A Novel by Whitney

And the hunt is on! The search for employment began today and I'd say it had a pretty successful start. Sort of like finding a place to live, finding work was a bit more difficult at first than anticipated. There are so many jobs, and databases filled with applications and information...it's just finding the right ones and going about it in the proper manner that takes trial and error. Chloe and I had been searching websites with companies looking for employees, but I found that to be a little impersonal. I'd much rather go in person and use my stunning good looks and sparkling personality for all their worth to "wow" my future employers. ;) But really, since I don't know the city too well yet, I found that applying blindly was not going to work for me. Chloe and I printed out resumes this morning and set out into the city to hand them out to whoever would take them. We had narrowed the field a bit, knowing that we want to work in the city itself. Several people have told us how easy it is to get stuck in the "Bondi Bubble," that this town is so pleasant and convenient that it's easy to, well, not leave. Not that I mind spending as much time in Bondi as possible, but I have just fallen in love with the city as well. I did end up applying at a few local restaurants near our apartment who are looking for people to work a shift or two on the weekends. It can't hurt, and making a little extra dough going into summer would be nice. Anyway....we first tackled the QVB (Queen Victoria Building) in the CBD (Central Business District). BIG mistake with timing....it was lunch hour in the heart of the city. But in this building are two large department stores, Meyer and David Jones, as well as many other smaller retail stores. Chloe wants to work in retail so we wandered around looking for stores that were hiring. Most ended up telling her to apply online. I had different luck however. I'm sort of picky when it comes to where I want to work. I knew I wanted to work in a restaurant in the city and I knew that I wanted an iconic Sydney location, whatever that means, and above all, it had to be busy. Restaurants that fit this requirement turned out to be hard to find as there are no chain restaurants here....so I had no information to lead me to the right ones. I left my resume at several nice restaurants in the CBD and then moved over to the harbor. I applied at a few more locations there which proved promising. Once I got used to the fact that they don't really do open interviews but rather contact you days later, I started feeling a little more reassured. But I did speak with the manager at the last place I left my resume with and set up a date later this week to do a trial shift. Guess we'll see how that works out. Overall, we had a very productive day. Furthermore, tomorrow, we move into our real apartment. It should be a bit of an adjustment as it is smaller and Chloe and I clearly never absorbed anything our mothers taught us about organization. Sorry Mom. But it's all pretty exciting yea? I think so.

Oh, and have I mentioned that I LOVE it here? Well, I LOVE it here. I decided this morning to take advantage of my lingering jet lag and took an early morning walk along the beach. Just looking out at the water and Bondi itself, I felt so unbelievably happy to be here. It was a gorgeous and serene morning with a ton of the friendliest people I have ever met wandering around. Seriously, it's times like this that make you come to realize that life doesn't suck. We live in a beautiful town close to an amazing city. We have even somewhat started to be social. Thanks to Chloe's cousin who gave us some contacts, we have met some great people who have sort of taken us under their wing to introduce us to Sydney's nightlife. We went to a club on Wednesday night in Bondi Junction that we loved and then spent Friday night on a party on a boat cruising around Darling Harbor--yea, I know right? We then visited a few clubs in the city which we will without a doubt be frequenting. We have really met quality people who are not only nice but ridiculously entertaining who are taking care of us and making sure that we are enjoying what Sydney has to offer. Definitely some keepers. ;)

So we really do seem to be doing well. We are not 100% settled, but very much on the way. Hey, we have bed sheets and food in our refrigerator....tell me that's not a good start. By this time next week, I think it might be safe to call us residents of Sydney and not just visitors.

Ohh and Ps....don't worry, I will start taking more pictures.

<3