Feature: Stolen By an Island

Imagine your a parent, that is if you are not already one, and you receive a phone call one day. It's your child. You pick up the phone and the first thing you hear is, "Hey, I'm moving to Australia. I leave June twelfth."

Well that's exactly the type of call Ashley Galway's parents received when she informed them that she had just bought a one way ticket to the land down under.

"My dad was surprised I came back the first time." states Galway. 

After spending 3 1/2 months studying abroad in Julong, Australia last semester, Galway was completely moved. There was so much that attracted her to the island; the culture, the landscape, the people. "It's a lot more laid back," she said. "Everyone's a lot more calm and they're not in a rush to get somewhere or do something. They're very open minded." Since the beginning of her travels she had a gut feeling this place would be special to her.

Photo credit: Ashley Galway

"I remember saying, 'Wow, if I could live here one day, that would be amazing'," Galway foreshadows. 

One of Galways' fondest memories of her travels was the time spent with her friend Amanda as they coasted 151 miles along the Great Ocean Road to the city of Melbourne. "Melbourne is the number one most lovable city in the world and the Great Ocean Road is on the list of top 10 things you should do before you die," she said. "When I went down there and visited I just loved it so much." Departing from Australia was hard for Galway but little did she know she would be headed back within a year.

Photo credit: Ashley Galway

After hours of hard work at her job at Panera Bread, Galway was able to save up enough money with which she bought her plane ticket and a 1 year visa. "When I got back from Australia I was really sad I had to leave," she said. "So I started figuring out ways I could go back and about two weeks ago I booked my ticket." She was headed back to the place where it all began. This time for good. 

After graduating from High Point University this May, Galway is thrilled to return to the island where her mind is trapped. But what exactly does she intend to do when she gets there? Thanks to her previous experience in Australia, Galway has made a lot of friends along the way. One of which is her friend Dominic, who she plans on starting her adventure with. Dominic lives in the city of Julong. He has offered Galway a place in his house as well as access to his car, perfect for someone looking to get a start in a foreign country. And being a biology major, she is looking to find a job in sustainable development, which is the area she specified in while studying in Australia.

Photo credit: Ashley Galway

If all goes well, Galway might find herself turning her one year visa into a permanent one. She finds she will not miss much about America, but she will miss her family...and pickles. Galway, the oldest of three, has a close relationship with her brother and sister as well as her parents. While they will miss her, they are more than excited for her at the same time. 

Not much seemed to scare Galway about moving to the other end of the world. "It's not easy to come home, which is the one thing I was worried about," she said. "But I've lived in America my whole life so I think it's time to go to a new country and experience something new."

Photo credit: Ashley Galway

It's not hard to see why she wants to go back. Scuba diving through the beautiful Great Barrier Reefs, para-gliding over lush green valleys, and replacing your everyday wildlife with kangaroos, koalas, and exotic birds seems like an interesting time. Galway's unsure of where she'll end up in her future, whether it's abroad or in the United States, but she states, "I know I'll always be back (America)."