Semester Abroad in Australia
Zach Rogers MBA '07
Issue date: 10/11/06 Section: Johnson News
- Page 1 of 1
After 26 hours of fl ights, stops in New York, Seoul, and Sydney, and over 30 hours of total travel time, I finally arrived in Melbourne, Australia on October 11th. While I have only been here for just over a week,
I can already say that the entire day/night I spent flying was worth it. I am still getting used to the fact that when I wake up here, people on the east coast are getting ready to go to bed (14 hours ahead). However, all in all, adapting to the Australian culture has not been too difficult. It is a laid back atmosphere with something for everyone to do. There are multiple sport complexes housing Australian
Football League (AFL) and Cricket teams. Additionally, there are theaters and large historical landmarks all over the city and by the beach (summer here is approaching quickly!). Trams and trolley cars are the major method of transportation through the city, to the beach and of course, to school.
There is a China Town, a Little Italy and many other ethnicities are represented in different parts of the city; providing diverse shopping and dining experiences. So far, my biggest challenges have been in ordering coffee(there are black, long black and white coffees-and all are equally common), beer (Australians call them Jugs, not pitchers) and finding dryer sheets (I am convinced they do not sell them here)! While I am half a world away, I do plan to see other parts of Australia and surrounding countries. Currently, I am planning trips to the Australian wine country (close to Melbourne), to Cairns (for scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef) and to New Zealand. Despite being here only 1 week, I feel like I have already gotten to know the city and other exchange students pretty well. I look forward building upon these experiences over the course of the next 3 months!
I can already say that the entire day/night I spent flying was worth it. I am still getting used to the fact that when I wake up here, people on the east coast are getting ready to go to bed (14 hours ahead). However, all in all, adapting to the Australian culture has not been too difficult. It is a laid back atmosphere with something for everyone to do. There are multiple sport complexes housing Australian
Football League (AFL) and Cricket teams. Additionally, there are theaters and large historical landmarks all over the city and by the beach (summer here is approaching quickly!). Trams and trolley cars are the major method of transportation through the city, to the beach and of course, to school.
There is a China Town, a Little Italy and many other ethnicities are represented in different parts of the city; providing diverse shopping and dining experiences. So far, my biggest challenges have been in ordering coffee(there are black, long black and white coffees-and all are equally common), beer (Australians call them Jugs, not pitchers) and finding dryer sheets (I am convinced they do not sell them here)! While I am half a world away, I do plan to see other parts of Australia and surrounding countries. Currently, I am planning trips to the Australian wine country (close to Melbourne), to Cairns (for scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef) and to New Zealand. Despite being here only 1 week, I feel like I have already gotten to know the city and other exchange students pretty well. I look forward building upon these experiences over the course of the next 3 months!
Be the first to comment on this story