Navigating Life

“Mind management and time management.” This was a piece of advice someone offered me before traveling to Sydney and it has stuck with me during my time here. One of the aspects of studying abroad in Australia is finding balance between living in an entirely new atmosphere while still maintaining goals and consistency in life. When first arriving, the initial adrenaline of being in a new place was heightened. Recently, the feeling of hustle and bustle has started to dwindle down and I have been able to focus on myself. 

One of the biggest challenges I have found is making time for other individual projects and personal development. Since I am graduating from Pitt in the spring, I am in a much different place than other students here. I have found it difficult to make time to focus on my future because there is always so much going on in the Sydney. With my recent reflection, I have been able to interview at new places, find time to seek advice from my family, and have time for myself. 

Adapting to Sydney lifestyle has been a natural one. Considering there is no language barrier, being able to talk to the locals and ask for advice has made it easy. Every new place I have been to I end up talking to locals and learn from their stories and history. It has been helpful transitioning into their culture. One of my favorite experiences was sitting alone at the National Rugby Championships and meeting a three generational family: Grandfather, Father, and Son. I got to know them pretty well and they told me all I needed to know about rugby, who to cheer for, and what to chant when our team (Go Eels!!) scored. This is just one of the many positive experiences I have had with Australians and people from all over the world. 

Navigating the City 

Navigating Sydney is quite simple if you put in a little bit of effort. CAPA provides all students with Opal Cards that pretty much get you anywhere within a couple hours of the city. Luckily, I am familiar with taking subways, trains, busses in different cities so this was a quick adjustment for me. I have organized longer trips on the train including the Blue Mountains which is a couple of hours from Sydney. This was an incredible experience and one of many hiking day trips. The means of transportation is extremely versatile as well, I have taken the ferry to Tarronga Zoo and Manly Beach as well!

No matter where you are in the world and in life, always make sure to make the most out of the opportunity provided. Keep focused and work hard, prioritize what is important and self-reflect. Time management and mind management: a simple phrase but a meaningful one if you take it to heart.