Life On My Own

Change, change, change,
I want to get up out of my skin
tell you what
if I can shake it
I’m ‘a make this
something worth dreaming of

-Santigold

You know what I learned this year.

You should always stick with your gut feeling. If only I simply listen to my mind, heart & soul, I could have avoided this mess I got myself in.

But I’m an optimist and without obstables and mistakes one cannot grow.

It’s all about rising above the rest & learning from your past.

Is this really a life of a 20-something? Dazed and confused with a dash of passion and drive? I suppose!

Dream

“Go Confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined.” Thoreau

Don’t settle for less, I don’t.

I made my trip to Australia happen & I continue to strive to achieve my goals.  Next big travel is to Europe! No life would be complete without a trip like that.

Saturday: In the morning, went to a place to shop/learn about OPALS. Apparently 90% of OPALS come from Australia. So I got suckered into buying two for myself and for my mum. Afterward, I walked to The Rocks to shop around the markets. I fell in love with the mini shops and tables there.I found some great gifts for myself and friends (so excited to give them to you guys!). The whole market was filled with amazing art, handmade products, unique clothes, & etc. I could have ventured there forever.

At night, we went on a dinner and dance cruise on the harbour. It was a blast dancing the night away. We got to sail around both Darling Harbour and by Sydney Opera House. Oh yes, very touristy.

Sunday: Tried Harry Cafe De Wheels Meatpies. Apparently Harry’s is the equivalent to our Philly Cheesesteakes.

I got the lean beef with mash pot & smash peas. It was yum. But I have to admit, it has nothing on Philly cheesesteaks!

After lunch we made our way for a 2 hour walk starting on Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach. We got lucky because the weather was perfect, as you can see from the picture above. The walk was a good workout and we got a chance to see all the mini lagoons and beaches along the way. It was definitely a great scenic route! Oh and the best part was we made it just in the time for the perfect sunset at Bondi!

So sad there is only 3 more weeks =[

I’ll be flying over to Melbourne this weekend with friends. I’m excited to immerse myself into another city in Australia!

I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge!

In our sweet outfits about to embark on the beautiful climb!

Don’t we look photoshopped in? Behind us is the iconic Sydney Opera House. We managed to look half-decent in this picture, yet just a bit squinty because of the hardcore wind beating  us down at the very top.

The climb was a great experience. Our tour leader was hilarious, very informative on the history of the bridge, & at all times we felt very safe.  The company who runs this has it down packed! I recommend it to anyone who visits Sydney.

No Worries, Be Happy!

Every night when I walk home from my internship, I can’t help but smile. Listening to my IPOD filled with my favorite music, breathing in the fresh city air, and admiring the beauty of Sydney. There is no reason to be upset. I honestly just enjoy the simple things in life. And when I go back home, I’ll never forget those everyday moments of bliss.

A few new friends and I took a walk to Bondi Beach. Let me tell you the view is breathtaking. It’s nut to think that this is Australian winter. If only Philly could be this remarkable during our shitty winters (forgive my french).

 

Thought the graffiti art on the Bondi’s wall strip was interesting. I feel like it gave the beach character and uniquness. Don’t you think?

Alyssa & I enjoying our time for photos! cheeeeeese

Went to Featherdale park and got to pet cute Australian animals. We made friends with an adorable baby kangaroo!

 My happiest moment! Petting a Koala bear! It was sleeping so I decided to lightly pat it haha.

 Alyssa & I about to try Australian Meat Pie for the first time at our first Rugby game!

I have to admit, I don’t understand the game at all. But it looks more intense than anything I see the in the states! Sorry fans of American football. You guys don’t got anything on these boys!

I can go on forever with these pictures. But I’ll leave it at that for now.

Hope you enjoyed them:)

Fourth Week!

Wow time is flying by.

At this moment in my journey down Oz, I am finally starting to REALLY settle down and start feeling a bit more comfortable in this brand new city. It’s sad to know that I’m half way through this amazing getaway.

Everyday I feel blessed for getting the chance to come here. I don’t want to take it for granted.

At this point in time I’m looking for flights to travel up North to Queensland and see the Great Barrier Reef for my free weekend. I feel like the toughest part of traveling is planning it!

What hostels? excusions? etc etc! So much to do, so little time!

Has anyone visited Queensland or Cairns? Any suggestions on what to do other than snorkeling/scuba diving?!?

P.S. I have SO many photos to share! So be sure to visit soon!

Photos Speak for Themselves

This is the beautiful Darling Harbour. It’s only a few blocks away from my apartment. It’s my favorite photo I took of the trip so far. It’s completely raw & unedited.

Oh the true beauty of Sydney.

Enjoy! There will be more to come.

This Saturday I’m visiting the Blue Mountains and Featherdale Park where I get to pet kangaroos, koala bears & more! Stoked.

Have any of you been there? Let me know your experiences

First Weekend Update

I had a lovely first weekend in Sydney!

