Brissie: My Home-Away-From-Home

My semester in Brisbane, Australia, was the most unforgettable and exciting semester of my undergraduate career thus far. As a Zoology major, I chose to take classes unique to the Australian environment (like Coral Reefs) and had the amazing opportunity to conduct research with an Honors student based on gecko behavior. I crossed so many items off of my bucket list, from learning how to surf and scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef to holding a koala and Zorb-ing down the hills of New Zealand’s North Island (basically, rolling down in a giant plastic ball!). Yet the most memorable aspect of my time abroad was undoubtedly the people I met—both from Australia and numerous other countries around the world, from Fiji and Singapore to Germany and Great Britain. Living at International House allowed me to step into and experience cultures that I am generally not exposed to at my home university; I was able to engage in many events that promoted this, including special ‘Bara Khana’ dinner nights and watching traditional dances being performed during talent shows. Without GlobaLinks, this life-changing experience would never have run so smoothly and effortlessly; even from the first leg of my journey, I had no worries about the logistical part of my experience. The incredibly long flights, orientations upon arrival, where to pick up my pre-ordered cell phone—all of this was worry-free, thanks to the dedication and guidance of the staff both on-site and back home.