Are you currently in the process of choosing where to spend your exchange semester, in the pursuit of the ultimate adventure and ready to broaden your horizon?
Well, I was in your shoes not too long ago and all I can tell you is that going to UTS will not only allow you to experience the unlimited opportunities of Sydney and the diversity of Australian’s nature, but it is also going to fundamentally change your outlook on life, an experience that can be perfectly summed up in my trip to the Blue Mountains.
The Blue Mountains are a mountainous region in New South Wales, approximately 60 to 90 minutes away from Sydney city centre, depending on which attraction you would like to visit. Regularly honoured by travel guides for its stunning nature and having been voted as a World Heritage Area by UNESCO in 2000, my friends and I decided to give the beaches and city attractions a break to visit this miraculously untouched piece of land.
The mountain’s eponymous blue haze, which can be seen when looking at the range from a distance, is even more vivid in real life, a refreshing feat in a society dominated by Instagram filters and photoshop.
When observing the variety of magnificent views that the region has to offer, I couldn’t help but feel at peace with myself, my own challenges and the world as a whole. This experience has allowed me to achieve a new-found understanding of fundamental belonging while simultaneously yielding in a redefined perception of freedom, of the opportunities that are out there, and of diversity and natural balance.
Looking back at my time in Sydney so far, I have felt that even in the busiest and most metropolitan moments, those realisations have stayed with me. Having grown up in Berlin, I will probably never overcome my crave for the large city, and the Asian cuisine and food delivery apps that come with it, yet, I have come to cherish Australians' unique ability to be fully in tune with their natural surroundings. It is a quality that I will try to bring with me wherever I go allowing me to enjoy the more rudimental things in life while simultaneously striving to accomplish my personal impact.
Constantin Frederik von Wietersheim
Country: Switzerland
University: Universität St. Gallen
Comments