Great Expectations
Change. It’s the only word that I can think of to describe what I expected to find in Australia. Change of scenery, change of faces, change of classes, and change of myself. After already being here for two months, it is hard for me to remember exactly how I was feeling before I came over, because so much change has already occurred. I wanted to leave everything behind, and start over. I wanted to see big mountains that end into the ocean, not just rolling hills with brick roads. I needed to redefine myself with new friends, because after awhile, you become a part of what you are used too. I wanted to break out of the Allegheny bubble I was living in, and see for myself how other people live. Academically, I wanted a break from Allegheny. I wanted to learn things that no one at home would know. And what a perfect opportunity for me to test the knowledge I have learned so far in a new place.
At home, my sister started her first year at high school. It made me think of how far I have come since then. A common phrase that everyone used to write in my high school year book: “I will miss you, don’t ever change.” And it makes me laugh. If they could only see me now.