You mean...I actually have to leave??

As my time studying abroad in my favorite city is very quickly coming to an end, I really am not sure how I'm supposed feel.  Should I feel sad about leaving the best summer of my life and the country that I have grown to love? Should I feel excited about going back home, seeing my animals after 3 months, and starting my senior year of undergrad?  To be honest with you...it's definitely a mixture of both (with more emphasis on the saddness part).

There are so many things about Sydney that I have grown accustomed to that I know I'll miss back home.  Bondi beach has become my favorite place in the world, and I'm so thankful for the time that I've been able to spend there.  I won't be able to look out the train window and see the opera house on my way to class, no more of the best Thai food I've ever had, and don't even get me started on the brunches here, I think I might miss those the most.  Even above those, however...I'm going to miss the people.  There are so many connections that I have made here that make leaving such a difficult thing to accept.  Friends have become like family, and Australia's laid-back culture is so very hard to leave.  

But on a much less depressing note...I still have 5 days left of my program, and I don't intend on letting it go to waste!  This morning, I went into the city at 5:30am for sunrise yoga at the top of the Sydney eye, and this is something that I totally recommend.  If you want sensational views mixed with a zen hour of yoga, this is definitely the best place to find it.  I plan to make it back to my favorite beaches once or twice more, and I plan to spend as much time with "my people" as I possible can.  If I have learned anything throughout my time abroad, it's that you must seize the moment every chance you get.  I know that I can't dwell on the fact that it's almost done, but I must appreciate the time that I still have, and every single memory that I have gained.  I'm still an honorary Aussie for another week, and I'm gonna appreciate every moment of it.  (Besides, my family is coming to visit after the program, so I still have a bit of time left before I get on that very long plane ride back home).

With all of that being said, I'm really not THAT sad...because I know I'll be back.   Sydney has taken a piece of my heart, and something tells me that I will be back in straya' sooner rather than later.  As for right now, I am off to the best job in the world, in the best city in the world, with nothing but gratitude for where I am right now.