Looking back, my first “wow” moment happened almost immediately after arriving in Sydney. After 24 hours of traveling, it had finally hit me that study abroad was beginning, and that I was in a new place with people I had never met before. The nerves had not really hit me before because I had no clue what to expect, so it was easier to put it in the back of my head. Waiting in the customs line was a surreal feeling. This was also my first time going through customs without my parents.

Immediately, I saw someone familiar, and I realized I had connected with her and was mutuals with her on Instagram. This was my first test of putting myself out there, as I introduced myself to her in the customs line. This put me at ease, knowing I wasn’t going through customs totally alone. Customs was easy and then I had to wait to collect my baggage.

Once I got my bags, I saw people arranging Ubers through our program’s GroupMe. I had connected at the right time with another student from Pitt, even though it was someone I hadn’t officially met yet. I remember her shouting my name across the airport. This was all the beginning of the trip, but really where I realized that I was about to spend six weeks in Australia, a place I didn’t expect to be in even six months prior. The Uber was full of small talk and luckily our driver was super friendly. It was a great introduction to Sydney, as he told us about himself and his love for the country.

I also distinctly remember arriving at our apartments. As soon as we arrived, it started torrentially downpouring. Our suitcases and clothes were dripping water all over the lobby. I did not have time to care about this, because I immediately met one of the directors of the program and other students on the trip.

Shortly after arriving, the program directors took us on a neighborhood walk around Zetland, where we were staying, and showed us the best places to grocery shop and get coffee, or find the closest bus and train stops. This was definitely a sign of what was to come, and made me feel like I was living in a new place. I remember this day fondly, as I had just begun to meet people I hope to stay friends with after our program.