Tuesday, April 26, 2011
An Australian in New York Land (And a New Yorker Back Home)
Feb 8, 2011
Home sweet home! After nearly six months abroad in Australia, I was back home on U.S. soil. When I left Australia it was over 100 degrees, and when I landed in New York it was below zero. What a welcome home. I went from sandy beaches to snowy streets in one day. I looked at Natasha and said, "Todo, I don't think we're in Australia anymore." She jumped up and down excitedly. While I wasn't in warm Aussie land anymore, at least I had an Aussie in my freezing land. I won't go into a day by day, minute by minute replay of our New York adventure (mainly because I didn't write everything down, and my memory isn't that good), but it is certainly worth mentioning some of the many highlights.
This trip was full of firsts for Natasha. It was her first time on an international flight. She freaked out. Fortunately, she had her knitting to keep her calm. Oh, and the free flight wine. Nothing soothes the flight nerves like a mini bottles of Chardonnay. It was her first time seeing snow. She freaked out. She ran outside like a giddy child spinning round and round with her arms wide open and head lifted to the sky. Then she dove in the snow and began making snow angels across our front lawn. It was her first time driving on the right (and also the correct) side of the road. She freaked out. I could go on and on. No doubt, watching Natasha's reactions to these novelties was absolutely priceless.
We spent the first few nights in Saugerties, which Natasha thought was the cutest "friendly, historical" town her eyes had seen. She thought all the houses were so nice, and loved the small vintage shops and cozy town bars. It was nice to see an outsider's fascination and appreciation for my hometown, which I admittedly take for granted at times. When you've lived in a place for 25 years, you tend to become immune to its subtle splendor, from the Catskill Mountains to the Hudson River and everything in between. Natasha's fondness of Saugerties reminded me to appreciate the beauty that resides right outside my front door.
The two of us spent most of our time in New York City, however. Natasha fell in love with the city the moment we walked out of Grand Central Station and into the heart of the madness. As the week passed, her love deepened and deepened. She didn't want to leave. We stayed busy each day running all over the city seeing this and doing that. Natasha's list of things to see and do was ridiculously long. I explained to her that not even people who have lived in the city for a year have time to do all the things she wanted to do. But that didn't stop us from trying to do it all in a week. We hauled our little booties all over town, cramming in as much food eating, museum visiting, sight seeing, shopping and booty shaking as we could each day. Natasha had questions about everything. I felt like a horrible tour guide because I didn't know the answer to any of her inquiries. Usually, I just spat out an answer that I thought was correct and hoped that she would accept it as good enough. She was like a little child whose developing, sponge-like mind kept asking, "Mommy, what's that? Mommy, why does __(fill in the blank)___? Mommy, what's sex?" And then I would blabber something about birds and bees, cars and garages hoping it would quiet her. Don't get me wrong, I love that she was so curious about and fascinated with the city- I just didn't have a clue. I'm not that NYC savvy.
We took a one day detour from New York City to visit Laura in Philly. Natasha also thoroughly enjoyed this northeast city. She was a huge fan of Philly's architecture, from the cobble streets to the mosaic tiles that were embedded in the buildings to the murals painted on the sides of buildings. She was also thrilled to indulge in a Philly Cheese Steak, Philly pretzel, and root beer soda. Some of Natasha's other favorite American foods were Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Ranch dressing, sushi, New York City pizza, Tasty D'Light ice cream, corn bread, and last but not least, bagels with cream cheese and lox.
All in all we had a fabulous, action packed two weeks. I'm so glad that I got to share my home with Natasha, and that her dream of going to New York City finally came true. Plus, it was great that my mom and dad could meet one of my Australian friends in the flesh after reading so much about them in my blog. They of course adored her, and were ready to adopt her as their third, Aussie child. Did I mention that she knit them socks? No? Well, she did. That's not something this child has ever done for them, nor ever will. Knitting is one skill that I haven't acquired. Oh well. I'll add it to the bottom of my "to do" list.
It was sad to send Natasha off. Her departure finalized the end of my Australian adventure. It also finalizes the end of my blog. So let's all take one large inhale together, and now let out a long, loud sigh. Ahhhh. Did you do it? Do you feel better? No? Me either. Go grab tissues, we can cry together. But I will only permit you to cry for one minute. After that you must wipe a smile back on your face, and be comforted knowing that you can come back and read this blog any time you experience nostalgia. It will be here waiting for you, I promise. And I promise that I will be back to blogging the moment I embark on my next great adventure. But for now, let's go out with a hearty group "CHEERS!"
