Top 10

After almost three and a half months spent here in Sydney, I have finally reached my final week here. This has been an experience of a lifetime, and I apologize in advance for the amount of times I will talk about it when I get home. (Nah no apologies here) I'm still formulating my complete thoughts on the experience, and I will be sure to take them down in one final blog post when I get home and decompress. But I wanted to do a recap this week of my Top 10 favorite things from my time abroad. So here they are!

10: Blue Sox

One of the big reasons that this program caught my eye so quickly was the fact that I had an opportunity at an international internship. Most programs only offer you the chance to take classes, so the internship experience was one of the major reasons I was sold on this particular program. My internship with the Sydney Blue Sox professional baseball team has been second-to-none. Interns in workplaces in Australia are usually given a good deal of responsibility, as co-worker to boss relations in Australia are more face-to-face rather than from the bottom looking up. Through this, I have been able to gain experience with event management, creative website design, and communications. The most fun I had with the Blue Sox was when I got to be the public address announcer for the Junior and Senior League State Championships for New South Wales. Coming to a stadium near you!

9: Coogee to Bondi Coastal Walk

Look on any tourism list for Sydney. One outdoors thing that you will see every time is the Coogee to Bondi coastal walk. After doing the walk five times, I can safely say that it should never be removed from those lists. A 6km trek along the coast, this walk extends from Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach in Sydney's Eastern suburbs. To put simply, it has some of the most fantastic views I have ever seen. The water along the way is some of the most beautiful water I have ever seen. Each beach along the way, Gordon's Bay, Clovelly, Bronte, and Tamarama, have certain characters about them. This adds to the already great experience that the whole walk encompasses. It is a MUST if you ever come to Sydney.

8. Melbourne

My trip to Melbourne will always be special to me, because it was the first time I truly travelled alone and explored. I flew to Melbourne back in January and honestly stayed for less than 24 hours. But in that short day I had in Melbourne, I was able to get so much done. Melbourne is a much different city than Sydney, especially in the fact that it is much easier to get around. It is gridded like some of the major cities in the States, so I was able to navigate it pretty well. In a few short hours, I checked out the Australian Museum for the Moving Picture, Queen Victoria Library, and other interesting places in the city. But my real purpose in Melbourne was to check something off my bucket list. Going to the Australian Open was something I had always wanted to do, and it was one of the highlights of the trip for me. I was able to watch the Women's Singles Final between Caroline Wozniacki and Simona Halep, a riveting match won by Wozniacki for her first major title.

7. Blue Mountains

"The mountains are calling so I must go." I spent the first 20 years of my life always being able to look up at some of the most beautiful mountains in the world. So naturally, it was going to be a bit weird for me to live inside of a big, bustling city for a few months. Don't get me wrong, city life has been great. But sometimes it is nice to "get out in the bush" and get away from the hustle and bustle. The Blue Mountains provided that getaway, while also providing some more of the most stunning views I have ever seen. The Blue Mountains are more wide than they are tall, so in terms of a comparison to the States, think more of a green Grand Canyon rather than the GSMNP. You are able to look out for miles and miles at the highest points in the Blue Mountains, and it is truly stunning. Some of the highlight spots were the Three Sisters rock formation, Empress Falls, and Lincoln's Rock, which is where I'm standing in the picture above.

6: History

Let's face it: I'm a bit of a nerd. When I see a new place, one of the things I immediately want to learn is the history of that place. It is so fascinating to me. So you could imagine I was very excited to learn about the history of Sydney and Australia in general. And after spending a couple of months in this place, the history is even more fascinating to me. Sydney was the first settlement in the English colony of New South Wales. But there are so many more layers to it than that. Learning about the original owners of this land was one of the most interesting things about this experience. The Native Australians have so much culture to offer the world. The Australian History class I took at the University of Sydney was very interesting, and it showed perspectives of both the English and Aboriginal people, along with showing Australia's place in the current world.

5: New Zealand

Oh New Zealand. The most beautiful and spontaneous place I have ever been. Let's keep it simple: Hardly anything went as planned during my Spring Break trip to the South Island of New Zealand. But to be honest, that made the trip even better. Te Anau was one of the coolest small towns I have ever seen, and it was such nice getaway for a few days. Driving on the left side of the road? I'm an old pro at it now. Milford Sound.. there isn't really too much to say. The most beautiful place I have ever seen. Queenstown was a blast. "The Adventure Capital of the World" sure lived up to its billing. I mean what other place can you jet boat, go canyoning, hike, or river board in just two days? I even got to sleep in the Christchurch Airport for a night. Can't beat that.

4: Food

Let me get the negative out of the way first. Vegemite is gross. Now on to the positives. Australia has some of the best food that I have ever had. The common theme for their food? Freshness. You would be hard pressed to find food in Straya that isn't fresh. From produce, to meat, to everything in between, Australia's food get's an A+ from me. My favourite nice restaurant in Sydney is The Australian Heritage Hotel in the Rocks neighbourhood. My favourite fast food restaurant is Nando's Portuguese Chicken. My favourite snack food is Tim-Tams. (Many were consumed). And my favourite local dish? Kangaroo steak. The food scene in Sydney, different places in Australia, and New Zealand did not disappoint.

3: Hillsong Church

My faith is the most important thing to me in my life. So finding a church to plug into while I was here in Sydney was one of the first things to do on my list. I knew that Hillsong Church was all over Sydney, since it was the city that the church was founded in. So I was very excited to get plugged in there when I arrived in Sydney. Hillsong has been able to reach many in the US and around the world with church plants and their global worship music. I am very thankful to Hillsong for providing a church to worship at and a place to have community while I have been here. I have seen God move, been encouraged, and made some great friends through time I have spent at Hillsong Church. While I was here, I attended the City campus in the Waterloo neighbourhood, while also attending their college ministry called Powerhouse.

2: Watsons Bay

I figured my Top 5 would all be general things, something like food or history. But Watsons Bay has had it all, and it is the reason that it is my favourite place in all of Sydney. Watsons Bay has had the food, the beach, the views, the history, and the people. Situated at one of the most beautiful points in Sydney Harbour, Watsons Bay has the absolute best view of the city skyline from anywhere. And that's not at all. A short hike to the Hornsby Lighthouse at Watsons Bay is my favourite view in all of Sydney. The lighthouse is situated right at the spot where the Sydney Harbour opens up into the ocean. So not only does the view have the beauty, but it also has the history. That opening would have been the exact spot that the first English settlers of New South Wales arrived in. To top all that off, Watsons Bay has given some incredible memories with incredible people. From relaxing on the beach looking at the skyline with friends, to eating some of the best fish and chips at sunset with Kort when she came to visit, Watsons Bay has had it all. And that's why it is my favourite place in Sydney.

1: People

People. From new friends in new places, to my fellow CCI Global Scholars, and to my favourite person coming to visit (* cough cough Kortney), you all are the people who have made my time abroad even more special for me. Each and every one of you played a role in making this so special, and I am forever grateful that all of you were able to share in this journey with me.

Cheers,

Jonathan




** P.S. Getting emotional already thinking about how I'm going to miss the coffee. It's so much better than the States. Long live the flat white! (No Starbucks is not the same)