By Christy Koumakis

After months of planning, the time is finally here to start studying overseas.

My name is Christy and I am studying for a Bachelor of Laws. 

While I have travelled before, this is the first time I have lived abroad. I left New Zealand a couple of weeks early to travel before heading back to Arizona for the start of the semester.  

I started studying in 2020, when the pandemic hit within a month of starting the semester. Most of my studies have been online through flexible learning. While this worked well for me then, I felt a global experience would give me the opportunity to study at a university overseas and get an American college experience. The United States appealed to me because of its history and culture, which I am excited to explore. 

I wanted to travel to some big cities on the East Coast before I headed back to the West Coast for the semester. I visited Philadelphia, Niagara Falls (both in the USA and Canada), New York, Boston and Chicago. Visiting these places, especially in the summer, was an amazing experience that I can now tick off my bucket list.

I am looking forward to the start of the semester and all the new experiences I will have. Hopefully, there will be lots of travel too!