WW Around The World - Sydney, Australia

Amanda has been traveling and sent an email update to me through her phone to share with Wharton Women! :

"Wow, time has surely flown by! I feel as if it were just yesterday that I wrote my first post about how excited I was to begin my adventures here in Australia. Now, three months later, I am packing my bags and getting ready to depart this weekend.

"Being abroad has been one of the most life changing and eye opening experiences I have ever had. Not only has studying abroad introduced me to many new cultures, but also has helped to mature me as an individual.

"As I conclude my time here I look back at some of the most incredible experiences I have had. I fully explored the city of Sydney and was even able to venture throughout many other parts of Australia. To name a few, I scuba-dived in the Great Barrier Reef, visited the racing grounds in Melbourne and surfed in Byron Bay. I was also privileged to take a 10-day spring break trip to the south island of New Zealand in which the scenery was absolutely breath-taking! In Queenstown, New Zealand (and yes I still can not believe it) I bungee jumped from the 3rd highest platform in the world. It was absolutely incredible. I also got to whitewater raft down level six rapids, take a helicopter ride over the mountains and climb a glacier. I will now end my time abroad with a five-week long trip throughout Southeast Asia that begins this Saturday. I will spend time in Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and then travel to Beijing and Shanghai before making my way back to the states. I can only imagine what types of adventures this trip will bring and I can’t wait to share stories with all of you when I return!

"Although all of the traveling has been astounding, what really made my abroad experience so incredible were the people I met. I had the opportunity to meet many other students studying abroad from all over the world as well as many native Australians. These relationships allowed me to learn many new things about myself and will definitely be what I remember first when looking back upon my time here.

"Academically, I was fortunate enough to be enrolled in courses without any final exams and have therefore been done with school since October! Nevertheless, the courses I took here were eye-opening and rewarding. I was able to use my interest in business to enroll in courses that combined Australian sport and business as well as Australian law and business. Since the classroom is much more laid back then we are used to at Penn, I found it quite easy to establish very strong relationships with my professors. Many will even e-mail you and ask you to go out for a drink!

"Overall, I can honestly say that the past four months have been some of the best in my entire life. I will forever remember my experiences here and will be happy to share more stories with you all in detail next semester. If anyone is looking to study abroad in Australia please do not hesitate to contact me!

"I wish you all the best of luck finishing up the rest of your semester and I will be sure to share stories of my travels in Southeast Asia when I see you all in January.

Kind Regards,

Amanda Bensol"