For one of my assignments at my home institution, we had to take pictures of our everyday lives and compare them to our lives when we’re home. I decided to take some inspiration from that and do a blog post on how my everyday routine in Sydney differs from my everyday routine in my hometown of Goldsboro, North Carolina.
First off, let’s discuss public transportation. I used to be terrified of it, I don’t know why– I took the bus throughout grade school. Nevertheless, the idea of having to figure out where to go, as well as be bunched up with so many people, not my cup of tea. I like walking, and I like driving, but sometimes neither of those are options, especially if you want to go somewhere cheaply and quickly. I ended up taking public transportation every single day while I was in Sydney, and I learned that it is not that scary at all. Honestly, it is kind of fun, and you can meet a lot of really interesting people and learn a lot from one train ride, even if it’s only in the matter of one stop.
The next big difference is usually when I am home from school, I start my mornings by taking a quick Starbucks run in my car. This helps me get out of the house, and I usually end up meeting up with friends or running errands. In Sydney, I did not drink Starbucks once. There are so many amazing local coffee shops that it almost feels wrong to drink Starbucks in Australia. I also usually had a plan for that day, whether it be my internship or classes, I was never confused as to what I had to do that day. I relate to this during the academic semester, obviously, but Summer just really is a lot of unorganized days where I don’t know where I’m going or who I’m going to see on any given day.
Also, I don’t live in a big city. Both Lexington, KY, and Goldsboro are not huge cities. Lexington is way bigger than Goldsboro, of course, but still. Sydney is huge. Just when you think you’ve seen the whole city, you make a wrong turn at a crosswalk, and you have no idea where you are. It takes a lot of adjustment, but it’s the beauty in the city! You can find your new favorite place right around the corner!