BY EMILY BEYER
APPRECIATING HOME AFTER LIFE
EMILY BEYER,MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
abroad
For all twenty years of my existence, I lived in one place: Madison, Wisconsin. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lovely city, but I always knew that I needed to escape one day. Remaining in one place for so long made me feel trapped and suffocated; I yearned to experience the world beyond the boring and lifeless Midwest. My opportunity to flee home arose when I found out about the UW-Madison’s extensive study abroad programs. My options were overwhelmingly endless-- the world was my oyster. Although I could choose almost any destination, my heart had been set on going to Australia for as long as I could remember. The Land Down Under was incredibly appealing to me: the draw of the Outback, the beaches, the warm weather, the chance to live in a big city, and also witness some of the world’s most captivating wildlife... it all seemed too good to be true. The magical land of Australia was finally within arm’s reach! The most exciting part was that I was not simply going to visit, I was going to live there. I was about to go from living in the same city my whole life to living alone on the opposite side of the world, and I could not have been more ready. As soon as I arrived in Australia, I was smitten with my new home. As someone who values nature and the great outdoors, the chance to finally live somewhere with
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