So here I am, 4 months older with longer hair sitting here in cold Minnesota. I have learned more in the past 4 months than I ever thought imaginable. I learned some things about myself that I never would have expected. The world is a big place and there are so many great people and fun experiences that I never even thought about. For example, I had never thought about what people are like in Norway, but I now know that Norwegians are some of my favorite people (elske du). I also never knew what a true German acted like until I became good friends with Max and Thomas. I have made some lifelong friendships and some memories that will never be forgotten.
There are certain things that I would love to take away from Australian culture. First off, I think all Americans need to take on more of the “no worries” attitude. Another thing that I noticed after returning to America is that everyone seems to need to be constantly doing something. For example, I love my parents, but I recently noticed that they almost always need to be doing something or getting something done. I have noticed this with almost everyone since I have returned home. People here love their laptops, I Pad, and phones. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing and I am in no way insulting my parents. I have noticed this for most of America. On my way home I found that I was perfectly content just sitting on the plane and thinking the whole time. In fact, I spent a total of around 24 hours actually on a plane and barely any of that time was spent doing anything. I think I watched one movie, but other than that I was perfectly content just sitting there and reflecting on what I have been given in life. I have actually really learned to enjoy my moments of silence.
I have also noticed that a lot of people are very serious and sometimes stresses about their job. For example, once I arrived in LAX airport, I encountered many overly serious workers. One of the first people I saw in America was an extremely angry and loud security woman. She started yelling at me while I was on crutches. I wanted to yell at her, but I controlled myself. It was just interesting because I did not experience that type of thing the whole time while I was in Australia.
I hope that this trip has permanently changed my attitude. It is so easy in life to stress about things that do not really matter in the long run. Life is short, spend it doing the things you love with those you love remembering who has given you the ability to love. Unfortunately, I love surfing, but my parents have told me that moving is not an option. Haha No worries, I am going to keep working on it…
In the end, I love you Australia and I am so grateful for all the friends and memories I have made. “Cheers and G’day mate!”
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