Home sweet home! After nearly six months abroad in Australia, I was back home on U.S. soil. When I left Australia it was over 100 degrees, and when I landed in New York it was below zero. What a welcome home. I went from sandy beaches to snowy streets in one day. I looked at Natasha and said, "Todo, I don't think we're in Australia anymore." She jumped up and down excitedly. While I wasn't in warm Aussie land anymore, at least I had an Aussie in my freezing land. I won't go into a day by day, minute by minute replay of our New York adventure (mainly because I didn't write everything down, and my memory isn't that good), but it is certainly worth mentioning some of the many highlights.
 |
| NYC from up above |
This trip was full of firsts for Natasha. It was her first time on an international flight. She freaked out. Fortunately, she had her knitting to keep her calm. Oh, and the free flight wine. Nothing soothes the flight nerves like a mini bottles of Chardonnay. It was her first time seeing snow. She freaked out. She ran outside like a giddy child spinning round and round with her arms wide open and head lifted to the sky. Then she dove in the snow and began making snow angels across our front lawn. It was her first time driving on the right (and also the correct) side of the road. She freaked out. I could go on and on. No doubt, watching Natasha's reactions to these novelties was absolutely priceless.
 |
| Natasha's first snowfall |
 |
| Snow angel making |
We spent the first few nights in Saugerties, which Natasha thought was the cutest "friendly, historical" town her eyes had seen. She thought all the houses were so nice, and loved the small vintage shops and cozy town bars. It was nice to see an outsider's fascination and appreciation for my hometown, which I admittedly take for granted at times. When you've lived in a place for 25 years, you tend to become immune to its subtle splendor, from the Catskill Mountains to the Hudson River and everything in between. Natasha's fondness of Saugerties reminded me to appreciate the beauty that resides right outside my front door.
 |
| Bundled up, waiting at the Poughkeepsie train station |
The two of us spent most of our time in New York City, however. Natasha fell in love with the city the moment we walked out of Grand Central Station and into the heart of the madness. As the week passed, her love deepened and deepened. She didn't want to leave. We stayed busy each day running all over the city seeing this and doing that. Natasha's list of things to see and do was ridiculously long. I explained to her that not even people who have lived in the city for a year have time to do all the things she wanted to do. But that didn't stop us from trying to do it all in a week. We hauled our little booties all over town, cramming in as much food eating, museum visiting, sight seeing, shopping and booty shaking as we could each day. Natasha had questions about everything. I felt like a horrible tour guide because I didn't know the answer to any of her inquiries. Usually, I just spat out an answer that I thought was correct and hoped that she would accept it as good enough. She was like a little child whose developing, sponge-like mind kept asking, "Mommy, what's that? Mommy, why does __(fill in the blank)___? Mommy, what's sex?" And then I would blabber something about birds and bees, cars and garages hoping it would quiet her. Don't get me wrong, I love that she was so curious about and fascinated with the city- I just didn't have a clue. I'm not that NYC savvy.
 |
| Our reflections in a piece of art at the MOMA |
 |
| Natasha in the city. Doesn't she look like a New Yorker? |
 |
| Drinking warm beverages at a rooftop bar that supplied us with red cloaks for warmth. We felt like we were in a cult. |
We took a one day detour from New York City to visit Laura in Philly. Natasha also thoroughly enjoyed this northeast city. She was a huge fan of Philly's architecture, from the cobble streets to the mosaic tiles that were embedded in the buildings to the murals painted on the sides of buildings. She was also thrilled to indulge in a Philly Cheese Steak, Philly pretzel, and root beer soda. Some of Natasha's other favorite American foods were Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Ranch dressing, sushi, New York City pizza, Tasty D'Light ice cream, corn bread, and last but not least, bagels with cream cheese and lox.
 |
| In Philly |
All in all we had a fabulous, action packed two weeks. I'm so glad that I got to share my home with Natasha, and that her dream of going to New York City finally came true. Plus, it was great that my mom and dad could meet one of my Australian friends in the flesh after reading so much about them in my blog. They of course adored her, and were ready to adopt her as their third, Aussie child. Did I mention that she knit them socks? No? Well, she did. That's not something this child has ever done for them, nor ever will. Knitting is one skill that I haven't acquired. Oh well. I'll add it to the bottom of my "to do" list.
