In this blogpost, Emma Yenney talks about her interesting journey from Germany to Australia in pursuit of understanding plastic contamination in mangrove ecosystems. Her quest led her to the University of Queensland’s – Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), where she joined  Professor Kevin Thomas and his lab. The post details her experiences, including securing a scholarship, navigating the rental market, and the rigorous process of conducting fieldwork and lab analysis. Ultimately, the post underscores the transformative power of international research experiences and the opportunities for personal and academic growth that can arise from venturing beyond one’s home.