? Views from the top of the Sydney Tower
This pic was the winner for me
Going in to last weekend, I didn’t have many plans until Saturday evening. But of course the 24 hours after work on Friday ended up filled with unexpected activities.
First, myself and four others went for “one beer” to catch up after work on Friday. That turned into pretending we worked at a startup and going to an awesome startup party on a rooftop in Surry Hills. With a DJ and FREE booze! — Which is basically the most important thing when a case of sh*tty beer costs $55 here.
Then lucky me had to wake up at 6am the next day. But actually I was very lucky because a friend had a free ticket for a Nikon Masterclass at the top of the Sydney Tower, worth $300! I was able to borrow a fancy DSLR camera from my agency and I was ready to go. Thank God I took pictures because I was so tired I barely remember it.
JK, it was really cool.
FYI – the Sydney tower is that really tall building that looks like Seattle’s space needle.
Before being allowed to go out on the viewing deck, we had to put on these adorable blue onesies. Only four of us ended up going out on the deck (two were scared of the height, and one got vertigo when he got outside so he went back in) so we got some nice one-on-one time with the photography teacher.
It took me a few shots to remember the photography basics from my film days. I also learned a bit about shooting on a cloudy morning. The black and white photos added a very awesome mood to it. We even learned about bracketing (when you set the camera to take three photos in a row at different shutter speeds) so you can take the photo with the best lighting.
Looking out east towards the Pacific Ocean. Watson’s Bay and Bondi are out that way
This was such a cool way to see the city, and helped me get my bearings a bit more. I love staring at maps and figuring out how all the areas were connected, and after seeing this I feel like I can really picture Sydney’s layout. It’s nice to finally wrap your head around another huge city (I really only had Chicago down before this). ?
That famous beautiful harbour, looking amazing even on a cloudy morning
I experimented with zooming in a bit too. The below is looking over at Darling Harbour. I liked the movement of the boats in this, all going in different directions:
We were all taking photos at one point and suddenly the clear floor we were standing on made a loud noise and started moving outwards, so we were hanging over the city more. It startled the four of us taking the class ? Must be a funny thing they do to all the visitors at the Sydney Tower.
Our instructor making fun of us when they moved the clear floors outwards
The more west you go in Sydney, the more industrial it gets. The image below actually isn’t too far west, but you can tell it’s a little more industrial already. I think the black and white makes this look like it could be from the early 1900s. The big white building is the famous Australian Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour.
It was fun to see the Westfield lettering up close too (Westfield is Sydney’s biggest shopping mall chain). The below is tied as one of my favourite pictures – must be the typography nerd in me.
The below is Hyde Park. It looks small from here but walking through the trees in the park down there is magnificent. But maybe that’s because I love trees so much.
I enjoyed creating frames that played with the patterns of the coast a bit, like in the below –
I also thought my shoes looked cool –
This below photo isn’t the best lighting but I thought it showed off a historic area of Sydney in detail so I wanted to share it.
In conclusion, I LOVE SYDNEY! ?
Moving vs Traveling: the big move to SYD!
Whoa. Four weeks ago my world flipped upside down. ⤵️ On September 5th I traveled down under to catch the tail-end of Sydney’s ‘winter’ and start a new job at an integrated marketing agency (Now Comms Group, for those curious). I went from Lake Michigan to the Pacific Ocean. Cubs baseball games to Sydney Swans footy games (Australian Football League - I am an avid Swans fan now). Living 2 hours from home and 2 minutes from 30+ friends to being 16+ hours ahead of most of my family and friends! ?
This all happened very fast. Emotional highs and lows but all-in-all it’s been super amazing so far. The first couple weeks were really hard, and the past couple weeks were not at all. Funny how things work like that. I felt things I’ve never felt before, but they were good feels to have. Moving somewhere far away is very different than traveling somewhere far away--The glamour and excitement are pushed aside to make room for the reality of figuring out a new life while a fun familiar life you once knew continues at home. To illustrate, here’s some thoughts that crossed my mind during the first few days of my Sydney life:
“I don’t think I’m cut out for this other side of the world thing”
“WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!!!”
“This move has cost me so much $$ already. I could’ve built a nice base for my freelance business and joined Soho House and moved to California and all these things. I’m so close to my family and friends how could I leave them. This will be cool but is it worth it???”
“This is an indescribably sad feeling.”
