It has officially been one month since I arrived in Adelaide so I thought that I would mark the first landmark of my trip with my first ever blog post. In the short time that I have been here, Adelaide has already become a place that I consider home and I am so excited to enjoy everything Australia has to offer over the forthcoming year.
Luckily, my acclimatisation period has been fairly easy and I owe this all to the people that I have met so far on my journey. Although getting used to being so far from home was an undeniable struggle, I would say that my flat mates, Adelaide itself, sleep (the jet lag was as bad as expected) and lots of laughter were a strong enough culmination to help me through that first phase. It was also extremely reassuring to know that family and friends were only a phone call away, as the time-difference made this a pre-departure anxiety. Ever since I got over these initial trepidations, I have loved every minute and have already witnessed the most unbelievable sights. With the helping hand of some lovely locals, my flatmates and I have enjoyed the delights of city life as well as some of South Australia’s natural treasures. One thing is for sure, we have fully embraced the notion of the ‘Australian brunch’ and we are determined to try as many boutique cafe’s as we can prior to our departure. We have also thoroughly enjoyed having a vast array of beautiful beaches at such a close vicinity to the city, and I cannot wait to fully immerse myself in the beach lifestyle during the summer. Everything has been so amazing in an overwhelming sense that I don’t think I have been able to fully realise or appreciate where I am in the world, until a recent visit to Victor Harbour (which I would say has been a personal favourite thus far). There was something about the beauty of the surrounding environment that placed me in a state of awe and highlighted how far I have already come on my journey. I will eternally treasure such a moment, and to experience this with new friends made it even more special. However, I would say that one of my favourite parts of the day is walking from my accommodation to the university campus. Seeing the city in all of its glory is another grounding moment, which makes the studying aspect of the experience worthwhile.
Without a doubt, I am already SO pleased that I took this opportunity. Although ‘Studying Abroad’ was once an overwhelmingly terrifying prospect, I can already see momentous personal growth and of course, living in Australia is something that I have not taken for granted. Although I still find myself in disbelief that I am here, I couldn’t be happier to be in such an amazing place full of beautiful sights and wonderful people.
Here are just a few of my favourite photographs from the past month:
