Week Three: October 10

Embracing (and Enjoying!) Unemployment

Although September 8 marked my last day at my corporate job, it wasn’t until this week that I fully realized I was unemployed. This sounds crazy, but hear me out…The weeks leading up to my departure and my first two weeks in Sydney were busy and chaotic. In some ways, it felt like I was preparing for a vacation and that I’d be returning to work in a few weeks.

I started to really feel it this week, as I realized that I didn’t have anywhere to be or a schedule I needed to adhere to. Don’t get me wrong, the freedom has been great and has given me the opportunity to really think about how I want to spend the next year.

Even thinking back to a few weeks ago when I was in tears more often than not over the thought of leaving my job, it was hard to believe in those moments that there would be a time when I’d start to embrace it.

Weekly Highlights

1. Friendmaking Social

On Wednesday, I attended a friendmaking social in the city for girls over 25. Majority of the girls were from the U.K. and had also arrived in Sydney within the past month. This was sponsored by a Facebook group that was created to connect girls moving to Sydney with a community for friendship and support. This is just one of many events that the group hosts, and I'm looking forward to attending more events in the coming months!

2. Exploring a new coastal walk

Over the weekend, I completed the Spit Bridge - Manly coastal walk with my roommate. This walk has been on my list for a while, so I didn't do much additional research before going. I was quite surprised to find out it was 7 miles long and would take us 2 hours to complete. It was well worth it though -- the views were insane!

3. Struggling to learn the metric system

Since moving into my sublet, I thought the oven temperature was set to farenheit. In hindsight, I'm not sure why I would think that...I did think it was strange the oven only went to 270 F, but quickly assumed it was more of a toaster oven vs. a convection oven. After nearly burning down the apartment building, I realized I've been cooking most of my meals at 520 F...

4. Missing U.S. Grocery Stores

Exploring grocery stores in other countries is one of my favorite stops during an international trip. Fortunately or unfortunately, what remains consistent is the difference in quality, portion size and variety in the U.S. and outside of the U.S.

If you move abroad, be prepared to say good-bye to...

• Value packs, party size and family size
• Choosing from several different brands for the same item
• Product and brand variety
• Restaurant leftovers

On the flip side, you'll probably... save money and time in the grocery store, while also having a heathlier diet as fresh fruits and vegtables are much more affordable when you're abroad.

Anyways, here's a "regular" bag of chips for reference. Safe to say, the bag was gone in one sitting!