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What advice would you give to someone who is considering going abroad for the first time?
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My advice to someone who wants to study abroad is to do it! I believe the only way to understand the world we live in is to explore it and expose yourself to all it has to offer. The best way to do this is to travel and immerse yourself in other cultures and experiences. It’s amazing how experiences like this can change your outlook and inspire you.
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How did you become interested in traveling to Australia?
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I have always been interested in traveling to Australia. I watched a lot of Steve Irwin when I was a kid. The wildlife has always seemed extremely interesting and unique, and I always dreamed of being able to see it first-hand.
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What is something unexpected that you learned during your trip?
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I learned a lot about myself through this experience. The center I stayed at was in the middle of the rainforest where we did field research on ecological conservation. We were pretty isolated from everything. It was great being able to completely immerse myself in the rainforest, without distractions and stresses from back home. It was a very renewing experience that allowed me to be in the outdoors again, something that I hadn’t really been able to do much since going to college. I learned that being in the outdoors is something I really miss, and something I would like to find time to do more.
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Do you have a favorite animal species that you encountered on your trip?
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My favorite animal would have to be the flying foxes. They literally look and act like dogs with wings. We also went to a bat hospital that saved bats that had been harmed, mainly from barbed-wire fences. They saved hundreds of bats every month that had been caught on the fences. It’s unfortunate that people can have such a negative impact on such an amazing animal. It’s hard to pick. I really liked all the wildlife I encountered.
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What are you looking forward to the most about living in Ann Arbor again?
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I’m looking forward to seeing my friends again, and drumming with them. I’m in the drumline and I have to say not drumming for 3 months while I was in Australia was pretty rough.
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Contributed By: Marissa Nazareno