Brandan
Marketing Major

Well we’ve come to the final entry in the travelogue for Jan Term 2005, Business Down Under. I haven’t even gotten all caught up on my sleep and I miss the place already. From the first day that I stepped out of our hotel on to the streets of Sydney, I knew that I was going to love it in Australia. The natural beauty was breathtaking, but even more I was blown away by the friendliness and openness of the people. From the genuine smile of people passing on the street to the laughter of the man serving us dinner in a little Italian shop, everyone really does love life in the land down under.

Australians seem to have a great perspective on life knowing that what really matters is friends and family and spending time with people that you care about. You can see this in the everyday lives of Australians, and although it may be annoying for visiting Americans that shops close at 6 p.m., we know that it is so they can be involved in the lives of their loved ones. It is certainly a perspective that I admire and that I hope will begin to creep into the American psyche.

The natural beauty of Australia was astounding. It is one of the rare places left on earth where you don’t feel as though asphalt could take over the place any minute. Flying into Cairns and getting off the plane, it was easy to see why people choose to live there amongst the tropical hills covered in lush vegetation sliding down directly into the clear, blue ocean.

From the city life of Sydney to the hospitality and local liveliness of Adelaide to the art and history of Alice Springs and the beauty of tropical Cairns, it was not a trip that I will soon forget. I certainly feel thankful to have experienced a bit of what Australia has to offer.

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