Introduction

         My name is Katherine; I’m supposed to write a paragraph about who I am, introduction of sorts. Oh, how many people ask for a long and insightful explanation of yourself for this question. Although it really is a strange question to ask, especially to people of this generation, of this age. Is this not a time to discover who you are, perhaps this is a reason for us to leave on such a trip? At this fragile and malleable point in our lives, I strongly believe that who I am now can change at any minute, but for the sake of giving you a proper answer to this question I shall give you what I do understand about myself at this very instant. I have always had a hunger for adventure and an unquenchable thirst for discovery. I hope to travel the world, to see everything there is to see, to feel everything that a human heart is capable of feeling and to eat everything that my stomach can bare, Unless its still fuzzy then its not going anywhere near my mouth. I’ve never been out of the country, let alone on a plane so this entire experience should change my perspective on things greatly. That particular concept seems slightly scary but I will never let that get in my way. I’m goanna jump head first into this and it would take a great fool to try and stop me.

1. Why did you sign up for this course?

           

            I wanted change. It sounds silly and childish, yes, I understand that. But living here everything in a way is predictable. I’ve never gone anywhere where life isn’t in the same limitations as it is at home or in school. Honestly I’ve never gone anywhere that required me to change in attitude or prospective either. You see or imagine these breathtaking sights and enthralling cultures when reading or watching television, that are completely alien to most of us. However, I don’t want then to be alien to me. I took this course for that very reason, to break away from the norm and to know of these things that can only be lived.

2. What do you hope to learn from traveling abroad?

           

            Everything, I’m not expecting to have some euphoric moment and suddenly become the child of Einstein, but it would be nice wouldn’t it? I really want to learn about other people’s lives, discover something that’s outside my admittedly sheltered life. Perhaps this experience can teach me something about other countries problems, about how possibly, someday, I could help. I’m hoping to learn of the greatness in this world, how no matter how separate people are there is still hope for a bright future; and maybe sometime during this trip I can possible learn a thing or two about myself.

3. What specifically interests you about Australia or New Zealand?

           

            I wanted to go ever since I was small. Most of this was sadly due to the Crocodile Hunter’s influence. I would see the massive amounts of terrains and ecosystems in Australia so often that I believed it must be someplace truly magical. That fanatical part of me never truly left, that was suddenly very obvious when I almost keeled over hearing about this trip. The several customs there seem wondrous to me as well. Here there is little variation of customs, most involve differences in religion, but there, at least what I’ve come to understand, there is a larger disparity in cultures do to their way of life. That’s fascinating to say the least.

4. Why do you think learning about where you are going before actually going can improve your traveling experience?

            We learn to understand, if we blindly go somewhere to understand everything, we would waste our time in doing so because we also have to think and truly comprehend those things. To know about the area in which we travel to greatly benefits us because, for one, we wont feel like we’ve been thrown into the woods alone and stumbling upon a house of candy and not knowing there is a witch inside ready to eat us; and for two its really gives us a chance to think about what we want out of this small adventure, like, if we want the candy but prefer not to be eaten. This would enviably make our trip to the woods a happier one.