I had dreamed about studying abroad in Australia since I was in high school; for some reason, I
have always wanted to travel the globe and visit one of the farthest spots. When I applied, I
naturally looked at the well-known places, Sydney, Melbourne, and decided on Sydney. I knew it
would be a reach to get in, but I got my hopes up anyway and dreamed of living in the big city.

So when the email arrived with the subject line, “Not Accepted to Preferred Program/Next
Steps,” I was crushed. My initial reaction was disbelief, followed by disappointment. For a few
days, I wondered whether studying abroad would even happen for me. I thought this might be a
sign to give up, that perhaps this experience wasn’t meant to be. I felt like my dream had been
taken away before it even started, and it was hard to imagine that there could be any silver
lining in the situation.

I scrolled through the list of available programs, initially thinking about other far-off destinations
like Greece or Peru. I wasn’t particularly drawn to them, though, and then my eyes landed on
another Australian option: Newcastle. Something about the name, the location, and the pictures
of the city and campus caught my attention. I saw the beautiful view of the Anzac Walk and knew
it would be the place for me. I also saw how close it was to Sydney, and thought if I didn’t like I
would just take the train to Sydney for weekends.

When I first arrived in Sydney and then traveled to Newcastle, my initial impression was
underwhelming. Newcastle was much smaller than Sydney, the streets weren’t as nice, and it
didn’t have the city feel I had imagined. Once I arrived at campus, that all changed. The first
thing I noticed when I arrived to campus was the birds, I could see Cockatoos and Kookaburras
everywhere. I could also hear them, it was never quiet around. Suddenly, I was not just a visitor;
I was part of something new. Adapting to life in Newcastle had its challenges; I was constantly
asked where I was from and why I had chosen to study there – but I began to embrace the
differences and the curiosity that others had about me.

Arriving on the city campus gave me a new view. While Newcastle was a much smaller city, I
grew to appreciate it. It was easy to get around with public transport, and the city wasn’t hard to
navigate. Five weeks into my program, I moved from a studio apartment to a ten-person flat with
students from all over the world: Australia, France, Korea, and England. Living with such a
mixed group of roommates created a little family. We would have dinners together, game nights,
night outs. I started to notice myself falling in love with Newcastle.
The beaches were one of the main highlights of my abroad experiences. Newcastle has many
beautiful beaches, such as Nobby’s, Bar, Merewether, and Newcastle Beach, the coastline was
stunning. There are also many ocean baths, which are essentially giant pools filled with ocean
water near the sea. These became my favorite to go with friends to tan, swim, hang out, or even
watch the sunset.

I really pushed myself out of my comfort zone. I played my first game of rugby(and had no clue
what I was doing the whole time, but had tons of fun!) I tried all different types of food, I travelled
all around Australia, and even went to Fiji! On our final night, my entire block gathered at
Hickson Street Lookout for a goodbye dinner, and I was shocked by how much this place had
come to mean to me.

Looking back, I still can’t believe that I was initially disappointed about not being accepted to
Sydney. I ended up visiting Sydney only twice, and it honestly felt like enough. Newcastle had
given me so much more – the best friends, memories, experiences. My abroad experience truly
changed everything and opened my eyes to the fact that the first choice isn’t always the best
choice, and life takes you where you are supposed to be. Sometimes the second choice might
just be the path your supposed to take, and I am grateful that its how the abroad experience
worked for me.

Kendall Nelson

Psychology Major

Fall 2025

Australia

University of Newcastle