My ode to Sydney

As my adventure here in Sydney is coming to an end, I feel like I need to look back on my new life that I’ve created in this beautiful city. From the start to the end, the good, bad, ugly, amazing and everything in between. I arrived to Sydney just under SIX MONTHS ago (where does the time gooo?!?!?!) with no expectations or a solid plan. All I knew was that I needed an adventure, a change, push the limits, get out of my comfort zone, find myself and discover what I’m really capable of. And boy, I am not leaving disappointed! What a journey it was! Full of surprises, fear, doubts, some tears and uncertainties...but going through it all, not giving up and slowly getting my shit together, I got rewarded with so much luck, happiness, confidence, feeling of absolute freedom, pride and self-accomplishment – I’d do it all over again. Not to mention all the amazing (and not so amazing) people I’ve met along the way that have made such a big impact on my life here. I won’t say I loved and enjoyed every minute of it because I most certainly did not! There were so many times I really just wanted to pack up and leave, send my boss to hell (Mimi, not you!!! :D), question myself and my decisions, all the moments when I literally just wanted to quit....but I didn’t. Thanks to my new friends, amazing roomies and mostly my improved and strengthened character. I couldn’t have imagined a better start, thanks to my fellow Europeans Jasmin, Anna and Pakdat whom I met right at the airport before even placing my feet on Australian soil. Despite the fact, our little team started to fall apart after a week or so, we shared so many amazing experiences and made beautiful memories. As the weeks went on, I started to meet more and more people, but also realized I’ll have to say goodbye to many far too often. Living a “backpackers” life is awesome, really, but it also sucks...a lot!! As others were leaving to travel or find their luck in a different city, I stuck to Sydney and in the end I made myself extremely proud of how fast I actually managed to get on my feet. I still can’t believe how much I’ve learnt in the past months. Some jobs I had were an absolute JOKE hahaha...remember my door to door knocking career that lasted whole 3 weeks???? I CAN’T BELIEVE I ACTUALLY DID THAT! ME?!?!?! A genuine people hater spent three weeks talking to so many for more than 5 hours a day...I literally can’t hahahahaha I definitely learnt some good lessons the hard way, but hey, isn’t that what makes it fun to look back at. :D I was literally forced to leave my comfort zone even before I got off the plane in Sydney (hahaha Jasmin...14 hours sitting together on the plane...and we only started talking 30min before landing haha two scared babies :D). I can’t even count all the situations that made me feel so insecure and uncomfortable, or when I was too scared to face the challenges that were thrown my way...I did have to put all my fears aside and literally grow a pair of balls. And that’s exactly what I did. I proved to myself yet again that I am capable of anything and everything I set my mind to. 

Never in my entire life have I ever changed as many jobs as I have here in the course of about 3 months....but I did exactly what I was aiming for – try a bunch of new things.  I’ll definitely never forget my first job – My dear Proteini, that I was holding on to for the first two months...I’m so thankful to Megan who actually gave me a chance and a job despite the fact that I had zero professional experience in hospitality...oh how many banana breads I baked there and how many sweet potatoes, zucchinis, carrots and broccoli florets I chopped, the first time I took an order without having to write it down...it all sounds so funny and stupid now but at the time, it was the tiny victories like that, that kept me going. Of course I can’t forget the oh so long door to door fundraising career at Plan International...I can’t believe I’m gonna say this, but  it actually gave me something positive too. Besides the newly acquired skills, breaking my personal mental boundaries, handling situations and learning some cool selling tricks...the people I’ve met and called them my team. Roxy, thank you for everything that you’ve taught me, whole – then –Roxy’s team – you guys are the best!, Melty, Sarah and Louise...I’m so happy I took the job at Plan, otherwise we would’ve never met...and legit, I can’t imagine how my life here would’ve turned out then! :D Luckily we’re all from Europe soooo....reunions!!! :D 

But to be honest I’d also say that 80% of this whole “jobs” thing was pure luck haha the stars have aligned, things have simply fallen into place. Exactly what happened with my last job at Bondi Wholefoods. When I left my job as a door knocker, I was basically unemployed for about two weeks (with weekends still working at Proteini). I was trying so hard to find another job, sent so many applications that were left unanswered, walked in to several cafes and had no luck. I was getting really impatient and scared. And then, one day I was making this really long list of every single cafe in the neighbourhood that I could walk to and leave my CV. Only one was still opened at that time. Bondi Wholefoods. Luckily Mimi (the manager) was still there (at 6:30pm, I know now that she never stays there so late so lucky meee hahaha). I left my resume but didn’t expect anything...she got back to me the next day and I was hired three days later. Luck, luck, luck, luck. For sure I won the lottery with this one as to this day I loved every second of it!! So thank you Mimi for giving me the opportunity to become your smoothie girl. You are the best boss I’ve ever had and such a wonderful human....I love you dearly and for sure I will miss your death stares from around the corner while supervising the whole place and all the laughs that we shared. Of course I can’t go past my amazing team of co-workers..Thanks to each and every one of you – my smoothie girls - Anabanana, Trini, Niki, Carla, Julie, Michelle, Eli and Ali...the amount of bananas we peeled, oranges we cut, the number of all freaking acai bowls we made (don't wanna see one for pretty long time now!!), yummy smoothies and those incredible walnut and macadamia crumbles we ate, sickening!! Thanks to the the rest of the smoothie, grocery and kitchen sections - Gusti, Edwin, Caroline, Rene, Tom, Chenny, Ogi, Quinn, Raj, Bishnu, Sabin and everyone else that I might have missed out...I love you all soooo sooo much and cannot express enough of how grateful I am to have met you and have the honour to call you my friends. Thank you for the best working environment, best food and best company at and off work. I hope we get to see each other again – someday, somewhere.  LEGENDS for life!! <3 <3

Lastly, I couldn’t have done it without my amazing roomies. Another lucky shot for me, getting this apartment. Yogitha, Amy, Monica and Pedro. You guys are simply the best! Thanks for all your help, words of encouragement, fun times, food that we shared and overall a wonderful place I called Home. I am going to miss you dearly but surely you’ll miss me more, well just because the shared food plate in the fridge will be empty from now on :( hahaha but seriously, never stop being awesome and crazy. See yaa in two months monsters! :D

BUUUUT, enough nostalgia! It’s time to get this show on the road. Onward to the new adventures, seeing a whole lot more of what this country has to offer. Then hop to New Zealand in between for an exciting CAMP REUNION with my two fave kiwis!! Can’t wait to see you guuuuys!! :) Off to Cairns in the morning; exploring the oldest rain forest in the world, tick Great Barrier Reef  snorkeling off my bucket list and so much more...fingers crossed the money won’t be too tight...we’ll see.

Sydney, I’ll always remember you as a city of “firsts”...first real experience of living abroad, first time house hunting by myself, first job search, first time renting a place, first time dealing with taxes, first time being a (responsible) adult. Oh how scary but wouldn't change it for the world. I will see you again and most certainly I will never forget my time and people here. Thanks for all that you taught me and all that you gave me.

With Love,

D*