I booked my flight to Australia only two weeks ahead of time. I remember my final days at home, freaking out, questioning my decision and my sanity. I was still in a post-grad funk, knowing my time at UD was done, yet terrified to start that 'new chapter' in my life. And then it was time to go and everything changed, and I was EXCITED! I was so unbelievably excited, no tears whatsoever. I was off to start my adventure.
I will say this from the start. I was extremely lucky in my year in Australia with the people I met. I met amazing people right away, and never had to struggle with loneliness or feeling homesick. I was constantly surrounded by friends who became my family out here. As amazing as a place can be, I've found that it's most often the people and your experiences with them that you remember more than the location or the sites.
I learned a lot about myself in Sydney. There were a lot of challenges, some things simple such as understanding what the heck everyone was saying (mainly my English friends), and then the harder challenges like dealing with shady landlords and trying not to be scammed. I became extremely self-dependable figuring things out like public transport, and taking little weekend getaways on my own. Now, I don't think twice if I go out to eat by myself in a restaurant, whereas a year ago I would have felt self-conscious or been worried what people might think about me, or just have felt plain awkward. Now, I could care less, if I'm hungry I'm hungry and I'm going to eat where I please. Anyways, Sydney was absolutely beautiful. There was always something going on in Sydney, whether it be a festival, a holiday (they seemed to be never-ending), a carnival, an open air cinema going on, anything really- one walk through Darling Harbour or Hyde Park and you would be sure to run into something. Not to mention all the amazing beaches! Everyday after work I hopped on a bus and went to the beach. I did so much reading and relaxing in Sydney. I had wonderful friends there, which made saying goodbye nearly impossible. Our group left in two batches, first in March, then when I left in May. I was a complete basket case when our friends first left. It was my first real goodbye to friends who became family while traveling. You become SO CLOSE with people when you're that far away from home..these new people who you just met a couple of months ago, have become your brothers and sisters. The hardest part about saying goodbye is that you know they don't live a couple states away from you, making a reunion in the future a possibility. No, all the friends I've made out here live halfway across the world. It really, really, makes you appreciate the time you do have with them, because you really never know when or if you'll be seeing them again. Yes, which I know is very depressing, but it's kind of the way it is. You meet people, became super close, then get your heart ripped out because it's time to goodbye and move on, yet again. It's just the way it is, and no, it hasn't gotten any easier.
Alright so moving on from Sydney, my favorite city in the entire world I might add. A part of the working holiday visa says that you can only work for one employer for up to six months. This meant it was my time to move on in May and find new work. I interviewed and landed a job working for Ayers Rock Resort which is in the middle of the red centre (or the outback) of Australia. I hadn't even really processed where I was going or what I was getting myself into, because I was too focused on once again saying goodbye to all my friends, and this time my favorite city.
When I landed in Yulara (the name of the town), I was shocked. Everything was red, and there was absolutely nothing there. It was just so much open space. And then the flies started and I was getting concerned. It had just hit me that this was my first time being alone in Australia since I first arrived six months back. I'm not going to lie, it took me about a month to get settled into Yulara and make friends and feel comfortable and happy. It was definitely a transition, the place is SO unique. Now looking back I feel like that was ages ago, because I couldn't be more obsessed with the place. Yulara was absolutely 100% the best thing that happened to me in Australia. While I absolutely loved Sydney, I couldn't save any money. It was ridiculously expensive living in the city and my entire paycheck went to rent and food and living expenses, making it impossible to save any money. Yulara was the complete opposite. There was nothing to spend your money on, so it was impossible not to save! Let me just say, there is no better feeling than saving money!!! My entire time in Australia I supported myself and walking away from it with money in my account from working is such an amazing feeling! I know that's supposed to be a normal thing your first year out of college, actually making money and providing for yourself, but it's still a wonderful achievement and I am therefore quite happy.
ANYWAYS, Yulara was the town, and the town simply consisted of the resort. So I lived and worked in a resort that was in itself a town. Everyone you worked with became your best friend and I can't even properly describe how close we all were...we were with each other 24/7. I'm tearing up even writing this, I just miss it and everyone so terribly much. Life was simple and easy. I didn't have a phone for over a month and it was completely fine. It just brings you back down to the bare necessities. Work hard and enjoy your friends. You don't need more than that. No need for shopping malls, or movie theatres, or a million different restaurants. The minimum is all you need, as long as you have good people with you to spend your time with. Everyday my schedule went: work breakfast shift 8am-noon, tan, chill, hang out, have a picnic, watch one tree hill (became OBSESSED while there) etc. from 12-6, and then back to work for dinner shift, 6 until 11. And then we would always do drinks after work to just relax and enjoy time with one another before starting again the next day. Easy way of life. The best way of life if you ask me. After a while, I really was craving to be on a beach or have a lake or ocean nearby...but besides that, I loved my time in Yulara. Working in a five star hotel definitely provided some challenges, and I absolutely had a few shifts that ended in tears, but I learned so much being there. I really self-improved and once again learned a lot about myself, and more so about others and their cultures. I met lifelong friends there and I am still dealing with the fact that I won't be seeing some of them for quite some time. It's going to be okay though!
