The anticipation is starting. I leave for Australia in just 16 days. My whole world will be turned upside down. Literally! And I can’t wait. I finally have almost all of the details in order. I’m gonna be spending the semester in the wild down under. I can barely wrap my head around what to expect. I know it will be wet and cold when I get there, but that makes opportunity for things to grow that I’ve never seen in real life before. I still can’t believe it. I’ve always wanted to go there and see what it’s like, but I never knew about the rainforest side of the continent until about a year ago. It just made me want to go even more. What’s best about it is that I will be totally and completely in my element while there– ceramic studio, herbal medicine class, surrounded by rainforest, close to the beach, and the people will be different, too.

I think I’m just realizing how quickly the trip is coming up. Back when it was a month or two away, it was just sort of a cool idea. Now it’s so close that I can smell the eucalyptus trees. Four months is longer than I’ve ever traveled somewhere before. College is close to home, and my travel experience boils down to a few family vacations.

What I’m the most excited about is hiking there. I know I can’t make too big of expectations, but I know the climate, plants, and atmosphere will be different. I know that there are orchids growing near where I will be, and they have a huge rainforest reserve just a few miles from campus. I want to go exploring and find new imagery to be inspired to put on my work.