If it is at all possible to be in love with a city, Sydney would be my soulmate. The city is extraordinary! The culture, the people, the scenery... Ahhhhh :) The lifestyle here is one I could definitely see myself living. It's San Diego on steroids. Everyone is attractive, bronzed and friendly. It is a commonality to see professionals running to and from their job with backpacks carrying their work clothes. Sydney gives new meaning to the expression "it's 5 o'clock somewhere". Nearly every bar is packed with young professionals enjoying a happy hour cocktail after work. The social atmosphere makes it possible, if not probable, of interacting with almost anyone in attendance. After being here for only 2 days, I already felt like I belonged. I have had instant immersion into the life of a 20 something year old of Sydney and I couldn't be more happy.
I'm not gonna lie. The weather here has sucked. All of the rainy and dreary weather could have put a damper on my days... However, this isn't my first rodeo and I know better than to allow some bad weather to rain on my parade. I hope you're following my literary puns. Of course it doesn't help to hear from every other person that this is the first summer in years that it has been like this. One thing I can't complain about is my accommodations. For starters, it's free. And secondly, it has the most amazing panoramic view of the city. The place belongs to our friend Drew who has been stationed in Sydney through the Navy for the past two years. His place is located on the Kings Cross/Potts Point border. Kings Cross is known as Sydney's "Red Light District" and let me tell you, there are some shady happenings around these parts. However, Potts Point is just down Darlinghurst Road and is a much nicer suburb. Morgan and Andrea were set up with Drew through mutual friends and had been staying with him the week prior to my arrival. Of course this world tends to be much smaller than it seems, so Drew and I have a handful of friends in common as well. Side note: Can I take a moment to say how much I LOVE how this continues to happen to me? How small the world can actually be (when it works out in your favor, of course) is my favorite! The four of us have taken to referring to ourselves as "the four best friends that anyone could have" and it couldn't be a more fitting title. The dynamic between the four of us is nothing short of amazing and I probably owe it to them for making Sydney feel like home within this short amount of time.
It didn't take long for me to get acquainted with Sydney's nightlife. My first night here we went to Opera Bar, Establishment, and Ivy. My favorite of which had to have been "Opera Bar" simply because it is located right next to the iconic Sydney Opera House. The following night we went to a Bar Luca for happy hour -- a quaint and contemporary bar found in the CBD (Central Business District). We continued on to Beresford Hotel where shots and champagne were ordered and then to a girl named Katrina's house for "after-party" drinks. Turns out, we played it a little too hard Friday night so Saturday was spent lounging on the couch being hungover. Thankfully, it was an awful looking day outside so none of us felt like we were missing out on something outside the confines of our "residence". Consiquently, Saturday turned out to be one of the best and most laughter-filled days I've had in a looooong time.
Included in my first weekend in Sydney was the nationally acclaimed Mardi Gras parade/festival. Sydney practices an extreme amount of tolerance and pride with their gay, lesbian, and trans-gender culture which mirrors only that of San Francisco. Yes, I have seen my fair share of gay pride parades but nothing that has compared to Sydney's Mardi Gras. To be honest, I was overwhelmed. It was one huge party filled with hundreds of thousands of people... Most of them drunk and dressed in overly flamboyant costumes. Within minutes, the four of us were swarmed by groups of drunken gays just wanting to take pictures and give us hugs. Even after having a solid pre-party of our own, these party-goers were so intense that it made me feel sober. People travel from all over just to witness this parade. With nearly 10,000 participants and over 300,000 onlookers, it's easy to see how Mardi Gras is New South Wales’ second-largest event in terms of economic impact.
I hear that Sydney is known for its "good eats" but to be honest, I haven't much broadened my horizons past pizza, thai food, and sushi. Sydney is an expensive city and those three meals choices tend to be the most delicious for the least amount of money. However, I have been to a few local bakery's and cafes that have made quite tasty sandwiches and breakfast. Truthfully, most of my money has gone towards drinks; for unless it's happy hour, the price of a drink can be as much as one at any swanky club in the states.
Fingers crossed that the weather gets better and the drinks get cheaper! ;) 'till next time...
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