UCSB undergraduate Chris O’Connor has just finished a 6 month stint in Australia, thanks to the UCSB Education Abroad Program: “I’ve been here for one semester, 6 months. Going to Bali/Java, Indonesia after school is out. Been studying 2 science courses, Australian studies course, and a literature course on dreams and visions in lit and film. Australian studies was a class concerning Australian history and national identity. The whole point behind the class was that national identity is always changing, and is not fixed. Depending on who you are talking to (government, aboriginals, etc), everyone has a different story of what happened here. It was a pretty cool class.
I’m living with my roommate in Bulli, a suburb of Wollongong on the south coast of New South Wales. We live next to a world class point break, Sandon Point. My routine is to go to church, surf, study, sleep. Ha – that’s about it!
I will graduate in 2010. I am getting a BS in Physical Geography. My favorite teacher has been Professor Sweeney – I was in the honors class of the Geography of Surfing Class freshman year.”
Chris goes on to say:
“Originally, I was attracted to Australia because of the good waves I have seen in surf videos. I really wanted to surf the Superbank in the Gold Coast, but my school is about a 10 hour drive away from there. There are many awesome surf breaks around Wollongong. Right hand point breaks, left hand point breaks, reefs, and beach breaks galore. I love the pace of life out here, very laid back. My roommate is 47, and he surfs everyday with me. His name is Tim. What a good guy. I found him on the internet before I came out, and really feel sooo lucky that I happened to fall into a spot in his house. I live in a separate part of the house, kinda like a studio room (they call it a “Granny Flat”). When I’m not surfing, studying, or going to church/reading my Bible, I am whipping up good food. They love my guacamole out here – I often make it for “tea” (dinner).
After I graduate, I am thinking about possibly going to grad school for meteorology. Working for Surfline.com as the Rincon Dawn Patrol for the last 3 years has really motivated me to learn about wave formation. So, I figure I would like to become an expert in the subject. I definitely want to live by the ocean my whole life; I can’t imagine life away from it. I can see myself living in San Diego, or maybe even Hawaii someday. I will look to the Lord for guidance.”
