Sydney!

Hey there!

Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve blogged but I’ve had the most insane past couple of days! As you know I spent Thursday through Monday in Sydney which was absolutely amazing – something I will never forget. Once back in Townsville I had to seriously crack down on some assignments because the week after next is spring break which means the lecturers are piling on the work load now!

I do want to give you a quick summary of my time in Sydney.. which started on Thursday afternoon around 3:00pm when we got to our hostel called X Base. I was surprised to find how perfectly positioned it was – we were right next to one of the largest streets running through Sydney and only about a 20 minute walk from the Opera House and Sydney Bridge. As soon as our taxi dropped us off in front of the hostel we quickly checked in and threw our bags in our room. We stayed in a small room with ten beds (bunk beds) that squeaked worse than any bed I’ve never been in – needless to say I barely slept during my stay.

Once we had dropped out bags we immediately hit the pavement – heading in the general direction of the water. It was the most amazing, beautiful day and we snapped pictures as we weaved our ways through the streets of Sydney. The lighting was perfect as it was late afternoon and the sun was beginning to set. I was in amazement at the buildings and people – it was one of the most unique and interesting cities I have ever visited.

We made it down to the Sydney harbor just as the sun was setting and got some amazing pictures of the bridge and opera house. It was the first time I really felt like I was in Australia – seeing the historical landmarks just made everything so much more real. I was also travelling with a small group of my peers which made me feel so independent and just.. alive. I don’t know it’s hard to explain, but that first day in Sydney was just magical – nothing in the world could bring me down.

After walking for about four hours we decided our stomachs needed to be fed and headed to this little restaurant we had spotted earlier. I had the most amazing chicken risotto and we took our time enjoying each other’s company and marvelling at our surroundings. All and all it was an amazing day and perhaps one of the best days I’ve had in Australia up to this point.

The next day (Friday) we woke up and went exploring yet again – wanting to see the city in the morning. We walked for about three hours then headed back to X Base for a free bus ride to the beach with a BBQ included. We squeezed on this giant party bus with other residents of X Base and spent the ride to the beach dancing and singing to the blaring music. It was quite the experience and so much fun. Once at the beach we all hung out and the representatives from X Base organized some games on the beach that a lot of people participated in.

Saturday was a cold and overcast day, but it didn’t stop us from waking up early and exploring the city some more. We headed to the harbor again and bought tickets for the ferry to the zoo. The ferry ride, despite the cold weather, was actually enjoyable because we were able to see the harbor from a completely different view. The zoo itself was absolutely amazing and the rain held off until just before we were leaving. I was surprised at how close we were able to get to the animals and the views from the zoo were incredible – the zoo itself is on a giant hill that overlooks the harbor.

Saturday night we spent getting to know our other roommates – four English travellers about our ages. Two of them were girls who were friends from home and happened to meet up in Sydney. One of them plans to stay for awhile and currently has a job at a school and the other was making a quick stop before heading to L.A. The other two roommates were guys who decided to take a year off before heading to college and travel together. They had just been in New Zealand for three weeks and are planning to drive up the coast of Australia then heading to China for three weeks. It was so interesting just talking to them about their travels - the things they have seen and places they have been.

Sunday was our last day in Sydney and we spent it wandering around yet again – we walked for over five hours, exploring new parts of the city. We decided to walk all the way to the bridge and on our way passed this street called the Rocks. Apparently every Sunday they have a farmers market there and we when we passed we were surprisingly met by hundreds of little tents set up all along the road. People were selling everything from strawberries dipped in chocolate to Christmas ornaments. We had a great time just wandering through the tents, trying free samples and looking at the crafts made by Australians. Eventually we made it to the bridge and walked about half way across – spending time just to stop and look out the city. By the time we got back to X Base it was already dinner time so we washed up and headed to George Street (the major street in Sydney) and grabbed a quick bite to eat.

Our last night in Sydney included us all snuggling up in our room and watching movies on my computer. It was a nice, relaxing way to end the most amazing trip. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the amazing café that was right down the street from X Base. I found it the first morning in Sydney and had a cup of coffee and breakfast sandwich there every morning after. It was a little Mum and Pop shop owned by this adorable Greek family. I absolutely loved the atmosphere and the food was delicious! Perhaps one of my favorite parts about Sydney was finding my little café!

Anyway – since being back I’ve buckled down and been trying to get a lot of work done. I have already turned in two assignments since being back and next week is full of midterms. Tomorrow night we have this big get together with all of George Roberts and other than that I will not be socializing with anyone this weekend – it’s time to get serious! J

Hopefully I’ll have time to post here and there this next week – Sorry for the long span between this one and the last one!

Love and miss you all xoxo