How to love again

It's hard to love again. Once you fall in love with a place, it's so hard to give new places the same chance. How could anything be as beautiful as the Appalachian mountains or Florence's Il Duomo or Yellowstone's Morning Glory or Chartre's Notre Dame? How could I ever feel the same strong bonds when the public transportation is nothing compared to the DC or Paris metros? What's so great about the Pacific Ocean when you've seen the still, clear waters of the Mediterranean?

I guess I never learn, because every time I travel, I think I have already seen the best places and had the best experiences, but I am always, always proved wrong. 

After a couple of weeks here in Sydney, nothing seemed to make sense. I was frustrated, I missed my friends and family who are far away, and I thought that this could never compare to my past experiences. All that changed this weekend. 

Friday evening, a great group of us got together and hopped on a bus to Bondi to sit on a hill by the beach and watch one of my favorite movies of 2017 - The Greatest Showman. I've been wanting to see the movie for a second time since the credits rolled on my first viewing at Johnson City's AMC in December. And what a way to do it! The Openair Cinemas were the perfect event to pull me back in. 

Of course, being an outdoor projection by a busy street brought the sound quality down significantly, and the projection was more faint and often washed out by light. However, it was watching a gorgeous sunset before the opening credits, seeing an almost full moon rise behind the screen, squealing in anticipation with my friends who had already seen it, and watching the faces of newcomers, all while the Pacific waves rolled on nearby that made it a truly special experience. 

The next morning was an early start for Taronga Zoo. As someone who once wanted to be a vet and still potentially wants to be a wildlife photographer, I was excited to say the least. On top of that, our International Studies Abroad chaperone brought his four-year-old son Noah along for the ride. As we all tried to win Noah's affections, I was reminded of life back home, where my boyfriend seems to constantly be surrounded by toddlers for me to love on. It felt good to be in familiar territory.

Once we were at the zoo, I was completely in my element. My boyfriend and one of my old hall mates who I have reconnected with while in Sydney joined me as I squealed for squirrel monkeys, cheered for seals, geeked-out for gorillas, and face-planted for otters. It was an amazing day in an amazing place with amazing people, and best of all, it prepared me for the fantasy that would be our Sunday day trip to Palm Beach the next morning.

My main goal in Palm Beach was a place called The Basin. From what ISA and the internet told me, it was a picnic area within a national park, just a short ferry ride from the town of Palm Beach. It's know for being one of the top spots to hang out with kookaburras, big ol' lizards, and, most importantly, wallabies. 

My beloved Chip and me

Wait, what's that? Like a wombat?

Oh, no, no. A wallaby is basically a super soft, less territorial, miniature kangaroo. These things are the size of my terrier, Piper, and we befriended one. 

This particular wallaby was pretty young. A ranger told us he de-pouched her from her mother after she had been hit and killed by a car. Because she was an orphan, she was hand-raised and so is extremely friendly. After feeding her for a bit, she decided we were alright, and she stuck around for about 20 minutes as we fawned over her. 

Finally, we regrettably departed our beloved girl for one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever been on to a lighthouse overlooking the peninsula. 

As we got to the top and looked out over the sea, I realized how at peace I had felt over the last few days. Sydney and its surrounding area finally started to feel like home. Sure, it's expensive, but I'm learning how to budget. Sure, I miss getting ice cream with my best friend, but I'm making new friends. Sure, I just figured out the train system yesterday, but I did figure it out. Sure, my mom's not here, but I have so many stories to tell her when we talk.

I finally began to appreciate this experience in full, and as we near the end of classes, the start of spring break, and the beginning of our internships, I look forward to what the next two months hold.

Cheers,

Sarah

For pictures of aforementioned big ol' lizards and wallabies, follow me on Instagram @sarah.lemons (All Insta pictures are uploaded to Facebook as well)