Sydney Opera House and Some More Salmonella

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The last two days have been both eventful and non-eventful.

I think it's safe to say that I've spent the better part of the last few days feeling the effects of whatever illness has been plaguing my body, whether it be salmonella or not. Eating has been kept to a scarce minimum, because once food passes down my trachea the nausea and crippling stomach pain hits me like a truck. Much fun!

After a venture to the Westfield Mall during yesterday's rainy afternoon, I spent my day in bed trying to rest up and replenish my body of all lost fluids. It was rainy and unappealing outside, so I was content in my bed. For dinner, Jasmine and her roommates in the apartment next-door showed me how to actually make chicken salad, because in my mind, this glorious grocery was something only to be bought at a store. It had literally never occurred to me that this was something I could make on my own (to be added to me specialties of english muffin pizza and buffalo chicken dip). For dinner, we snacked on our homemade meal and then I decided that bed was my best option, to rest up for the next day and hopefully sleep off whatever stomach problem I was struggling with.

But instead of going to bed, my roommate and I decided to put on our big girl panties and not stay in another night (it was barely 9 pm) and we got up, got dressed and met some of our friends at a bar. My first real Australian bar, where I can legally drink! And its actually legal! Such a foreign concept to me, but nevertheless we had fun, or "carpe'd the diem" as one of our other roommates referred to it this morning.

Today's morning and early afternoon was filled with some Harry Potter movies on Amazon Prime, as my stomach continued to growl with hunger but viciously disagree with everything that I timidly tried to feed it. I felt too weak and dehydrated to do much of anything, but thanks to a nap and a liter bottle of blue Powerade, I was able to venture out to see the beautiful Sydney Opera House at sunset. I'm sure everyone's seen the pictures- it's big and white and has a sharp pokey roof jutting out all over the place. But oh my, if there was anything I needed to drag me out of my Sydney rut that I had fallen into, it was this. The sky was turning an amazing pinky gold, providing the perfect backdrop for the skyline that rose between the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Opera House. The bridge was silhouetted against the setting sun, as if it was just painted in black right on the golden sky. The entire scene was breathtaking, eye-opening and overall awakening to the beauty that was happening around me, where I am privileged to live for the next few months. I will admit to being mopey and sad, having an attitude that was more sorry for myself than anything else. I missed home, I still miss home. But home will always be there. Sydney won't (I mean, it will, its not going anywhere... but you get my point).

Even the most beautiful words I could manage to string together still wouldn't do justice to what I saw tonight. With my eyes newly opened to the amazing city surrounding me, I'm ready to face the next four months with a new sense of adventure and gratitude for my opportunity to be here today, tomorrow and for all of the weeks to come.



(I would add pictures to this blog but I legitimately cannot figure out how to?? I'll keep at it, but for now they can be found on my Facebook!)

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