When I decided to partake in the STEP program at The Ohio State University I knew that I wanted my project to be aligned with study abroad. This past semester I took my studies to the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia where I took classes and also completed an internship. My internship was at Channel &, 
on the most popular networks in Australia and when I was outside the classroom and work, I was able to learn more about the country I was in and myself.
The five months I spent in Australia truly allowed me to transform into the person I am now. I found that during my time in Sydney I began taking risks and doing things I never myself expected myself doing before, like running a half marathon. I have never been a fan of running, in the past I would run once a year and that was at the Spring Lake 5 Mile Run (SL5), which is something that became family tradition. Running the SL5 was always daunting and never really enjoyable for me because I never had a desire to train. In Australia, I was able to find a personal outlet in running and a new way to explore the city. After months of running I decided why not run the half marathon? Even though running may just be seen as a great accomplishment, it means so much more to me than that. I was able to learn more about myself and learn what I needed to do to are for myself. This is just one small transformation I have had abroad. Through social interactions as well as time to myself I was able to push myself out of my comfort zone and make most of my experience abroad. This was truly another point of growth for me because before I struggled with meeting new people and I have always been uncomfortable with the surface level conversations. This time around I found myself more comfortable with all of this and have become more able to throw myself in new situations more often. I can safely say that I was truly happy abroad and that I gained more insight to who I am as an individual and a lot more comfortable with things like my identity as well.
On top of gaining insight towards myself I gained new perspective on the world. I learned, experienced, and observed how another country exists in the world. I was able to have political conversation with Australians about American and Australian politics gaining insight as to what they thought of certain topics. The knowledge I gained here also helped me formulate my research paper that I completed for my internship. I began analyzing how television can influence the public and I compared the impact it had in Australia and the United States. The paper allowed me to narrow the focus of my overall career goals more while providing me with a new found knowledge of the world. My time in Sydney has really became a formative part of my life and who I am continue to become.
As I mentioned previously, the half marathon is a huge milestone for a point of transformation. While the SL5 has been a part of my life for a while I always dreaded doing it. The main reason was I had a couple bad experiences running in the past and that has to do with finding out I had asthma in elementary school. Once I learned I had asthma, I stopped a lot of physical activity and I found myself in the arts which is really where I needed to be. But, running the half marathon was something that I would have never found 
myself doing. Just last year my roommates encouraged me to go on a run with them and I had fun but did not want to go. If someone told me I would wake up and start the day with a run, I would laugh and say that is a funny joke. Running truly became a way for me to find a new outlet and let all my worries disappear. I would throw some music on and jam while I ran, even if I looked crazy lip syncing the entire time. The activity cleared my head and brought me joy and looking back, I was the happiest I have ever been when I was in Australia. I truly pushed myself out of my comfort zone and found a way to bring peace to my daily life.
On top of running a half marathon for the first time I tried stand-up comedy. At the University of Sydney (USyd) I joined a group on campus called Sydney University Dramatic Society (SUDS). This was a place I was able to perform and it was a safe place for me to try stand up. I have always wanted to try so I thought why not now? For the first time I was not waiting for someone to give me a performance opportunity I began creating my own. After trying stand up a couple times I have decided to come back and try in the states as well. This was yet another risk I decided to take that I never saw myself taking. When I was in Sydney, I did not let anything hold me back especially myself because I am my harshest critique.
Additionally, my internship at channel 7 became a truly transformative experience for because it helped solidify what I wanted to do with my career. I previously mentioned the research paper I conducted for my internship class and that paper I was able to find my how my major, public affairs, can be used in television. The intersectionality of these two topics sparked so many ideas I have for the future of television and how to deal with social justice and environmental issues. After many years of not being certain what my career may look like I was truly able to solidify what I want to do. Accepting my career path is something that is a major stepping stone for me as I was in denial for going into the entertainment sector. I was able to find my passion in my work which truly made all the difference.
This transformative experience will always be a pillar in my life and hold so much value to me. When I am asked what was my favorite part about Australia I find myself speechless because there is not one part that takes the gold. I truly believe that every small experience works together to great the overarching experience. I can’t say what I loved most about Australia but I can safely say that I loved being there and growing there. I am more comfortable with who I am now than I was when I initially left and I can see that through natural conversation. But the thing about personal change it is incremental and happens in small bits. It just happens quicker when abroad on an intense program. I can’t pinpoint all the ways I’ve changed because most are small changes but those small changes amount to a lot. Recognizing this matters because having an understanding that I grew in the general sense will further allow me to grow. I will always be looking back on my time abroad and that will for sure be something I will continue to learn from whether
that be personal or professional. Sydney, Australia became a home to me and I will always be able to call that city home. The memories will last me a lifetime and the connection to the city, friends, country, and more that I made will always hold value to me. I am beyond thankful for the time I got to spend there.