It was in the frosty early hours of a Saturday morning that a bunch of somewhat nervous teens gathered together in Naamaroo, mostly strangers to each other, unsure of what to expect. Some had travelled from a few suburbs over, while a couple had flown from neighboring country New Zealand. One thing we shared was excitement; not only for the weekend to come, but for the adventures we would soon be embarking upon together across the globe, away from our ordinary lives, to experience the world in a completely different way.
From this initial excited undercurrent, as the weekend progressed and we learnt more about each other and our respective trips, our enthusiasm swelled. Silly introductory games made us laugh and helped us discover, if only a little, the people we would be soon spending three months living with. Together we puzzled out sticky situations and group dynamics, asked curious questions about all of our wonders and anxieties, listened and learnt about the rich cultural worlds we would soon become acquainted with, and made mental notes about the myriad of possible mishaps we should try to avoid. It was overwhelming in the best possible way. Over delicious meals and rugged up in our bunks, we shared and listened to small pieces of information (what pets do you have? Where have you travelled?), slowly becoming more and more of a team. We voiced anxieties (homesickness, inadequacy) and found that we all had a lot in common. By the time we each collected our prized Antipodeans Abroad shirts on Saturday afternoon, an eager impatience filled the room. Let’s go now! But if anything, the weekend had taught us how much we still had to prepare, and now we felt ready to go about it. By the time we all meet again, we’ll be about to undertake one of the biggest learning experiences of our lives. And we’re ready.
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