Lacy Miller, a Baylor University Sustainability in North Queensland student blogger, writes: My name is Lacy Miller and I am not your typical student. My decision to study abroad was a long back-and-forth process, as I am a mother to a two-year-old boy. Picking up and leaving for three weeks was not exactly something I had planned on when attending school! However, after long discussions with my husband, we decided that traveling to North Queensland with Baylor University and AUIP would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I could not pass up. I will get to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef, hike through the rainforest, and learn from indigenous people, among many other amazing opportunities.

While leaving my son for three weeks will be incredibly difficult, I know this is not the kind of opportunity that comes along often. I also know my husband is fully capable of taking care of the house, our son, and our many critters. Did I also mention we have a small farm? I have a lot of commitments that could have prevented me from going on this trip, but I have managed to let go of and quieten most of my worries. Will my husband remember that the dogs need water? (Probably not.) Will he remember to take the horses’ feed bags off when they are finished eating? (Unlikely.) Will he remember our son takes a bath every other evening? (Hopefully!) I’ve made lists and posted them in every room of the house, so that now I can relax and focus on the unique travel and learning experiences ahead. I look forward to blogging about my journey, and hope the stories will inspire you to pack your bags, too, regardless of seemingly insurmountable commitments! I know that it will all be worthwhile.