Dear Australia,
I am not the same man who stepped off of that plane almost five months ago, for you see I am changed.
I am changed because I am grateful of my opportunity; to have had this adventure of a lifetime and to see what the world is like through a different continent.
I am changed because I am humbled, to have witnessed the greatness of nature and the wonders it has provided us.
But most importantly, I am changed because of you Australia, and I will forever be changed for the better.
I am grateful, I am humbled, and I am in awe of everything you have shown me.
From Bondi to Coogee, Melbourne to Cairns, and Sydney to Auckland, I have seen the beauty of distance and the uniqueness of each city and place I have touched. I came here wondering if I would find a piece of myself through my travels, yet at the culmination of this trip I have realized that I have left pieces of myself in the places I have loved the most.
I entered this country with a sense of maturity but am leaving with an incredible sense of independence and an increased sense of self-awareness: I am confident that my life is heading in the right direction.
I am so thankful for the challenges I have encountered while studying abroad, for I know that I am capable of the uncertainties that life can throw.
But above all, I am so grateful for this desire of travel that has grown within me since I have lived here. I am looking at the next several years of my life as an opportunity to explore. There are more pieces of myself that I am looking to discover.
Thank you Australia, for giving me memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you for giving my new found friends and I, a place to let our imagination and creativity run wild. Thank you for your amazing culture, and for allowing me to call this place home. I hope to return to this country with my children one day to show them all of the wonders you have shown me.
I am not the same man who stepped off that plane almost five months ago, for you see I am forever changed. You will always be a part of my life OZ.
Until next time Australia...
Cheers!
Marlowe
