Holidays Made Me Realise I Want To Leave My Town

I had walked down the same street every day, for my entire life and I was content. I thought I would have lived on that street for a solid few more years after high school as well. I mean, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

My town as a whole wasn’t broken for me either. I loved it all, from knowing everyone in the surf each morning to the classic pub feeds at night.

Then the holidays came along…

Whilst grocery shopping one Thursday morning, I tripped over and dropped all my groceries. Classic. And who was nearby, cackling at me? Tom, my first kiss back in primary school. I ran into five more people I knew within that hour as well.

Sure, living in a small town where everyone knows everyone is wholesome. But man, I wouldn’t mind seeing some new faces… or having the ability to fall over on a Thursday morning in Woolies without someone I know watching.

It was always the same people at parties too (and the same houses holding said parties). Whilst I loved them all, we all had different interests and pursuits; I was craving talking to people that shared my interests and passions.

Then there were my ‘rents who I love more than the universe. But far out, their incessant questions before I left the house of “where are you going?”, “who are you going with?”, “when will you be back?”. I just wanted to say "loosen the leash a little"... eek. I know it’s out of love but I just wanted to be able to walk out the front door without the paparazzi interviewing me.

I craved independence. Sure, that comes with some not-so-fun territories like planning doctors’ appointments and figuring out the best time to clean your sheets but taking the reins of my life seemed exhilarating. 

I was comfortable… Too comfortable. Time out of school made me realise that I wanted to push myself. That’s where The Australian National University (ANU) came into play to support me. First up, I knew that this uni had the option to live on campus: dorm life, sports intramural teams, a college town vibe… the whole shebang. This meant I’d be able to meet like-minded mates in a heartbeat and the transition moving out of home was oh, so smooth.

Compared to my little regional town, it was all happening in Canberra! With a tonne of young people, a rowdy nightlife, Questacon (a must) and big city vibes without the traffic congestion and long commutes. I was keen to experience another lifestyle - one that was a change but not too far from what I was used to.

Not to mention, ANU is Australia’s top university… yeah, that’s kind of a big deal. With quality tutors, top-class facilities, and a multitude of other pros, applying to ANU was a no-brainer.

So, if you’re like me and thinking of taking the leap, get ANU on your radar and suss out more information here. And trust me when I say, it feels good walking down a new street.