Arrival: Sydney. Australia

I probably should have started this earlier, but I didn't think I wanted the responsibility of keeping this up again. But I want my folks back home and friends and whoever else wants an inside look of my year or two.

Hi, I'm Toni if I never said. I'm from California, and I am currently in Sydney, Australia on a Working Holiday Visa. The premise of this visa, basically allows me to get a job a here and work like a local to support myself and my travels.

I've been in Sydney about a week an a half. I arrived on the 18th of September, from a 17 hour flight. The flight was split into two, so it wasn't too bad. What was the worse was the jetlag. I arrived in Hawaii who is 3 hours behind California before my flight to Sydney. Sydney is 17 hours ahead of California, so that's been interesting, especially when it comes to calling my mom.

I went through a program to come here, I didn't need too, and I wish I would have saved my money, because I would be $1000 richer and so much better off. It's called BUNAC and its supposed to get you acclimated to your new surroundings. The Australia version of their company is called Work Travel Company, and they've been welcoming but not really.

Supposedly with this program you can meet like minded travelers like yourself and make some friends. That didn't happen with me, I had a group, where the majority of the group was German, and they like to stick together, then I had 2 other Americans, from New York and they didn't want to talk to me. There was a french girl with not the best English skills, I feel like if I knew French we could have hit it off, but I don't and we didn't.

BUNAC books you with their partner Hostel, which is amazing but you're paying $40 a night to stay there, thats crazy expensive for a hostel. You're not even getting your own bathroom in your room. I signed up for Ultimate Australia, and I guess I got it.

My first 7 days here were filled with activities that they planned for us. I only vaguely remember them because I didn't have much fun on them. I was alone for the majority of the time. I was starved for conversation, I still feel like I am.

I hiked 3 days in a row, and my leg currently hates me, but I have some pictures from those three hikes, that I will include later. The wifi here is so slow. The USA has completely spoiled me. It's been a struggle, just to get online.

I saw the Blue Mountains, went on a Bondi-Coogee Coastal hike, and climbed up the Harbour bridge Lookout Point. The views were pretty cool to look at, but I would have been okay not seeing them. We also went to a wildlife reserve and that was really fun. I guess I'll talk more about it in the next post. Thanks for Reading!