Deciding to take the Leap

I’m sure I broke my parents hearts a little in high school when I said I wanted to go to college far away from home. The part that I don’t think I was able to clearly articulate at 17 was that it wasn’t about being far away, it was about experiencing something totally new and different than what I had grown up with in Maryland. I wanted to see another area of the country, another city. I wanted to meet people with different experiences.

Of course, I ended up just an hour away in Washington D.C. But American University fulfilled everything I needed it to. Being in DC gave me so much - friends who became my go-to travel partners, more experience than I really wanted with awkward public transportation encounters, and the ability to acquire free food wherever I am. The basics.

I started visiting friends over the summers in Chicago, Boston, New York. I got the travel bug for sure. My junior year, I really wanted to study abroad in New Zealand or Australia, but quickly figured out the programs there wouldn’t be the best in supporting the credits I needed. I also had friends who would be in Europe and recognized I might not have the opportunity to have built-in travel guides and places to stay...so Italy it was!

But that lingering desire to travel to Australia stayed with me. I don’t have a great explanation why. English speaking is definitely a plus (can’t say languages have ever been a strength). But I think even more so it’s just been a pull - pull to the people, the culture, the landscape. 

I’ve been hesitant to go. I’ve wanted stability and a home base. I’ve been driven by my career. I didn’t want to go alone. This summer, I figured out I would only be eligible for the work holiday visa for a few more years (easy math really, 3 years). I started thinking about the opportunity and realized that through my incessant saving, I easily could have stability, (some call it being frugal but I’d disagree! I like to travel, try new things, spend money on gifts and experiences - I just also bring my lunch to work each day and spend a weird amount of time tracking flights to get the best deal). I have the rest of my life to focus on a career and came to the point that I knew I would regret not traveling more than I would regret not pursuing professional growth. No, I wouldn’t have a home base or someone to go with me - but those are things that I’m willing to try without. I believe in my ability to build a home and community wherever I am. So hopefully that stays true in Australia!