It was sad to send Natasha off. Her departure finalized the end of my Australian adventure. It also finalizes the end of my blog. So let's all take one large inhale together, and now let out a long, loud sigh. Ahhhh. Did you do it? Do you feel better? No? Me either. Go grab tissues, we can cry together. But I will only permit you to cry for one minute. After that you must wipe a smile back on your face, and be comforted knowing that you can come back and read this blog any time you experience nostalgia. It will be here waiting for you, I promise. And I promise that I will be back to blogging the moment I embark on my next great adventure. But for now, let's go out with a hearty group "CHEERS!"
Monday, April 25, 2011
My Last, Final, Ultimate Week in Sydney AUSTRALIAAAA
This was it. My nearly two-month long travel expedition through New Zealand and Australia had come to an end, and now I was back in Sydney for one last week. I couldn't believe it. It felt like just yesterday that I stepped off the plane and stared in amazement at the Sydney Opera House and bridge, and now in just a few more days I would be stepping on a plane that would take me away from it all and bring me back to my real home in New York. It was a bitter, but sweet thought.
I spent my final week crashing at Natasha's place in Leichhardt, the Little Italy of Sydney. I focused my time and energy on three things: 1) seeing as many of my Sydney friends as possible, from my dozens of foreign roommates back at 60 Bourke Street to my Summit mates to my American companions (such as Aubrey, Sara was back home for the holidays); 2) spending as much time at the fabulous Sydney beaches as possible (mainly Manly, Bondi and Coogee); and 3) eating the best cuisine that Sydney had to offer including Greek, Italian and Chinese deliciousness. My final night in Sydney I had a goodbye dinner with some of my favorites: Natasha, Aubrey, Matt and Andy (both mutual friends of Sara's who became mine too). Matt, the unbelievably kind gentleman that he is, treated us all to the finest pizza that Sydney has to offer at Lucio's (it's no New York pizza, but it was good). Then we went to his favorite cocktail bar where I was treated to a magical potion of a cocktail which required wearing goggles to enjoy the smoky preparation of the drink concoction. Fortunately, it didn't taste like a chemistry experiment. Then the bunch ventured onward to another laid back lounge where we sipped on wine and played jenga for the remainder of the evening. I couldn't think of a better way to spend my final night in Sydney. I was in a state of bliss as I enjoyed the evening with these fantastic people whom I was proud to call friends. There was no doubt I was going to miss them, and there was certainly no doubt that I was going to miss Sydney and Australia.
I think I would have been in a state of depression were it not for the fact that miss Natasha was coming back with me to New York for two weeks. She had never been outside of Australia and had always dreamed of going to New York. As an avid fan of Sex and The City, an art history major, a classical pianist, a model, and a shopaholic, New York City was Natasha's heaven on earth. She had stacks of New York City books in her room (and by stacks I mean two or three books). Visions of the Empire State Building, Metropolitan Museum of Art and Burberry fluttered through her mind at night as she slept. She was excited to come to New York as I was to come to Sydney. Now was her chance, and I was so excited to be there to share this momentous occasion with her. I had just spent six months in Natasha's world, and now she was going to get to experience mine. How cool. This coupled with my eagerness to see my beloved parents, sister and friends was a powerful enough antidote to ward off any depression I would have otherwise felt. My exciting journey wasn't over quite yet.
What more can I say that I haven't already said in this blog? My time in Australia wasn't everything I had hoped it would be; it was so much more. I developed friendships with amazing people from around the world; saw astonishing, mind-bogglingly beautiful places; and participated in one thrilling adventure after another. It's hard to express how grateful I am to have had this experience and how I've changed and grown as a person, but undoubtedly I am departing Australia a different but better Sarah than the one who arrived. I will forever cherish my time in Australia, my second home away from home. Already I am looking forward to the day I return to Oz. I saw a lot, but there is still so much more of Australia I have yet to see, like the inside of the Sydney Opera House (oops, how did I manage to forgo that one?) and wild kangaroos (six months in Australia and I didn't see a single wild kangaroo! That's just not right). It's funny, many people I talk to about my travels to Australia tell me, "Good for you! Do it now while you can and get it out of your system" but I don't want to get this out of my system. I want to keep this passion for travelling, thrill for adventures and joy of life in my system always. And that means one very important thing: that there will be many more "travel diaries in foreign lands" to come. So stay tuned!
