2025 has been an absolute rollercoaster — not just for me, but for the world. Earlier this year, in January, I made a choice that I thought would just be a long vacation, but it ended up changing my entire life. I applied to study abroad, packed my whole life into two checked bags and at only 19 years old, traveled over 24 hours to the beautiful Gold Coast, Australia.
Everything about me changed, and I finally feel that I can share that with the rest of the world. It’s been almost five months since my plane landed back in the metro Detroit airport, yet I still can’t get “over it.”
My average day as an American university student consists of getting up around 8 a.m., driving to school, taking two to three classes and then going home. In Australia, every single day was different. I’d either wake up at 5 a.m. to see the sunrise and watch the morning surfers, or sometimes I would wake up near noon because my roommates and all our friends had stayed up the night prior until 4 a.m.
During my first week of study abroad, I met the best group of people I could have imagined. My large group of friends consisted of a couple of brilliant Americans, the most amazing Australians, the coolest girl from Brazil, a sweetheart from Kenya and some of the most well-traveled Eastern Europeans. These friends made me realize that life is an absolute rollercoaster, but if you surround yourself with people who want to see you succeed and help you through any challenge, the crazy rollercoaster becomes just a bit easier to navigate.
I relaxed
Saying that “I relaxed” may sound like a stretch for those who know me personally, but after all the reflecting I’ve done, I can sincerely say that I relaxed. I don’t mean I spent every second lying down, I mean I chilled out a bit. Before (and sometimes after) my study abroad, I constantly had something to do — work, school, homework, meetings, sports, club meetings, etc. I was always busy and never took a moment to just breathe.
The first time I traveled within Australia, I scheduled an Uber for my friends and me ahead of time, made sure we arrived earlier in case of delays and sat in the airport looking absolutely ridiculous when I realized that our gate number wasn’t posted yet and, on the screen, where it was supposed to be, the word “relax” appeared.
I felt absolutely humbled. In fact, I am not the only person this has happened to. On a Reddit post from four years ago, someone shared, “This screen says ‘relax’ instead of ‘wait’ at the airport,” where comments expressed confusion or even dislike for it.
At times when I start to realize old habits that cause me to stress and run out of hours in my day, I remind myself of humbling moments like these.
Learning independence
When I left for college at 18 years old, I thought that was the most independent thing I would ever do — and then I studied abroad. I would love to say that I can do anything on my own, which for the most part I can, but there is still a lot of growth ahead. What I can say is that I am currently in the process of becoming independent.
Not many people can’t figure out how to fill out VISA papers to travel, plan housing, school and other logistics from across the world and then move — but I did. I can proudly say that I accomplished a lot for myself overseas. Moving from home is hard, but moving from home alone across the world is hard and extremely scary. I learned to figure a lot of stuff out by myself because I knew my parents couldn’t get on a plane to help me — so I figured it out.
Appreciation for nature
I have always admired nature since I was a little kid, and I will continue to do so every day. What I never really thought about so deeply was the impact we humans make on nature. It’s a privilege to live in a country where we get to overlook these issues, but for other countries, protecting nature is a demanding priority.
Quickly after arriving in Australia, I realized that Australians don’t really use plastic. Many states have banned single-use plastics like straws, cutlery and even lightweight bags, which made me see how seriously the country takes environmental protection. It wasn’t just a personal choice—it was a national effort to reduce waste and protect its natural landscapes.
Swimming in the Great Barrier Reef and seeing it from every angle changed the entire way I view nature. I got the opportunity to swim with beautiful fish, turtles, stingrays and even sharks multiple times. After learning about the damage we create with plastic, I promised myself to reduce its use and share this with everyone I could.
Overseas, I never once saw a plastic grocery bag — not in the trash, not in the sea, not on the road. The plastic bags that you would see were sturdy reusable bags.
Cyclone survival skills
I can proudly say I survived a cyclone — a large storm with winds that rotate around a low-pressure center. Basically a hurricane, but due to its location, it is called a cyclone.
Growing up in Michigan gave me absolutely no preparation for this cyclone, so I was freaking out. This all happened two weeks into my study abroad, before classes had even begun. People were evacuating the coast, stores were closing, electricity was out in some areas, signs were falling off buildings and sandbags were sold out everywhere.
I remember checking the weather app and seeing the winds grow stronger. My roommates and I bought all the water supply we needed, flashlights and charged our portable chargers. Thankfully, none of this ended up being necessary — but living on the third floor helped. In a tall building with aggressive winds, being higher up meant feeling the full effect, so staying near land but high enough to avoid flooding was perfect.
I learned some Australians actually loved this weather—they would surf in these conditions because, according to them, these waves were ideal. Seeing these surfers gave us hope that it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. In the end, the sun came back, the waves calmed, the jellyfish left, but the beach didn’t fully recover. The sand formed a six- to ten-foot wall bordering the water and took months to return to normal.
Global perspective
Sometimes putting yourself into unusual situations is exactly what you need. Learning to walk and ride my bike on the opposite side of the road was difficult during the first month in Australia. There are small things you can’t control until you adapt. Coming home and relearning to stay on the right has been a challenge — even after five months, I keep reminding myself to walk and drive on the correct side.
You don’t just learn to change your habits — you learn more about different cultures. Meeting so many people from everywhere made me connect and see different perspectives. Until you put yourself into a situation where you get to know people outside your hometown, you can’t truly admire and understand everything from another perspective.
Self-discovery
After the time of my life and making lifelong friends, I learned that some of the best things about ourselves are discovered through experiences like these. I learned that I am more independent and resilient than I realized, that stepping out of my comfort zone can lead to unforgettable experiences and that the connections we make with people from all over the world teach us as much about ourselves as they do about others.
Studying abroad taught me lessons that go beyond textbooks and lectures — it taught me patience, humility and the value of perspective. I returned home not just with stories, photos and souvenirs, but with a renewed sense of self, a deeper appreciation for the world and friendships that will last a lifetime. If you ever get the chance to step out of your comfort zone and explore the world, take it — you might just discover yourself along the way.
