Hutchins 2018 (John Curry and Jackson Lyell)

-John-After a twenty two hour flight, Jackson and I arrived in Hobart, Tasmania. I found the the cool breeze and brisk air a refreshing change of pace. My host mother Helen greeted me with a warm hug and a lengthy apology for the length of the flight. She then told me I cannot rest or I will feel the pain of jet lag (I did anyway) . Helen first drove me to a zoo with native Tasmanian animals where I braved feeding emus, a camel named Huey, and a zebra named Beyonce. After the excursion, we went to the home. At the time, I did not know I was about to have the most enjoyable experiences. I met my host brother Simon who turned out to be a reminder of myself. He had a major cyclist and comedian as a father, an intellectual for a mother, an international jewler for a sister, and two brothers making it on their own dime. To top it off, I stayed with a Japanese school teacher named Ayaka.
On the first full day, the whole family and I went the isle of dogs. It was a beach full of bashful pups and beautiful views. Later on we traveled an hour to Cygnat to see Helen's mother and off to Eggs and Bacon bay. I fondly remember riding in the car while listening to loud music with a full car of people and the father, Tom, driving around windy roads as if it were Mario kart. The conversations comparing Australian and American government and social values. These conversations gave me tru insight into the mind of one who lives in Tassie. I was surrounded by smiles and cynical jokes(my favorite). The people made the trip for me.


-Jackson-After arriving in Tasmania, my host family welcomed me to their home with a steak dinner. After taking a nap to get over the jet lag, my host brother Noah and I went to the weekly farmer's market called Salamanca. Following the cultural market, my host parents drove me to the top of Mount Wellington where I experienced the best view of my life. John and I both traveled to an odd museum called Mona which had a sole purpose of being contrary to societal norms. Within the first week, I had tried all new foods including veggie mite, tim tams, and wallaby. Since I arrived during the holiday break, school did not begin for a few days. After a few days of traveling and site seeing around Tassie, I enrolled in the Hutchins School where I would take Physical Science, Psychology, English, Computer Graphic and Design, and Sports Science. After my first week of school and seeing the beauty of the geography where I was living, I had immersed myself in a new culture and had gotten to know the members of my host family better than before.

View of The Hutchin's School campus

Our most memorable time in Tasmania was undoubtedly on Bruny Island. We took a ferry over to the island with the car. Simon had a previous engagements and the trip only consisted on Helen, Tom, Ayaka, and myself. We first visited a place to try fresh caramel, coffee, and cheese (they love their cheese). However, more importantly it was my first time trying kangaroo. My mouth watered at the first taste. I can understand why it is such high demand in Tassie. We found a grill and went to work. The first aspect I noticed was the water. It was green. The view felt as if it came from a movie. After the gourmet meal, we traversed the beach that did not have a walkway into a cove. After perfectly timed jumps, we made it to the serene area where Captain Hook allegedly visited. We became makeshift mountain climbers to avoid the impending tide. We then found the view of a lifetime, seeing all of the water that lay before us. Lastly, we traveled to a lighthouse on Bruny Island that overlooked the ocean and the cliffs that ride upon the coast of Tasmania.

Ayaka and I enjoying a view

Coastal Cliffs from Lighthouse

Our lovely trip came to a quite eventful end in the form of a going away get together. The last day of school consisted of an athletics carnival where I ran a 3000m race for my house. However, the night brought the most joy. I felt a exceptionally strong rapport with the guys I had befriended through singing Country Roads at the top of our lungs and screaming song lyrics at each other. We feel that the personal connections made during our time made it as amazing as it was. We thank the Warner family for providing us with such a remarkable opportunity to immerse ourselves in an entirely different culture!

Remarkable Cave

The boys