Arrived in the Land Down Under

Well hellooooo from the other side of the world!!! Where to even begin? Departed Tuesday and arrived on Thursday...never spent Wednesday on the ground haha! The plane rides weren't as bad as what I was expecting; I actually got 3 meals and was able to watch 3 free movies!

Managed the Sydney airport by myself as well! And by that I mean I somehow was able to push/pull/shove/drag my suitcases without causing a scene.

I'm staying at the hostel called WakeUp! which is actually QUITE a nice hostel compared to some of the ones I stayed in in Europe. Everyone here is very friendly and I lucked out with my room! I'm with five other girls, all from different countries! They are from Italy, Canada, Austria, Sweden, and Germany! I also met a girl from Texas who went through the same program as me and is working at the hotel next to mine, which is super nice having someone going through all the same experiences!
Yesterday I bought an australian phone and plan (if you wanna try texting me, my aussie phone number is +61 0468 960 635) and set up an australian bank account. Today I went to a RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) class for 6 hours to get certified for my job and bought a bus pass so I can get around town! Walked probably 8-10 miles today around the city, which I didn't even mind because it was so exciting! Also went and saw the Darling Harbour and my hotel that I will be working at! It's BEAUTIFUL!

The hardest part so far would definitely have to be the time difference...I'm 16 hours ahead of east coast and 19 hours ahead of west coast...making communicating very difficult (not to mention the lack of wi-fi / australian data charges). While I definitely had "WHAT AM I DOING" thoughts on the plane ride over the Pacific, and I still am questioning whether I am actually in Sydney or not....I do love it. This city is BEAUTIFUL. It reminds me a lot of New York City or Chicago. It's just so NICE. It's got the big city feel but with very friendly people. The buildings are beautiful as well. Not to mention the Darling Harbour where I AM WORKING. I seriously don't know how I got a job in such a breathtaking place.

All I really want right now is just to lock down my housing. I have been messaging people like crazy trying to make apartment inspection appointments, but haven't heard back from too many people. I'm just eager to get situated so I don't have to live out of suitcases anymore!
Other random things....everything here is SUPER expensive...there's a mall every block it seems....everyone cringes when they learn I'm from Detroit and then proceed to ask me how scary it is (which led me to tell some people I'm from Ohio)....I had a sushi roll last night that was whole, like not chopped up! You eat it with your hands like a sandwich! And my favorite thing about being here is how people are from ALL OVER THE WORLD. I've met people from so many different countries and have already learned so much! And don't get me started on all the accents ;) Oh and another amazing thing-my Australian phone is a smart phone...aka I HAVE ACCESS TO SNAPCHAT WITHOUT NEEDING WIFI!!!! Y'all know I love that snap story lolz.

Sorry I am all over the place...wording things is definitely not my strong suit, so bare with me please! I miss everyone from the states so much it's ridiculous :( hopefully will make lots of friends here in the next few days or weeks or so! Today I'm off to meet some koalas and kangaroos at the Sydney Zoo! How do you close out a blog? I've been debating tacky 'Until next time!' and 'Update ya soon!' but no, lame. Okay bye miss and love y'all!

These pictures are from the Darling Harbour and the hotel I work at is on the left called ibis hotel!