Livin' Like A Local

I’ve been living in Sydney for just over a month, and it’s definitely safe to say the city is starting to feel more comfortable. While there’s definitely some things that will take time to really feel familiar—the public transit system, $1 and $2 coins, and everything seeming ridiculously overpriced—I’ve definitely come a long way from my days of staring at maps for hours on end and trying to make sense of the conversion rates.

It’s easy to assume that the big events would be the highlights: climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, and feeding kangaroos at the wildlife park have without a doubt been some of the most unique experiences I’ve had so far. Yet despite all these amazing experiences, I’ve found that it’s the smaller, everyday occurrences that have made my experience feel like I belong in the city. My main goal for the semester was to actually connect with the culture and local people, and make Sydney feel like a home, not just a vacation destination.

Can't beat the view from the Bondi Cliff Walk

Some of the highlights so far:

-       living above my favorite coffee shop and Thai food in the city

-       pretending to enjoy boxed wine (although I actually don’t mind it after 3-4 glasses…)

-       watching Australia’s version of the Bachelor every week

-       random dance parties/rap battles in the middle of the afternoon

-       my apartment being the hub of all social life that exists within my group of friends here

-       family dinners 

-       getting completely lost going anywhere and everywhere

-       playing Egyptian Ratscrew for hours on end (and losing every round)

-       recounting the events of the night before over breakfast with my roommates

-       meeting locals and telling them stories about home/Charleston

-       laughing until our masks flood and we can’t see while scuba diving

-       working on my rugby pass & taking naps in Sydney’s parks and gardens

-       Tim-Tam slams

-       being the only American in my US Studies class and feeling like a genius

-       perfecting my T9 word game on my Samsung phone straight from 2002

My Aussie mates and I

I know that these experiences may seem trivial to everyone at home, but it really is these moments that have made me so much more appreciative of the experience here so far. While I’m sure that the big experiences will have lasting memories, it’s these smaller moments that I want to be sure to remember when I return to America.

Sunset in Sydney Harbour (because it's okay to act like a tourist sometimes!)

NEXT STOP: SYDNEY

I am just over 24 hours away from leaving for Australia, and the reality is hitting me that I am about to have a life-changing/eye-opening cultural experience spend the next two days of my life traveling 10,000 miles away from home on an oversized, likely over-crowded plane. Contrary to popular belief by all who know me, I am actually pretty close to being prepared and having all of my belongings ready to go, and while I’m sure I’ll forget at least 2-3 essential items, I’m hoping that the fact that I've obsessively packed and re-packed my suitcases for the past week will eliminate most of the potential catastrophes associated with forgetting to pack underwear for a 5-month getaway.

Truthfully, the bigger picture of studying/living abroad has yet to hit me in the midst of all the appointments, preparations and errands that need to be checked off before me (and my 100 lbs. of luggage) can board the first flight to Dallas on Monday. While I’m normally a pretty nostalgic and introspective person, I think I may be too concerned with making sure I remember to bring my passport to spend time reflecting on how I will be a changed person after this trip and/or get depressed over everything I will miss at home and in Charleston over the next semester. Surprisingly, I don’t feel very nervous or worried about actually being abroad—most likely this will lead to a large, humiliating meltdown in the Logan Airport security line, but so far I am feeling like a champ! It also probably helps that I am such a naturally anxious person that “leaving my comfort zone” is nothing out of the ordinary, because honestly my “comfort zone” doesn’t extend too far beyond my bed (I mean everything has a silver lining, right?) While I’m sure I will miss my family and friends, I’m even more sure that not going abroad would be pretty high up on my list of regrets when I graduate next May, and I'll definitely have time to get contemplative on the 25-hour trip to Sydney...

Not so secretly, one of the things I am most excited about is keeping this blog, which is actually really weird and it’s probably a valid argument that I could have created a blog without moving halfway around the world, but life in Sydney will be a lot more exciting and interesting than life in America, and I have always really enjoyed living vicariously through other peoples blogs and I am assuming (aka hoping) I am not the only one. And if all else fails, I know my parents will be regularly checking in to see that I am alive/actually going to class/not married to an Aussie (although I definitely wouldn’t hate it). I’m not totally sure how often I will update this and have no clue whether or not I will be cool and funny and leading a blog-worthy life, but here's to hoping!