New trip - new challenges

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Only one week has passed since I packed my life into a suitcase to move to the other side of the world. It seems like it's been a month.

2 days, 3 flights, 28 hours in the air, 2 hour drive : I'm finally in my new home. I am relieved to be able to breath fresh air, even if I walk around like a zombie. The jetlag period has started.

First of all, I have to talk about the flight over to Auckland with Air New Zealand. It was a 13 hour flight, alongside my bestfriend, and it was by far the best flight I have ever been on. Slept a whole 8 hours non-stop! The economic class seats were spacious, comfortable, and the tv/movie system was state of the art. You literally had a food and alcohol menu at the tip of your fingers, anytime you want it, you got it, and the best part: it was free. It's crazy how the little details can make a long flight a whole lot more enjoyable. Next time I will be aiming to get three empty seats for myself 😉 The last portion of the trip was a short flight from Auckland to Sydney, and it's all a blur. I wish I could've stayed one night in Auckland, to feel normal again. The next thing I know, I'm in the back of a car, that's driving on the wrong side of the road. I close my eyes, it's all a blur again.



During the first week I have been here, I have been mostly trying to adapt to a whole new culture. I have travelled a lot, but when you fly for so long, you kind of lose your head a little, you lose yourself. You don't know which day it is, what time it is, how long you have slept, you don't know if you're hungry. You listen to others talking and don't really talk back, it's all happening in your head. First time I went to Australia, the jetlag lasted 4 days. This time it lasted a week before I felt normal again. You're looking for the reason why, for that comfort, for those extra hours of sleep, for the one thing that will keep you going. Having my bestfriend with me was amazing, it certainly made the experience more enjoyable, we understand each other without even talking.

I felt really far from home for the first few days. The time difference is hard to manage from the other side of the world. But you gotta keep going. The assimilation of the Aussie culture was full on from the start. I ate my first meat pie from a gas station, it was quite good actually. We went to the Australian Reptile Park and I got to feed some kangaroos, pretty cool experience. Australians really do, do things upside down. I will never be able to drive on the other side of the road, and other side of the car too. Everything is so different here. It is fall over here, meaning that most of the day is muggy, sticky, hot, and cold. Australia is supposed to be a warm country right? I guess shopping is in the cards.

As of today, we live a short 10 minutes walk from the beach, in a typical aussie beach house. Every morning when I leave the house for adventure time, I need to tap my shoes, and turn them upside down. Funny eh! It's to make sure there are no spiders that crawled in my shoes overnight. Sydney funnel web spiders can conveniently be found in our backyard. For those who don't know, that kind of spider is one of the deadliest in the country. They are more active at night, and like to hide in dark and cool areas, hence the shoes. Yay!

Beach days, meeting-the-family time, house hunting and job hunting are in the schedule for the next week. Wish me luck!

Even if I struggled to adjust during the first week of this trip, I am embracing this opportunity with arms wide open. Travelling so far from home can sometimes put you in a blur, but it never lasts too long before the sun starts shining again.

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Photos

Terrigal beach
My new backyard :Terrigal beach, NSW.

Koala
Australian Reptile Park, got to pet koalas, chill with kangaroos and learn about spiders.

Bouddi National Park
Adventure day at Shelly Beach look out point. Shelly definitely has a nice piece of land named after her.