Australia 2007




For the spring semester of 2007, I chose to study abroad in Australia at Griffith University. In conjunction with Washington State University, I studied from February to June 2007 through AustraLearn.

I flew out of Seatac down to Los Angeles and from there to Cairns, Australia for orientation for the week. During this week, they went over the basics in regard to life and society with Australia. We had the opportunity to head to the zoo to play with the kangaroos and koalas and to snorkel the great barrier reef. After the week we flew to our prospective universities for the duration of our studies.

My choice was Griffith University in Brisbane. I first enrolled at the Gold Coast campus but because of the class variety (mainly music and business), I opted for the Nathan/Mt. Gravatt campus (law and criminal justice). Because of my change so short notice, I ended up living out of a hostel for a bit while school was in session.

I ended up living at Genesis 1 student accommodation with Gaan (from Thailand) and Mark (from China). The place was very nice as it had a pool, workout room, and fully furnished with washer/dryer furniture, cable, internet, and dishware.

I learned a lot from this trip as this was my first time living outside the U.S. and on my own (had lived in Germany as a kid). I underestimated how much money I actually have needed and ended up taking up a job. I worked for a catering company called Nutrifresh in which we provide pre-cooked meals to the Meals on Wheels program and hospitals around Queensland. The work was legit, staff friendly, and pay good.

It was tough to adjust living with roommates who weren't very social nor did I have any close friends to do a lot of traveling with. Therefore, most of my photos were rarely of me in them. After finishing my semester I flew to Sydney for a week and from there Fiji.




Overall the trip was a huge success. I had lost 30 pounds, made new friends, and have now chosen to return for my master's degree.