While at Lafayette College, I made friends from various countries worldwide who shared stories about their hometowns and schools. These conversations opened my eyes to the vastness of our world and how small I felt compared to it. My perspective expanded even more when I traveled to two different countries. The first was Peru, my homeland. During my visit, I met family I had never met before and was grateful for that experience. I also visited Machu Picchu, one of the world's seven wonders, a 'city in the clouds' with breathtaking views. It's a place everyone should experience at least once.
The second trip was to Japan, which is renowned for Mount Fuji, its cuisine and traditional art forms like anime. I explored significant cities such as Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, and got a glimpse of the everyday lives of the locals. These experiences were enjoyable and also included valuable lessons. We are all human, yet we are all so unique in culture. In Japan, it is normal to bow, as it is an essential form of greeting and showing respect. In Peru, physical touch is more common, so greetings there consist of kissing each other on the cheek or giving a handshake.
Experiencing different cultures broadened my perspective of the world, and I wished to see more. Instead of spending just two weeks in a foreign country, I wanted to immerse myself in an unfamiliar culture and familiarize myself with it, which motivated me to study abroad.
You might be wondering, why Australia? Apart from Australia being famous for having some of the best coffee in the world, I chose Australia because its English-speaking environment will allow me to focus on my studies without the added challenge of learning a new language.
