Hey, mates! So far, Sydney is awesome! There are countless things to do and see, the people are incredibly nice and helpful, and considering its winter here, the weather is mild!

My internship at Athletics NSW is going well so far. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve noticed some major differences between American and Australian work culture. First, Australians are much more laid back at work. And by laid back, I mean laid back: Everyday at lunchtime, everyone in the office takes a break to play a game of soccer! Don’t believe that? I have another example. On my first day, I had finished a task and asked a coworker where my boss was, and my coworker’s response was, “He went out for a jog, he’ll be back!” Needless to say, these types of things aren’t typically seen in America.

However, this laid back culture is not to be mistaken for laziness! Australians are hard-workers for sure, they just like to have fun too!

Another adjustment I’m trying to make is catching on to Australian lingo. They abbreviate everything! For example, breakfast is “brekky”, McDonald’s is “Macca’s”, and umbrella is “brolly”. It’s tricky, but I’m starting to get the hang of it!

My friends and I have really been trying to submerge ourselves in the culture here, and we’ve been having a blast! I can’t wait to see what the next couple of weeks have in store for us!