Ryan Kluk
CIEE
Perth, Australia
Summer 2016

Blog 8: Goodbye Perth

Five weeks comes and goes in the blink of an eye. Just thirty-six days ago, I boarded a plane in Charlotte, North Carolina and headed west for Perth. I have truly enjoyed my time here in Australia and the lifelong friends that I have made during my study abroad experience.

I’ll never forget the fourteen hour ride from Perth to Yardie, throwing quadrat after quadrat, begging to be in Paul’s car, the cold water of Rockingham to scuba dive, the rainy rugby match, or all the time spent in Freo shopping and exploring. I learned so much about the culture of Australia and tried a variety of Australian cuisine. Kangaroo was by far the best meat I have ever tasted, and the fish & chips here were stupendous. I also learned and retained heaps of knowledge about marine ecology and Western Australian in general.

Ningaloo was an amazing experience that I will never forget and will treasure for the rest of my life. Swimming with majestic marine creatures like the whale shark and manta rays are something I will tell my kids about one day.

Sadly, my time down under has come to an end and I must fly back home. Australia had a piece of my heart before this trip, but now Australia has even more. I cannot wait to come back and see more of the beautiful outback.

This is Kluk signing off for the final time. Get ready U.S., I’m coming home.