Sydney: Part 1

It has Begun!

If ever I doubted my feelings on flying before, this trip surely validated my hatred toward the “high in the sky” experience.  From home to LAX wasn’t horrible, but it was a tease compared to my Sydney flight and for that, I was miserable. We landed in LAX after four and a half hours and I then high-tailed it to Qantas gate because I had limited time to catch the connecting flight but made it with more than enough time to scope out and correctly guess fellow TEAN participants (with also making new Aussie friends). The airplane food was uneventful and wasn't eaten much by me. I caught a couple cat naps but no sleep was significant enough to help me pass time. We arrived at 7:30am--bypassing Tuesday, August 28th--and from that point on until about 2:00pm, was the series of unfortunate events. It was freezing when we stepped outside to wait for our bus. The bus driver dropped us off at the wrong end of the first hotel and we all had to drag our bags about a block to the entrance (mind you I have three rolling suitcases and a heavy book bag). We then sit there for twenty minutes because they can't figure out why we're not in the system. Oh, wait; it's because we were at the wrong hotel. Okay, commence dragging of the luggage yet again another block. That gets sorted out but then we can't find our meeting place to wait for the others to arrive from Fiji. The building was found and we pile into a meeting room we deem as the right one and park our butts down in anticipation--and severe hunger--to meet the other 26 people (there was 7 others who didn't go to Fiji, like me). Hours pass but finally we are shooed out of the (wrong) room and put into the right one by our Orientation leader, Christian (who arrived with the Fiji people). Everything became worth it when I stepped into the hotel we were staying in for the Sydney orientation and this was our view on the 71st floor...

Day 1 was capped off with a nice dinner by the Harbour where all 34 of us got to know each other more and shiver in the cold (it has only been about mid 60s here, low 50s at night). With the jet lag, I was asleep by 8:30pm and waking up by 5:30am--I think I'm done with that now though. Thursday morning we were up bright and early and until now, I didn't have a time to breathe! And wouldn't have had it any other way.

We had a city walking tour that led us to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. We were all trudging up a hill and almost simultaneously all looked up and saw the sight we had all waited so long to see, some of us our whole lives.

Everyone in my program -- The Education Abroad Network.

I feel like I've known these people longer than a week. We've connected and related; we've laughed and enjoyed. I don't think I could have asked for a better group of people to be here with. Or to have some scary experiences with also! Our walking tour ended with us CLIMBING the bridge behind us. Yes, it is 134 meters in the air--about 450 feet--and has roughly 1,400 stairs. We were harnessed in the whole time and wore jumpsuits. The climb took about three and a half hours because of the introduction and we stopped at a lot of points to appreciate the view. I was scared but pushed through it and it wasn't until I was off the bridge that I noticed my legs were shaking! I'm convincing myself it was the residual effect of the bridge and not my nerves. 

I stepped outside my comfort zone so many times within the first two days of Sydney. I tried crocodile (don't recommend it) and took on a big city without a map. I flew across the World by myself and survived a week without internet to communicate with you all! Won't happen again, I promise--I flew to Gold Coast this afternoon so I'm all settled in! I tried these new things with a new feeling in my heart and mind--euphoria. Sometimes I talk about moments when I just feel like everything is right in the world and I know that I am where I'm supposed to be, at that specific moment. I've had that feeling for a week straight now. I can without a doubt say these have been the best 5 days of my life and I've only updated you on the first 2 days so stay tuned for more on the Zoo, an Amazing Race and a Harbour Cruise dinner. 

A famous "meat pie." It's beef, peas, mashed potatoes and gravy in a pot pie. Not too shabby.