New Normal

Week 7 Aussie Slang Lesson: Tracky Dacks = Sweatpants/ joggers I have been in Australia over 50 days now, and my program is just about halfway finished. When I hear that in numbers, I begin to panic, because I haven’t done everything here that I intend to do. So much to do, so little time. …

Outside City Limits

Aussie Slang Lesson Week 6: Buck/Hen party = bachelor/bachelorette party I’m not sure whether to believe it or not, but this wraps up my 6th week on the Gold Coast. It’s been a full week here with multiple people celebrating birthdays, so we planned some parties as a group for them! October 4th was World …

This is Only the Beginning

Campus Uniqueness This week was nothing less than a dream. It went by so fast, yet I have moments I will hold on to forever. Let me begin by telling you about one of the campus activities at UNSW. On Thursday night, we had a large campus get together where everyone was inclined to wear …

Trying New Things

Week 5 Aussie Slang Lesson: Brekkie = Breakfast This week has been much quieter than last weekend in Sydney. Classes are ramping up, so I have spent a lot of time completing homework and working on a paper that is due this coming week. For classes, I am taking Australia: Culture and Identity, Intro to …

Sydney Special

Aussie Slang Week 3 (I forgot) and Week 4: Lift = Elevator & Thongs = Flip Flops This past weekend, a group of my friends and I traveled to Sydney, Australia for a long weekend. Eight of the students from the TEAN program attend the University of New South Wales, so we went to stay …

We Had Visitors!

The Bracelet Before I tell you about my past week, I need to give you some background on a bracelet I was wearing since the day I left to study abroad. I was at a market in Hawaii earlier this summer where there were over one hundred different shops and a billion different items being …

Caring for My Mental Health Abroad

This week I have done a lot of exploring, both in the city and within myself. My friends and I have become comfortable enough in our lodgings that we are willing to venture further beyond now to see some new cities and what they have to offer. It would seem that this entire journey is …

Reality has Never Been so Fun!

Classes have begun This past week, we started our classes. I am taking Consumer Behavior, Social Media, and Sydney Landscapes & History. When comparing the course load and grading system to Hope College, there are many differences. For instance, you are never graded on your homework and the professor would not know if you did …

Surfing Into Week 3

Aussie Slang Lesson: Week 2: Op shop = Thrifting The last week has been a blur of getting settled in our apartment and starting at our uni (slang for college) for the semester, Bond University. We had orientation, which included a school-sanctioned pub crawl (of the pubs around campus- just a little different than the …

To a new city, and new beginnings!

This week was full of adjustments and learning curves. I currently am writing this in my room which has a window and balcony. It is comforting to wake up to the Australian sun every morning. My living quarters consist of 4 other roommates. Four of them are from the states and one is from Beijing! …