Hello! I’m Grace Vehige! This past August I had the extraordinary opportunity to study abroad in Australia through the University of Arkansas.  To say my trip was amazing would be an understatement. I was able to experience new cultures, meet new people, try new things, and put myself outside of my comfort zone (stay tuned for that one). My trip was full of new beginnings and new opportunities. We traveled to Brisbane, Australia and then to Townsville.  Both cities are in Queensland. We all had the chance to interact with wildlife, such as koalas, kangaroos, wallaby, snakes, and so much more. We learned from two different universities and faculty: University of Queensland and James Cook University. My personal favorite part of the trip was spent on Magnetic Island, which is just off the coast of Townsville. Nothing beats koalas in the morning and beach in during the day! Because its hard to find words to describe all of my experiences, here are a few of my favorite memories via photograph. 

Here is a photo of me holding Bumpy! Bumpy is a wombat. I learned that wombats are the closest relation to koalas than any other animal. She was the cutest!

This is what I meant when I said that I did things COMPLETELY out of my comfort zone. I don’t get near snakes. Ever. Except I guess in Australia!

Here is a fun selfie of me with a Rainbow Lorikeet on my head! We were able to feed the Lorikeets and them all swarmed to us!

This is part of the group at Mungalla Station. We learned so many things from a native Aboriginal tribe!

This photo was taken after a nice hike to Witt’s Lookout. I wish I could have stayed and looked at the view forever. It was phenomenal!

My favorite place: Magnetic Island! This photo was taken at Florence Bay. We had to hike to get to the beach!

In conclusion, I had the best trip, and I highly recommend this trip to anyone interested in traveling, animals, and new experiences!