What's so incredible? Why is she so awesome? How does she do it?

After living in America, studying in Australia, working in Japan, and travelling in Europe, I consider myself a bit of a globetrotter. Not only do I pack lighter for a seven month stint than most people do for a weekender, but I am equally familiar with both the English and Metric methods of measurements/weights/temperature, can convert currencies and voltages in my sleep, and am confident enough in my abilities to navigate a public transit system blind that I have no qualms about getting off the aeroplane/train/bus/boat with nothing more than a sense of direction and, with any luck, a map. I have my routines down. In every country I visit, I purposefully purchase a postcard and ingest a Kit Kat bar in whatever variety is available. Less premeditated, I nearly always end up eating some Special K at one point or another, and I invariably miss the last train at least once on each journey. Bonine is my best friend, I will never leave home without a towel, and I’ve given up on being picky about my pillow type. Time zones mean nothing, sleep is the cure all, and jet lag is nothing but an urban legend. In short, you could call me a seasoned jet-setter, but it’d be an understatement.

Now, why would someone like me, who is so enamoured with travel in its many forms, consider settling down at university for anything longer than a month, let alone four? Well, I could bullshit you for hours about all the joys of being a university student or all the benefits of living in a place rather than visiting it (there’s merit to both), but there’s really only one reason: money.

After all the student loans and university bills I know it seems counter intuitive, but especially if your tertiary education is the sort easy on the bank account, hear me out. Besides just the heavy discounts that come with being a full-time student or the many inevitable field trips that will come my way, enrolling myself in a university affords me the most flexible schedule, the most free time, the ability to change my mind at any given time, and numerous study abroad and summer programme opportunities. And in this particular case, thanks to UQSport and my various degrees of internet jedi magic, for a mere A$1500 (the same price of a weekend ski package) I can get:

1 S.C.U.B.A. certification + 3 dive dates

1 weekend trip to a tropical beach + 3 surf lessons

2 days camping on Fraser Island

2 days camping on Moreton Island

2 days snorkeling Herron Island

AND

Muay Thai lessons twice a week for 3 months

Japanese stick fighting on Thursday nights for 10 weeks

all with catering, accommodation, transit, and equipment rentals included. For another A$600 or so I can go on another 5 day snorkeling adventure, a 3 day outback safari, go deep sea fishing, and take up Tae Kwon Do.

Sailing I can do for just the price of a bus ticket, along with just about one million other activities not limited to: sand tobogganing, learning massage therapy, bushwalking and rock climbing, capoeira, rugby, Japanese lessons, and ceramics. Australia is one of the most welcoming countries for adventure sport.

That list of travel opportunities is music to my ears. “Why did you go to UQ, Leigh?” will be a question you need not ask again. Ladies and gentlemen of the Internet, I rest my case.