Sydney

Awkward. Topsy-Turvy. Unpredictable. Entertaining. Surreal. Words not exactly pin-pointing my time in Sydney but hopefully creating a sense of the month spent in such a famous city. I am eternally grateful to our hosts for taking us in for such a long time. I know it is not easy to have guests for nearly a month. Unfortunately for me, I overstayed my welcome with one of our hosts within the first four days staying there...without even realizing it. Wit and sarcasm seemed a requirement for survival in the house. I had my sexual orientation, appearance, female disposition and nationality dished out to me on a silver platter. Being an American, at this time in history, is a free one. Jesting about that is a given. Unfortunately, my quick banter responses to these topics were mistaken for rude, insensitive and personal. How the above subject matter was not personal in regards to me, I do not know. Nonetheless, I somehow breached a line of formality that I believed had already been erased and thus found myself in a predicament. Luckily, I was afforded five absolutely wonderful days in Tannum Sands. My host's friends and housemates were incredible and some of the nicest and welcoming people I've ever met and indeed they did help to decrease some of the tension. I spent the rest of my time being the ultimate tourist.

I found Sydney to be quite beautiful yet understatedly homogenous with the prevalence of an Asian conglomerate. Fashion, as I have stated, is one for which I have created a new term-- milleneighties (that would be millenium, nineties and eighties)-- I think that would give an introduction to fashion. I had the opportunity to run over the Harbour Bridge, run from Bondi Beach to Coogee, surrounded by an exhibit called Sculpture by the Sea. I went to the aquarium (how fun it is to actually walk underneath where the fish and sharks swim!), Sydney Museum and I went on a harbour cruise to Wilsons Bay and Luna Park. I also made my way a bit south to Wollongong for a day at the beach. All things I would highly recommend!

Through all this, I realized I didn't fit into the box of those around me and I foolishly tried. Instead of just being me, I looked for an acceptance from my host that I will never achieve. I hope I'll learn strength in my own self and my own personality to not fall for that one again. Maybe I'll follow my own ideas of what is good for another may not be good for me.