To Brisbane!

It has always been pretty obvious that I would be spending time studying in another country at some point during my education. Dickinson made it clear that I would be going my Junior year. But where?

Well, thankfully after a dastardly experience with Spanish 231 and the final paper that might have actually killed a part of my soul, I knew that I would not be continuing language at Dickinson. This made my decision of where to study abroad surprisingly simple. Language: Had to be English. Major: Psychology. Length of stay: One Semester. Partner Program: Yes (needed to keep scholarship/financial aid) Destination?!: Brisbane, Australia.

Applying was a breeze because Global Ed. basically force feeds you forms, directions, and warnings if you are on a partner program. Then before I knew it I was accepted and going to Brisbane in a few short months.

The best part of the application process was the program-specific information session. Pretty unexpected, I know. The meeting answered all of the questions I had.

The most interesting question that was answered was about where I would be living.

Answer. Cromwell College

After finding out this highly exciting information (because this was my #1 choice), I then found out one of my friends on the trip, Megan Song, would be living with me (as well as Phil Hubert and Taylor Bye). Then, we split in to groups based on living arrangements and had discussions with people who had lived in our colleges in previous years. This is probably what made the meeting awesome. The UQ alums were just bursting with information and excitement it was hard to not have some of that energy rub off on you.

Some highlights about the stories/information I was told:
-You get a single and share a communal bathroom
-The colleges are set-up like Hogwarts with corridors and you get really close to your corridor
-We have formal dinner once a week and dress in graduation robe garb
-Cromwell drinks a lot. (a lot, a lot)
-You will be drinking cheap wine (goon). That's it. Everything else is too expensive.
-I will be a “fresher” and a "crommie". (Awesome, I loved being a freshman)
-“ASK” is supposed to be great. I'll write more about that when it happens

More Brisbane Tidbits:
-Good Hostel System in AUS/NZ
-GO. TO. New Zealand
-Public Transportation, thumbs up.
-Everything is expensive. (Also, awesome.)
-Ann Wadsworth is the shit. (I will provide my own opinion once I actually meet her. But it's looking good after we saw the video she sent to us)

Now I just have the rest of my life to pack up into a suitcase.

This may not be exactly where I'm going, but a girl can hope.