Georgia Freeland

Hello Everyone,

Many of my past blog posts have focused primarily on Indigenous cultures of Australia and while this is incredibly important to recognize and speak up about, The Australian culture extends far beyond this single perspective. As silly as it sounds, cafe and coffee culture is incredibly important to the average Australian. While in America we tend to see coffee as just a way to get caffeine into our system, Australian’s see it as a way to feel connected with their community and friends. While Australians spend an enormous amount of money on coffee, they do it because it allows them to take a step back, enjoy their friends, and enjoy the delicious coffee. They also pride themselves greatly on the quality of their coffee and service. While it is usually at the expense of mocking American coffee, they feel genuine pride when talking about their coffee. I never thought I would be a religious coffee drinker until a came here.

Surf culture is another important aspect of the lives of many here in Australia. With more than 8 in 10 Australians (85%) living within 50 kilometers of the coastline of Australia, it is no surprise that the people here are drawn to the ocean. However, the proximity is not the key driver that brings people to the surf beach but the community and connection which it establishes. Being out in the water with people that appreciate the beauty, peaceful, and humbling nature of the water is truly a unique experience. The people here respect the ocean and understand its true power. While surfing can be seen as an individual sport, it also is far from it. The people around you are always willing to help you catch that wave, give you advice, and show you some fantastic local spots. They embrace the chill, energetic, and lively nature of the ocean in every aspect

Lastly, the inclusive nature of Australia is something that I want to bring back to the Colby campus. While Colby is inclusive to some degree, it also could you some help from the Australian system. Here, it seems like everyone’s mentality is the more the merrier. With everyone embracing new people with open arms. Instead of taking pride in being invited to a party that other people weren’t, here, people get upset when people are left out and actively try to bridge the gap. I want to bring that mindset to Colby. That pride should come when everyone feels a part of the community. When everyone feels like they can open up, make new friends, and move outside of their comfort zone without being judged.

I am so incredibly proud that I am starting to be able to be a part of these cultures over here and am excited to bring them back.

Sincerely,
Georgia Freeland

Hello Again from the Land Down Under,

Everything seems to be different over here. The seasons are opposite to that in America. The cars are on the wrong side of the road. Everyone speaks in the most bizarre slang (arvo, reckon, knocked, few kangaroos short of a top hammock). But the difference that is really hard to grasp is how my time seems to move way fast over here. The days are growing colder as Melbourne starts approaching its winter season. However, it is good to know that it will never get nearly as cold as winter back on the Hill. This past week was Easter and while we, in America, look at the holiday through a religious lens to which only a handful of people truly celebrate, Australia gives everyone a four-day weekend for everyone to spend time with their family, friends, and loved ones. When everyone asked me what I was doing for Easter, I thought this question to be odd. Easter is just one day that my family doesn’t seem to celebrate besides the ability to eat candy for breakfast. However, easter started to approach and I found out that we would be getting a week off from school for it, I realized that I needed to plan out something to do. 

I got the offer to spend Easter with the Wakeboarding club camping back up in Echuca, a town on the border between Victoria and NSW. Here we spent that day in the glorious sun, making friends with Wakeboarding clubs from all over VIC. While in America our clubs only interact with students from our own school, clubs over here join together with other university clubs to expand their circle of friends. While this is just one specific example, I have found this “more the merrier” mentality to shine throughout the Melbourne community. Everyone is keen to get to know you and welcomes you with open arms. Acquaintances turn to friends and friends turn to family all in a matter of seconds here in Australia. I know this must be a generalization, but I have yet to meet an Aussie that wasn’t keen on a good chat. 

Walking into my new home in the Melbourne surf house, I was immediately greeted by the question of if I wanted to grab my things and head down to the surf coast of Torquay. While I am not a great surfer myself, they insisted that I come and have a boogie with them. Their understanding, commitment to helping me improve as a surfer and member of the community, and general acceptance of me, was something that I owe so admire about the people here. This mentality is one that I want to hold true as I migrate back onto the Hill. That there is only good that comes from being inclusive and never any harm in asking. I’ll have to admit that living and studying in Australia during a global pandemic has had its challenges. I don’t have a formal group I’m traveling with, there are little to no Americans over here, and dual deliver schooling. However, this family-like embracing culture has made my move over here something special. I am very privileged to now have an Aussie family outside of my own.

