Going to Australia has been one of the most exciting experiences that I’ve ever had in my life. It was an experience that opened my mind and made me more self-reliant and of course, it will last forever!
When I first got to Caloundra, I felt like I was on holiday because of the exuberant beach landscape there. Actually it was the greatest vacation I’ve ever had!
At the beginning, it was a little frustrating because I couldn’t catch any thing people said and I felt that all the years I had been studying English before were useless. Then, it was such a big surprise when at the placement interview with Patty, she told me that I had a very strong American accent, because the funny thing was that it had been several years since I finished Uni and I hadn’t been able to practice my English in a fluent and native environment . To me, my English was a little rusty and it was a perfect opportunity to dust off all my knowledge and put everything I knew to the test and into practice, because learning to speak a language is something that you never stop doing. And I learned so much! The fact that I had a good foundation of the language gave me the chance to focus on grammar and the things I wanted to improve such as my listening and speaking; and I feel that I did. At least, now I can understand most of what Aussies say and I felt confident enough to talk to someone without feeling embarrassed. I understood that mistakes are part of the process and through them, my English gets better and better. Likewise, the city was great, too. Despite it being a small city, I think that Caloundra is a nice place to live in. It has great beaches, and the people’s warmth is unique there, it’s a safe place and the weather is good most of the time. I’d definitely recommend Caloundra as a first start in Australia.
Finally, I must say that I had a wonderful time with you guys at GV, I had the chance to make a lot of friends and be in beautiful places. As I said before, it will be something that I would hardly forget and something that I’m eager to repeat. Thank you Patty (I miss “class-time with the guys”) and all GV’s staff for everything. I encourage you to carry on with this good work you’re doing and hope to see you in the near future.
Andres.
