The Beacon Abroad

By Elizabeth Tertadian, Guest Commentary -- The Beacon

G'day mate! Do you want some Milo in your billy? I've got a story for you! I just got back from a week in the bush. I didn't have a jumbuck, but I had some crab, met some mates, and had a jolly good time hearing stories from Aboriginal people.

Hi friend! That is Australian talk for you. I've been studying abroad in Australia for two months now, and it's been great. I just got back from a week trip to Broome, which is the outback and also Aboriginal land. We went up there and camped for a week to learn about their culture and hear their stories.

Unfortunately, we were chased out of camp by a cyclone (hurricane) and had to make our way back into Broome to stay in a hostel, but we still went about the outback early each morning and had a great time.

I learned how to make and throw spears, ate freshly caught crab and fish, talked to our guide Collin each day about Aboriginal life and beliefs, learned to paint and met the most famous didgeridoo player in the world. We had no idea who he was, but he played for us and one evening ate with us and sang in his language with the guitar.

It was good to get away from the stress of life for those six days, let myself unplug from technology and reflect upon my time in Australia in the outback.

Most of Australia is a lot like the States – they speak the same language (more or less), have mostly the same food, and listen to the same music. In Broome, it was a different world.

The colors are stunning. The sand is a deep, rich red color, the trees green and the sky bright blue.

There is a saying, "we are on Broome time," that our leader from uni would say, meaning we are on no time schedule and to just go with it. We woke up every morning not knowing what we were going to spend the day doing. Our Aboriginal guides took a look at the day and we went from there. This was completely different from what we are used to with schedules and time, and made me stop and realize that my life really runs by the clock.

I also realized how dependent I am on others to live. We met a boy who was only 8 years old, and he knew how to make a spear, catch fish and crab in the ocean, make a fire and cook it and then find his way back home through the bush with no roads. If I was alone in the outback, I could do none of those things.

Now I am back in Fremantle, back to Facebook and Skype – oh yeah, and class too. But the outback is never far away and my experience there is something I'll never forget. I've been in Australia for two months as a student and a tourist. Going to Broome, I immersed myself in the Aboriginal culture and learned more than I ever have in class or a guide book. If you get the chance to travel, do it, but don't just be a tourist. Let yourself experience that culture through the eyes of locals. The stories you will hear, the people you will meet and the things you will experience will enrich your life, and that's what you take from your travels.

Elizabeth Tertadian is a sophomore organizational communication major. She can be contacted at tertadia13@up.edu.