Saturday took a tour of the city and felt like the ultimate tourist in our double decker bus haha. We traveled to Bondi Beach & that was a pretty site, but a rainstorm ruined it, a major bummer.

Then later that night shopped at Paddington, a well-known shopping strip filled with overly expensive fashion boutiques and some affordable.  Went with a few new friends and it was fun being lost together in a brand new city.

We ended our night and went out to a club on Darling Harbour. The club scene was very nice, but I felt a bit underdressed. Everyone in Sydney dresses like it’s a fashion show everyday haha. Makes me want to blow all my cash on new clothes.

Today the roomie & I went to Patty’s Market and discovered it was a cheap place for produce. It was a mad house in there though, everyone was pushing and shoving to get to the best priced items. We felt like sardines and decided to leave right away.

Then went to the Sydney Aquarium and saw a bunch of cool sharks & manatees.

I finally feel at ease about being on the other side of the world on my own& it feels great

& yes I know, I’m horrible. Still no pictures. I still haven’t got around to going to the internet cafe.

Be patient!

First comes excitment then comes reality…

Roaming around this massive city never gets old to me. I’ve gotten lost multiple times, but I like it. I love the unexpected. For some reason I don’t feel unsafe here. I guess I’m use to living in the murder capitol of the world. Sydney has nothing on Philly in the danger department.

Anyways, reality is taking place and now I must intern full time, 5 days a week. It’s very interesting to learn PR internationally and see the differences in work culture here.

Today I learned that in Australia there are very limited media outlets and news publications. Which makes AUS a very competitive market for PR. A coworker told me today that whenever they have US clients, they are constantly surprise how little options there are for press coverage. Just a small fact for you PR junkies out there

But onto the differences in work culture. I’ve noticed that Aussies are much more relaxed and it’s not as fast pace like it is in the states. Plus the dress code is awesome and best of all I can wear jeans! The only major challenge is language barrier. Heavy Australian accents can be a hard task deciphering haha. It’s quite alright though and I’m starting to hear myself try and talk like them.

Tomorrow I have tons and tons of work to do! So I must go to bed early! I had to write before you all thought I was neglecting this blog.

Photos will be uploaded soon! My apartment’s internet is horrid and slow. So once I hit up an internet cafe they will be up in no time!

Cheers!

First Day in Sydney!

G’day Mates!

I have finally arrived in the beautiful city of Sydney, Australia. Right now I’m trying to settle in my new apartment and get adjusted to a new culture and city.  Best of all I have finally set up my internet for my apartment. So I can stay connected.

A couple of things I’ve noticed on my first day…

I am already completely impressed on how clean, diverse, and appealing the city is. The city reminds me of how diverse New York and Philly are, yet people have amazing accents and almost everyone dresses so stylish and trendy. No one dresses like they don’t care. It’s completely opposite from America. I also love the fact that everyone seems laid back and relaxed.

Although it’s winter in AUS, the weather is still fairly warm (60-70 degrees) . Yet everyone here dresses in boots, coats, scarfs, and some even wrap themselves up like the cold is too harsh. Yet I’m walking around in my flip flops (or as aussies call it “thongs” haha) happy as ever . So far, I’m really enjoying the weather.

I’m loving the location of my apartment. It’s so close to everything. Blocks away from multiple shops, restaurants, the famous Darling Harbour, and the Sydney Opera House.  Tomorrow I plan to roam around and see as much as I can.

This is my mini update. I’m sure I have more to come!  Stay tune!

Transitioning

I just made the big move from blogspot to wordpress.  So bare with me.

12 more days until my summer in Australia.  I’m ecstatic, happy, yet scared out of my mind haha.  It will be my first time going abroad all by myself.  But I know the time away from my beloved family, friends, and boyfriend will be good for me, a matter of fact (hopefully) a life changing experience.

As you can see from my mini description, I’m a travel enthusiast and my all time goal is to travel the world.  So I’m happy to finally start completing my list of must-see countries now and in Australia!

So what will I be doing in the land down under?

I’ll be living in downtown Sydney, Australia for about 2 and half months interning at a PR firm.  It will be a full time internship, Monday through Friday.  But don’t feel too bad for me, it’s not all work and no play.  I’ll also be extensively traveling and site-seeing AUS along with many other college students within my internship program.  I’m very excited to meet new people and take myself out of my comfort zone.

I’m also curious to see the difference in culture because although AUS and the USA speak English, the languages are very different in slang and expressions.  But I’m so ready for change. Change away from Philadelphia.

This blog will be my outlet to help keep me in touch with people from home. So be prepared to visit daily.  I’ll be posting photos and travel stories about my first glimpse embarking in a new culture and country!

Feel free to comment and leave me with your stories about your travel experiences (Australia or not).  I would love to hear about it!

Lastly, this blog is not only a travel blog, but it will be a recollection of everything in my life as a young 20-something. I have yet to find an exact niche but I know (hope) as I further blog I’ll find it.