Who would like going from living on the outback to living in Indiana? Sammy Mendel, a junior at South, does! This school year, Mendel and his family moved all the way from Tasmania, Australia to Bloomington, Indiana. The reason for this move, Mendel said, was that “we wanted to get out of the place we were currently living in and we decided it would be best if we moved here because we have family here.” He continued, “we’re enjoying it so far.”
When asked the difference between the two school systems, he said “It’s very systematic here compared to Australia where it’s very relaxed.”
Although the same cannot be said about the students. “Inversely, students here seem to be more laid back than they are in Australia despite the different school system.” Mendel said that he thinks the more laid back mentality is “just more cultural here. The people tend to be a little more relaxed.”
Another large difference between the two countries is the grade system. Mendel explained that where he was raised, high school lasts from years seven to 10, college from 11 to 12, and then you can attend university. Scores for university are also only taken from your two years at college.
As we all know, Australia is known for its diverse wildlife. Tasmania, where Mendel spent most of his life, is actually known as the roadkill capital of the world. “There are many animals all over the place and many on the road sadly.” Mendel described the animals as “strange looking,” and the spiders being particularly pest-like.
The wildlife definitely wasn’t the hardest thing for Mendel to leave behind. When it comes to adjusting to the American lifestyle, Mendel’s main struggle has been that “there are really no sidewalks here.” He joked, “it’s been hard to walk the dogs but I’ve been getting on fine.”
The differences in scenery doesn’t end at sidewalks though. “There’s a lot more urban sprawl here.” Mendel said, describing how the layout of Australia goes from “city then nature, but here it’s very much city then just tons of urban stuff everywhere.”
