I bought an overpriced journal at the mall by my apartment today. Why? Because I just had the most magical weekend ever.
Was it because of the shooting star that I saw at Sawmillers Reserve, a secluded point which overlooks the Sydney Harbour? I caved into my superstitions and immediately wished upon the star to be happy during my time in Sydney, to persist through homesickness and cultural shocks. Before my semester abroad, I would use serendipitous times like this to wish to change life circumstances that usually depended on someone else’s behavior–a better relationship with my father, raising the attention of my latest crush, you name it. This time, I finally thought about myself.
This weekend was so magical because my close friend came to visit me all the way from Florida, giving me no prior notice whatsoever. I hate journaling, but I could write pages about our time together. Their presence brought a slice of home to Sydney, right when I was beginning to be consumed by homesickness after celebrating my 20th birthday away from family and friends.
Unfortunately, our first day together was quite mundane, as I had to classes and complete a 10-page policy brief due in two days. Yet, I still managed to show them my favorite spots around the University. We ate breakfast at a quaint cafe located on the same block as my apartment that serves the best latte in this coffee-obsessed city.
From there, we met with my friend and fellow exchange student on-campus, who wanted to give me a bowl of his family’s “jollof rice,” a Nigerian delicacy. We ended our first day exploring the local grocery stores, as I wanted to show them the weird Australian snacks that I have encountered.
With my classes and policy brief out of the way, our final two days together were significantly more eventful. We walked around Darling Harbour, the superior harbour in my opinion. Its cohesive layout and futuristic, Hong-Kong-inspired buildings never fail to make me feel as if I am in a completely different world than the rest of Sydney. We ate dinner at a Korean BBQ restaurant, reveling in Sydney’s world class Asian cuisine in light of its prevalent Asian population.
The next day, we took the bus to Bondi beach, which is only $2.00 AUD on Sundays. This was the first sunny, cloudless day in the entire weekend, which gratefully allowed my friend to experience Australia as its portrayed in movies and magazines. We listed to music as we hiked from Bondi beach to Tamarama beach, following the world-famous Bondi-to-Coogee Beach Coastal Walk.
As we had afternoon drinks at Bondi Icebergs Club, a restaurant overlooking the entire shoreside and ocean,I could not help but think: This is what study abroad is supposed to feel like. Bliss.
