Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Every path has to start somewhere and lead to an eventual destination.  Growing up, I knew my destination, but was far less certain of the path that would lead me there.  Truthfully, it all started with a Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen movie: Our Lips Are Sealed.  I probably shouldn't broadcast that.  Anyway, as the Olsen twins went through improbable situations, fashions, and questionable dialogue, they enjoyed the surrounding scenery of Sydney, Australia.  Australia looked beautiful and that's where I wanted to go. 
However, in between the viewing of this movie and now, life happened.  I went to High School, graduated, started college, and now am in my final year as a senior at a SUNY college.  But along the way, I still carried that dream of going to Australia. 
So, it was a few semesters ago when I noticed fliers on campus for studying abroad and my heart just stopped.  Well no, actually my heart decided to beat a million times a minute like I had just fallen epically in love.  But that was it: that was my path.  The path I hadn't been able to find ever since I was a little kid.  Yet there I was standing with the ripped off flier from the wall and a yellow, brick road underneath my feet.  I was going to Australia.

Now, let's get real for a moment: Australia is basically on the other side of the world.  Everything that I know is here in New York: my family, my friends, my life.  And to be truthfully honest?  I really have no idea how to finance such a big expense.  Furthermore, my degree program (Bachelor's of Science: Leadership in Fitness and Wellness), is pretty rigorous and strict.  How am I going to match up my courses to classes abroad in another country?  Australia sounds like an adventure, but am I truly ready for it?

Yes.  The answer is always "yes."  I learned that from Jim Carey in Yes Man (sidenote: I should really crack open a book one of these days).  Life gives you so many opportunities to pursue your dreams and you would be absolutely crazy to never go along with it. 

So this is my story of going from New York to Australia.  Along the way, I plan to share my commitments to fitness (as it is my major and future career field), my attempts (and hopefully successes) at finding scholarships, and my overall process of making my way to Australia. 

 

Wish me luck!