By: Kovid Dev

There’s a faintly subtle aesthetic of being embraced by familiarity post-exchange, almost as if you have returned home with a new pair of glasses. Glasses housing your own unique retrospective lens. If anything, it is a privilege – a new definition added to the ever-growing list of terms which define YOUR unique character. It gives the vibe of a spontaneous road trip, when you come back home – well, you’re back home – but with so much more substance in your life and a whole chapter of experiences you still cannot believe are real.

Malaysia was truly a crossroads of opportunity, interwoven roads of exploration and more easily accessible adventures to unfold. The warm, clear watered beaches of the Perhentian Islands and the snorkelling trips it brought upon my doorstep were unforgettable. Submerging for the first time to view the colourful reef felt nothing short of a paradise. Viewing the beautiful architecture of many cities within Malaysia, even neighbouring Singapore and Thailand, on the way back. To experience the skyline views of Kuala Lumpur with newfound mates in some of the many rooftop bars the capital has to offer. There were so many highlights in a short 6 months, and the people, from my Japanese roommates to my friends from all over, were such a comforting indicator of how many genuine people you can truly find in this world.

But to settle back in? Coming home after such a journey is nothing short of ‘unreal’. You happen to feel so blessed for the life you lived, the things you saw, the environment that touched aspects of your soul, and, in my case, even the scorching humidity married to every step outside. To have a chapter hidden in your pocket – so different and so beautifully yours. It sounds funny to write it out, but such an experience was simply a cultivation of myself, my qualities, and the quality of my life in general. To experience is to learn, to learn is to experience, and to experience is to live. I can wholeheartedly say this exchange is conclusive evidence that I did exactly that, I lived.

Settling back into Waikato life was a mixed bag, but solely due to the differing academic schedules of what can best be summarised as my host and home university. As I touched down in my home of Auckland, the A-trimester start date had almost conquered the horizon, and I had to balance settling in with the load of a full-time university workload. With the ‘lateness’ of this post being a good indication of such… Yet all else was smooth, and quickly the comforting student life of Waikato, and its familiar academic system, felt like a blessing. Particularly due to the absence of lecture recordings within Universiti Malaya. The support of the Global Experience team through preparing for, going through, and, more relevantly, returning from the exchange has always been paramount. Especially with the ‘out of the comfort zone’ nature of an exchange, it’s a really comforting thing to have!

Nonetheless, I should dedicate a cautionary paragraph regarding challenges during the exchange I happened to overlook. Perhaps the only significantly difficult aspect to deal with at times was the whole student visa process. Having to do most things in person within the weeks following your arrival, and even to cancel your visa in the weeks prior to your departure. The system could at times be aggravatingly frustrating, and that was a common perception amongst us exchange students; fortunately for us, that being the biggest challenge did signify how smooth the rest of the exchange was. It’s an understanding that different countries have different rules and regulations; no matter where you go, it’s helpful to know that a unique set of challenges will occur.

As a short, conclusive statement, if you wish to have that chapter tucked away in your pocket, a ‘royal flush’ of unique experiences serving as an enhancement, building upon your distinctive character. You can make a choice to live – you can go on that ‘spontaneous road-trip’ and come back with a retrospective lens of gratitude and experience.