The Story: Matthew McConaughey’s Year Abroad “Down Under”
Did you know that as a young man, Matthew McConaughey spent a year abroad in Australia? After high school, the Rotary Club sponsored him to live “down under” with a host family. You can hear the full story in his interview on the Armchair Expert Podcast (it starts about 50 minutes in).
In the interview, Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club, Interstellar, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) describes how he had a choice between living abroad in Australia or Switzerland. He chose Australia. He didn’t get to video chat with his host family before he arrived, and he didn’t get to see where exactly they lived — he was only told they lived near Sydney. When he landed, though, he discovered his host family actually lived quite far from the city, far from the beach, and far from civilization in general. He was in quite a rural town.
More than that, he discovered that he and his host family didn’t quite see eye to eye, which led to some real difficulties early on. As you can hear in the interview, he eventually ended up staying with other host families and had a life-changing experience living in Australia.
“I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you right now if I didn’t have that year [abroad in Australia]. In high school, I was rolling — popular, had money in my pocket… And all of a sudden I [ran] into a great amount of resistance and [was] forced to go inward. Because I had no crutches. I had no friends, no cars, no girlfriends. But it was good overall. I would not be sitting here right now if I did not have that year over there [in Australia].”
Matthew McConaughey, on his year abroad in Australia
What We Do Differently
It’s genuinely entertaining to hear McConaughey tell his stories — and his experience is also a great way to illustrate some of the things we work hard to avoid in our Australia program. Unlike his experience, every Rome Abroad Traveler placed with a host family gets to:
- Read a host family’s profile before ever meeting them
- Video chat with the family, multiple times, before choosing to match with them
- Talk with a previous Rome Abroad Traveler about their experience
- Keep texting, video chatting, and getting to know the family before arriving at their home
- Access full support and mediation if any disagreements or incompatibility come up
- Join a network of friends, both within and outside the program
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in Australia yourself? Check out our reviews to see what Rome Abroad grads have to say about their own year abroad — theirs tend to start with a lot less guesswork than McConaughey’s did.
FAQ: Matthew McConaughey’s Year in Australia
Did Matthew McConaughey do an au pair program?
No. McConaughey’s year abroad was through a Rotary Club youth exchange program, which is a different kind of program aimed at high schoolers, not an au pair placement. Rome Abroad’s au pair program is designed for young adults, typically ages 18 to 30.
How is an au pair program different from a Rotary exchange?
Both involve living with a host family abroad, but an au pair program centers on childcare in exchange for room, board, and often a stipend, while a Rotary exchange is primarily a cultural and educational experience for teenagers. The level of matching support before departure also tends to differ a lot between programs.
Will I know my host family before I arrive in Australia?
Yes. Rome Abroad Travelers review host family profiles and video chat with their potential family multiple times before committing to a match, so there’s no landing in an unfamiliar town with no idea what to expect.
What happens if I don’t get along with my host family?
Rome Abroad provides ongoing support and mediation throughout your placement, so if a mismatch comes up, you’re not on your own to sort it out — help is there to work through it or find a better fit.
If McConaughey’s year “down under” sounds like the kind of character-building adventure you’re after — minus the guesswork he had to deal with — Rome Abroad can help you get there with real support every step of the way.
Part of the Rome Abroad team helping young women live and work abroad as au pairs since 2015.
