27 February 2012

A Change of Plans

    I suppose to start this blog post off, I should first apologize for the lack of blog entries that past few weeks. Things have been quite a whirlwind of ups and downs and trying to figure everything out. And the biggest obstacle I have faced up to this point has probably been realizing I need to to let go of my expectations from coming to Australia and be willing to readjust my plans.
    I initially came to Australia with the idea that I was going to move here. I would find a place to live, and a job, and maybe a nice group of Australian friends and I would make a semi-permanent life here for the next twelve months. I never intended to be a backpacker, nor did I pack with the logic that I might be lugging my stuff all over this massive country. I picked Sydney with no rhyme nor reason (it was always Sydney vs. Melbourne and Sydney has nicer weather so that was the final deciding factor) and I didn't think it really made a huge difference which city I was in. I was going to be in Australia so there was no way I wouldn't love every part of this country.
    When I first showed up to this hostel in Sydney I was terrified. I didn't know a single person, it seemed like everyone was settled into a group of friends, and I had no idea what I was doing. And as I slowly gained more confidence, met more people and settled into Sydney I started to feel more comfortable. So comfortable in fact, that I have been living @ the same hostel for a month now. And while the city of Sydney never stole my heart (definitely not the way Rome did), I was so intent on making Sydney work out the way I wanted it to because I just couldn't stand the thought of showing up in another new city and not knowing a single person again.
     Four days ago I hit my one month mark of being in Sydney and I have come to the realization this city is not quite working out for me the way I want it to. Finding an apartment seems impractical unless I want to live with ten other backpackers crammed into a two bedroom apartment. There seems to be more of an abundance of backpackers and immigrants then there are Aussies. And most importantly I think I have just found myself in a rut here in Sydney. So I have come to the conclusion that it is definitely time for a change of scenery.
    In one week I am going to be leaving Sydney and heading down to Melbourne. Due to a small SNAFU with my hostel booking (combined with a huge music festival the weekend I arrive) I had to add a little adventure to my trip before I actually stick around in Melbourne for awhile. So before arriving in Melbourne I will head over to Adelaide and do a two day tour of Kangaroo Island followed by a three day trip along the Great Ocean Road which goes from Adelaide to Melbourne. After this trip I will arrive back in Melbourne where I have a hostel booked and will see where it goes from there.
    I do need to find work sometime in the near future, so finding work in Melbourne would be ideal. However, I don't want to go to Melbourne with any expectations this time. I'm not going to show up and immediately figure out where to work and where to live. I think my first priorities need to be getting a lay of the land, figuring out what Melbourne is like and just letting myself figure out if I really like the city. If I do love Melbourne, then I will stay for awhile, work a bit and hopefully find a flat that is cheaper than living in a hostel. And if I don't like Melbourne then I am just going to move on to another city. Lucky for me, Australia is a massive country and I have no doubt that there's a city for me here somewhere that is just waiting for me to fall in love with it :)

07 February 2012

Learning the Life of a Sydneysider

    As I start to settle into life in Sydney, I try to remind myself every day to take things as they come and not build my plans around expectations. Some days this is harder than others, but I try to remind myself to just take it day by day and enjoy every minute.
    Surf Camp was quite an experience. The days consisted of eating, surfing, sleeping, eating, surfing, eating, sleeping, repeat. While I was exhausted at the end of the day, it was a lot of fun. I was able to stand up on the board a few times, had some cute Aussie surf coaches to help me along the way, and made some really good friends. I am not sure if I will take up any more surfing while I am in Oz, but it was definitely an experience I am glad I had. Never again will I be able to say that I surfed the waves on the Australian East Coast :) Below are a few shots of me in action!

         Upon returning back to Sydney, my goal has been to find an apartment. However, this is a more stressful task then I initially anticipated. Many apartments inside the city center are filled with 8-10 people in a two bedroom apartment and most of the flat mates are backpackers, not Aussies. I don't think that is exactly what I am looking for, so I have asked my program to help me pick some suburbs outside the city to continue my search. I am trying to find another solo traveler, or two, who is in the same boat as me and who wants to apartment hunt together. If I have a group of two or more, my program will set me up with this housing program that takes you and your friends around the city to furnished, affordable apartments. So that is currently the route I am trying to go as I try to find a place to live. Although I initially hoped to be out of the hostel within a week, it seems I may have to get used to hostel life for a bit longer as I apartment hunt.
    Aside from the recent events, things are good here in Oz. Since I have nothing else extremely exciting to report, I think I will end some post with a few pictures of what I've been up to. Yay! Enjoy ;)