overseas briefing Seeking a peaceful, easy feeling down under

Author: Kate Dellas

SYDNEY-Studying abroad in Sydney, Australia was somewhat of a blissful experience. The 24-hour trip was a long nap, interrupted by timely meals and movie choices.

We arrived in Sydney only to be swept up by a group of eager study-abroad counselors with a distinctly Australian approach.

Easy-going would be an understatement. Meanwhile, the American students embodied neuroticism, misting Evian sprays to ease the nervous sweats brought on by the idea of lost luggage.

We got our first dose of 'no worries mate' that morning in Sydney.

The awaiting vans headed to Coogee, the eastern suburb that was to become home. We were deposited one by one along Beach Road, with houses and apartments all complete with ocean views.

Australia began with 'no worries' and floated along in that manner for the next 16 weeks. My housemates and I bought surfboards in that first week, vowing we would master this Australian lifestyle.

Turns out we spent our days napping on the beach, occasionally dragging our boards into the water for a good beating.

Days came and went, and we discovered beachside cafés and markets that became daily stops.

We noticed each other marching along Coogee Bay Road, disguised by fresh tans and new uniforms - ever present "sunnies" and "swimmers." Our flip-flops became thongs, but we remained distinctly American.

Our classes at the University of New South Wales broke up the monotony of the beach. The studies in Australia continued as they had at Midd - maybe more in the manner of a Middlebury Winter Term.

Needless to say, there were few complaints in Coogee. The Sydney Harbor Bridge, the Opera House and the Darling Harbor were all checked off on our to-do lists.

We filled backpacks with bikinis and traveled up the coast from Brisbane to Cairns.

We jumped out of a plane at 16,000 feet, jumped off a bungee tower in the middle of the night and jumped off cliffs in the rainforest at our final stop in Cairns.

Our desperate parents pled with us over the phone, but we were on the other side of the world and we were jumping.

As classes came to an end, the bustling Coogee we knew absolutely exploded. As American students, tourists-turned-residents, we suddenly felt overwhelmed by the crowds of visitors swarming our beaches, our cafes. We sought escapes.

My housemate, Catherine, a Georgetown student, and I booked a flight to Bangkok, and planned a trip through Thailand. It is this trip that would slowly reawaken us to the real world, outside our Australian beach utopia.

We packed our bags, said goodbye to Coogee, and boarded our plane with few plans, few worries and a few lessons learned in Australia.