Today marks the start of my fourth week of classes at the University of Sydney, and I can happily say that my transition into Australian life has been anything but difficult. In fact, it’s been quite healthy for me, and I believe that this is owed to the way in which Australians live and how they view the world.
To give a little bit of background, I have always taken my studies really seriously. Since high school, I thought I had my life planned out: I was going to go to college, work really hard, get good grades, go to medical school, and then live happily ever after as a successful doctor. Hooray. And so, during my first couple years at Georgetown, I prioritized academic achievement above all else. I felt stressed much of the time because there was always another exam, assignment, or event outside of classes that required my attention, but I kept pushing through because I was following my plan. I was going to live my dream. Unfortunately, I think that this attitude caused me to miss out on a lot during these years. In a way, I was seeing my “real life” as my life after graduation (perhaps even after medical school), which was a shame, because my real life is happening right now. It took me a long time to realize this, but I’m so glad that I finally did.
Being here in Australia helped me to gain a new perspective on my life. In general, Australians are very down-to-earth people. They’ll always be keen to grab a beer at the pub or relax on the beach after a hard day. They’re also flexible and outgoing – I can’t count the number of times complete strangers have helped me out when I was confused about directions, the metro, or even which sheets set to buy in KMart. If something doesn’t go exactly as planned, they say, “no worries.” And they really don’t worry. This way of life is contagious. Since I’ve been here, I’ve realized that I’ve been way too caught up in the details. Life isn’t about getting the perfect grades so that you can get the perfect job. Life is about appreciating the now. It’s about taking chances, making new friends, and going to that concert even if it means you’ll be up for ages afterward in order to finish your assignment. Since I’ve been in Australia, I’ve been appreciating the now so much more, and because of it, I’ve never felt happier.
So thanks, Aussies. Cheers to today.
