The seasons are changing here in Australia. I’m sure they’re starting to change in the States too, but while you’re all going into spring, we’re heading into Fall here. It’s weird to go to work and come home when it’s still dark outside. And even though I know it’s nowhere near as cold as it would be in Reno, the chilly weather is starting to remind me that Winter is almost here. I’m actually very happy about that...I basically had two back to back summers because of when I moved. I’m ready for a new season. Though, not entirely excited about now having my birthday at the start of winter, instead of summer...
Things have been good here, overall. Since I last posted, not a lot has happened, though Phil and I spent a weekend away at Bondi Beach, which was really fun! We went to the beach during Australia Day. I guess Australia Day is kinda like the 4th of July in the States. I didn’t see any fireworks like we have, but there were a lot of people wearing flag shirts and hats, and that night I overheard a ton of drunk people shouting out “‘Stralia!” in the streets, so that seemed pretty similar.
Phil and I got a hotel near the beach and spent the night there, so we didn’t have to worry about commuting home after spending the day in the water. Bondi Beach is really beautiful- the water is so blue and gorgeous. I hadn’t been to the actual ocean in years, so I forgot how salty sea water was. I tried not to swallow too much of it, though, so don’t worry ;) Phil got a nice sunburn on his back, and I even got a mild one on my shoulders and chest, too. It was worth it, though. We had a really great weekend. It’s nice to have a little getaway like that once in awhile- I’m glad we’ve been able to fit them in since I’ve moved.
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| Phil and I, hanging out (and getting burned) at Bondi Beach :) |
Work has been going well...I’ve been getting some extra hours here and there, which have helped me save more money for my Visa. I’ve done some fun stuff with my extra money too- I bought a new laptop, finally! I’m saving some money now for my birthday in June- Phil and I have tentative plans to go away for a few days, maybe up to the Gold Coast. I’d love to be able to see the Great Barrier Reef, and maybe even go snorkeling. Phil (and Lucas’) birthday is the month after mine, so I’m trying to save some cash for that as well.
It’s almost been six months since I’ve started working at Harvey Norman, which means my Visa is going to force me to move onto another job. I’m not so thrilled about that. If you remember from one of my previous posts, my job hunting experience was pretty awful, so I’m nervous about having to do it again. My bosses at work have both been so supportive, though- even trying to figure out ways to just transfer me to another division of our store so I can just stay on, but I’m not sure it’ll work. I don’t want to leave Harvey Norman- not just because I’m going to hate job hunting again, but also because I genuinely like my job, and the location, and my managers and co workers, and I’ll miss being able to work with Phil. At the very least, I suppose I can go back there (my boss, Mat, definitely said he wants me to come back) after my Visa restrictions are lifted, so I do have that option.
Hopefully, this time around, the job hunt will be a bit easier. My Visa restrictions might still work against me, but at least I’ll have an Australian job reference and I can get my managers to give me a reference if I need one. Plus, now I have more retail experience, so I might actually get a call back when applying for those jobs. I won’t have to officially leave until the middle of May, so I’m trying to pace myself by applying for one or two jobs a day until I get something- that way I hopefully won’t get overwhelmed like I did last time.
The other aspects of my life have been pretty much the same as the last time I updated. Still haven't made much progress as far as making friends go, but as one of my best friends in Reno, Annie, pointed out, it takes time to make good friends, so I’ve learned to be more patient about it. I’ve stumbled in and out of being depressed, particularly after the new year, but I feel better again, mostly because I’ve discovered more ways to fill my time other than lamenting on the fact that my family is far away or that I miss my friends.
I’ve been writing a lot more (not here, obviously...sorry about that)- doing music reviews and book reviews, and it feels really good. I even have a story idea that I’m working on. I’ve still been reading tons. I’ve even started going out to the city on my own on Thursdays...taking myself out on a little self-date of sorts and just enjoying Sydney and what it has to offer.
One of the things customers always ask me (besides where my “accent” is from), is if I love living in Sydney. I always find a roundabout way of saying that I miss home, but I love living in Sydney too. Really, I don’t love living in Sydney. Maybe it’s just my attitude. I’m sure Sydney is a great city, but most of my existence here has just been about missing what I left behind. Well, that’s definitely my perspective, isn’t it? I recently promised Phil that I’d try harder at giving this a better chance- living in Sydney, starting a new life, etc. I’ve been so down about missing people and stuff, that I’ve forgotten that I moved here for a reason.
Sometimes, when Phil and I are doing something together, I mentally stop myself and remind myself of how much I’ve always wanted exactly what we have. I’ve yearned for the love that Phil consistently gives me my entire life. And more recently than that, I spent all the time we were apart, futilely hoping for the day that we’d be together. And now we finally are. Our time together here has shown me how incredibly lucky we are to have each other. That, alone, should make me love Sydney.
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| I'm feeling good! :) |
But there are other things that I should appreciate about moving. My life in Reno was becoming so terribly dull and stagnant; I was sitting on the sidelines, watching everyone else do things I wanted to do: get married, settle down, get a new job, graduate from college. I moved to have the chance to start over and do those things in my own life. And now I have all the change in the world and it’s still been hard to appreciate it.
Not anymore, though. It takes perspective to see where you’re going wrong in life, or where you can change things and I think I’ve finally gained some now. I still don’t know exactly what my life is going to look like now that I’ve moved, but what it looks like right now isn’t bad. It’s the little things I enjoy- spending time with Phil and starting a life together, getting to have Lucas with us during some weekends, not having to work so hard and pay all my bills alone, having extra free time to enjoy my own hobbies, being able to write when I want to, living in one of the biggest cities in the world, still being able to chat with my friends/family back home on a semi-regular basis...simply being alive. There are so many things I can appreciate about my life, right now, as is. I fully intend on doing so.
