Hello all! As you may or may not know, this will be my very first DU abroad blog post – and I am very excited! First thing’s first, let me introduce myself; My name is Ashley, and I am a junior at DU with a major in communications and minors in environmental science & writing practices. I will be studying in Perth, Australia at the University of Western Australia for this upcoming semester. I enjoy being outdoors (when it’s warm), cheffin’ in the kitchen, crocheting, and spending time with my family. I am an avid lover of swimming in any body of water, thus why I chose to study abroad in a place with lots of it (among other reasons)!

As I write this, I only have three hours until I leave for the airport (ahhh!) and there have already been some road bumps. My grandma is supposed to fly to Australia with me so we can spend some time together in Sydney before school starts. Unfortunately, I just found out that she forgot to get a visitor visa. So, we don’t know when she will be allowed into the country – it just depends on how quick the visa application can be approved. Definitely a stress for sure, but it’s out of my hands and the best I can do is hope. Either way, Grandma and I will be in Australia at some point! I’ll be sure to keep you updated on the situation!

Yesterday, my mom and brother met up with me for our final goodbye-brunch. We chatted, laughed, and ate some good food (thank you, Snooze on Broadway). It’s crazy to think about not seeing them for (almost) six months, especially because I am such a family-oriented person. I’ll include our little departing picture here:)

I can’t believe that this is finally real – for the longest time it felt like this adventure was just something that was happening in the distant future. But now that the day has arrived, I have so many mixed feelings; I’m excited, nervous, anxious, hopeful, you name it. I can’t wait to make some good friends, see beautiful places, and experience everything this journey has to offer me. On the other hand, I am terrified about the what ifs; what if I can’t make any friends? What if everything goes wrong? What if I have a terrible time? It’s important to acknowledge these worries, but not hold onto them. I know that this trip will be life changing, and having worries is just human nature. All I need to do now is take it day by day and enjoy the moment to its fullest extent. I got this, and so do you!