Hello,
my name is Lara, I am 15 years old and from Germany. Currently, I am at the Gold Coast in Australia. My adventure started in the middle of July and will end at the end of December 2019. Now half of my time is over, therefore, I would like to take this as an opportunity to write a report about my previous experiences and impressions. I never thought before that three months could pass so fast.
Already on the way to Australia, I learned so many new things. I flew from Frankfurt with a stopover in Singapore 16.000km to Brisbane. Arrived in Australia I was very tired because of the time difference. I didn´t know anybody except my homestay family. We wrote a couple of emails and skyped once to get to know each other. With my homestay family, I can make new experiences as well. In Germany, I am an only child and here I am living with two Australian homestay sisters and one international girl from Denmark. They welcomed me very warmly and soon I felt like a real family member.
My first day in high school was very exciting for me. I met a lot of new people and already got on very well with most of them. Together we explored everything and tried new subjects. In the beginning, I was often tired in or after school because it was very exhausting to understand the language. Over time, I was able to record more and more new vocabulary, to understand things easier and was therefore not so tired anymore. I also found a way to include some of my routines from Germany in my new Aussie lifestyle.
My school offered a `Learn to surf´ program for international students so we learned how to become a real Gold Coast surfer. During the week I am spending most time of the day in school but I try to enjoy my time in Australia. Sometimes I get up very early and go to the beach, see the sunrise and (try to) catch a wave with my surfboard. On the weekends my friends and I go to the cities nearby, try a lot of new things like the Australian food or activities we couldn´t do in our home country and go to the beautiful beaches.
I also had holidays where I did an Outback tour. I flew in a group of my age from Brisbane to Adelaide where we started a 2700km bus tour to Alice Springs. We had a lot of fun, new experiences and the best 9 days of our life. Another highlight was my 15th Birthday on the other side of the world.
My previous time here in Australia was completely different like I thought it will be. It wasn´t better or worse just different. I found a lot of friends from all over the world.
Next week I will make a trip to Tangalooma where I will see dolphins and will go snorkeling. My friends and I will spend a lot of time on the beach and will enjoy the amazing weather before I have to go back to the rainy and cold Germany. I am thankful for all the experiences that I was already allowed to make and for this once in a lifetime opportunity.
