Before leaving for Sydney me and my family discussed our new year’s resolutions and how we hope to achieve them. Creating goals when you are uncertain about the environment you will be surrounded by can be challenging. I had a general idea about what life would be like living in Sydney but I could not be certain until I experienced the city for myself. Because of this I created broad goals that I believed I could achieve. A few of my goals were to read at-least 10 books, run 10 miles a week, and also to develop a new hobby. After settling into the city, I have found a routine and have found ways to implement these goals into my daily life. The privilege of being busy comes at the cost of spare time and in order to achieve my goals, I realized I need to make the most out of the spare time I have been given. Either this or I would need to find ways to complete two objectives during the same period of time. This has been evident with my goal of reading and running. I have found that for me, a great place to read 10-20 pages is on the tram on the way to and from class. In the first week I would scroll on my phone on the train and quickly realized that that period of time could be better allocated to help me achieve my goals. In terms of running, I found that I can inch closer towards my weekly goal while also using it as an opportunity to explore the city. For example, I had heard from countless locals that I needed to do the Bondi to Coogee beach walk. As a result, on Friday morning I combined exploring a new part of the city with running and enjoyed the scenic views of the journey. Although it was cloudy, rays of sunshine were poking through small gaps in the clouds which created great views as I weaved along the rocky coastline.
(Photo taken on Bondi to Coogee Beach Walk 1/24/2025)
Another goal of mine was to develop a new hobby. My first instinct was to attempt to pick up surfing but the logistics behind it seemed complicated and I was concerned with how I could apply that hobby into the future. Additionally, I felt like I was having enough fun on the beach and did not need to add another activity to improve my experience. In the second week here, I realized I developed a new hobby without even trying. Eating out is expensive and sometimes inconvenient (especially for breakfast) so I started cooking in order to save time and money. When I manage to not burn the food, I really enjoy cooking! As the rest of the abroad experience continues, I am very happy with my progress towards my goals.
Separately, my parents visited this week and I was able to show them all of my favorite spots around the city. We explored The Rocks, walked over the Sydney Harbour Bridge where I discovered I am still terrified of heights, and also got dinner at Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel with some friends. During the dinner, the sun was setting over the city which made for my favorite photo I have taken so far. The second week in Sydney was somehow even better than the first.
(Photo taken from Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel 1/25/2025)