VOL. XV, NO. 7
FEBRUARY 8, 1974
Chuck Returns from Australia,
Finds Year Stay Rewarding
Finds Year Stay Rewarding
By CHUCK LA SOTA
A little over a year ago I left the cold winter of the Midwest for the warm tropical east coast of Australia. I find it quite hard to believe, in looking back, that a year of my life could have possibly slipped through my grasp so quickly. It seems like just yesterday I was telling my Australian parents that the first six months of my stay had gone much too quickly for my liking.
Yet, when I think back over my year in Australia, it's not the "big things" which tend to linger in my memories. Like any tourist who visits Australia, I was drawn to see all the tourist‑oriented sites, such as the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, and the Great Barrier Reef; why, I even climbed the great monolith, Ayers Rock.
A little over a year ago I left the cold winter of the Midwest for the warm tropical east coast of Australia. I find it quite hard to believe, in looking back, that a year of my life could have possibly slipped through my grasp so quickly. It seems like just yesterday I was telling my Australian parents that the first six months of my stay had gone much too quickly for my liking.
Yet, when I think back over my year in Australia, it's not the "big things" which tend to linger in my memories. Like any tourist who visits Australia, I was drawn to see all the tourist‑oriented sites, such as the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, and the Great Barrier Reef; why, I even climbed the great monolith, Ayers Rock.
However, the events which had the most meaning to me were the times I had the opportunity to associate with the people of the country, for it was through the exchange of concepts of our lives and countries that I was able to learn the most about the real Aussie way of life.
It was the small acts of friendliness, the occasional greeting of "good 'ay" as I walked through the school, the smiles, and the openness of the people I met, which made my AFS encounter an experience to remember.
It was the small acts of friendliness, the occasional greeting of "good 'ay" as I walked through the school, the smiles, and the openness of the people I met, which made my AFS encounter an experience to remember.
