To Australia and Back Again

Dictionary.com states inspiration is "Divine guidance or influence exerted directly on the mind and soul of humankind" (2009). Inspiration can be short-term or long-term. One experience comes to mind that has left a lasting impression on my soul; a travel experience that occurred when I was in middle school.

I was chosen, after a long process, to be among a group of students who would travel to Australia and represent the United States. I was part of the People to People Student Ambassador program, and it will always be a part of me. Although it may seem like children traveling to another country for fun, the experience leaves a lasting impression. I was able to see places that I would otherwise probably never see, eat foods that were foreign to me, hold animals that I had only seen in movies, and meet people that I would never forget.

For three weeks during the summer we traveled down the east coast of Australia visiting not only well-known places, but small, little-known places as well. We spent a few days on a farm, eating fresh food and hiking around the numerous acres of land. At one point during our journey, we were split into pairs and were housed by native families. I can still remember the hospitality and joy that the family showed us. It showed me that even small acts of kindness really could go a long way.

Although I have lost contact over the years with the other students, I still have many memories of spending time with the friends I made while in Australia. They inadvertently taught me to accept others for who they are, and that a situation can bring people together. The other students and the leaders of our group were my family for those three weeks, and we learned how to work together to make the most of it.

The overall beauty of the country amazed me. Rainforests, swamps, mountains, ocean, fields, foothills; it all came together with such magnificence. I realized that nature was its own wonder, and natural beauty was something I hadn't fully appreciated. For the first 18 years of my life I had lived at the base of the Rocky Mountains and never realized how beautiful they were until after coming home from Australia.

To me, my experiences in Australia were not just for fun, but it was so much more than that. It changed my life, reinforced the things my parents always told me, and inspired me to be more open and accepting.

Sources: Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright 2009.