HELLO. I’m Atom, and you’ve received my Travel Notes:
→ On the weeks I travel, I share stories, reflections, and lessons.
→ On the weeks I stay home, I share tips, tools, and templates.
I’ve been in Sydney for three weeks now.
I want to avoid comparing Melbourne and Sydney because both are beautiful cities in their own right. Still, I feel it is necessary to explain why I’ve chosen to stay in Sydney because my default plan, after all, was to settle in Melbourne (cheaper).
So why Sydney?
Mainly the weather. Sydney is warm, while Melbourne is cold—cold and unpredictable. It was during my time in Sydney that I realized my body doesn’t like the cold so much (my skin gets dry).
Granted, I didn’t have the best first impression of Sydney.
From Sydney’s Central Station, where we were dropped off after our 11-hour bus ride from Melbourne, we walked around 1 km to Tita Mabelle’s place. In that 1 km, I saw more trash than I had seen in Melbourne during my seven days. It was early on a Tuesday morning, and the city looked like it was on a hangover with the wind blowing trash all over its deserted streets.
Three weeks later, I hold the same thought: Sydney is dirty… at least, compared to Melbourne. But I will admit there's a charm to the city that speaks to me more: its access to the beach and the mountains, its NYC-like CBD, and its fitness-conscious culture.
In a nutshell…
My first week in Sydney was spent exploring the city as a tourist. William, AJ’s brother, took the role of our tour guide.
My second week was spent finding my own place. I messaged 8-12 strangers every night, which gave me 2-3 inspections per day. Fortunately, by the fourth day, I was offered space in a very beautiful home in the suburb of Newtown near St. Peters station.
Last week, my third week, was split between settling into my new home, meeting with friends, and applying for jobs online.
This coming week, my fourth week, will be fully focused on finding work. Besides applying online, I plan to print my resume and walk around my neighborhood to find a casual holiday job.
In between, I’ve done a couple of walks around the city: Bondi to Coogee, Palm Beach, North Head, Fortress Ridge trail in the Blue Mountains, Watsons Bay to Gap Bluff, and Wattamolla to Eagle Rock.
I’ve also attended a few fitness classes. While AJ was here, we went bouldering. I took him to try his first yoga class. We tried Pilates together for the first time. After AJ went home, I used his extra credits to try Pilates again. I attended a yoga class with a unique humming soundscape. I went bouldering again. I ran and did calisthenics in Sydney Park. And most recently, I attended a 45-minute strength class at a local gym.
The “Hello’s” have continued too. We spent a lot of our first week with AJ’s mom, Tita Mabelle, and AJ’s brother, William. We met with Sydney-based college friends Kyle and Berna. We had drinks with Tita Mabelle’s friends and colleagues Dee, Chaya, Nat, and Came. When AJ left, I met with more Sydney-based college friends, Enzo and Sab. I celebrated an early Christmas party with Sydney-based brods. I went on several food trips with Luis and Aitana, who were visiting Australia for their honeymoon. I met with family friends Auntie Imelda and Tita Ollie. Finally, I made new friends: Justin, Alex, Amanda, Luke, Bryn, Pascal, and Keven.
I’m unsure where to include this, but I also caught Paramore for $30???
The rest of my time has been split between video calls, house chores, and groceries.
So, yup, just a quick life update! Sydney has been great, if not for the anxiety around sending endless job applications into the void that is HR teams on holiday.
See you all soon,
Atom
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