Mya Antequera - Blog Abroad
Blog #1
Hello everyone! My name is Mya, and I am a third-year student at UNM. I am studying Political Science and International Studies with a minor in Criminology. I am also a first-generation college student. I did not think an experience like this was in the books for me, as I would be the first in my family to do something like this. I applied for UNM’s exchange program a little over a year ago and never imagined I would be here writing this blog in my apartment across the world for you all. These are a few photos from my first week here in Perth, Australia. Getting here was quite a journey. My family and I drove from Albuquerque to Los Angeles because of the price of the flight, but also because it meant less travel time for me overall. My flight to Sydney from LA was 15 hours. Before this, I could barely make it through a 5-hour flight. This one was triple that. I had a panic attack the day of the flight while going through security, and another about two hours later before boarding. I am not sharing this to scare you from traveling outside of your comfort zone, but to remind you that you should do the things that challenge you. I was sobbing all the way to the plane because I would be traveling across the world alone and leaving everything I was used to for completely different customs, culture, and ways of life. I was terrified, and honestly, even a few days in, I am still a little afraid. But guess what? The world did not end, and I am doing okay so far. Perth is even better than I imagined. It is peaceful, refreshing, and exciting. During my first week, I explored a lot on my own, including downtown Perth, Fremantle, different beaches, and local restaurants. The seafood here is delicious. I had ceviche by the beach and it was incredible. The water was clearer than anything I had ever seen. I saw so many fish while swimming, and being under the sun in February felt surreal. Sadly, a lot of the pictures and videos I took on my iPhone are gone because my phone exploded during my first week here. Thankfully, I still have some photos from my Polaroid. Even without a phone, I was able to get around to different cities. I would write down which bus to take and where to go. I also asked people where to catch certain buses or for the time. I do not recommend this. I am definitely experiencing culture shock. Two of the biggest differences are not tipping after meals and driving and walking on the opposite side of the road. I have made a few friends along the way, and they have helped make this place feel more like home. I cannot wait to continue sharing my journey with you all as I begin to build a life here for myself. See you later! (Oh, and I have a phone now) February 2026
My first week in Perth, Australia
Blog #2
Hello UNM, how are you going? It's been an official month since I've been living in Western Australia, and I am at a loss for words. In this moment, I feel gratitude and joy, and I am still in shock. In the last couple of weeks, I have been on the wildest roller coaster of my life. I was lucky enough to see Bad Bunny in Sydney, Australia, and it was truly one of the best moments of my life. Below, I include a picture of the fireworks that were on during the concert. In the state of the world that we are in right now, I feel extremely lucky to have the privilege to be where I am and be able to see someone who is such an inspiration to the Latino community. It was a special concert and space. Where I'm staying in Australia is a mix of city and rural area, which I am glad for because Sydney reminded me of a touristy area, and it didn't feel as local as Perth does. But Sydney was beautiful and made me miss being in a big city, since I'm originally from New York City anyway. I enjoyed my time in Sydney and am grateful for that experience. I've made a group of friends from the States here at uni, and I've been hanging out a lot with them as well as locals from Western Australia and Queensland. They have been showing me local spots in Western Australia, and we've been discussing our biggest culture shocks with each other. We also notice how differently we speak. Australians tend to shorten a lot of their words, and some speak faster than I can process. I started Uni two weeks ago and am finding out that the United States is the popular girl that everyone strives to follow. I am taking an Australian Politics course, which I am finding so intriguing because Australian politics is heavily intertwined with the politics in the United States. Murodch Uni has been a great experience so far, my professors are what I look for and are of diverse backgrounds. I fed a kangaroo! The study abroad students and I went to Cavershaw Wildlife Park and saw and fed some wildlife there. The nightlife in Perth is really fun as well. My friends and I go almost every weekend, and we've noticed that a lot of American music is played while dancing. We notice little things like that here and there. I think doing this exchange program at UNM was one of the decisions I could've made. I will continue to enjoy Australia and what it has to offer. See you all soon! (I am not able to upload all the photos I want to because I'm limited to five, but I will try my best to include the ones that stand out) March 2026
My first month in Australia
Blog #3
Wow! Hello UNM, how are we going? It has officially been 2 months since I've been abroad, and all I can say is no words can describe what life has been like. It has hit me with the highest highs and lowest lows, I will say. I have felt every emotion in the book, and it is starting to hit me that I am here. Adulting across the world whips you into shape, and I want to hold this blog and be transparent. My time abroad has been filled with such beautiful memories that I will hold dear always. But in recent events with the current political state of the world, I am angry. Angry, I can't protest at the No Kings protest, angry at the turn the United States is taking. Australia is a country that falls in line with the United States in terms of politics. Gas prices I have seen have gone up here as they've been going up in the states for the past year. The Australians I have had conversations with about the war have disagreed with Australia's involvement in the war. My Australian professors have been vocal about it as well. I have an Iranian roommate who hasn't been in contact with her family for over 10 days because the internet connection is spotty and not accessible. This has weighed heavily on my heart. In lighter news, my friends and I went to Bali 2 weeks ago. It is weird to be able to say that while the world is experiencing such a morbid time. I can acknowledge my privilege in being able to travel and experience different countries. But Bali was beautiful. About 15 of us went, and we got a villa and stayed for about 4 nights. I drank the water first day of being there because I thought it was filtered, and came to find out it was not. I did not get sick tho! Score! We did a lot of excursions, one being visiting the monkey forest and going on a coffee tour, where we saw coffee grounds being made. I bought some coffee and have been having two cups every day! (It is so yummy). We also ziplined, which was so fun. We did loads of hikes as well. I'm finding uni a bit stressful at the moment with assignments coming due and having to prioritize school above all else. However, I've been conducting extensive research on nuclear weapons, and my findings have been closely aligned with current international politics. I have an assignment on why states acquire nuclear weapons, and that is what my research has primarily focused on. I am also officially a swimmer! Murdoch offers a swimming program, and today was my final lesson. I am so incredibly proud of myself in that I can now swim. I have been having such a blast and am so happy to be studying what I am at Murdoch. I feel incredibly blessed and lucky. I will continue updating as time goes on. I can't believe how fast time has gone by. See you all soon! April 2026
Uh, so is the world ending? (No, I don't think)
