My mom was very concerned when I declared that I wanted to go to Australia. She actually tried to talk me out of going this semester. Not because she didn’t support me studying abroad, but because of the time I chose to go.

Indeed, it is winter here down under. I wasn’t too worried, though. After all, what could be worse than winter in Boston?

And all my worries vanished when I Googled the average temperatures for Sydney in July.

Indeed, the website was serious. When I exited the Sydney airport, carrying all my luggage, I was met by a surprise:

Though Australian weather isn’t as perfect as rumored. The temperature does drop rapidly as soon as the sun sets. The weather can fluctuate throughout the day. So, basically, I feel right at home.

To top it off, this winter has been unseasonably warm. For the past week, I’ve been enjoying temperatures in the mid-70’s. (That’s around 23 degrees Celsius, for all you non-US people.) Not all of Australia is like this, though. Last weekend, I traveled to Canberra, Australia’s capital. Canberra is inland about 3 hours southwest of Sydney, and known to be a bit chillier.

And was it colder? You bet it was! Why, the daytime reached a horrifying temperature of 66 degrees!

I often express my amazement to native Australians, who usually try to prove to me that Australia’s not as nice as I think.

So pack me up, baby. I’m moving to Australia!