Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Junior Sarah Bair takes on Australia!

Here's our first installment on our DG study abroad/internship series.
Below, Gamma Zeta Junior Sarah Bair describes her incredible experience in Australia this summer. Enjoy!



G’ Day Mates! This summer I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in Australia! I am Athletic Training major at LSU and was able to find Sports Travel Academy and travel with James Madison University students to study Australian Sports Medicine.  It was hands down the most incredible experience of my life! The things I accomplished, saw and did in just 3 weeks I never thought I were possible in a lifetime. 

I met some incredible people along the way that have really impacted my life and will forever hold a special place in my heart. One thing that bonded me to other people instantly was being Greek! I met some other girls and guys in sororities and fraternities from across the country. 

We traveled all around Australia. We spent 4 nights in Melbourne, 5 nights in Sydney, 6 nights in Cairns and 4 nights in Surfer’s Paradise on the Gold Coast. Each place was extremely unique and had so many fun things to do! In Melbourne we focused a lot on sports and were able to see some Aussie Rules Football games and tour many of the amazing sporting facilities. We went to the Melbourne Cricket Grounds where the main site for the 1956 summer Olympics were held and the Rod Laver arena where the Australian Tennis Open is held. We also took a day trip and drove the entire 151 miles of Great Ocean Road along the bottom coast of Australia. The sites were breathtaking! 

In Sydney we took a harbor cruise where we saw the Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge. We visited the Aquarium where we were able to see some of the unique aquatic life of Australia. We also went to a few famous beaches that boarder Sydney. Cairns was my favorite stop of the trip. While in Cairns we were able to play with Kangaroos, hold a Koala, ride the longest skyrail in the world across the Australian Rainforest, learn to throw a boomerang from an Australian Aboriginal, scuba dive and snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, take a 200 person outdoor Zumba class on the beach during sunset, go skydiving and many more bucket list worthy adventures! Surfer’s Paradise was our last stop and I bet you can guess what we did there…surfing! We took a surfing class and were able to catch some Australian waves! 

These are just a few of the extraordinary things we did while studying abroad. This entire experience was such an adventure and opened me up to the world! I can’t wait to see where my next journey will take me. I encourage everyone to get out and travel! You will come away feeling like a changed person!  Cheers!
  - Sarah Bair


              




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