Last fall, I decided to get out of my comfort zone and spend a semester halfway across the globe. The destination I decided on was Sydney, Australia, and let’s just say the travel on the way there did not go the easiest.
Let’s back up a few steps first, though.
Sydney was not just a random place I decided I wanted to go to last year. This has been something I’ve wanted since I was six years old, and honestly, my time there met all my expectations and more.
Ever since I was young, everything related to Australia: the shows I liked, the music I listened to, and even just the photos I liked.
Last year, I finally decided I needed to get my life together, and what better way than spending a semester on the other side of the globe alone? What a perfect place for an existential crisis.
I found out I was on track to graduate a year early, and what better way of pushing that back than going abroad? While the application process was a bit stressful, the experiences I gained were so worth it.
While I can continue with more background information and talk about experiences I had while there, those are stories for another time, as you can’t have these experiences without getting there first.
Aug. 26, 2023, I boarded the plane leaving from St. Louis to go to Sydney. However, the trip did not start out on a wonderful note. This original flight was delayed two hours, which was not a big deal as I had a long enough layover in Los Angeles to be on time.
However, just with my luck, I got stuck in LA for four hours due to another delay. I love traveling, so I honestly was not too stressed at that time.
It was my first time in LAX, so I decided to do a bit of exploring around the international terminal. I walked around, read my book, and even did my nighttime routine in the LAX bathroom, an odd experience if I must admit it.
It slowly began to hit me that I was actually going to Australia when I was sitting next to a young Australian boy and his mom. Their accents alone made me even more excited to finally get there.
But wouldn’t you know, nothing ever goes as planned. I finally boarded our plane at 1 a.m., but my Qantas flight had to sit on the tarmac for an extra hour and a half as there was an issue with the food.
At this point, it’s nearly 3 a.m., and I’m too tired to be stressed. So, I took my pillow and passed out for nearly eight hours of the 15-hour flight.
I honestly love flying, and no matter how long the flight is or what seat I am in, I will be asleep, no doubt. Therefore, the flight itself was amazing.
The relaxed feelings soon vanished when we landed only 40 minutes before my next flight boarded, which would have been fine if we did not have to collect our bags, go through customs, re-check our bags, and go through security again.
One thing about me is that if there is even the slightest reason to stress, I am stressed. So imagine how I felt when they said I would have to re-book my flight to Cairns.
Now, the original 20-something-hour travel day has just turned into a 48-hour day with the new layovers.
I was lucky enough, however, to meet three people who were also part of The Education Abroad Network program going to UNSW.
We sat in the Sydney airport for five hours, exchanging stories and getting to know each other, which honestly made me feel so much better about being alone in Australia. Having people around you, especially ones with a calming presence, really brings a newfound enjoyment to the table.
After hours of chatting and reading, we finally were on the plane to go to Brisbane. At this point, I had never been so tired in my life. The jet lag on top of the travel exhaustion was hitting me hard.
Due to the severe exhaustion, the benches in the Brisbane Airport seemed to be a wonderful bed. I did not gain the nickname “Sleepy P” on my trip for no reason, so I took this layover as a chance to sleep.
However, this nap did not last that long as I was woken up by my new friends to find out that we were boarding. I am so thankful for them, as I probably would have missed my flight if they had not been there.
The flight was not anything special, and we made it to Cairns in no time. We were all exhausted and felt disgusting due to not being able to shower for two days.
We grabbed a taxi and made it to the hotel around midnight, where we all went straight to bed as we had to wake up early the next morning for our orientation.
While this part of the experience was not ideal, I wouldn’t change it for the world. It truly set me up on a good note and made the trip even more memorable than it was already going to be.