Hey guys, I can’t believe I’m at the point where I have less than two weeks in Sydney. It’s been some of the best times of my life but there were also some challenges looking back. Obviously going to a different city in a foreign country alone on the other side of the world was going to be an adjustment. Getting acclimated to a new city and understanding how to get around and stuff takes some time to learn. Sydney is a huge city and knowing how to navigate it is essential to experiencing the whole things. Fortunately the New South Wales government has made it relatively simple as they incorporate several different forms of transportation including buses, light rails, trains, and ferries. These can get you just about anywhere you want to go making it easy to explore all Sydney has to offer. At first it was certainly a challenge but the key to getting use to navigating any new city is patience. On more than one occasion I found myself far from where I needed to be but hey, that is all part of the experience.

I think the other biggest challenge I faced in Sydney was being so far home. It’s different than being in the States and being several hours away as there is a substantial time difference. Being 16 hours ahead makes for a pretty difficult conversation as I’m either going to bed or waking up while they’re doing the opposite. As with navigating the city, this gets easier the more you do it as you figure out what times work best while making the most of conversations. Again the key to dealing with I have found is patience. Luckily I’ve made some pretty great friends here too whom I’m sure I’ll keep in touch with. These relatively minor challenges reflect just how good my time in Sydney was. It sort of feels like a vacation even with four classes and an internship. I’m certainly going to miss that feeling when I return to Pittsburgh.

Cheers mates.