Down Under and to the Left
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I almost stepped onto an escalator going the wrong way five minutes after landing in Sydney. Not because I didn’t see it, or see the people right in front of me. My brain just assumed things functioned the way they always had.
Going to a completely new country is already a change, but the biggest differences are often the tiny habits you didn’t even realize you had. Before landing in Sydney, Australia, I already knew the cliché ones: people drive on the left side of the road, some words are spelled differently, and there’s Aussie slang I had never even heard before.
Where you walk, for example, sounds completely obvious. But you never really notice how much of a habit it is until you’re walking down the street and subconsciously move to the right side. When trying to get out of someone’s way, you’re practically dancing with a complete stranger before realizing you both need to go left instead of right.
It’s actually pretty interesting. One of my new friends explained that walking on the left side can be safer. Since most people are right-handed, if a threat ever appeared, walking on the left side makes it much easier to defend yourself with your right hand.
Aside from random facts like that, living abroad showed me that it’s not just about seeing new places and trying new things. It’s also about rewiring and confronting the small things you’ve always done without thinking. For the better, of course. This can range from something as simple as walking on the left side of the sidewalk to completing your homework the day you get it or waking up an extra hour earlier.
Your new adventure abroad comes with A LOT of big changes, but along the way, you might rebuild new habits that help you grow into an even better version of yourself to bring home!
One fun new habit I have started is going to a run club, running more frequently, and getting up super early every morning! From doing that, I have met so many incredible people from all over the world and seen so many new places! It’s a small change that ended up shaping a big part of my experience here.
So, no matter where your adventure takes you, whether that’s down under or to the left, bring your joy, determination, heart, and personality with you! Your new home needs it.
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