The Question I Wasn't Prepared To Answer

Often times back home, people would ask me, "Why Australia?" (As in: Why are you attending school there?)   Of course, I gave the answer that made the most sense to me.  The answer that was always off the top of my head.  "I love it there!"

I would then proceed to explain how I had studied there a decade ago and talk about how great that experience was.  Usually the conversation would end with anticipated pleasantries and genuine well-wishes, end of story.

Last week, I was riding the bus home with another student after our evening class.  He and I were discussing our shared class, traveling, the American educational system, etc.  He then asked, "Why Australia?"  I gave the response that I must have given at least one-hundred times back home.  However, his next question was one I hadn't answered before: "What do you love about Australia?"
Upon first glance, one may think that there isn't a huge difference between the words "why" and "what."  Do keep in mind that semantics are everything... especially to a doctoral candidate.  At this point in my life, perhaps more than ever before, language is everything.  The question of "Why?" eludes to a certain subjectiveness; in this particular instance, answers need not be narrowly defined.  The question of "What?" is much objective.

Initially, I was at a loss for words.  Had I really ever properly digested what I love about this country?  I knew that I loved it, but it had become so visceral at that point, that I really hadn't felt the need to explain it.  At that moment, I became so grateful for this question, even though I didn't have a thoughtful answer at hand. I am still pondering the perfect answer.  As a matter of fact, this my be a question that could take years to answer.  Since I often do my best thinking while writing, I think I'll just keep typing and see what happens.

Perhaps the most obvious example of what is great about Australia is the people and their since of civic responsibility/manners.  The atmosphere is so communal and people really do look out for one another.  I believe it is a part of social fabric here.  You can strike up a conversation with the person next to you on the bus, and no one finds it strange.  The common greeting of "How you going?"  is always accompanied by a smile.  When we first moved into our neighborhood, we explored it, slowly working on our bearings.  Some drivers actually pulled over and offered us directions, unsolicited, whenever we looked lost.  I've found that after formally introducing yourself to an Aussie, they are almost always likely to remember your name... even if you don't see them for another week.  When an elderly person boards crowded public transportation, there are always at least two people that offer their seat to said person.  When a solo parent with a pram (stroller) boards/disembarks a tram or bus, a nearby stranger will always assist, without being asked, grabbing the front of the pram, helping the parent and their child safely go up or down the steps.  Australians are much less guarded than Americans when it comes to interacting with strangers.

Another reason I love this place is it's laid back attitude.  Everything is "no worries."  It could be the national catchphrase as this isn't something that is just said, but is something that is lived.  I remember ten years ago when I received a telephone call six weeks after leaving Australia.  It was Telstra, explaining that my roommate and I didn't pay our final phone bill (this wasn't on purpose... I swear!)  My first comment was, "Uh oh... how much is the late fee?"  Telstra informed me that there wasn't one.  I then asked when they needed the money by and I'll never forget the response.  "Ah, just whenever you can," replied the agent. "If you could have it to us within the next eight weeks, that'd be great."
Coming from a culture where it is so about getting as much accomplished as soon as possible, it is so refreshing to live in a place where taking it easy is actually encouraged.

I also love the challenge of living here.  That sounds so stupid, but once you've actually taken the "two day," never-ending flights, you can really get a sense of how far away Australia is from the United States.  Even if you want to fly to Asia from Melbs, you'll be on the plane for at least six hours.  In Australia, a historical phrase, when referring to being so far away from everything is "the tyranny of distance."  Obviously, with the advent of the internet, we are now at a point in history where it's easier to keep in touch than ever.  However, there really is no way around the concept of physical distance... it's palpable.  The major difficulty of calling home is the time difference.  Overlap is difficult when you are fifteen hours ahead.  Even when I was living in Europe, the idea of it only taking seven or eight hours to get home didn't seem like such a big deal.  Here, we really are far away.  But, you must consider that this distance is what makes Australia like no other place on earth.  The flora and fauna proves that too... what other place on earth has produced something as cute as the koala or as strange as the platypus?  Distance is not necessarily a negative thing, but it can be burdensome.

Linking to the challenge of living here is the romanticism of the country.  What most Americans know about Australia is only based upon what they have seen or heard or read.  To put it bluntly, most Americans have never been here.  I think this adds to the mystique of such a place.  As in many places, the heart of the country is often within the interior.  Just hearing the word "Australia" can send your mind into images of the remote bush (outback) or desert.  As a child, one of my favorite poems (which was later made into a song... this is how most people know the poem) was AB "Banjo" Patterson's "Waltzing Matilda."  I loved how the Australian vocabulary was intertwined with the English words I already knew.  I could picture this hobo running around in the backwoods, trying to get away from the cops.  The outlaw history of this place (think Ned Kelly, penal colonization, etc.) still piques my curiosity to this day.

Romanticism is found not only within the culture, but within the landscape itself.  The physical geography of this country is astounding and so diverse.  Some of the most gorgeous natural wonders I've ever seen are here in Australia: Wineglass Bay in the mountains of Tasmania, Great Ocean Road in Victoria, The Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, New South Wales' Blue Mountains... I could go on and on.  Perhaps the topography that has made the biggest impression on me are the deserts.  Specifically, the Great Victoria Desert in the Northern Territory and the Pinnacles Desert of Western Australia come to mind as being the most impressive.  Places with such rugged geography transform its populace into a tough stock of people, which for me, adds to allure of this land.

Perhaps the best thing about Australia (and this is a personal reason) is that it is the place where, for the first time in my life, I felt true autonomy as an adult.  It's not easy to uproot your life, even if you know it's only temporary.  I'm close to my family.  I don't like being far away from them.  I don't like being away from my friends either (obviously.)  Living here ten years ago, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and came here not knowing anyone, as well as not knowing a ton about Melbourne or Australia for that matter either.  Upon arrival, I found that making new friends was pretty easy and I quickly immersed myself in all the gems my new environment had to offer.  There is certainly no substitute for feeling independent.

After Australia, my first living abroad experience, I discovered a passion for international travel that I didn't even know that I had.  Those that know me well understand that travel, along with new experiences, is as essential to my existence as food and shelter.  Having found this part of me shortly after turning the age of twenty-two has shaped me for the rest of my life.  What a blessing to have found this so early on in my life.  Australia has become a part of who I am.  Perhaps this is why I needed to return, as well as what I love best about it here.