Hi blog world! I’m Emi Dammers and I’m doing a study abroad in Adelaide, Australia at Flinders University. It’s my first month here so far. I’m a film student, a third year, an American, and excited to get super lost in Australia.

When I started planning for my trip to Australia I had a few things in mind that I knew wanted to do while I was there. Obviously the first item on that list was to get the stereotypical Australian tourist photo of me with a koala.

(Me with a koala named Bella. She was adorable and fluffy.)

Check. I also wanted to try vegemite. Anyone that I knew back home that had tried it had told me that it was super gross, but I also knew that it was apparently huge in Australia. Well, let me set the record straight for anyone that’s curious: it is not as terrible as people say, but anyone that says it’s good is lying straight to your taste buds. Vegemite is about the consistency of molasses, but with the taste of soy sauce. If you do decide to try it, use the tiniest amount possible on your toast (this is advice from both me and about every person here I’ve consulted about it). Somehow, no one here has appreciated the irony that Vegemite tastes better the less you have of it.

(Me with the Mayor of Adelaide and some other exchange students.)

Also on the list is traveling to as many places as I can afford. I’m hoping to make it to New Zealand as well! But that’ll have to wait until I get a little more studying done. In the meantime, I’ll keep wandering around Adelaide and seeing what happens.

(Me feeding a Kangaroo at Cleland Park)