Today it has been one month since I arrived in Sydney, Australia. For the occasion I am writing from a more personal place on something I haven’t yet spoke of here – and that is my mental state as a traveler. Those that know me can attest that I am very open about the trials and tribulations of being on the road, and that I rarely speak of my travels as entirely happy experiences. I am more likely to speak of beautiful places, and then nostalgically romanticize it all at a later date once the anxiety is far behind. When I think about it, very few of my trips have brought me to a state of consistent happiness.
I’ve had many happy moments in my travels – among them my sublime morning hike to the base of Mt. Shkhara in Georgia, a Thanksgiving day spent eating endlessly in Oaxaca, and magical strolls through the streets of mega-cities Istanbul and Mexico City. Happy moments wind up being extra special, ready to be revisited with a little bouquet attached – but now I am learning there is potential for me to experience a more steadfast happiness in travel.
I don’t know why it feels weird to write – but going through my fourth week in Sydney I did in fact begin to feel consistent happiness. The last time that I remember feeling this way was back in 2016. It was my second to last trimester of a five year degree program. I got into a steady and excited work flow in my school ceramics studio, I found myself surrounded by an array of supportive and intellectually engaging people. In my spare time I traveled for graduate music school auditions. Here in Sydney I may have again discovered this happiness, and following the worst of the pandemic it is has come with an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
As someone who despises rain I find it quite bizarre that I’m happy in a city that has been consumed by near endless rain ever since my arrival. It’s so bad in fact, even the locals complain about how “un-Sydney-like” their summer has been. So, what is it about being here that I’ve suddenly wanted to bottle up?
A big part of it is how simple my life is here – there’s been no overnight buses, no standby flights, and none of the craziness that is typical of my experience in travel. I’m just a foreigner working part time and spending the rest exploring the city. It has now been two weeks since I started working at Little Jean restaurant/cafe in Double Bay (which is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Sydney – so the clientele is very interesting). Even though the job doesn’t directly engage my artistic abilities I find myself content with it. In a way restaurant work reminds me of being in a busy ceramics studio. Sure, there is far less individuality and artistic freedom as a waiter – but the work does relate with its processes and social atmosphere.
I find joy in the random conversations with customers and staff. Just the other day a customer told me they had almost bought a home in the resort town of Lake Geneva, which is just 10 minutes from where I grew up back in Wisconsin! I’m also quite fond of the free coffee, pastries, and staff meals that I receive. My food costs have significantly dropped since I began working here, which is divine as a backpacker!
Then there is my hostel, Hump Backpackers. I have never stayed in one hostel this long. I’ve practically moved in as a permanent resident – along with many others on a working holiday. The low cost of my dorm room along with the relatively high pay I receive from my restaurant job allows me to save nearly 4/5’s of my weekly income, an amount I have never been able to save while also paying for accomodation.
I am looking back at previous points in my life where I lived in large cities – namely Miami – and I am pondering how different my time there could have been had I lived in a cheap hostel instead of struggling to pay the high rent. Hump Backpackers has become my home, one that is constantly fluctuating – but still almost every person I encounter is here for the same reason as myself. It’s not like I have new best friends or anything – but it is no matter, because I enjoy burgeoning friendships just the same.
To tie this up, I do think I’ve found a happy balance in Sydney between working life and being amongst a community of travelers. I can’t predict how I will feel when I eventually move elsewhere in Australia, which brings me to a fear of mine – what if I never want to leave Sydney? Being an ever transient wanderer, I am terrified of the idea that I just might want to settle somewhere eventually, even if I am (dare I say) – happy. There is still so much more of Australia and the world to discover and I’m definitely not getting any younger (despite my ritual use of moisturizer and yoga routines). But in the meantime I’ll continue to absorb as much of this beautiful time as I can. And if I’m lucky maybe it will stop raining so much!
Up Next: WHV Australia Part III. “Autumn In April“
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