Jessica Fong, the Arizona State University’s Barrett in Australia student blogger, writes: Now that the semester has finally wrapped up and I am no longer losing sleep over group projects, lab reports, and final exams, I can finally focus my attention on the really important things…like packing for Australia!

My name is Jessica Fong and I am a mechanical engineering student at Arizona State University. I just finished my junior year and admit that I have been bit by the infamous travel bug. All I’ve wanted to do since a trip to Paris and Berlin two years ago is see the world. All of it. Every nook and cranny! As time and funds are limited as a student, I have not been able to explore as much as I would like. Well, ladies and gentlemen, fellow travellers, and blog readers, that is all about to change! In under a week I will be boarding a plane that will literally take me halfway around the world, down under, to the beautiful city of Melbourne, pronounced mel-bun. (Trust me, you’re going to want to know how to say it right!) As I impatiently wait for my plane to leave for the Lucky Country, I find myself daydreaming of all the places I will go and the people I will meet. I’m already making plans to eat my way through every city and town I visit. After all, it’s all about getting to know as much as possible about the local culture, including what they eat, right?

I am excited to journey through the incredible itinerary my professors and AUIP have put together. As a group of 35 students, we will be traveling to seven cities; studying the history, politics, film, and literature of a country 7,931 miles away; snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef; and camping in the Outback—all in the span of 29 days!