Aussies vs. Stags?

Welcome back to Fairfield everyone! 

I hope you all had a wonderful break and holiday season. 

I wish I could say that I was overwhelmed with joy to be back at Fairfield but, when I keep hearing about how all my friends are excited to study abroad in the spring all I really want to do is pack my bags and get on the next flight to Australia. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love Fairfield and the townhouses are a BIG step up from the dorms, but I actually have to do schoolwork here. That’s no fun. I’d rather be sitting by my apartment pool wondering where I’m going to go out that night. Alas, here I am back at Fairfield sitting at my desk and writing this blog instead of reading. 

It’s funny because everyone tells you what a shock it will be when you first arrive in your host country but they never say anything about what a shock it is to come back. To be honest, being at home took a lot less getting used to then being back at Fairfield. 

I think that the college culture here is so different from Australia that I am not used to being back in a traditional American college setting. In Australia most students commute to school and they don’t have nearly as many activities on campus as we do at Fairfield. This means you actually have to meet people in class, and not just drunkenly at a party. 

In fact, one of my friends from Australia is planning on visiting next summer and is making sure she’s here to experience a “real” college party because she’s so curious to see how different it is. Another one of my friends was here for the John Legend concert and could not get over how much we had going on on campus. 

Another weird thing about being back? I want to brag to everyone that I went abroad. Terrible, I know, but it was the coolest thing I’ve ever done and I loved it so much that I want to tell everyone. Don’t worry though, I’ve been restraining myself. 

However, if you see me at a study abroad fair don’t be surprised. I’ll be the one telling you to go…to Australia of course!

Lauren Doran '10

This Isn't Nica Anymore...

Being back at Fairfield after a semester abroad has been one of the toughest things I have ever had to do. Everyone always talks about culture shock, and it something that is sort of expected when one first leaves home to live in another country, especially when you live in a developing country like Nicaragua. However, what has been my problem every time I've traveled, and what is often overlooked is the sort of "reverse" culture shock that is often experienced upon return.

For almost four months, I lived in Managua, Nicaragua where a full lunch cost 1.50 USD and ride to the nearest city 1 hour away was only 1USD. It was 90 degrees every day and a few blocks from my house were some of the poorest barrios I have ever seen.

The whole time I was there, while enjoying myself and having the time of my life, I always missed Fairfield in the back of my mind. I missed my friends, the clubs from whom I got emails about meetings that I couldn't attend, and the greater Fairfield community I had grown to love.

Upon my return, I was distracted by the holidays and the chance to see my family for the first time in four months. However, after my first day back at Fairfield, it really hit me. This isn't Nica anymore.

Most of my friends probably won't believe me when I say this, but I miss "Nica time". There, I had time to develop relationships and learn about myself in a way I simply couldn't have done here where life is so fast-paced.

While I still love Fairfield, I'm still adjusting back to life in the United States, something I'm not sure I will ever be able (or want) to fully do because Nicaragua will always have a special place in my heart.

-Jenn Zocco '10

Studying Abroad: Life after Australia

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to New York.”

As I looked out my window and heard those words I felt a rush of emotions. I had been studying abroad in Brisbane, Australia for the past 4 ½ months and finally being home felt good. I was excited to see my family and friends, be in my own home, and not have to take public transportation everywhere. At the same time I became really sad. As soon as I stepped off the plane I felt the cold air hit me and I thought, “I left sunny Australia where its 80 degrees to come back to cold New York? Yeah, this is a great exchange.”

Brisbane was my home and I was sad to leave it. It’s weird how quickly you can adapt to a new place. By the time I left Australia, I had made some friends and knew Brisbane better than New York City, a place I had lived within an hour of my entire life. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to be home, but getting used to one place and making it feel like home only to have to leave a few months later is hard.

Luckily, Australia and America are pretty similar, which helped with the culture shock. Coming back home was still a bit of a shock though. I thought that lots of things would have changed since I had been gone so long, but over the next few days, as I was seeing my friends and doing stuff around town, I realized nothing really had changed. In fact the only thing that had really changed, aside from the weather, was me.

It’s been a bit hard getting used to but now that I’m back in my home routine and have seen more and more of my friends it’s getting easier. I still miss Australia a lot but now I’m excited to travel to other places and I’ll always have the pictures to look back on.

Lauren Doran '10