What inspired you to travel abroad?
I decided that 2020 was going to be the year that I pushed myself out of my comfort zone. My near year’s resolution for that year was that I was going to say yes to any opportunity that presented itself.
I decided to try something that I had never done before and that was to travel solo across the world. To this day this is the best decision I have ever made.
We had to get a photo with this adorable quokka! Look at that cute smile on him!
Why did you choose TEAN (The Education Abroad Network)?
I wanted to go to a place that had a warm climate. I looked at all the schools with these criteria, then narrowed it down by places that would suit my major program requirements the best. Then I looked at all the programs that worked with the school that I wanted to go to. I saw that TEAN had great reviews from past alumni so I decided to go with them and I can confirm that all the alumni reviews were 100% correct!
What was your favorite part about your host country/city?
The culture surrounding the outdoors! Whenever anyone had free time people always wanted to be outdoors. Some professors even held their classes outside.
In between classes students would be outside sunbathing, playing volleyball, or even go surfing if they had worn their bathing suit to class. On weekends everyone would go to the beach or go do some kind of fun activity that always involved nature.
Hang loose! This was right before we took surfing lessons and had such a blast!
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
The people I met. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, our time in Australia was cut short, but even with the short amount of time that I was in Australia, I made so many close bonds with people from all over the world. I still talk to everyone very regularly and have been making plans to someday be able to meet up again and explore other parts of the world.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
From the moment that my plane had landed in Australia, my TEAN mentors were by my side. They helped us get assimilated into Australian culture and helped us be able to have opportunities to make our experiences personal and allowed us to have a truly authentic Australian experience.
Did your program provide specific pre-departure Covid support? If yes, tell us what kind of support you received.
TEAN was amazing when it came to the COVID-19 pandemic. They knew that all of us were scared of the unknown and they made sure to check in with all of us at all times to make sure we were okay.
They monitored the situation closely and kept us and our families back home in the loop of what was going on. When it was time for us to leave they helped us to book our emergency flights back home and helped us with the refund process from our programs/housing accommodations.
How did your program help you stay (and feel) safe abroad amidst the ongoing pandemic?
My program TEAN was very transparent with us about everything that was going on. They were in constant communication with us and never once kept us in the dark about what was happening and what they were thinking.
When our program finally decided to pull our program out of Australia, they helped us all navigate the travel accommodations for back home. I was never alone during the entirety of the journey.
Hiking with a group of friends around Rottnest Island had the most unique views.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
I was only in Australia for a short amount of time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I wish I had planned and planned out more of what I wanted to do while I was there. I wish I had jumped in right away and tried to do one new thing a day because there is so much more I wish I could have learned about their culture.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
I would go to the store on the weekend to buy food for the week. On school mornings I would wake up and get ready. I would pack my lunch for the day. Meet up with my friends to walk to campus.
I would go to class and in between classes I would see my friends in the courtyard. After school, we would catch the bus to go to the beach then either eat dinner on the beach or go home and cook. On weekends or days off of school, we would do fun things like go into town to go shopping, spend the day at the beach, do things like surfing, or watch movies
Eat up! I was able to feed a kangaroo during feeding time at the zoo! It was so cool!
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
One of my favorite memories from Australia was after classes were over for the day and all the homework that had to be completed was done, my friend and I would get food from the store and take a bus to the beach. We would have a picnic, swim in the ocean, and watch the sunset over the water.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
I lived in Murdoch’s on-campus housing. Their housing was set up as apartment-style living. We had laundry rooms, a pool, a Game Center, and a recreational house with a kitchen. The housing was about a half-mile walk from the campus so the commute to class was very easy.
I lived in a spacious five-bed two bath apartment with three other girls (the fourth girl ended up not being able to move in due to the travel bans from Covid). My favorite thing about the housing was the pool. The campus was always hosting events at the pool so it was a very easy way to socialize.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
Go into your program knowing that every country is different. Everyone has different cultures, views, and just everyday ways of life. I think that the best piece of advice is to go into your program with an open mind and be willing to try everything.
You learn so much more by being able to fully immerse yourself in the experience. Be open to learning from your peers about their cultures and just try to live in the moment!
Hugs all around! We had a great time seeing all the animals at the local zoo.
Would you recommend TEAN to others? Why?
Yes yes yes!!! I loved TEAN. They were so good about communicating with every student from the moment we applied to the program, to getting to the airport, to landing at our destination, to leaving.
They hold your hand and help you navigate through everything. They create such a great learning environment through opportunities and experiences. They are also very good about keeping everyone in the loop from staff members, to students, to our families back home.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
Not only do you learn about the country that you go to, but you learn about so many other countries through the connections you make with the people you meet. I met people from all over the world and by making those connections I have learned so much about their cultures. Also by making these solid friendships, I have opened doors for more travel to learn about other places in the world.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
Thinking back to my time abroad, I am so thankful for my open-mindedness. By being open-minded I have been able to do so much networking all over the world. I think back to all the things I tried that I would have been scared to try if I hadn’t been open-minded and it shows me that I am capable of doing anything! I can be okay traveling across the world, I can be okay making new friends, and I can be okay trying new foods and new activities!
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel to me means that I step outside the box. I try not to do the experiences that are cultivated for tourism, instead, I try to find the experience that allows me to experience what the locals experience. I like to do what the locals do for fun or eat at the small hole-in-the-wall family restaurants. I think that to me, meaningful travel means authenticity.
