I have been to Canada.  I’ve stepped over the border, waved at the Canadians, practiced my Canadian “eh?”, belted out “O, Canada!”, and watched the water rush over the big rocks.  And that’s about it.  I’m sure there is much more to Canada than what I’ve just said, but when one has only been to the other side of the Niagara Falls, one can hardly say they’ve traveled to Canada.  My travel experience is strictly limited to our fifty nifty united states, or our forty-eight continental united states, rather.  The opportunity to travel in Australia would be highly beneficial to my future in numerous ways – expanding my outlook on the world, developing new perspectives, and enriching my academic life.

     I plan on pursuing a career in journalism or creative writing – basically storytelling.  In storytelling, success depends upon the expression of thoughts and the development of experiences.  For one to have a story there must be a story to tell (i.e. experience), an imagination or intuition to create the story (i.e. thought), and a mode by which to express this story to the world (i.e. speech, be it verbal or written).  It is my belief that one is not born with an innate talent to create and present stories but must develop those talents through exercising the creative mind, critiquing one’s vocabulary and writing style, and embarking on unique experiences.  By studying in Australia, not only am I gaining storytelling material, but I am also exploring an entirely new world of expression and thought.  Australian expression and customs are unique and will help to expand my views on the world and strengthen my ability to articulate my thoughts.

     I long to experience this world.  I’ve grown up a middle class suburban American life.  Having this behind me, I have the desire to look out at the “real world” and see it for whatever it really is.  I want to take this opportunity by the hand and force it to show me the world and I don’t have to be wearing my rose-tinted glasses in order to see it.  I do not want to stop here, at Australia.  I want to broaden my scope of the world so that by the end of my time here, I have a pretty good idea of what was going on. 

     Every being on this planet travels their path of life in some way different than myself.  To be offered the opportunity to explore cultures outside this country at any point in life is a privilege.  I want to take hold of this opportunity so that I can understand the value systems and customs various cultures exercise every day.  By doing this, I will not only broaden my perspective of the world, but also train myself for diversity in the workplace, develop leadership skills through taking this independent excursion, and strengthen my intellect through the study of subjects unique to Australia. 

     And then, when people ask if I’ve ever been to another country, I won’t have to mumble under my breath, “just Canada, eh?”