Lao Tzu wrote that, “a
journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” As I am about to leave
Australia and head back to the US, this quotation represents my journey both
literally and figuratively. Literally, that final step I took onto the plane two
and a half months ago lead me to the other side of the world thousands of miles
away from home. Figuratively, that final step I took was all I needed to go far
away from everything I knew. While I came to Australia expecting to work as an
au pair and explore the country, I did not initially think of coming here as a
“journey.” Losing my first job and having to figure out what the rest of my
time would look like here helped me become more resilient and independent, as I
tried to be mindful of how much money I spent, looked for another job, and took
care of all the logistics related to my trips before settling with my host
family in Melbourne.
A few weeks ago, I finally
realized why I travel internationally. Sure, I have had the “travel bug” for as
long as I can remember, but as a recent college grad trying to find my place in
the world, traveling is more than just having fun and being able to post photos
on facebook so my friends and family can see where I have been. I travel
internationally so I can step out of my comfort zone and do things I previously
was unsure I—and others—thought I could do. For example, traveling solo did not
light my parents’ fire, but I felt capable enough to give it a go. After all, I
had studied abroad twice, and I saw my study abroad trips as “stepping stones”
for traveling solo. Despite the vulnerabilities I could have faced as a solo
female traveler, for the first time in my life I learned (and put into action)
that I cannot let doubts of others or my own hold me back from this amazing,
rare opportunity to travel about a country that I had only seen on a map or in
pictures. The decision to continue to travel solo in light of my parents’
concerns was not easy, but in no way do I regret it because I gained a whole
new sense of independence and understanding about myself that I would not have
if I spent the summer in Portland or Piedmont.
In less than 24 hours, I
will leave Melbourne and begin my 22-hour journey home. In case you are
wondering, my 22 hours of travel will include layovers in Auckland and LA. I am
anticipating both culture shock and major jet lag. Though Australia is very
similar to the US in many ways, it is also quite different, especially in how
open, friendly, and laid-back people generally are. However, I predict that I
might experience more “culture shock” when I am in DC because it is probably
more fast-paced than here. While I have never had any trouble with jet lag when
I came back from Europe, I expect to have a harder time adjusting to California
time due to the 17 hour time difference between there and Australia. Two and a
half months is the longest I have been out of the country, so sometimes it does
not quite seem real that I am here. Many times I have been in my host family’s
house or out and about around town, I felt as if I was somewhere in the US.
Though many aspects of Melbourne remind me of home, I had to remind myself that
I am on the other side of the globe. At times, I feel like these past two and a
half months were a crazy dream, as I had never imagined that I would step foot
into this amazing country. Deep down, I know I am the same Laura that I was got
on that Air New Zealand flight on May 19, yet have changed so much.
Well, my friends, this
entry concludes my blog posts from Australia. I will try to post an entry or
two so you can see how my transition back to the US is going. But before I
finish my last post, let me finish with a little help from singer/songwriter
Cat Stevens.
Well, I left my happy home to see what I could find
out
I left my folk and friends with the aim to clear my
mind out
Well, I hit the rowdy road, and many kinds I met
there
Many stories told me of the way to get there
So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out
There’s so much left to know, and I’m on the road to
find out
Well, in the end I’ll know, but on the way I wonder
Through descending snow, and through the frost and
thunder
Well, I listen to the wind come howl, telling me I
have to hurry
I listen to the robin’s song saying not to worry
So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out
There’s so much left to know, and I’m on the road
to find out
Thank you so much for
following my adventures! Now let me say so long, farewell, au revoir, adios,
auf wiedershen, and goodbye, Australia!
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