taking off

Friends, family, and random internet travelers, welcome and thanks for tuning in. I'm about to embark on a remarkable journey, which will span over 9,000 miles. In just a few hours, I'll be boarding a plane leaving Atlanta, GA that will take me to Los Angeles, CA for a brief layover, and then directly to Sydney, Australia, where I will be spending the next four and a half months. During that time I will be studying abroad at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, while also pursuing one of my greatest passions, the sport of surfing, in my spare time. I'm currently a junior at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, majoring in Communication Studies and English, both of which I will continue to study during my time abroad.

While outside the country, I will be using this blog as a means of documenting my travels, sharing my thoughts, telling surf stories, and most of all staying connected to the people I care about. I'm hoping to have fun with it and try to make it as enjoyable as possible for all parties involved. That being said, please pardon my overzealous amount of surfing references if that's not really your thing. I'll try to translate as best as possible if it gets too extreme for normal words.

This journey represents somewhat of a pilgrimage, as Australia is one of the surfing capitals of the world. Without a doubt Australia is a stark contrast to my humble surfing past in the quaint island town of Chilmark, MA, which I will talk about at a later time in more detail.

Because my program doesn't actually start until February 16th, I've decided to travel to Australia early alongside my close friend and fellow surfer Jordan, who will also be studying abroad with the same program. Upon our arrival in Sydney, we will be renting a campervan and taking a week-long surf expedition north of the city. I will try to give updates, but internet availability is not a given during that time. Check back soon for more details.