I'd like to give a shout out to my very dedicated and loyal followers (Greg, Mom & Dad). You rock. This girl is almost officially signing out (I will be posting one more follow-up blog about my time in NY with Natasha). As the Aussie's say, "G'day Mate!"
I spent my final week crashing at Natasha's place in Leichhardt, the Little Italy of Sydney. I focused my time and energy on three things: 1) seeing as many of my Sydney friends as possible, from my dozens of foreign roommates back at 60 Bourke Street to my Summit mates to my American companions (such as Aubrey, Sara was back home for the holidays); 2) spending as much time at the fabulous Sydney beaches as possible (mainly Manly, Bondi and Coogee); and 3) eating the best cuisine that Sydney had to offer including Greek, Italian and Chinese deliciousness. My final night in Sydney I had a goodbye dinner with some of my favorites: Natasha, Aubrey, Matt and Andy (both mutual friends of Sara's who became mine too). Matt, the unbelievably kind gentleman that he is, treated us all to the finest pizza that Sydney has to offer at Lucio's (it's no New York pizza, but it was good). Then we went to his favorite cocktail bar where I was treated to a magical potion of a cocktail which required wearing goggles to enjoy the smoky preparation of the drink concoction. Fortunately, it didn't taste like a chemistry experiment. Then the bunch ventured onward to another laid back lounge where we sipped on wine and played jenga for the remainder of the evening. I couldn't think of a better way to spend my final night in Sydney. I was in a state of bliss as I enjoyed the evening with these fantastic people whom I was proud to call friends. There was no doubt I was going to miss them, and there was certainly no doubt that I was going to miss Sydney and Australia.
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| Out for Pizza (Natasha and Matt) |
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| My chemistry cocktail |
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| Sad to say goodbye |
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| With Aussie Andy |
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| Playing Jenga |
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| With my girl Aubrey |
I think I would have been in a state of depression were it not for the fact that miss Natasha was coming back with me to New York for two weeks. She had never been outside of Australia and had always dreamed of going to New York. As an avid fan of Sex and The City, an art history major, a classical pianist, a model, and a shopaholic, New York City was Natasha's heaven on earth. She had stacks of New York City books in her room (and by stacks I mean two or three books). Visions of the Empire State Building, Metropolitan Museum of Art and Burberry fluttered through her mind at night as she slept. She was excited to come to New York as I was to come to Sydney. Now was her chance, and I was so excited to be there to share this momentous occasion with her. I had just spent six months in Natasha's world, and now she was going to get to experience mine. How cool. This coupled with my eagerness to see my beloved parents, sister and friends was a powerful enough antidote to ward off any depression I would have otherwise felt. My exciting journey wasn't over quite yet.
What more can I say that I haven't already said in this blog? My time in Australia wasn't everything I had hoped it would be; it was so much more. I developed friendships with amazing people from around the world; saw astonishing, mind-bogglingly beautiful places; and participated in one thrilling adventure after another. It's hard to express how grateful I am to have had this experience and how I've changed and grown as a person, but undoubtedly I am departing Australia a different but better Sarah than the one who arrived. I will forever cherish my time in Australia, my second home away from home. Already I am looking forward to the day I return to Oz. I saw a lot, but there is still so much more of Australia I have yet to see, like the inside of the Sydney Opera House (oops, how did I manage to forgo that one?) and wild kangaroos (six months in Australia and I didn't see a single wild kangaroo! That's just not right). It's funny, many people I talk to about my travels to Australia tell me, "Good for you! Do it now while you can and get it out of your system" but I don't want to get this out of my system. I want to keep this passion for travelling, thrill for adventures and joy of life in my system always. And that means one very important thing: that there will be many more "travel diaries in foreign lands" to come. So stay tuned!
I'd like to give a shout out to my very dedicated and loyal followers (Greg, Mom & Dad). You rock. This girl is almost officially signing out (I will be posting one more follow-up blog about my time in NY with Natasha). As the Aussie's say, "G'day Mate!"
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