Thursday, June 5, 2014

Homeward Bound to the Heartland!

      The day has arrived! The day in which I am beginning my journey back home. It is, as expected, a bittersweet feeling. Over the past few months I have fallen in love with this country and its people. I have learned so many things about not only the Australian way of life, but also many other cultures including my own. I have met people from Australia (obviously), France, Germany, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Nigeria, China, and some fellow Americans! All of us coming together to embark on this experience was incredible and I will miss so many people once I leave. I think that the connections we have all made here could potentially lead to some exciting new adventures in the future!
       In about an hour, I will be leaving campus to the Rockhampton Greyhound bus stop about 12 km away for an 11 hour bus ride back to Brisbane. Once we arrive at the bus depot there, I will have about an hour and a half before my shuttle takes me to the airport to leave on a 10:30 AM flight. I will be flying into LAX (a 13 hour flight yikes) and from there, I will be traveling to Denver, and then finally back to the Sioux Falls airport!! It will take about two days all together to get back home and I'm ready to get started!! I've downloaded some new music, bought a new book, and packed some granola bars- I am ready to go! I have a few more goodbyes to say this afternoon and then I will be on my way back. I can't wait to see mom, Jess, and Dylan at the airport on Saturday. Hopefully the planes will be on time and such so you guys don't have to wait around too long!
       I can not stress enough how lucky I am to have had this experience. I have been so incredibly blessed with an awesome support system back home, at my university, and now here. I would have never been able to travel halfway across the world without this support! Without a doubt, this adventure has had stressful, homesick, and scary moments. But those moments were to be expected and are minimal compared to the numerous overwhelming moments of happiness and excitement!
       Traveling has the potential to show one an incredible amount of possibilities. I firmly believe that the world can be a classroom teaching some of the most important things we will learn throughout our life. Experiencing different cultures and meeting different people first-hand can change your whole perspective on life and hopefully raise some much-needed awareness about global issues that have no borders. A main reason why I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity is because I now know things about other countries that I would have probably never heard while being tucked away in my own little part of the world. I love my home and I have missed it every single day that I've been here! I am so thankful to have been able to study abroad!  

 
**Our last beach trip to Yeppoon- Me, Marina (US), Ben (US), Max (France), and Pauline (France).

 

**Kangaroo family on my last day here in Rockhampton!
 
**This morning, Marina and I decided to watch the sunrise for the last time in Rockhampton!
 
 **Beside our residence college sign the day before I leave
 
      So now I've cuddled a koala, "raced" a kangaroo, hiked a mountain, surfed the sea, enjoyed a real meat pie, while even getting some studying in. How many people can say that?! Now I'm on to my next adventure back in the heartland. I'm very excited for the next chapter in my life. I'm excited to see where life takes me and where I'll end up. One thing is for sure, this Australian adventure won't be the last of my traveling but just the beginning.

Thanks for coming along for the ride!

Tina Tucker

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