Well, I’ve passed the point of settling into my life in Melbourne and have reached the point where sometimes I forget I’m here at all. What does that mean, exactly? I arrived in Australia almost two months ago and have adapted to my environment so well that it doesn’t occur to me on a regular basis how far away from the United States I am. I feel great knowing that I’m comfortable living in my suburb and attending school, but sometimes I feel stuck in a routine. Obviously, my weekly classes are routine and should be treated as such, but with so much to explore, I often feel guilty for opting to spend my free time just hanging around.
Since I’m halfway through the trimester at Collarts, I’ve had several assessments for my classes due in the past two weeks and have many more due soon. Sometimes it feels as though when I complete one assignment, three more assignments come up. This feeling is one college students know all too well. With so much schoolwork to focus on, I often feel drained by the time I have an opportunity to do something new. Melbourne is full of parks, cool neighborhoods, museums, and other places to check out, not to mention the other Australian cities I’ve yet to visit like Sydney and Canberra. At times, I feel overwhelmed by my mental to-do list, seeing as I’m not sure when I’ll be on this side of the world again.
Planning or even just thinking about bigger excursions can quickly stress me out when combined with school stress. The fact that I’m already halfway done with my experience has definitely added to my stress this week. Yet, I know that sitting around being worried will not solve my issue at all, so I’ve made it my goal to go on mini-adventures when I can. These excursions range from spending some time at the beach to walking through a new neighborhood or trying a new restaurant. The best part? These mini adventures work perfectly as study breaks, so I can still get my work done, but when I need to decompress, I still feel accomplished after doing something new. After all, you have to celebrate the small victories!
