Time passes so quickly. It seems just like it was yesterday when I arrived in Melbourne. I still vividly remember this period of time. There are so many things I can’t forget. All of them are treasures for me.

Actually before I went there, I was very nervous. It was the first time I went to a foreign country and I needed to live with a homestay family by myself for three weeks. I didn’t have any such experience. So I had been very worried about everything as I arrived in Melbourne.

I do remember the first day in Melbourne, it was sunny but really cold. I met with my homestay family with nervousness and a little excitement. My homestay family is a local Australian family with a lovely dog, Molly. All of them, including Molly, are very nice and friendly. They lived in Bonbeach which is really far away from the Melbourne city centre. However it is a very beautiful suburb and close to the beach. My homestay mom Karen is a very nice and wise person. She helped me become familiar with other family members Steve and Nina and accustomed to the environment in Australia. They would always have a chat with me when I came back home. I felt the warmth. We usually talked about daily things and one time we talked about the different culture and concepts between China and Australia. It really gave me more direct impressions of Australia and opportunities to practice my oral English. I miss them so much.

I appreciate this learning programmer because it gave me a chance to broaden my horizon and make friends with people in ways that I never imagined. During the three weeks, we acquired better understanding in culture differences. We had many opportunities to do presentations. It was difficult as there was little time to prepare. And I was too shy to speak in front of so many people. But my teacher said, “You came here for learning. Don’t worry about mistakes. You would learn something from them.” It really encouraged me and made me feel more confident. In the second and third week on the Monash campus, we broke to three different groups and met some Japanese students. It was so lucky for me to meet them. Though we had different cultures and languages, we talked with each other in English. In the beginning, it’s a little difficult to communicate, because we didn’t know each other before and our poor English levels caused misunderstanding sometimes. But it didn’t matter. We gradually became more and more familiar with each other. We learnt a host of knowledge, visited one company and did many different kinds of presentations together. I cannot forget the farewell, when the Japanese students made a video for us. And some of them came to see us off at Clayton campus. It was the hardest goodbye in my life. Naturally, we still keep in touch with one another.

Besides studying, I visited many places and enjoyed different types of delicious foods in Melbourne with my friends. We went to the Queen Victoria Market, the Melbourne zoo, the Great Ocean Road and many other places. It was a valuable short trip.

It is the end but it is also the beginning. I miss all of you! I love you all!