A Trip to Heaven on Earth …By Seema Shah

As a child, watching ‘neighbours’ and ‘home and away’ was a daily routine. These soaps made Australia seem like a carefree place with beaches and sunshine. I always wanted to live in Australia and for me there was always something quite intriguing about it.

As the years passed, that dream was suppressed beneath other things, passing ‘A’ levels, working towards getting a good degree etc. On starting my pharmacy degree at the London School of Pharmacy I found the course very enjoyable, however I did not expect to find myself in another country doing a part of my degree abroad. In the third year of the MPharm degree our university give us the opportunity to do our MPharm project abroad. I applied to do my placement in another country with no expectation of where I was headed next. I applied everywhere, in Europe, the US and even Australia. Little did I know that I would be offered a research placement at the University of Sydney in Australia. I was really happy when I heard the news as another friend and I had found this placement completely on our own. Now all I had to do was convince my parents to let me go to the other side of the world for 5 months.

Events unfolded quite spontaneously and before I knew it I was in the land down under living my dream. I had absolutely no idea what to expect .

My supervisors were the nicest people I have met. Much to my surprise, I was given my own computer and office within the lab where I was working. We were invited to the afternoon teas held for the faculty and were treated with a lot of respect. It was fantastic how everyone was quick to introduce themselves and welcome us to Sydney. Everyone we met was happy

to give a helping hand… even if it meant getting cockroaches out of our room whilst listening to the three of us scream the house down and jump on top of the bed!! Towards the end of the three months we had made very close friendships with everyone in the lab. It was a very enjoyable atmosphere to work in and everyone was very encouraging and happy to help. Our supervisors were so helpful at each stage of our projects even when we were still in London and had problems getting visas. Once we had returned and were doing the final write-ups for our projects they gave us an immense amount of help. To my amazement they were quite unconventionally laid back. We were worried about our projects and they were more worried about what places we should go and see, the tourist hot spots and decent places to eat. I found that with this laid back attitude I managed to get more work done then I would in London as well as see everything that could possibly be seen in Sydney. It was a stress-free learning experience and extremely productive.

Sydney is a vibrant city, with so many different things to experience. I lived in a suburb in North Sydney, near Greenwich wharf. The area was so beautiful and our accommodation overlooked the harbour. We stayed in international residence where we met a huge variety of people from all over the world including South America, Europe, Africa, and even Asia.
It was great being in such a cosmopolitan environment. It allowed us to indulge in many different cultures as well as live the Australian way of life. By week we were students working a tough 9 – 6 (well it was tough for us anyway), and by weekend we were tourists experiencing what Sydney had to offer.

In Sydney alone we indulged in a lifetime worth of memories, from watching an opera at Sydney’s opera house to sailing on a cruise under the moonlit and star-filled sky on Sydney harbour. The beaches were absolutely stunning. We even overcame our laziness on a Sunday morning to get up at 4am and make it down to Coogie beach to watch the sunrise.

After this we did a Coogie to Bondi beach walk. It was breathtaking and the sights were out of this world. The sunsets over the harbour were surreal and the days were always so bright. Can you believe, we even did some crab racing, which was a great laugh. Although I was working in a lab throughout these three months, it seemed like a working holiday. However, I did not let my project fall behind and was up to date at each stage . So whilst one reward of this trip was getting a first in my project the other reward was gaining an experience of a lifetime.

Having not really stayed away from home, going to Australia gave me more independence. I was plunged in to the deep end, having to study and live in a new environment and adapt as quickly as possible as I had to complete 20% of my degree in that short amount of time. I took every challenge as it came and it has definitely made me a much stronger person. The best thing is I have made friends for life, friends that I am still in touch with. Some of these friends have already been to visit me and it’s remarkable how we all shared the same experience and became so close in the space of 2–3 months. This trip has given me extra confidence and has even helped me in my interviews for my pre-registration year. I would recommend it to anyone.

I could not go to the other side of the world and not go travelling; accordingly we also spent time in Melbourne and travelled along the east coast of Australia, from Surfer’s Paradise all the way up to Cape Tribulation and Cairns. Each place we stopped was truly a slice of paradise, beautiful in its own right. I even tried my hand at surfing, although I think I spent most of my time under the board; nevertheless it was all about having fun and experiencing everything. I did a 3-day sailboat cruise around the Whitsunday Islands, which was still a great experience despite terrible weather conditions. The fun and laughter we shared with the friends we met on the boat was incredible. One of my most unforgettable scenarios was snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, despite being afraid of water I knew this was an experience not to be missed. It was like being in a new world, a tranquil world with colourful fish and coral. I was lucky enough not to see a shark but I was disappointed that I didn’t find Nemo!

My travelling did not end there. Although my trip was nearing an end I had many destinations to complete before I headed back to London. I found myself indulging in Maouri culture in New Zealand, looking eye to eye at the Merlion statue on Sentosa Island in Singapore and enjoying the city life and shopping in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. After all the tiring travelling, our final trip was to Langkawi Island, with 6 days of relaxation on the beach. All in all I spent 5 months away. It was the best part of my degree and I would suggest it to everyone. It is an experience not to be missed, you make friends for life, and it is a character building experience. Studying and living there is so different to just being a tourist, you get to experience the true student life. Not to mention all the travelling you get to do as an added bonus!