Australia was one of the furthest places I could think of going and I took the plunge. Leaving my life in New York, I traveled over 9,600 miles across the globe to study abroad in a place where I knew no one. All I knew was that I’d be embarking on a brand new adventure.
The slow-paced and laidback beach culture of Australia was completely foreign to me. I was used to constant movement, working a couple jobs, and attending school fulltime. If I wasn’t on the subway, I could generally be found running down the street to make it on time to the next place I needed to be.
After nearly drowning at a young age and then watching endless hours of Shark Week, I became terrified of the ocean. Yet still I moved to the Gold Coast of Australia, which is riddled with beaches. I was forced to challenge myself and step out of my comfort zone.
In one of the first days of my trip, I went on a boat excursion to the Great Barrier Reef. Once we were far out, the crew stopped the boat, dropped the anchor, and said, “Oi! Everyone grab your snorkels and jump in!” I can’t deny that I was scared. We were in the middle of the ocean with thousands of sea creatures lurking beneath us. I handled the snorkel like a rookie, choking on water and my heart raced as giant fish swam across my legs. But in a matter of minutes something changed. I became so enchanted by the beauty of the colorful reef that I forgot about being scared. I just appreciated the moment taking mental snapshots of this magical underwater world I had never seen before. This was the start to a love for the ocean I was unsure I would ever resonate with.
Shortly after my encounter with the Great Barrier Reef, I decided to try surfing. I frequently ran into bronzed surfers, some biking to the beach with surfboards in tow, and I wished to be like them.
I’ll be honest. Standing up on a board was not instant for me. I swallowed water and took a few painful nosedives before riding out my first wave. My body was exhausted, but the adrenaline running through my veins kept me wanting more after every fall.
I did not want to give up after only one day of surfing so I tried again the next morning. There were dark grey clouds in the sky overhead, but the thought of a storm only got me more excited for bigger waves to practice on. I experienced something during the session that I had never felt before. I was lying on the surfboard far from the Australian shoreline without anyone else near me. It was quiet aside from the water’s movement and pitter-patter of beginning rainfall. I suddenly felt the most peaceful sensation.
Usually my mind is racing wildly with a hundred different thoughts at a time, but in this moment it was completely blank. I was in some euphoric, meditative state that I didn’t even know could exist for me. Nothing mattered. I wasn’t thinking about my past or panicking about my future. I wasn’t even thinking about the hundreds of things that could kill me in some of the world’s most dangerous waters regardless of the fact that a bull shark was recently caught near my apartment. With my mind seemingly switched off, all that remained working were my senses. The smell of the air and the movement of the water brushing up against my fingertips. The tiny drops of rain drizzling all over my body and the rolling waves picking up speed beneath me. For one of the first times in my life, I felt like I was exactly where I belonged. I wanted to hold onto that feeling forever. I will always be grateful for my time spent in Australia, and proud of myself for taking the amount of spontaneous risks needed to have the most rewarding trip.
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