Okay those depressing thoughts and then some all happened on the plane ride over ?
After finding my lovely house in Paddington, a neighborhood I sat in just 9 months ago looking around thinking ‘this is where I need to be’, I felt a little better. I still could’ve burst into tears any moment but I was, you know, at least slightly pleased to be in Sydney. I took a nice run to Bondi Beach, met my welcoming housemates Lachie, Maddie and Alec, and went to my fun agency in the ~trendy~ neighborhood Surry Hills to meet my team. I got a smoothie bowl (YES) and was able to Facetime my family and my boy Chris when I got my phone figured out. Knowing I could still laugh and share moments with my family and friends while being on the other side of the world was sooooo comforting. I guess I forgot that Facetime would be readily available while I was having my little freak-out.
The new place in 'Paddo' aka Paddington. This is a signature old house in Sydney with the New Orleans-esque porches and gates. Coooool!
My first night in Sydney, a bunch of my friends who convinced me to move here happened to be having wine and dinner in their cool backyard. All things considered it was an awesome first day. But still super surreal. My head was a bit in the clouds that first week, just taking everything in. My friends, my job, Sydney...they was all so good to me. I mean, my first weekend I went to my first Swans game, a sweet music festival to see Flight Facilities in one of Sydney’s main parks, and then went with my friend up to a beach town the next day to relax and eat healthy foods and watch movies. ?
(not everything was perfect-- I discovered a massive cockroach in our kitchen and realized these are my new friends. Also it’s been in the 60’s up until the past week...a bit chilly eh?!)
As things started picking up at work, I slowly started assimilating to my new ‘normal.’ On my fourteenth day I had an off-day. I was slightly over having to adjust to everything. Sometimes you just want things to be familiar and easy. That day I felt very ‘meh’ about this ‘exciting’ expat life I’m leading.
BOOM- then suddenly the start of my third week here, I had a very social week with my work and with friends, and it went so fast. I got into the groove with my job and the gym and was joking with friends back home and making plans with friends here and blahblahblah I was having a blast!! A new thought: “Things are good. I made the right choice to move to Australia.”
My first Sydney sunset with my friend Anna up in Avalon, a beach town
After my third week being amazing and fun, I had a moment where I felt really bad that I wasn’t constantly thinking of my life back home anymore, like I didn’t care about my family or friends as much. That’s not the case. I can still become a better Emily and have a great time without losing that. After all, what a waste it would be to have flown all the way to Australia on a sponsorship and not have a great time ?
My girl Mia at the start of an awesome weekend in Jervis Bay
We just had a long weekend (for the New South Wales’ Labour Day, Monday off!!) and I took a last-second trip up to the legendary Byron Bay with my friends Anna and Erin. You’d think for smallish beach town, three days would have been enough. But having to fly back to work was so sad. Beaches, delicious hippie food, amazing Aussie clothing (ooooh went on my first shopping spree oops) and the cool chilled out people up there. ? Oh also I SAW MY FIRST WHALES EVER!! So many of them. The most exciting magical wonder I’ve ever seen. That’s the kind of experiences I want! It made me so excited to explore even more and continue getting to know my cool peeps here. And seeing more whales. ? ? ?
But a funny thought I had coming back today (after getting over the sadness of leaving Byron): “Stinks to leave but I’m excited to be back. I’ll get some more sleep and back into my gym routine and working on my website and flossing and starting to cook again (bc I literally can’t afford anything)” Like...I was thinking about all the things you think about in your normal life, when you’re at home. Finally the thoughts going through my head weren’t anymore “holy shit I LIVE HERE???? What am I doing?!?! This is cool!! Wait this is scary!!! Ahhh!"
I guess I have settled into my new normal a bit more. It’s not forever but good to feel settled for a minute. And don’t get me wrong, I still can’t believe I followed through with this and am living the dream in Sydney. The jury’s still out whether/not I’m cut out for this whole other side of the world thing, but I’d say my Aussie future is looking bright ? ?
Trees overlooking Bondi Beach. I LOVE Aussie trees <3
Some of my new coworkers on double denim day 
Friends and flames 
pics from home :)
My new ride I found on gumtree, the Aussie version of Craiglist 
Ocean viewz 
There's tons of pop up shops and cafes in Sydney which is kind of cool--get to try new things. This pop-up coffee shop was outside of my work for the first two weeks I was there. 
Aussie trees <3 
on the new running trail