what's one story or important aspect you always tell people about your time abroad?
I always tell people about the great connections that I made during my internship abroad. My coworkers all grew up together, so I felt alienated at the beginning. Especially because I was an American who didn't surf, it made me think "What am I doing here?" Soon, I began building great friendships with my colleagues in and out of work. I even took a few surf lessons with the instructors! These connections were the most valuable part of the experience, as many of the friendships I built have outlived the four months that I had in Australia.

how did you engage with the local community while abroad?
I interned abroad at Let's Go Surfing so I met a portion of the local Bondi community. I also volunteered at Operation Straw. We collected trash from the beach in Manly Cove and I met people from all over the world.