Living by the ocean on the Gold Coast, I was drawn to picking up a water activity during my time here. After some exploration, discussion, and the convincing of my friends, I signed up for a course to earn my PADI Open Water diving license.
This experience was one I did not expect to take on my study abroad and I became worried that I made the decision to hastily, without consideration of the actual nature of diving. I worried about if I was physically capable enough to dive, if I had the attention and focus to do so, and even if I could bear the feeling of being 10 meters underwater.
This anticipation built and built and built, until it was my first day to attend the course. I showed up nervous, worried, and underqualified for the course. But within an hour, after meeting my instructor, learning to put the equipment on, and actually getting into the water, that anxiety turned into excitement.
There were still plenty of times along the course that certain skills and challenges seemed hard. But they became very possible. In a short three days I became certified and later that month dove on the Great Barrier Reef.
Study abroad is a challenge in itself. It takes motivation, ambition, and a dive into the unknown. But this first step is just one of many steps to constantly stepping outside of your comfort zone. I often find other students with similar experiences while abroad, taking chances, trying new things, and discovering abilities or traits about themselves they otherwise would never know about. What might seem impossible can become second nature. And taking further steps, expanding the boundaries of your comfort zone, and transforming your skills, traits, and abilities while abroad is just one of the many amazing benefits to your experience.
