Dreaming Down Under

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I’ve been chipping away at my graduate school applications, classwork, and research project. I’m proud to say I have submitted my applications, taken my final exams, and will be continuing to collaborate with the Australian Museum research team when I return to the US!

All that’s left to do now is celebrate! 

I actually booked my Advanced Open Water Scuba Diving course long ago when I fell in love with diving during my Open Water course, but a fun weekend diving was perfectly timed as a reward to myself for submitting my graduate school applications and taking my final exam.

I spent the weekend in Jervis Bay with a handful of other divers to get our certification, but mostly to have an awesome time diving. 

I made highlight videos for Saturday:

And Sunday:

My favorite part of the weekend was diving with the seals. All of the divers I’d talked to before said they’re the puppies of the sea, and I can now confidently attest to that!

After returning from my exciting dive weekend, I spent yesterday and today in full preparation mode for my next trip… Tomorrow morning I leave for the Australian state of Tasmania, an island southeast of the mainland.

While my family and friends are enjoying their Thanksgiving dinners in the US, I’ll be on the trail, at the start of the longest solo trek I will have embarked on! I’ve backpacked in groups, and I’ve camped and hiked by myself, but this will be my first time backpacking alone. I won’t be participating in the typical Thanksgiving festivities, but I am endlessly thankful for my healthy body and outdoor experience, without both of which I could not imagine having the confidence to take on the trip I have planned. 

After the past few weeks of increasingly detailed planning, I’m finally about to set off! I’m definitely nervous, but I’m too excited to let it get to me!

Mostly, I don’t think the reality of it has set in. As cliche and cringe-worthy as it is, if I had to pick one word to describe my adventures in Australia, it would be “unreal.” I genuinely could not have dreamt of the incredible experiences I’ve had thus far, whether that be working with a world-respected researcher or becoming a member of a seal pod. 

And what’s even more unreal is that I still have a month to continue living and learning down under.