LC student goes down under

Posted on October 22, 2009 by Erin Majerowicz, Staff Writer

On Feb. 12, senior Hannah Cameron, an environmental studies major, boarded a plane to Australia. She left everything she was used to behind for a semester and discovered life in a foreign country. Her final destination was the city of Adelaide in South Australia. In Adelaide, Cameron lived in a townhouse with two other students, one from America and the other from Hong Kong.

"I was nervous and excited before leaving the States. I was nervous about throwing myself into a new culture and living there for a semester, but I was excited about the experiences I would have and the people I would meet," Cameron said.

Cameron spent weeks getting paperwork in order, packing and saying goodbye to friends and family before she jet-setted into the unknown.

"I've been out of the country before, but never by myself and especially not halfway around the world," Cameron said.

Cameron said she chose to study in Australia because it is an English-speaking country and it's a place she had always wanted to visit.

"I wanted to study abroad for a semester rather than a few weeks because I wanted to experience what it would be like to fully become part of another culture. I feel that being in a country for a week or two doesn't allow you to really be part of that society and way of life," Cameron said.

In Adelaide, Cameron attended Adelaide University, where she took courses in environmental studies and politics. The most difficult part about adjusting to the "Aussie" culture was learning the slang, Cameron said.

"They have a nickname for everything and some of them barely make sense. A cooler is called an ‘eskie,' sunglasses are ‘sunnies' and afternoon is ‘arvo.' It took me awhile to realize what on earth they were saying. But, I actually started using the slang after a while," Cameron said.

While studying in Australia, Cameron visited the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns, the city of Brisbane, Kangaroo Island, The Bush and New Zealand.

"The places that I got to see were breathtaking. All of the sights that I saw were so unique and are definitely something that I will remember and treasure for the rest of my life. I have never seen something as pristine and wild as Kangaroo Island or as green and luscious as the hills in New Zealand," Cameron said.

Through all of her travels and experiences, Cameron made friends from all over the world. Cameron said she was able to learn about different cultures because of the diversity in her classes.

"Leaving Australia was one of the hardest things. I met so many amazing people there and I loved everything about their culture and easygoing lifestyle. It has been nice to come back and see everyone, but one of these days I'm heading back to the land down under," Cameron said.