I would say a significant challenge in assimilating to the Australian lifestyle is that many people start their days quite early, around 6am, and they will generally head to bed earlier. For me, I find this challenging to adapt to, given that I’m more of a night owl and I generally fall asleep after 1AM. Additionally, making friends with the locals is not guaranteed in the program, as you have to seek them out in your free time. So I think I’m definitely not getting enough cultural insights as I might otherwise get if I prioritize getting out of the CEA CAPA student bubble and start meeting locals. Today, in fact, I’m planning on heading to a language exchange meet-up in downtown Sydney to meet foreigners and locals alike who are interested in getting to know people from other places. My goal in going to this event is to expand my cultural bandwidth and meet people who will perhaps show me around.

Overall, I would say that I could get used to the Aussie style of life if I decided to stay longer. But one thing that surprised me about the Australian lifestyle is how commonplace coffee is. I feel like here nearly everyone drinks coffee, and that’s something I really have the chance to take advantage of. After living in Europe for almost a year, I had exposure to try more espresso-based drinks, and it’s something I’ve really developed an appreciation for. This is due to the fact that Sydney experienced an influx of Italian and Greek immigrants, and with them, they brought significant aspects of their culture, including the richness of their coffee and cuisine.

As far as ambiguity goes for my working experiences, I am certainly experiencing it in my internship. To give you an idea, my supervisors are overseas in the Philippines, and when I come in to work, my on-site manager has a limited idea of my role or what tasks to assign me. So, I would say it creates an ambiguous working environment for me as I’m not exactly sure what I should be doing at a given moment. Should I be helping the on-site manager with their tasks, or should I be completing the projects for my overseas manager? It’s definitely interesting and poses a challenge for me.

In regard to how well I am adjusting to being on my own in a foreign country, the time I’ve spent here has been a breeze in comparison to what it was like when I was in the middle of attending a university in Spain. Here, the bureaucracy is not nearly as bad, so administrative tasks become so much easier. Furthermore, here in Sydney, I really feel a sense of purpose that is activated within me, which drives me to go out, take pictures out in the street, and really soak up all of what Australia has to offer. Whether that be in the gastronomy, architecture, or diversity in culture. I really appreciate and enjoy it as much as I can.

Honestly, finding my way around in Sydney is a breeze because of how well everything runs. Google Maps works great, and I feel that it won’t misguide me. The metro, ferries, and buses all generally run on time, and I find that there are a myriad of ways of getting from point A to point B. So, navigating my way around the city is quite easy for me and for a lot of other students in the program. Another important detail to mention is that owning a car is entirely optional in the city, which is completely opposite of how I feel you would get around in the US.