The Landing

I have learned that there are two kinds of people in the world; those who plan things out and those who make it up as they go along. Having always considered myself the former, I'm trying really hard to understand how I ended up in a foreign country with nothing more than a lot of luggage. In theory, packing up my life into a couple suitcases and relocating to a city with no job, no place to live and no real plan seemed like a great and adventurous idea....right? Well, I guess I completely overestimated my spontaneity because the last few days have been a bit overwhelming. Don't get me wrong, Sydney is an amazing city and I am positive that I will have the time of my life here. But the stress of trying to establish a life in a new, fast-paced environment has taken me by surprise.

The first day here was great....we spent a few hours wondering the city, falling in love with every step, opened bank accounts, and purchased phones. But the days to follow were a little more....well...annoying. Finding a place to live in Sydney is like trying to find a taco stand in Chinatown. There is an overwhelming amount of neighborhoods, hostels, shared accommodations, rooms and apartments, but finding one that satisfies your craving is nearly impossible. That being said, maybe it was good that we didn't come with a plan as we would have been easily let down. The last four days have been filled with endless internet searches, newspaper classifieds, and phone conversations with people who don't speak English and who I swear have never heard an American accent. We have walked miles and miles, exchanged angry words with scammers, and actually considered living in a house with 20 other people and a Brazilian who doesn't shower very much. Oh, and did I mention that we were 100% unprepared for the COLD winter here? But truth be told, as frustrating as everything has been, the trip has already been an amazing experience. I truly love Sydney, and can't wait to spend the next few months here. The energy, the fashion, the sites and of course the accent are all so appealing and make it hard to get angry at the stubbornness of the city. On top of that, I am so happy that I chose to come here with such a great person. Chloe and I are on the same page in many respects and want a lot of the same things out of life. We are different, but seem to balance each other out. While I'm stressing about finding a place to live, her optimism and faith that things will work out sort of calm my nerves and keep me focused on the reasons we are even in Australia to begin with. I think we will learn a great deal from one another in the coming months.

So, welcome to my life in Australia. I'll try to keep my blog updated to let everyone know what we are up to as we build our home here....brick by brick. =)

xoxo

Whitney