SYD -> LA -> NJ: Home, Sweet Home.

Before coming to Australia, people said this experience would change me for sure. I didn't believe them - how can a place change you? Well I've only recently come to realize that it has. I can't put my finger on what it is, but I feel changed for the better. Sounds cliche, but throughout this experience, i've lost myself and found myself countless times.

I'll admit - I wasn't always happy in Sydney. I missed home. America. Everytime the crappy wifi would disconnect in the middle of a conversation with a friend or family member, i'd feel furious. The internet was my connection to the rest of the world and losing it made me feel trapped in a matter of seconds. But leaving my comfort zone actually ended up being a good thing after all.

I didn't think my dream to go to Australia would ever come true, but it has, and it was wonderful while it lasted. I'm so grateful to have seen what I've seen and have countless memories to look back on. A great lesson I learned was that there is always more to explore. After living in a different part of the world for a while, I developed a new appreciation for America (ex: Dunkin Donuts on every corner....just kidding). Now that i'm back, I feel like i'm seeing my town with new eyes. It's exciting to be here again, to have the motivation to discover new places I have never been, and to explore the crap out of everywhere I go. Study abroad didn't just quench my thirst for travel and exploration - it kindled it too.

I hope to remain passionately curious. And at the end of my days, I hope that there is a piece of me left in every corner of this beautiful earth.

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson