I decided to start and write this blog because the questions Iv been getting about taking a gap year and because I cannot explain what a developing, life-changing, and wild experience it was in just a few words. Although this is a much more personal record of a few of my memorable experiences, I can’t wait to share all the fantastic places, people, and things I did.
For those of you who don’t know me, eight months ago, I decided to take a gap year between high school and college and go MIA in Australia. More specifically, leading up to graduation, college was a terrifying topic for me. I didn’t know what I wanted to study, where I wanted to go, and I subconsciously knew I was not ready. When my boyfriend at the time, AJ, mention a program that offered international students placement and accommodation for internships abroad, I thought he was freaking crazy. I wasn’t ready to go to college, how was I supposed to travel across the world to do an internship. All at the same time as this stressful senior year, I was coming out with some serious mental health issues and wasn’t sure how the trip would affect me. However, after reading more about the internship program, talking about my options with my college counselor, and having several informational and persuasive meetings to convince my parents, I was headed off to Australia.
Australia became a trip of many firsts:
- first time traveling outside the continent
- first time living on my own in a big city
- first time distributing a press release
- first time being away from family/friends for 6+ months
- first time trying vegimite(its disgusting)
- first time going through a heartbreak
- first time being able to drink legally
- first time being a waitress
- first time taking time to focus on. myself
Quick side story- Melbourne, Australia, is approximately 9493 miles away from my small town home of Wolverine Lake. Two plane rides from Detroit to LA then LA to the Melbourne International Airport with a total travel time of about 24 hours. On our first flight to LA, AJ dropped his phone down between the seat and down a broken panel of the plane. When we landed in LA, we had about an hour to get on our connecting flight to Melbourne and somehow retrieve his phone, which was god knows where in the undercarriage of this plane. On top of that, well arguing with multiple Delta crew members, my carry on bag somehow disappeared with my meds, makeup, toiletries and all the necessities if you know what I mean, gone. With about 20 minutes to board our next flight, we decided to give up our search and sprint to our gate. AJs phone unfortunately never made it to Australia but instead remained somewhere in the depths of that plane, and thanks to Find my iPhone, we were able to see it fly all across the US.
Arriving in Australia
The first month being in Australia was the most daunting. Other than the stressful journey…I basically had no idea where the hell I was every day continually asking people how to get places; I couldn’t understand anyone’s Aussie accent, and I was crying myself to sleep every night cause I was so homesick. My first impressions of Melbourne was it was a massive, cold, and chaotic city. Everything around me was so different from the mannerisms to the architecture. I felt like I was in some twisted black mirror episode. I lived in a little friendly college hub called RMIT Village. Although the place had some negatives (like the fire alarm going off every night for weeks or me almost burning my whole room down every time I cooked because my kitchen was so small), the place was stunning. I decorated my own little space that had a balcony overlooking a pool, and all I needed. My actual internship was at a travel startup called Backpacker Deals. It was very hands-on but stressful at times. I ended up working in all different parts of the company from PR, Marketing, Funding, Events, and Digital Marketing. It gave me so much insight into how different international businesses function and what it is like to work at a startup. One thing I know for a fact is I wouldn’t have survived it without my girls (shoutout Cindy, Suzy, and Marina missing you guys).
Once I got a little more settled at my home for the next seven months, it was time to start some sightseeing. The first thing I did was check out the infamous festival scene Australia has. The festival was called Listen Out and located right on the beach in St. Kilda, Victoria. With headliners such as 6lack, Denzel Curry, Diplo, Schoolboy Q, and Flume, I was stoked, that was until we got to the festival. It was a horrendous day, about 35 degrees, 30 mph winds, and barley enough alcohol available to keep us warm – That didn’t stop the Aussie festival crowd in their winter coats and pencil skirts or ruin seeing Flume live for the first time in his home country. Next, we decided to take on one of the most touristy excursions you can do in Australia. AJ, me, and our new British/Irish intern besties(Anna, Abi, and Henry)rented a car and ventured up The Great Ocean Road. A five-hour drive outside the city, along the coast of the Southern Ocean, and home to the greatest hidden surf beaches, beachside towns, and breathtaking sites like the Twelve Apostles. To this day, that weekend was probably among my favorites spent in Australia; however, I highly advise against it if you get car sick like me.
A couple of days after our trip was my 19th birthday, and this is for sure one won’t forget. With a 15-hour time difference, boyfriend complications, and the fact I was across the world from all my friends and family, I spent the day rather lonely and homesick. As amazing as being on my own traveling was, there were definitely times where I’d do anything to be home just for a day. I was starting to experience pure separation anxiety and “FOMO” at its best. If it weren’t for my new “international” friends that dragged me out with them, I probably would have lost my mind. We gained something extraordinary and different from each other, all being from different places, different ages, and different psycho personalities. We created such a tight bond in a short period and did everything together from long club nights, day trips to the markets, and traveling up the coast. My favorite thing we did would have to be either getting all fancy to watch the Flemington horse races or fueling each other’s gambling addictions at whatever casino we ended up at the end of the night.
