My stay here is soon coming to an end. My adventure “down under” has been one filled with happiness and heaps of fun. I’ve learned what seems like a whole different language and made a bunch of friends that I hope to keep in touch with. It makes me sad to think that tomorrow morning I’ll be leaving on a very long flight home, but I’m happy that I will get to see my family and friends.

Over the past few weeks I’ve had so many great new experiences. I’ve had a jam-packed trip; from the zoo, to the aquarium and even the outback. This passed weekend we even went to Sydney, where I got to see the Opera House and Harbour Bridge and spend some time at the beach.

Exchange has exceeded my expectations. I thought Melbourne would be like the countryside and that there would be kangaroos jumping around backyards. Melbourne is a lot more like Montreal than I thought it would be and even though there aren’t kangaroos in people’s backyards, the suburbs are still filled with beautiful birds and other wildlife.

The past seven weeks have been a wonderful experience that I will never forget. I have become more independent and had the opportunity to learn so much about Australian culture and the country in general. I “reckon” that I don’t want this wonderful experience to come to an end; I will really miss Carey and all of the people I have met from here. Farewell Australia, I hope to come back again someday! –Aiyana Kaplan ’16