I'm going to focus on a positive trait that equipped me for life abroad, because...I'm still here, I've survived and I'm even planning on staying so obviously there hasn't been too much holding me back.  I think the trait that helped me the most was ENTHUSIASM!

Let's face it - leaving everyone and everything you've ever known is not easy.  I probably wouldn't recommend doing it three months after getting married - it's tough!   Particularly at first when you don't know a single soul, have no friends, no job, no social outlet.  Things have been rocky at times, but now it's smooth sailing.  Now that both of us have graduated, met many of our goals, and have entered the workforce we are really on the same page about the majority of things.

Okay, I've started straying from the question/response.  Right.  Enthusiasm.  With all the difficult aspects that come with being in a new place, I think if you have enough enthusiasm you can overcome a lot of the tricky things.  I was enthusiastic about finding a place to live, finding a job, going to the beach, riding the ferry, checking out South Bank, riding the train, seeing the different foods in the grocery store, tempting friends to come visit, applying for my master's, seeing as much of Australia as possible, meeting new friends, going to the library, seeing what the nightlife was like, trying awesome new things like zorbing, riding my bike to work, playing minigolf, seeing the Big Banana, walking up the stupid evil hill to catch the bus, seeing the gorgeous colours of the flowers...basically anything and everything!  When we heard that Jeremy had a job in Adelaide, I jumped at the chance to try somewhere new.  I guess I mostly just decided to try and embrace the experiences I was offered. 

Of course, you can't be positive all the time and I had lonely times and negative feelings and the odd bout of homesickness...but I made it through.  I feel like I/we have come to a place where everything is bright, shiny and positive and I have continued enthusiasm for the coming years.