Six Months in Australia, Six Months of Adventure

-By Edwina

Adventure - well what is an adventure? Mountain climbing, skydiving? Or animated adventures like Alice in Wonderland? When one reads about all this it sounds great and adventurous and fun, but my life’s adventure is a little different. I was born in India, and was pretty much spoilt from the time I opened my eyes. I never really did anything back at home, because like any other spoilt kid, my theory was “my mum will do it for me, I don’t have to worry”. But coming to Australia changed that; it changed my idea of fantasy and the world.

First thing was - I had to start travelling by myself from the very first day, not having a clue as to where I was going. This was something I never did in India. So while on the tram, the minute I used to see ‘Deakin University’ written in bold I knew I made it, but I couldn't breathe a sigh of relief until I reached home without getting lost.

Speaking of getting lost, I think I got lost more on-campus than outside campus. Deakin was about three times the size of my school and I got lost multiple times. Sometimes I even missed lectures because I couldn’t find my classes (or rather I was too tired to walk to the classes. I felt jet lagged for a long time and probably still am, considering the fact I wake up at lunch time each day!). It was like a mini adventure for me. But when I figured my way out, it wasn’t too bad. After all, I just needed to use my brains a little.

Cooking - never had to do it in my life before, but when I came here, things changed. I had no other option but to learn how to cook, that is if I didn’t want to starve. So far I have only learnt how to cook eggs and 2 minute noodles. When I’m tired of it, I’ve got McDonald’s just round the corner. My baking skills in one word: ‘fantastic’ but that’s because I follow the instructions on the box closely, not because I have the skills like “Buddy” from “Cake Boss”. However, I still have to get somebody to pop it in the oven for me because I still do not know how to work that.

I love Melbourne CBD. At first I kept putting off to visit it because I didn’t know how to get there, but once when my cousin took me there with another friend of mine, I did not want to leave. With the busy streets, colourful walls, shops and restaurants, I was in wonderland. From hopping into trams and getting off at random stops and just walking around taking photographs at every corner to running in to shops and coming out wearing a different pair of shoes, the times I have spent in the city have always been an adventure for me. There is so much to do and so much to see, that by the end of the day you still want more.

Beaches - my second home. I can’t swim but that doesn’t mean I won’t go into the water. I love the whole atmosphere, the smell of the water, the sound of the wind, the feel of the sand on your feet, even the feel of the first chill your body gets when it touches the water. Six months ago, all of this was in my dreams and now my dreams have turned to reality. Whatever I dreamt of doing all my life, the adventures I wanted to go on, the experiences I wanted, all of that is slowly coming true.

I’m only 18, I’ve been here six months, and I’ve just finished my first semester at Deakin. These were just my freshman adventures, and I’m pretty sure I have many more exciting adventures waiting for me.