“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quiestest chambers. – Pat Conroy

Today is my one month marker until I come home. For the last month or so I have been so excited to return home. I have been so excited to see my family again, my friends and have all my favorite foods at my fingertips (chipotle anyone?). I am still excited for all these things. However, I have realized in the past few days how much my excitement was clouding my sadness and despair about leaving this amazing country that I have been living in for the past five months.

My sister is in Australia now and I am so excited for her to be here and experience everything I love about this country. I missed her. A strange thing happened though once she got here, I felt sad, annoyed, angry even. Not because she was here, I love that she is here (because she is the best...shout out: SUP HILY!) but because apart of home was here. A part of home was encroaching on what had become familiar, disturbing this amazing experience and I wasn't ready for that to happen. I am not ready to accept that in less than one month I will have to return to what used to be. I have grown so much, I have become so much more independent. I have changed.

Studying abroad is definitely the best decision I have ever made in my life and anyone who has the chance to do it, should. Anyone who has the chance to travel should. I found this quote that I really love about traveling:

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” - Mark Jenkins

I totally relate to this. I have seen so much while I have been here...successful cities with thriving and booming economies (except for right now because Australia's stock market crashed so now the US dollar is worth 10 cents more, which is SUPER) to extreme poverty on the island of Fiji. I have encountered the nicest of people and have experienced so many different cultures. I have tried new things and I just feel so much more well rounded, the world is no longer black and white and it will never be again.



Melissa