Final Thoughts on Tasmania
After 7 weeks living in Tasmania, I have absolutely no regrets about studying abroad. Going into the day we left, I was nervous because I had no idea what to expect. I mean, not just anyone goes to Tasmania… it isn’t exactly everyone’s perfect vacation destination. However, very much to my surprise, I couldn’t imagine a better study abroad experience. It was so different and refreshing from anything that I had ever known.
Although I took a very tasking and difficult course, it made the moments that were stress-free and explorative that much better. It was the perfect amount of balance. Hours of studying to be rewarded by a beautiful hike the next day. We had this sequence down to a science and took full advantage of the land that we were on. This dialogue also taught me how to be independent; whether it was going to watch the sunrise on your own, learning a new concept of fluid mechanics, or simply making time management decisions, all of it added up.
Living as a full-time city girl, coming to rural Tasmania really shook up my world. I never disliked nature or being in rural areas, I just never had the time or ambition to go out and experience it. Tasmania allowed me to break out of my usual comfort zone. Going on hikes every weekend, waking up at the crack of dawn to catch a beautiful sunrise, or staying up so late until it was pitch black out to see the Milky Way- we did all of it. Additionally, taking a mechanical engineering course while being a chemical engineer pushed me out of my comfort zone as well. I was teetering on the fence, not knowing in which major my passions truly were. Although I came out of this experience confirming the fact that I was a chemical engineer, I wouldn’t change a thing about everything I had learned through these classes. It was a major challenge for me, but I definitely grew from it and needed it to move forward.
Leaving Tasmania is so bittersweet. Although I am traveling in New Zealand and Sydney for the next week, I will miss this island so much. I’m not used to shopping “small” and living amongst some of the most breathtaking areas of the world. This past month and a half is one that I will never forget and will carry with me through the rest of my time at Northeastern University. I’m extremely grateful for having been given this opportunity, and will make the absolute most of it going forward. I hope to take my experience and convey it to others in the best way possible, because this trip is something I hope everyone can have the chance to do someday.
One of the sunrises we got up very early to see when we were traveling along the east coast of Tasmania. Sunrise was around 6:15 AM every morning, and they never disappointed.
