When I was accepted into Indiana University (IU), I immediately knew that I wanted to study abroad. I hadn’t ever left America and had a deep desire to live in another country.

After being in college for a month, I began to research IU’s study abroad programs. They had quite a few destinations throughout Europe and South America that seemed interesting. Unfortunately, many of these required extensive foreign language skills, which I did not, and still do not, possess. This limited my choices to English speaking nations. As I browsed through the study abroad website’s options, I wasn’t immediately drawn to any of the choices. The countries seemed interesting enough, but I couldn’t see myself living in most of them.

I had almost reached the bottom of the list when I found Wollongong, Australia. The name was so foreign and exuded exoticism. A picture of a student scuba diving next to an enormous, colorful fish accompanied the program information. I stared at the image and felt myself being transported to another land. A land of crazy animals and intriguing accents, where the people had a kind, relaxed demeanor. A land where I could visit the ocean every single day and try an amalgam of new foods. I knew I had found where I wanted to study. Though I ended up choosing Adelaide instead of Wollongong, due to a scholarship offer, I loved living in Australia and highly recommend it.

Another reason I selected Australia was my lack of international travel experience. Before residing in Adelaide, the only foreign nation I had ever visited was Aruba, which in my mind is not far enough away to count as “exotic.” This made me nervous to be alone in a new country, so far away.

Nothing would stand in the way of me pursuing my dreams of studying abroad, however, and I wanted to make sure I would set myself up to have the perfect experience. After being inspired by the scuba diving picture, I researched Australia and realized they were America’s southern hemispheric “cousin.” They too, were a rather young country that had also been ruled by the British. Though I knew that there were a plethora of cultural differences between Australia and the United States, I never felt like I would be entirely overwhelmed. I wouldn’t stick out as a foreigner (until I opened my mouth) and would be able to blend in on Adelaide’s streets until I became comfortable navigating the area.

Finally, I chose Adelaide because I thought it would help me save a bit of money. A part of me desired to apply for a Canterbury, England trip because I had a slight chance of running into J.K. Rowling (this isn’t a joke, I really want to meet that woman because she is my writing inspiration). I also thought it would be interesting to travel throughout Europe and see crumbling castles and ancient cities. My biggest issue was the cost. After my high school graduation, several of my friends had taken a European trip and it was rather expensive.

Though I would have loved to go to Europe, I knew if I studied abroad there, I would spend a massive amount of money traveling across the continent. I thought being in Australia would save me money because I would be traveling mainly up the coast and possibly to Southeast Asia. Unless you have a strong desire to see Ayer’s Rock, a massive sandstone monolith in the heart of the Northern Territory’s Red Centre desert, and 450 km from the nearest large town, you can see spectacular sights right along the coast. When I got to Australia, I realized that my prediction was correct. Though it’s cost of living is much higher, I was able to see a decent amount of the country on a fraction of the cost I would have spent in Europe.

If you are interested in choosing a less-popular study abroad destination, I recommend giving Australia a chance. The locals are kind, the beaches are beautiful, and the wine is superb. Go your own way and experience the gorgeous beauty of Australia.

[accordion_tab title=”Collegiate Correspondent: Kelsey Tharp” default]
Kelsey Tharp recently graduated from Indiana University and received a B.A. in English. During her last semester at IU, she studied abroad in Adelaide, Australia and desperately wants to return some day. She has a passion for travel and encourages everyone to take the opportunity to live in another country! She has been previously published in Inside Indiana University Bloomington, IU’s Physical Plant Perspective newsletter and the Wine, Spirits and Beer Advocate blog. Outside of writing, she is an avid reader and chef.[/accordion_tab]