My family came out to visit in my last week in Yulara so I was able to show them Uluru and Kata Tjuta and have them meet everyone which was incredible. And then we went back to where I started in Sydney. Played tour guide some more and then said goodbye. And then luckily enough, several Yulara friends came to Sydney and I spent my remaining days and Halloween with them having a great time. It was so good doing a full 360 coming back to where I started from before leaving. When I first came back to Sydney though I have to admit I was a bit shocked from being in isolation so long. Bare with me, we didn't even have a traffic light in Yulara..it's just one road and everyone knows everyone. All of a sudden, there's all these restaurant choices, and all these people who don't know me, and it was quite a shock. But then you get used to it and now it seems like Yulara life was ages ago. So many incredible memories of Yulara and all the good times with our Yulara family, can never forget that or any of you guys...too much love.
One last trip before I left the country led me to Byron Bay. Byron is this really cute, TINY, beachy, hippie town. Extremely chilled out there, lots of surfers, beautiful views. I was able to spend my time there with one of my Yulara besties from Quebec, which made the whole trip incredible. There is nothing better than reuniting with people who you aren't expecting to reunite with. I tell myself when I say goodbye to people that I won't ever see them again, which might be a bit grim, but I'd rather do that then get my hopes up. So when I do see them again, it is nothing but the loveliest surprise.
And my final day included a couple flights and then I was back on US soil. In my head when I booked my flight to Hawaii I thought it was going to be this amazing last trip before home. To be honest I think I had my hopes up. I didn't quite register how hard leaving Australia would be on me. Everyone (even everyone I've met this past year in Australia) knows how obsessed I am with Dayton and how in love with UD I was. Saying goodbye to Dayton was one of the hardest thing I had to do in my life, and now saying goodbye to Sydney and Yulara are tied with it. So my time in Hawaii has been bittersweet. It's been a great transition stop, reflecting on my amazing last year in Australia, while bracing myself for coming home and also getting used to US ways of life. No matter how many times I tell myself to walk on the right side now instead of the left, I keep finding myself on the left side of the path! Also...US money...QUARTERS ARE SO TINY!!! I swear they are about the same size as the ten cent coin in Australia. The fifty cent coin literally looks like a giant compared to the quarter. I miss Australia's colored money and the different sizes as well. I also really, really miss all the new vocabulary and lingo I've picked up the past year, and it makes me sad that I've already had to stop using it. My first day here at the hostel, the receptionist told me I was on the third floor. So I asked where the lift was and she just stared at me until I corrected myself and said elevator. Joke was on me, there is no elevator..that was fun with 35kg aka 77lbs. Hawaii is an absolutely beautiful place, I'm just not in the right mentality to fully embrace it. The beaches are incredible and snorkeling in Hanauma Bay definitely topped my list. I was actually amazed at how many fish were in this bay! I was following schools of fish around for what felt like hours and it was so incredible. However, I'm over hostel life for one, for two, these bugs are going to be the death of me, I swear I have over 200 if not more bites on my body. And lastly, it's not Australia. I haven't actually had a real conversation with anyone here, my fault also because I'm not putting myself out there. You just have to go to Australia to know what I'm talking about. It's a whole different world there. It's SAFE and all the people are GOOD! Of course I still exercised caution, but to be honest, it's just pure friendliness over there. I honestly just miss it so much.
This past year was the best year of my life. I cannot repeat that enough. It was the most incredible experience and I really wish the US would jump on board with the rest of the world with youth and traveling. Most other countries encourage students and young adults to take a gap year, travel, and go find themselves, because you return so much more knowledgeable and have so many more life experiences under your belt. You are introduced to so many cultures and it really just opens your eyes to how huge the world is. Australia makes workers take month-long holidays, in the US you're lucky to get a week or two vacation. There's just so many different ways to live your life and I think sometimes back home it's too focused on the traditional highschool, then university, then straight to career, find a spouse, and have children path, and preferably all before you're 30. I'm sorry but I'm not following that path. I am 23 and I am young and I am going to go see the world while I'm not tied down to anything or anyone. I am happy and I am supporting myself, so why not? Why wait until retirement to travel...who knows if you'll be physically able to do everything then? When I come back to Australia in February, I want to skydive, I want to go snorkeling and diving in the Great Barrier Reef, I want to go hiking, and maybe if I get brave enough bungy jump. I'm sorry but those things are harder to do when you're 60 compared to 23. You just aren't guaranteed anything in life, so I'm going to go do the things that make me happy now while I am living and able.
Now that it's coming to the end of my time in Hawaii, I honestly cannot wait to fly home to Michigan. I want to smell familiar smells, and have home cooked meals, and reunite with family, and meet my new baby brother! I graduated from Dayton a year and a half ago and haven't seen many of my best friends since we've graduated. I have missed you all so unbelievably much this past year and know that it hasn't been easy keeping in contact. I apologize for that, it just gets so difficult with everyone living their own lives and work and time difference and things just getting in the way. I've been thinking of you all so much though and I really hope in my two months home I am able to see everybody. It's going to be so good going home and getting caught up on everyone's lives and I cannot wait. And then the adventure starts back up in January, first with a trip to Saint Maarten's to visit a good friend and see his life down in the Caribbean, and then back to Australia! This time on a tourism visa since the working holiday is only a year long, but hey anytime in Australia, I will gladly have! And then who knows from there! I've learned a few key things over the past year, one being to embrace the 'no worries' vibe, and the second being to embrace spontaneity and to not over-plan.
I am very sorry about this rambling of a post but felt my mind being all over the place, and the best way for me to deal with that is through writing. I just posted another Yulara post under this one, it got caught in my drafts for a few months, whoops! I guess this will be the last of my 'Australian Adventure' blog until I return next year! In the meantime please wish me luck in Michigan's winter, I've been living in summer temperatures for the past year (ashamed to say I had goosebumps and was shivering in 80 degrees today)...oh boy. Lots of love!