The Halfway Mark
In mid-November, my boyfriend, best friend, and the only person I knew back from home in Australia decided it was best if he went home. At the same time, I had a strenuous workload at my internship, I was trying to finish my college applications, and had to say goodbye to some of my closest friends I had made in Australia so far. I was heartbroken, depressed, and scared of what the hell was going to happen next. I started not being able to sleep or eat, and rarely getting out of my bed. I missed a total of 17 days of my internship and was the biggest mess I have ever been in my life.
The life I had lived so comfortably was about to change a whole lot if it hadn’t already. I had a business trip planned with my internship to head to the Gold Coast for the Adventure Tourism Awards. As fun as surf lessons, tattoos, weekend benders, and ending our nights seeing the sunrise on the beach, this trip made me realize that I wasn’t at all where I wanted to be, and I needed to learn how to take care of myself for the next four months abroad. At this point, I was dying for a touch of home and knew I just had to make it till when my Mom visited at the end of the month.
Surely enough, my Mom came to visit for a week with her best friend Sherri in late November. I will never forget the tears of joy I had when I got to hold her in my arms for the first time after not seeing her for three months. We sat and talked for hours about what I’d been up to and how much I missed home. My Parents suggested that it wasn’t too late for me to cut my losses and return home to start college for the second semester. However, I wasn’t ready to throw a whole abroad experience away because I missed home. We had wine nights, went shopping, and before my Mom headed back home, we hosted a real Thanksgiving for all the friends I had made. When I say a real thanksgiving, I mean fifteen people from allover eating turkey in Australia. Our group consisted of 4 English, 3 Australians, 3 Americans, 2 Dutch, and 1 Italian. It was a bittersweet goodbye, but seeing how proud my Mom was of me gave me the reassurance I needed to take on whatever the hell Australia was about to throw at me next.
As the next few weeks went by, all the Australian university students started heading home for the summer, and I became about the only person left staying at my dorm. With now being the only resident at RMIT, I decided to take a trip to Cairns, Australia, which is known as a gateway to two of the world’s greatest natural attractions: the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforest. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to do, but I knew I needed a getaway. So I booked a night at one of the Australias most beautiful hotels, the Sheraton Mirage in Port Douglas, and went from there. I met up with some friends who were locals in Cairns who toke me along a road trip up the coast. It was my first time experiencing the authentic Australian outback with waterfalls, rainforest, and all. The things I saw left me speechless.
More Travels and Sydney vs. Melbourne
Nearing the summer holiday season, my Dad came to visit in December. Since my adventurous adrenaline junkie trait comes from my Dad, I started planning our itinerary, and the first stop was Sydney. There is a huge controversy around whether Sydney or Melbourne is the “best” or “most fun” city in Australia. Even though they’re both Aussie icons, Sydney and Melbourne couldn’t be more different in looks, vibe, and energy – it just depends on a traveler’s preference.
Melbourne
Personally could be biased since Melbourne was my home for seven months, but Sydney didn’t even compare. Melbourne is like the New York of Australia. It is known as the “cultural capital” because of its infamous fashion scene, art galleries, and graffitied laneways. It gave me that everyday fast-paced city lifestyle because of all the diversity and creativity. The biggest downside to the city would be the unpredictable weather where we would literally get four seasons in one day.
Sydney
Sydney, on the other hand, is like the Los Angeles of Australia. With its warmer weather and city beaches, it’s much less of a concrete jungle and a more stylish cosmopolitan city. The biggest downside from my experience that weekend would be the city’s nightlife. Due to city violence, Sydney had installed “Lockout Laws,” which bars/clubs have curfews that you must enter them before 1 a.m. and restrict when alcohol can be served. Still, it was breathtaking seeing all the iconic instagram-able landmarks like the Sydney Opera house, Manly Beach, and Icebergs at Bondi. We even spent Christmas on Bondi Beach, along with thousands of other people dressed in red bikinis and Santa hats – I call that an Australian Christmas.
Next, we had a little father/daughter trip to the beautiful Whitsunday Islands. The Whitsundays beautiful white sand beaches lie along the world’s largest coral reef – the Greats Barrier Reef. We went snorkeling, jet skiing, and saw some of the most beautiful beaches (and yachts) I have ever seen. I spent most of that trip finally being able to relax and heal the emotions I hadn’t learned from yet. When we got back to Melbourne, we celebrated the new year on a rooftop with my Dad and all my drunk Dutch /English friends. That moment and the whole time my Dad spent with me in Australia was a turning point where I made the realizations that I needed to stop being so hard on myself and just live in the moment to let life take me wherever it does.
