Down Under here I come - just takes a little while!

Rakabudiswa: 17.07.2022

Well, what can I say, after 1.5 years in Germany, it was about time to pack my bags and embark on the next adventure - but this time with a backpack! 😉 As my grandma would say: 'You've got ants in your pants, dear!'

Loaded, more loaded, Luisa 🎒 — I wonder if I was really excited about the trip?! 😅

This time, as part of my master's studies at FH Münster, I'm heading to Australia, which has been a dream travel destination for me for 10 years 🤗. For the next five months (from mid-July to the end of November 2022), I will be studying at the University of South Australia, Adelaide, and getting to know the country, the people, and the life (+ most likely loving it) 🦘.

Adelaide is perfect for me as a coastal kid 🌊

The journey to the other side of the world is a challenging one, especially when you don't book your plane tickets early enough 🥴. So, on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, at 2 p.m., I took the train from Lutherstadt Wittenberg to Frankfurt Airport, where Air India warmly welcomed me at the check-in counter and took my rather questionable-looking backpack (Travel Tip #1: always have a large garbage bag and cling film with you, then nothing will happen to your backpack).

Backpack, mummy, or something completely different? 👀

From Frankfurt, it took 8 hours overnight to reach New Delhi, India, where women still have to go through the security check separate from men and be "searched" by another woman in a closed cabin. After a 4.5-hour layover, the flight to Australia finally took off 🇦🇺. For 13 hours, I was able to indulge in culinary delights from Air India and drink very unusual ginger ale.

13 hours of flight including crossing the equator 🌍

After landing in Melbourne on Thursday, July 14, 2022, at 5:30 a.m. local time, the first Australians came into the airport wearing hats and gloves - oh dear, the Australian winter is colder than I thought ❄️. Well, then I guess I'll have to get a latte macchiato for €7 to get through the next 4.5 hours until the last flight to Adelaide.

With only an hour delay (it would have been boring without a delay), I found myself in Adelaide at 12 o'clock and was overjoyed - I didn't know the date or the day of the week anymore, but after about 40+ hours, I was just happy to finally have arrived in my new home 🙏🏻.