Hello! My name is Darcy Greene. I am an associate professor in the School of Journalism at Michigan State University. Although I have directed MSU Study Abroad programs for many years, this was my first trip to Australia.

I found the land and the people intimately related. Traveling from the frontier towns and rugged terrain of the Northern Territories to the big cities and lush mountains of New South Wales, I was continually struck by the possibilities of this great continent.

Australia was our classroom. The students learned through first-hand experiences. The immediacy of the educational opportunities was initially quite challenging. However, ultimately, everyone chose to “seize the day.”

Not knowing what was just ahead was a large part of the appeal of the trip. One fascinating experience followed another and students responded to each of them spontaneously and enthusiastically.

The students kept personal journals and wrote reports on all scheduled sessions. The essays, photographs and “issue” Web sites published here allow their experiences to be shared with others.

Enjoy.