Advertisement
Published: October 15th 2007
Edit Blog Post
Hello, hello.
Before I blog about my trips to Wollongong and Newcastle, I decided to share the article that I wrote for the Students At Macquarie Magazine that gets published weekly on campus. Since it isn't much to read, I figured my contribution might be of some value. To my surprise, many people read the article around campus and gave me some positive feedback!
Here you go!
An American Tourist in Sydney
Article By Colin V. Constantine Dated 8.26.2007
When we first arrived at Macquarie University Village I was a bit apprehensive. Apart from the overwhelming American population, the forty-five minute bus ride to and from downtown Sydney, and the ultra-slow Internet that costs a bloody fortune, my spirits remained high.
A couple of weeks went by and while the sloth-like Internet persisted, my enthusiasm began to deteriorate. Looking around, I noticed that most of the residents in the MUV had already found their ‘clique’ and it was becoming increasingly difficult to cope with some of the inconveniences - like the monotony of public transportation.
Drinking boxed wine and partying at the Sam Bar got old too - and quick. Going into Sydney every night looked like less and less of an option as I watched electronic bank statements flush my summer earnings down the drain.
Something needed to change. How is it, I began thinking, that I am in a country on the opposite side of the planet from own and I’ve managed to meet more people from the U.S.A. than Australia? Looking at a map, I noticed the vast expanse of desert: empty and uninhabitable land that seems to rip across this country, devouring it almost completely. I began to question why I decided to leave it all behind and come here.
Although homesickness always lurked nearby, I managed to shrug it off for as long as possible. One Skype conversation with my parents back in New York was all it took for the pressure of all of this mounting angst to explode. For over an hour I moaned about how I would much rather be back home, under the hot summer sun, living with my best friends, driving my car (not riding a bus), and enjoying time off before school.
My parents’ reply, “Just relax.” Two words that I didn’t appreciate completely when first pronounced. That, however, was all it took for me to realize just how close-minded I had been. So far, I have been to one of the most beautiful cities in the world, volunteered in Kangaroo Valley, seen Wollongong and countless beaches, went to the Great Barrier Reef to scuba dive, and have met some amazing people. Having traveled around Europe and other parts of the world over the past couple of years, I suppose I forgot one crucial element about being a tourist. That is, accepting that I am a tourist.
Out here I am free to roam, to wander, to explore. Though a lack of cash flow might be a bit discouraging, I have met plenty of backpackers who have been here for much longer and are living off of much less. I suppose what I am getting at is that no matter how unnecessary or slow something may be out here, the most important thing is that as a tourist I am not here for fast Internet or the comforts of home. Riding the bus, eating unfamiliar food, getting lost and walking for miles (or kilometers) is all part of the experience!
Coming to accept the undeniable fact that I am a tourist was not an easy process, but once I realized the exciting potential this label carries, I threw my homesick qualms to the wind. Encounters with other unsatisfied residents in the MUV are what inspired me to write this article. So far just about everyone has had something to complain about, and rightfully so. However, I think the most important thing to remember while studying abroad is that no matter how awful or boring something may be, everything that happens down here is part of a very special experience that is unique to each of us. We are not only here to take class, we are here to learn how to adapt to a completely different environment and remember, not regret, every moment we spend down here.
So to all of the international students, just relax. Be a tourist. Spend money, eat well, get lost, and keep your chin up. Because before we know it, we will be back home, wishing we had Tim Tams, Vegemite, Wombats and Kangaroos.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.143s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 6; qc: 44; dbt: 0.0975s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.3mb