Autumn has arrived

G’day friends,

I hope that you all have enjoyed the approach of spring and are thinking of me as we get closer to winter. I now wear a jacket on most days, and some of my new friends have laughed because it’s not that cold yet. But Texas heat has spoiled me. Besides the lowering temperatures, the days are beautiful.

Over these last two weeks I have worked pretty hard on school work, so that I can relax during my mid-semester break. I am planning a trip to Tasmania for one of the weeks that we have free, and then I plan to go to Melbourne to remember Muster with other Aggies in the city. Muster, for all you non-Ags, is time when students and graduates of Texas A&M University from all over the world come together to remember the Aggies who have died during the past year. It’s a very solemn ceremony, but it’s one that really unites the Aggie family. So, I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to be a part of that family here in Australia.

During Easter break, I went to a national park called Tidbinbilla that lies south of Canberra. With several other international students, I saw some famous Australian animals like the platypus, the koala, emus, and kangaroos. It was a great excursion that gave me the opportunity to make new friends and explore a bit more of the ACT.

I gave my first presentation to my host club two weeks ago, and it went really well. The District Governor, Bernie Rodgers, attended, as well as several of the members’ spouses. My host club is really supportive and kind, so after I got everyone to say “Howdy,” I felt right at home.

This past Friday night I participated in Relay for Life with the Rotaract group here in Canberra. We had a fluorescent color theme, so we stood out among the other walkers. The group raised several hundred dollars for cancer research, so besides the great fun that we had walking throughout the night, we were able to contribute to a great cause.

Yesterday, I went to Sydney with a few other Ambassadorial Scholars from Canberra to attend a conference for the inbound and outbound scholars. I learned more about Rotary and the resources available to me as a scholar here in Australia. But the thing that really encouraged and impressed me was the passion of the Rotarians and the other Ambassadorial Scholars. They have such a desire to improve the lives of people in their communities and around the world, and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to work alongside such great leaders. So thank you again for this chance to really impact the world.

Enjoy Spring!