TRAVEL | LIVING AND WORKING ABROAD
Things I Miss About Living in Sydney
No, it’s not the Koalas and the Kangaroos
My Aussie friends who are not from this city often get furious when I tell them how much I loved living in Sydney.
They usually think that it’s an overrated, expensive city with no character and is full of crimes.
It sure is expensive, but definitely not without a character.
I lived for one entire year in Sydney, and it was one of the most memorable years of my life.
My best friend and I went to the USA with a work & travel program the summer before, and were looking for a way to spend our upcoming holidays meaningfully.
In Turkey, because the temperatures are between 30–45 degrees during the summer, students are given a 3 months off from June to September.
Most people use this time to stay in the beach areas within the country, some visit their grandparents in rural areas, the responsible ones do an internship or two.
Just as we were thinking about how to spend the summer, I got an email from an agency promoting the working holiday program in Australia.
My first thought was, “wow that would be incredible, but it’s so far away, and we definitely don’t have the money”.
After convincing ourselves and our parents, we got on a 15+ hours journey from Istanbul to Sydney.
The whole staying just for the summer plan went out the window, and we ended up freezing university for a whole year.
We were having such a good time that we wanted to stay as long as we could without jeopardizing our studies.
Why we loved it so much?
The city was full of surprises.
You could discover something new every day.
Sydney is huge.
I don’t know the actual size of it, but it certainly felt big, given that there was always a new corner to explore.
The city has beaches, a bustling business area, lively night- and social life, multiple universities, colourful neighbourhoods with subculture.
Amazing places like Blue Mountains are just a day trip away.
A typical not-work day for me could be;
- get a bacon & egg roll and a nice cup of coffee,
- go to the New South Wales Gallery (which is open to everyone),
- walk through the Botanical Gardens and
- move to the harbour to watch the sea.
Coffee.
I know, this might come across as surprising for someone from Turkey to mention. After all, we take great pride in our Turkish coffee.
But Aussies also love their coffee and surely know how to drink it.
Of course, there are also Starbucks and the likes of it in Australia, but if you be patient and walk a few meters more you will find these tiny coffee houses with a long queue.
So tiny that it’s sometimes impossible to sit there, but you still go and wait in that queue because they have the best beans, the best blend and the best baristas.
They are very particular about which drink is served in what kind of glass or cup and how much milk should exactly be in which coffee.
Sydney raised my standards for coffee so much that, I can never be happy with any coffee place in Germany, where it’s mostly like; “hey, here is your coffee with lots of over boiled milk and lots and lots of foam”. People just love foam here.
Food
Talking about cafés made me think about all the nice restaurants.
Australia is home to migrants from all over the world. Due to its geographic proximity and economic prosperity, many people from South East Asia or South Asia migrate to Sydney.
In Sydney, you can find almost all the world’s cuisines; from English Breakfast to Red Thai Curry with Crabs, from Atlantic Salmon in Hollandaise Sauce to Aloo Matar.
The quality of food and service is very impressive.
It doesn’t matter if you are visiting a $5 a curry budget place or a fancy restaurant, most places have high standards and tasty dishes.
I still can’t get over the pork belly at Mr. Crackles, oysters and pulled pork tacos at Agape Organic and the tons of Eggs Benedicts I devoured.
People
Aussies?
Yes, but also other travellers, migrants, students etc.
Australians are lovely people.
They are friendly, curious, open-minded, laid back, and I just love the accent.
I have never met as many people as I did in Sydney in such a short period of time.
There are also thousands of backpackers, students and other people who come to the city and are just looking to socialize.
I have made friends waiting for an elevator in my building, at a hostel, in a museum looking at a painting, at house parties, on Gumtree, at work and really just walking on the street.
People are not shy to approach you and talk to you.
And it’s not like in the United States where everyone asks you how you are, but it’s out of courtesy. People want to hear your story and tell you theirs.
To experience these, though, you need to be available, mentally and physically. When people approached me on the street, I didn’t turn my head away. Also, I lived in hostels and shared flats (because rent is crazy high), so it was much easier to meet new people.
Weather
The weather is sunny almost all year around.
There are a few rainy days in winter from June to September, and a few very hot days in January and February but, mostly, it’s just perfect.
If you like Mediterranean climate, you would like it in Sydney. It’s the same, but with a much longer summer/spring time.
Economic Prosperity
I am not an economist and I don’t know how sustainable the Australian economy is, but as I lived there I was able to earn decent money for my work and even save up for travels.
There was always work in hospitality, construction, or agriculture. These are the areas where most working holidays visa holders work, since you are not allowed to work in the same place for longer than 6 months.
Having only been engaged in short-term work, I really can’t judge what’s like for people who work under permanent contracts.
The cost of living was insane, but it was still possible to put something aside, and I know that many people made a good living for themselves in the hospitality sector.
Honestly, the list could go on, but I feel like I should stop.
A year in Sydney was an incredible experience. Many people even choose to stay and live there forever.
For me, it was too far away from the people I love.
Plus, what would I do without all the drama and weltschmerz of the Northern Hemisphere?
If you are thinking of spending a year living in Sydney, I strongly recommend that you do it!
