Faux Pas

It popped up on my 'On This Day' app that my one year anniversary in Australia has already come around. This crazy year has flown by and I now feel like a proper Sydneysider! I've somehow survived being an actual adult, packing up a suitcase and figuring out how to keep myself alive all on my own - half way around the world. Well done me.

I bagged myself a sweet job 1 month in and have spent the past year living on the beach in Bondi, discovering something new everyday. E.g. I've discovered how much gluten scares people here and how you can apparently make a bloody mary out of quinoa... Really? The Hills Eatery, I'm looking at you.

There's countless bars, cafe's, brunch spots, beaches, adventures and road trips to discover and I've barely scratched the surface. New places constantly pop up to add to the list and there's always an excuse to get drunk in the daytime. Sydney's buzzing and I'm not sure you'll ever be able to beat walking past beautiful, bronzed, barefoot surfers running to the beach on your way to work.

Getting sponsored by my awesome employers has meant I'm one of the lucky ones and don't have to wash cucumbers or pick nuts in order to carry on with my Australian dream. I've made some beautiful friends who enjoy adventures just as much as me, so I've spent the last year causing trouble and making a lifetime of memories.

I have too many highlights to list already, like walking to Sydney harbour on my lunch break to sit in the sun and stare at the opera house in awe, strolling along the beach after work and heading to Icebergs for wine whilst watching the surfers bob around below, watching the candy floss sunsets Bondi always delivers, showing old friends around my now home city when they come over from England, watching Bondi Rescue on TV then heading down to the beach to see it for real, not having to wear a jumper for the majority of the year, hopping on a ferry/bus/plane and finding new places to fall in love with, the weather, the air con, the beautiful people and the countless pop up events that appear around the place constantly. There's always a gin bar to drink dry I tell ya.


I've been to some incredible events over the last 12 months too like Wine Island - an actual island of wine where we got so drunk we nearly missed the boat off the island. I've seen Ellie Goulding and Coldplay, dressed up and drank wine on the beach for Australia Day, worn a santa's hat, listened to Wham and drank mulled wine in July for Christmas in July, spent an afternoon drinking with NRL players without realising who they were, been to a mansion party overlooking the harbour for my housemates birthday, been to Ramsay Street, seen Irene from Home & Away in Palings whilst drinking on a school night, been whale watching, celebrated Melbourne Cup, dressed up as a bag of jellybeans for the Sydney 7's in 41 degree heat, cheered on my housemate running City to Surf, partied on a boat in the harbour for my Christmas party, had copious amounts of day drinking sessions in the sunshine, experienced too much delicious food and put on about 12 stone. The list goes on.