So three vacations later, I started to realize how incredibly poor I was becoming and decided id go out and find a job. I printed my CVs and walked around the city trying to get hospitality or retail gig without any experience whatsoever. I decided to stumble into my favorite restaurant in the city, CHIN CHIN, and talk to the managers. As they walked me downstairs for my interview, I saw at a private table with Serena Williams and a bunch of tennis players there for the Australian Open just enjoying their meal. I thought there was no way in hell they’d give me a job, but somehow I talked my little American accent into a waitressing and hostessing role. I worked there for about two months and loved it. I met so many friends who I just did absurd stuff with, like go out to the most famous drag show club in the city (thanks Alex and Chiime). However, it was a rich learning experience because waitressing can be hard, especially when you work at a restaurant that rounds up an hour-long queue every single weekend. All fun came to an end when I was working the closing shift on Valentine’s day, and one of my co-workers spilled boiling hot water on my foot. I went to a doctor that told me I had second-degree burns all over my foot, and I had to sit in bed for a whole week because I could hardly walk on it. I will spare you the gory pictures, but I ended up almost having to hire a lawyer to finally get my worker’s compensation and get the hell out of there.
My next visitors were my Grandparents and my cousin Kalie with her foreign exchange student from Sydney, Sophie. I became quite the local and tour guide at this point. I toke them to all my favorite restaurants around the city; we spent a day at the beach in St. Kilda to see the penguins and went on a vineyard/wildlife tour where I saw my first koala and kangaroo up close. FYI you don’t just see kangaroos hopping along everywhere where I was, but they are genuinely the most interesting creature I have ever seen; also, Koalas are ADORABLE and my new favorite animal.
Before it was time for my English and Dutch Backpacker Deals team to all go our separate ways, we all went to the FOMO festival. We spent weeks in our office listening to the lineup that included my new favorites Brookhampton, LIZZO, Meduza, Katraynada, and Boogie. We pounded on glitter, downed our classic goon bag, and went off singing my new national anthem – Truth hurts by Lizzo lol. That was definitely another bittersweet goodbye, but we have already started planning our trips to reunite in Amsterdam and London.
One Last Run
With about a month left until I headed back to the States, one of my best friends, Lauryn, decided to come back after her internship and live out the rest of her visa. Lauryn was always that one specific friend where we’d act like absolute crackheads whenever we got together. One time after a night out, Lauryn needed to get her 4 am hashbrowns before we went home. We ended up breaking into a Mcdonald’s while the workers were on their break and set off the alarm, which locked them all outside – That was my first and hopefully last time behind a Mcdonalds’ counter. We spent the week catching up, shopping, and planning our itinerary for one last trip to the Gold Coast and Byron Bay. Since the night before we left was my last night out in Melbourne, we had dinner and drinks at a super fancy sushi place with my girls Aly and Aj – yes like the American pop duo that have some absolute bangers but different. A glass or two turned into four or five, and we ended up at another hole in the wall bar eating pizza at 2 am. We finally got back to the apartment with 5 hours to get some sleep and get to the airport.
Surprise, surprise… we ended up missing our check-in time by 7 minutes, and the airline refused to let us on the plane. It was a disaster. We ended up sitting at the airport for 8 hours, waiting for the next flight, which got even more delayed until 8 pm. The struggle continued when we finally arrived in the Gold Coast, and couldn’t get ahold of our Airbnb host for an hour. But thank god; finally, we got settled lying in pool chairs enjoying the sun one missed flight, one delay, and two hangovers later. To be honest, the rest of that trip was quite a mess and an implausible story to tell. It poured all weekend in Byron, Lauryn lost her Gucci ring in the ocean, and she very may likely have gotten coronavirus not being able to move from bed for two days. She decided to head back to Melbourne early, and I went back to the Gold Coast to met up with a friend. My last weekend in Australia was somewhat random but relaxing. With it still pouring rain, we ended up having a wine night, making an unreal Australian Spaghetti Bolognese, and my second attempt to surf.
I was packing my four extremely overweight bags getting ready to head home when my Dad called me up. He told me that instead of staying in LA for a week to visit LMU I had to come straight home; meaning my 16-hour journey I was planning for in the morning just turned into a 27 hour one with the number of planes it took me to get home during the eve of the pandemic. I had a hell of a lot of time to look back and think about how much I had grown while I was abroad. I want to clarify that my experience was nowhere near what I excepted it to be. To be honest, I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t to learn what I did.
It’s hard to explain, but there is something about going abroad, leaving everyone you know, and having to change your usual routine that changes a person. I believe now that stepping outside of your comfort zone is key to discovering your passions, accomplishing your goals, and finding happiness. Even though this may sound exaggerated, we must ask ourselves how uncomfortable we are willing to become to reach our fullest potential. Before I left, people would always ask me why and what gave me the confidence to go, but to be honest, I wasn’t confident at all. The idea of a gap year abroad sounds like such an amazing experience but also scary as hell and surely did not come easy for me. I grew up diagnosed with very severe anxiety and depression. Even while residing in Australia, there were several times where I have doubted my decision and questioned if I was capable of such a transition. However, I pushed myself to face my biggest fears of being lost and alone.
You have to keep evolving yourself in everything you do. Read. Travel. Dream. Distance yourself. Learning new things and expanding your mind will add versatility to your life. Learn how to control where your attention goes and value all you put your effort in. You have so much time to make yourself who you want to be. So.. Start that business. Buy the plane ticket. Move to a new city. Branch out from your inner circle. Make friends with strangers. Do all the things that scare the crap out of you because life is short, and it’s worth it.
sarahcav 