Sincerely,

Georgia Freeland

G’day Mates,
Not only is Australia completely on the other side of the world, but it feels like I am in a completely different universe. With zero covid cases for over 2 months, smiles of people are out and things are running in a pretty normal fashion. Even since I arrived, things have gotten more normal. I don’t even have to wear a mask while grocery shopping, in an uber, or on public transport. However, the best part of being in Australia has been my ability to connect with the people around me and the subjects I am taking.
While things are running in a somewhat normal fashion, going from a school of ~2,000 students while on the hill to a school of ~30,000 has been rather difficult. With apps to help you not get lost, walking around campus feels like it is almost another city. Something that I have noticed in all aspects of life here at the University of Melbourne, is the increased amount of responsibility that you hold as a student and individual. Since lectures and tutorials are so big, you are truly in charge of remembering when things are due and having them done to the correct standard. This leaves a little bit of anxiety for me as I constantly am worried that I am missing in turning in one of the few assignments each subject holds. While the responsibility for my own work has increased, the teaching standard has not wavered. In my very random assortment of classes of Marketing, Organizational behavior, Indigenous Languages of Australia, and Developmental psychology, I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about the complex world around me, especially in my Indigenous studies class.


While many believe the Indigenous community to be one of simplicity and tradition, this is only half true. The Indigenous people’s society is more complex than our western world could even understand. The vast difference in language barriers, traditions, and relationships vary from clan to clan. A phrase that my teacher said that really made me think was that in the Western World we are taught “who not to marry” but in the Indigenous world you are taught “who to marry”. The ability to hear guest lecturers, have such a knowledgeable teacher, and have a diverse class of Aussie students is quite amazing.’

Another key difference between Australian and American colleges is the involvement in clubs. I have made the most amount of friends through the Wakeboarding & Waterskiing club, Outdoor club, Ski club, and beyond. While the university is large, these smaller clubs allow you to bond with individuals with similar interests as you. Being one of the only American students in all of Australia has definitely had its moments of isolation, however, it has also allowed me to stand out and make friends with the locals around me, instead of clinging on to other Americans.

Sincerely,

Georgia Freeland

      While America has had over 28,952,949 cases, Australia has had only a fraction of that many cases, 1% to be exact. Australia has seen 909 deaths in total since the arrival of COVID-19, while 2,483 Americans have died in just the past 24 hrs. Throughout the world, Australia has been praised by medical and political leaders for its ability to mitigate the spread of coronavirus throughout the country. So why has Australia seen such great success in its number of COVID cases and deaths? Dr. Fauci and other medical professionals attribute the country’s success to the uniformly implemented public health measures, as well as the following lockdowns to help Australia be safe from the worst of the pandemic. I believe that it is however the strict 2 weeks guarded quarantine and inability for non-Australian citizens to enter the country that has played the greatest role in Australia’s success. I have been able to experience and see the strict regulations firsthand. 

          Usually carrying over 300 passengers, I stepped off the plane with only 50 others. Most were fellow Australian citizens, however, a small few had working permits that allowed them to also enter the tightly secured border. Even the exiting of the plane was different. We were called one by one and asked to stay in the hallways in a socially distant manner, continuing to keep our mask held high. We then waited for 45 minutes until medical professionals wearing full protective gowns and masks came to greet us, take our temperatures, ask about possible symptoms, and state what was going to happen next. I walked through customs, picked up my bags, and continued to follow the passengers in front of me leading to the buses. We all climbed aboard the bus waiting to be driven to the hotel room in which we would be staying for the next two weeks. After a 15 minute drive, the buses pull up to the park royal, teasingly only a 25-minute walk away from the Sydney opera house. I look out of the bus window to find the Australian navy surrounding and guarding the hotel doors.

A man in a police uniform hops onto the bus welcoming us and pulls us off 10 at a time to check-in. I hand over my passport while the navy personnel moves my bags to be brought up to my room. As I ride the elevator with the navy soldiers and my bags, I cheekily ask “if this was what they expected when they signed up to join the Australian navy”. They laughed in response and quickly said, “absolutely not”. I walk into my moderately sized hotel room.  There stood a desk, a minifridge, some plates and silverware, and a sponge. While the room was great, the inability to open my window and get fresh air made me nervous about what was to come. The following days consisted of the same things over and over again. I would get up, do some yoga or exercise, breakfast would be dropped at my door, read a book, watch some tv, have lunch placed at my door, watch more tv and catch up on some emails, dinner then would be dropped off, I would watch more tv, go to bed, and repeat. I luckily have some pretty amazing friends and family that would check in on me every day. Additionally, I would get called daily by the nursing staff to see if I had developed any symptoms and if my mental health was doing okay. While inconvenient and lonely, this time has given me a deeper appreciation for the outdoors and time to reflect deeply.  Some days I would press my hand to the window and feel the warmth of the outside and sunshine. While redundant and boring, quarantine has not been that bad. I get work done and try to better myself through yoga, exercise, and demonstrating patience. What I have learned the most during this time is the importance of diving deep. Diving deep into patience. Diving deep into reading and learning more on my own accord. Lastly, diving deep into the person that I want to be when I step outside of this hotel room’s walls. While challenging at times, this mandatory 2-week quarantine is what is keeping Australia safe to COVID and I am proud to be part of their mission to keep cases down. I am deeply looking forward to the adventures that are yet to come as I actually get to step onto the soil of the country that I will call my home.

Sincerely,

Georgia Freeland ’22