it. This was hard for me to pin down. I just loved being here. I loved the sunny weather. I loved the beaches. I loved walking on campus. I loved all the nice people I'd met. Seriously, everyone is so nice. I loved being part of a community. I loved being able to walk around and know lots of people. I loved the ambiance. I loved it all. I just felt really happy and like I belonged. It just felt right.
16. College life.
Living in a college was, by far, my favorite part of living in Australia. I made such incredible friends, both with other exchange students and the Australian students living there. I found myself missing Emmanuel after traveling for a few days at a time, and it really began to feel like home.
There were always tons of events, which gave me plenty of opportunity to hang out with everyone and have a good time. Saying goodbye to the friends I made was definitely the hardest, especially not knowing when I'd see them again. I've been sad knowing that they'll come back and have fun without me, but I am grateful for the time I had with everyone. I'll definitely miss having people call me by my fresher name, Blepper, as weird as it was.
There are not many things that I won't miss about Australia. If I had to pick some, I'd say, I won't miss everyone asking me about the American election, the wi-fi (really slow pretty much everywhere), and the expensive alcohol. Other than that, I know I'll be missing it all for a very long time until I come back again one day. I'm not sure when that will be, but it will be one day soon (hopefully).
