Well...I survived it.
Woke up this morning around 9 and headed to the bank with Josh to open up my account. Josh had an event to go to all day, so immediately afterward he was gone. I have this really nice map of the city, so I began to explore. It was windy, overcast, and combined with the cold (around 60), a cup of coffee was in order. Thank goodness for my iPod and that cup of joe, or I would've been pretty miserable. I eventually came up to Hyde Park (yes, they have one in England too) and noticed a beautiful Cathedral to the right of it. I ventured on inside and was blown away by the beauty...definitely one of the most incredible churches that I have ever seen.
I walked in, sat down in a pew and tears began to well up in my eyes. This was the first time that I've been truly alone since my incident in the Vancouver Airport. Images of my family and friends began to overtake me. It was right then at there that I realized how much I truly love them. In all honesty, I didn't think I would have a single problem moving across the world on my own...boy was I wrong. After sitting there in prayer for a few minutes, I noticed that confession was going on. I got in line and had a wonderful confession and conversation with the Priest. He told me about the young adult program that they hold after Mass on Sunday evenings, so I'll be sure to attend that this week.
I left the church and within a few minutes saw a Public Library and took a look inside. I immediately though of my mom and Heidi because one of the library rooms looks like it could have come straight out of a Harry Potter movie! It was really neat, full of old books covering the walls, circular stairs, etc. I also found an art gallery within the library which was pretty interesting.
It was 1:30 when I left the library, so I went and found a small cafe for a sandwhich. The woman at the counter was extremely friendly and talked to me the entire time I ate. I needed that.
I then headed up toward Circular Quay (pronounced "key") to visit the famous Sydney Opera House. The views of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Bay are picture perfect...so I snapped a few. Nicole (one of my best friends) called me on my new cell phone while I was there and we were able to have a great conversation. Not one of those average conversations...but a good, heart to heart talk. I hung up with her, walked around the Opera House some more, and opted to take the hour tour of the building. The tour was good, but not worth the $20...considering the budget that I'm on. It was almost 5 by the time the tour was over, so I walked around the rest of the Quay before heading back toward the inner city. Josh still hadn't called, so I kinda walked around aimlessly watching everyone in their business suits scurrying from their offices to their homes.
It took me at least half an hour to get back to Surry Hills (where Josh lives) and I was getting a bit hungry. I stopped in one of these middle eastern shops and ordered a falafel pita. It wasn't the best, but it filled me up and was the cheapest thing I could find. I noticed a backpacker hostel across the street and went in to see if they knew of any jobs available. The woman at the front desk was really nice and gave me some websites to look at, as well as a few employment agencies to check out. She told me that since I'm an American, I will have no problem at all finding work. I've been told that a few times, so this is hopeful. Josh said he'd help me find a job too, so that's another option as well. Originally I had planned on working as a waiter or a bartender, but I'm beginning to consider working in Finance. The economy here is booming and I'd be able to make REALLY good money if I put my degree to good use. It's a toss up...good money or being able to really enjoy myself in the city. I need to figure these things out.
Josh finally called and I met up with him and some of his co-workers at a little pub down the road. I didn't feel like being too social, so I asked Josh for his keys and came home to get ready for bed (and blog.)
This is going to be a great opportunity for me...I just need to get over all this homesick business :)
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1 comment:
Wade,
Wow! Your journey has been quite eventful; something you will remember forever. At first, I questioned your decision to take off a year immediately following your days at LSU. It is evident that your past month and upcoming months will be an opportunity to uncover your inner self and determine what you want to do with the balance of your life on earth.
I, among many others that won't admit it, envy your freedom and ultimate decision to travel the world.
It is understandable to be homesick; you are several thousand miles away from home and have limited contact with your family and friends. Everyone survived the hurricane. Most of us stayed here and rode out the storm. Obviously, there is a lot of damage to Galveston, Houston, and the area in between. Your family in Friendswood is still without power! We had 8 feet of water in our Galveston condos on the first floor. That ticket will be at least a $1,000,000.
You aren't missing much here in the States; our economy is in turmoil amidst a presidential election and the government is having to bail out insurance companies and banks nearly every day. You chose a great time to get away; entering the job market today would be quite a challenge unless you were a chemical engineer interested in pursuing a career in the energy industry.
Keep up the blogging. You are doing a great job documenting your expedition. I hope you are keeping a journal like we did when we went to South America with Nini and Pawpaw. I still have mine along with all the pictures we took. I wish digital cameras were around then!
Anyways, be safe, learn a lot, soak up every minute and come home with a great outlook on life!
Take care,
Brad (Your cousin)
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