A New Girl in the City of Sydney
It’s funny how an entire year passes by at the snap of your fingers, especially when you’re new to a city. Life in Sydney has been nothing less than exciting for me, perhaps a bit scary too to be honest. And over these past few months, I’ve bagged experiences that have lasted longer in my head than in reality. Besides feeling dreadfully homesick, the biggest challenge for me was coming to terms with the life and ways of the city. But time proved me wrong sooner than I imagined when I joined work; I guess the brain-fog has cleared itself.
Slowly and steadily, as time flipped through the calendar pages, I decided to travel around Sydney and experience the best icons of the city. That’s when I learnt that the best way to do that was to go aboard one of the cruises of Sydney harbour. It was last November that I arrived here and I remember the hustle in the city in the run up to New Year’s Eve. So, last NYE, I didn’t let my prejudices about myself prevail. I went aboard one of the Sydney NYE cruises with my new friends from work. The view of the fireworks bursting magnificently into the sky while we cruised on the waters was spellbinding.
As it turned out, getting used to Sydney wasn’t as big a deal as I imagined. Read along for some of the lessons and tips I learned on the way on how to deal with the initial troubles of fitting into a new city.
Deal with Homesickness
As soon as I made peace with my circumstances, my homesickness went for a toss. I managed to make some good friends who projected good vibes around me. Thanks to apps like Whatsapp and Skype, my family and friends brought a smile to my face with their presence on video calls. Actually talking to them everyday makes me feel that they’re right here with me. Simple as that, that’s what you gotta do! Take the first initiative to make new friends and keep in touch with your loved ones always.
Learn to live independently
We can’t deny that living away from your loved one upsets you after a while. You slowly realise their value when you are on your own. Very soon, you learn to be responsible for yourself. When I moved into a new apartment, from paying the rent to cooking and cleaning, everything was on me till I had enough money to take on a maid. So, in a nutshell, my independent life was a real struggle. So to balance work and home, I had to brush up my time-management skills. I made a note of all the priority tasks, and set out a time to do each, so I didn’t have to pull my hair in frustration at the end of the day. And I also struggled with the geography. Thanks to Google maps, I could easily navigate my way around the city. Being independent is hard but if it’s a path you must tread for progress in your life.
Having spent enough time in the city on my own, I now yearn to explore and create new experiences. From being homesick/newbie girl in Sydney to becoming an adventure-thirsty human, I have a journal full of plans now waiting for me. One of the most exciting things I’ve planned for myself is to get aboard one of the Sydney New Year’s Eve Cruises all by myself, just for a more enlightening experience.
I’m sure a lot of you can relate to my experience of being a new girl in the city. Just remember, it’s ok to be scared. You will eventually adapt yourself to all things new, you just have to give yourself some time. Remember, “Happiness doesn’t have only one address”.
