It all Began in Sydney

After being on a plane and in airports for about two days, my feet were ready to smooch  some solid, Sydney soil.  I arrived to the Sydney Central YHA at about 10:30 Sunday morning.  I went to check in and discovered that I couldn’t check in until noon.  Then I sat around the reception area, with no internet access and a phone that didn’t work anymore and I quietly freaked out and tried not to cry!  “WHAT AM I DOING HERE?!”  I screamed to my self with a nervous smile on my face. 

I sat there for about 45 minutes or so, when I spotted a familiar face, Kally (from England), a girl I had been communicating with for about a month before I arrived.  I felt a wave of relief wash over me, if only for a moment.  We quickly greeted each other and then I found out she was off to the beach.  All I wanted to do was shower and put my bags in my room!!  After Kally left, I spotted another familiar face.  All I could think was what a wonderful, wide world of amazing technology we live in!!  I can’t even imagine how I would have done anything like this 30 years ago.  SCARY!!

I finally got checked into my room, unpacked a little bit and showered.  Headed downstairs to get on facebook and see ALL that I had missed in two days, and of course to let everyone know I made it safely.  I was hungry though and beginning to wonder what I was going to do for lunch.  Then another facebook friend from England commented on my status, curious where I was in Sydney.  Turns out he was in the other computer area in the same hostel.  So we went to lunch and him and his friend showed me around a bit.  After that I was exhausted...and took a nap.  Then I met my roommates, one from Seattle and the other from Germany.  Both very friendly girls. 

Needless to say, but I had an early night my first night in Australia.  I don’t remember the last time I’ve gone to sleep at 10:30!

Day 2 was a very busy day!  Started off with an orientation at the Work and Travel Company to find out way too much information to take in at once.  My brain was about to explode, but thankfully I met a girl from California, Michelle, that kept me entertained for the day!  She has got to be about the craziest girl I have ever met, but a complete blast!

Later that day, Michelle and I met up with Kally and some of her new friends for a couple of drinks in a lovely patio bar, where I met people from England, Scotland, Sweden...and a few other countries I can’t recall at the moment.  It was another long day and I went to bed fairly early again :)

Tuesday, day 3 awoke with a bang!!  You see, I decided to take two different types of locks with me to Australia, one key lock and one combination lock.  Does anyone know where this story is going?  I figured I would use my key lock, since it was huge (I had used it in the past for a storage locker...) and my combination lock for my duffle, since its too big to fit in my locker.  So last night as I was putting everything in my locker, I for some reason failed to remember that I had placed all three keys that I had in my purse, which of course goes in the locker and then proceeded to lock my locker and go to bed.

6:00 am came and stuck around for awhile.  I sat up straight in my bed and realized what I had done.  Rookie mistake, rookie.  I felt like such an idiot!!  I went down to reception and they were so very helpful, but couldn’t help until after 7 am when the full day staff was there.  So one of the guys came up and helped.  Oh and by the way, I had two new roommates that I had not met yet.  So the hostel worker came into the room with me and his bolt cutter.  I quickly met one of my new roomies, Sam from Sweden.  She was observing and giving suggestions.  The bolt cutter was a bit small for the lock I had.  So Sam was suggesting to the guy to put the handles between his thighs to help squeeze it and cut the lock, because that is what she does all the time!  We had quite a chuckle about that!  Then she asked him to leave the room for a moment, as she was under her covers in just her under garments.  So she jumps down for the top bunk and gives it a whirl.  Going at the bolt cutters like a thigh master in her undies.  It was hilarious!  Needless to say, it didn’t work.  He did end up finding a larger bolt cutter and getting it open after a little work, thank God!

I love helpful people!  And it seems like everyone down here is so friendly and helpful!

After getting my locker open I had to run some errands to get my bank and phone stuff situated.  Then I came back to the hostel and instead of going out to see all the “touristy” stuff (the Harbour, the Opera House, etc.)  Sam and I decided to head to this funky neighborhood called Newtown.  Its very artsy, Bohemian, eclectic, in other words, right up my alley!  There were so many fun little shops and restaurants and yummy smells and fun looking people.  I will definitely have to head back there again soon.

La la la, I have rambled on quite a bit about tedious little things about my adventure so far, but I guess there is a bit more I would like to share.

Its been a busy couple of days and a lot to take in to say the least, but so far it has been a wonderful experience.  It is so refreshing to be able to meet so many new and interesting souls.  Everyone has a story and I am loving every minute of what little part of their stories they have chosen to share with me. 

Its also quite an amazing thing, sharing a room with complete strangers and becoming instant friends with most of them.  Everyone for the most part is traveling on their own and are so open to basically, Show and Tell.  Its ah-mazing!  And its humbling and trusting and respectful and everyone helps each other out and and AND!!!  There is so much I want to say and share, I feel like I need to spend more time writing and taking notes about these people I meet along the way, because I feel as though I want to write about them...as they are part of what is writing my story and I want to remember them forever. 

If there is one thing I could pass on to all of you, it would be this:  Get a passport and experience some place new, NOW, while you still have breath in your lungs.  You never know how much time you have left and there is a whole world out there that is waiting for you find it.  You never know who you may meet along the way or what you may see that could change your life, or at least your perspective.