It was about three years ago that I decided I wanted to study in Australia. Basically right after I knew which college I was going to attend I had my heart set on spending a semester away. This is largely credited to my uncle who had just a few years prior spent a semester down under. And while it was easy enough for me to have “made my decision,” as my junior year got closer and steps started needing to be made to make this a reality, that decision became a lot less clear.

Thoughts like “what if I should go to South Africa?” “can I actually afford this?” “what will I miss in Keene?” started to pour into my head and I was having serious second thoughts. Then, just before Spring break 2015, I got offered a trip of a lifetime with my grandmother and uncle to spend a vacation hiking through the mountains of Peru. This sparked something in me that I did not realize I had before – a passion for travel. After that trip the eagerness to study abroad came back and, more importantly, I knew I wanted to go to Australia.

The summer leading up to leaving I had to work a ton. Saving was going to be crucial if I was going to be able to make the most of this experience. Working over fourty hours every week with minimum spending made it so when July 9, 2015 came around I had plenty of savings to start my adventure.

I said my goodbyes, some were harder than others, and got dropped off at Logan Airport with basically everything I needed to survive for five months on my back or around my shoulder.

The first thing I had to do was locate Rob Ortiz, my friend since middle school who would be joining me on all of the adventures to come. Once together we gave each other a grin because we knew the significance of what we were about to start.

After close to seven hours to California followed by just shy of 15 hours to Sydney we did not even have time to appreciate arriving in Australia. This was because in 90 minutes our flight was leaving for New Zealand. Needless to say, we touched down in Auckland, New Zealand, completely drained. I had referred to that day ever since as my longest day ever due to time changes and the utter mayhem of the whole process.

But our ten days in New Zealand was absolutely amazing. It was highlighted by hiking through an active volcano range, natural sulphur hot springs and visiting the movie set for the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

One thing that I had not expected was the inflated price of everything. To the point where Rob and I were forced to go to the grocery store and eat discount loafs of bread from the day before and Subway almost every meal. Saving money where we could became a habit so that we could focus the most amount of money on experiencing what opportunity presented itself. We really were the embodiment of the college backpacker stereotype.

Finally it was time to start class. At this point I had almost forgotten that it was the whole point of coming over here. Or at least that’s what my mom thinks. For the next three weeks I was bombarded with a total culture shock. I purposefully set up my housing to be with four Australian natives and without my travel companion in order to assure that I got out of my comfort zone and met new people. This turned out to be the single best decision of my entire trip. Because of this I met my roommate Hayden, who then introduced me to a group of about 15 guys who have been best friends since grade school.

The very first night I moved in was spent with all these guys marvelling over how weird each other’s accents are and the different ways we say just about everything. From then on just about every day was spent at the beach, which was no more than a five minute walk.

Scott Bradley / Contributed Photo

My new aussie friends showed me how to get around the city, which bars to go to, which people to avoid, and were always willing to answer any questions I had. I would highly recommend to anyone doing a study abroad program to befriend some natives, because they are the ones who will give you the best understanding of the local culture.

This does not mean that you should only befriend locals. In fact, you definitely should not do that. This is because most aussies do not care about touristy things like going to the Sydney Opera House or the Great Barrier Reef. And they definitely do not find kangaroos as interesting as you do. So for that I made several friends from around America and Europe whom I do different excursions with.

For example, I went to Melbourne during our Spring Break (since it is opposite seasons from the U.S I got two Spring breaks this year) with two friends from England and two from America.

The city was filled with amazing art, restaurants and people always willing to lend a hand if you get lost. An even larger group of us, 14 to be exact, have booked a weeklong trip for Bali, Indonesia, because Air Asia happened to run a promotion on our study break that brought a usually $900 flight down to about $175. The group of us booked a massive Villa on the beach since the exchange rate in Indonesia is so favourable (1 USD = 13,472 IDR). Once we return from that we have a week of finals and then another trip booked to Cairns, Australia, where I will be able to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef among other things.

I cannot implore people enough to take advantage of the study abroad program if at all possible. Thanks to this opportunity I have been exposed to a multitude of cultures and my eyes have been opened to all the possibilities for future travel. I was forced out of my comfort zone and in that process I have made lifelong friends as well as connections from all around the globe. While at times I do miss home, studying abroad offers students opportunities that cannot be experienced in any other way.

Whether it is all the way over in Australia or even to another part of our very own country, studying abroad is something that can only help you grow culturally and as an individual.

Scott Bradley can be contacted at scott.bradley@ksc.keene.edu