Getting Oriented

Sitting with friends at the Darling Harbour dock.

I'm unpacked, orientation is over, classes start Monday, and it's finally starting to sink in that I will be living here for the next 5 months. The feeling to be constantly seeing the sights and doing something exciting is subsiding as I start to get into the swing of things as a Sydneysider. I mean, the average Sydney resident doesn't see the Opera House and eat at Darling Harbor every day. They clean their room, go to the grocery store, and eat cold pasta leftovers while watching The Little Princess on their laptop. So I will too (at least some of the time).

But I would be lying if I said that life here was devoid of excitement. The past few days have been really great. I've been pretty busy with administrative things, such as registering for classes (which is all on paper and in person - most inefficient system ever), but today I was able to make it down to Darling Harbor finally! And I was blown away. It was so much prettier and more interesting than I had imagined. Maybe it was just the combination of restaurants, boats, and water, but it's definitely my favorite place in Australia so far. My friends and I had lunch at a little Japanese restaurant and then wandered around, played in a water maze, ate some gelato (yes, more food), and just took in the beauty that seemed to be omnipresent. We even got to see a huge jade Buddha that is doing a world tour to promote peace. (Funnily enough, the man working the stand next to the Buddha looked strangely similar to the statue.) It was truly a great little excursion - except for when I was attacked by a really big native bird - and I will definitely be returning soon (Harry Potter 6 is playing at the IMAX Theater so you can only imagine how soon). I even bought a 10 trip bus ticket, which is a much better option than standing at the front of the bus trying to figure out how much all the coins are worth while holding up the entire line of riders. I don't want to do that again.

I've also been able to experience some of the nightlife here. There's a lot to do, with multiple options every night (unlike Northwestern which does the same thing every night). I met a bunch of Aussies and even a number of foreigners who are either studying or just traveling abroad. Last night was probably the most interesting, as my friends and I went to a pub and ended up crashing a birthday party made up of the entire University of Sydney's Aussie Rules Football team (although at first they claimed to be a book club). It was fun to meet some Aussie students, since most of them are still away on break, and the team was pretty rowdy, which made for an entertaining night.

I continue to be amazed by how much I love this city and this country. And yet, I've only been here a week. I can only imagine how I am going to feel at the end of this experience.