Posted by: Emma (I think Kelly is dead)
So we’ve made it almost 3 weeks since we landed in Australia! And how does it feel? I’d say… it’s complicated. Sometimes I feel so happy to be here and can’t believe I AM IN AUSTRALIA(!!!) and sometimes I just wish I could shove it all and go home and curl up in MY bed with MY boyfriend and MY (his) kitten. Push and pull.
Today, on the way home from my first day of work (! which we will get to in a minute), I was passing over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and to my left was the Sydney Opera House. Now, I know it’s a little silly of me, but every time I see it, all I can’t help but think about Finding Nemo. And that’s when I think to myself, “Oh my God. I’m in SYDNEY!” Going over that bridge affords such a lovely view of the harbour on both sides and it is so fantastic to know I will get to see it twice a day for 3 months (at least). I feel blessed, in a way.
On that other hand, I have had one of the most frustrating weeks. There’s been major issues with the internet in our household which had made it difficult to get online, I have yet to find a chocolate bar that ACTUALLY tastes like chocolate, I miss my extra creamy peanut butter, I miss my friends, family, Eric. I was really homesick a couple nights ago and it was really hard to avoid thinking about whether or not I wanted to come home early (which I did). I miss the routine, the familiarity of Toronto. And I think normally I would suck it up, put on a brave face, and go out and TRY to make a life for myself here, like I did in Toronto for the first few months, but the thing is? Unlike Toronto, I know this is very temporary. And after more than a year of building up my life in Toronto, I am tired of it. I am tired of having to work hard to have a social life, of finding things to do, clubs to join and more. I really don’t care that I’m not trying to make friends here in Sydney because what’s the point? And maybe that’s just going to become a self-fulfilling prophecy – in that it’ll make me want to go home early because I don’t have friends or things to do here – but I just. so. tired of it.
But to be honest? With Kelly here, I haven’t really felt lacking in friendship. It also helps to stay in touch with friends at home because they make me feel loved and they make me laugh. So maybe it isn’t something I really need. There’s still some guys we met at the hostel that we might hang out with this week and I made some friends at Surf Camp this weekend so that was also good. So, like I said, push and pull.
Onto other things: Surf Camp and my new job. To celebrate the art of getting hired, I went to surf camp this weekend. It was absolutely wonderful. The beaches were GORGEOUS. I am still SO sore from camp. My whole body ached so much afterwards. Arms sore, back, legs, ribs hurting, skin tender and raw on the palms. But it was definitely worth it. I also managed to get up quite a few times by myself so I was pretty proud.
Some pictures:
As well, I started my new job today. I am still unsure about how I am doing as I was pretty much ignored the whole day by my boss but I asked for a meeting tomorrow morning to discuss the work I did today so hopefully I’ll have a better idea of the expectations this job holds and whether I am in over my head or not. Here’s to hoping I don’t get fired two days in!
To those who are unaware, my job is a 3 month contract with a large international business directory. I am a Web Analyst and it will be my job to analyze the online traffic data this company has accumulated in the last two years and come up with recommendations, suggestions and ideas for future growth plans. So should be interesting.
And finally, a picture of how I feel about the current state of peanut butter in this country:
Highlight of My Week: When Kelly asked the store clerk if Australians had a nickname for the 2 dollar coins and he gave her the WEIRDEST look and said, “Uh, two bucks?” No toonie for us! Sad face.
Great photos and post, Emma. Thanks for keeping us in the loop. Next time maybe a pic of you hanging ten? And that Kraft bear is definitely strange. Maybe you should consider switching brands . . . I’m amazed you haven’t found any good chocolate. I remember big hunky Cadbury bars from my visits — the ones with coconut bits are superb. Do they still have those?