Great Expectations
I was talking to one of my Australian friends last weekend, and bemoaning the fact that I hadn't actually gotten to "see Townsville" yet. So he showed up at my room an hour later and said, "Get your stuff together, we're leaving in 20 minutes". That's Australia.
Coming from America, where you feel the pressure to be doing something every minute of every day, the relaxed attitude here came as quite a surprise. Now that I've been here for two months (time flies!), I really enjoy being able to relax when I want to, and not being busy all the time. Australia is known for its "go with the flow" culture, and as much as I dislike cultural stereotypes, it's true.
In the months preceding my departure, I tried not to predict the type of experience I would have. My adult friends chastised me for choosing a "safe" country in which to study, which made me worry that I wouldn't gain much from this experience. I've seen Australia as a tourist, though, and I wanted to see what it was like to really live here.
I never expected to have a discussion about Australia's TV commercials with a fellow American - they promote social and economic awareness, and I think it really is helping. I never expected to drive to the top of a mountain just for the heck of it. I never expected living in a tropical environment would be this disgustingly humid. I never thought I'd figure out what I want to do with my life while I was here. I never expected to miss Allegheny as much as I do.
But hey, expect the unexpected, right?