Week One - Darling Harbour

I've been in Sydney for just over a week now. Classes started yesterday after a couple days of great meetings, and a few days of longer/boring, meetings.

Outside of the meetings, I frequented Darling Harbour several times this week. It's a beautiful harbor with loads of restaurants, bars, street performers, ferry tours, and loads of other shops.

In hopes of becoming familiar with the area, the other ResLife staff and I went to a place called the Cargo Bar for delicious $10 steaks. I went back to the area the next night for a walk around the harbor. The whole program went there Friday night for a harbor cruise. And I went a fourth time on Sunday night for a kids film fest for a free screening of "Billy Elliot" in a great park nearby.

The harbor is just a beautiful place in general; really magical, almost cinematic (I felt like I was in a movie the first time I was there, just because everything and everyone is so cool here.) Everything is beautifully lit up at night. And even with the city lights and a full moon, we could still see the big dipper as we sat next to the water at midnight. Absolutely beautiful.

~~

Of course a week in Sydney wouldn't be complete without seeing the Opera House, the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and going to the beach.

All that, and more, was completed with a scavenger hunt-type day outing that the staff planned for us on Saturday. We checked out a few popular local markets, beautiful parks, and the beach (I only got burnt a little bit..). I could go into detail, but all you really need to know is that everything is beautiful here. And everyone is incredibly friendly. The BU faculty and staff have been incredibly kind and accommodating. Its unreal.

~~

The weeks ahead are packed full with classes, trips and adventures including:
-a day trip to the Blue Mountains (get ready for the kangaroo and koala pictures!)
-an overnight trip to the capital, Canberra, with my political science class
-a weekend at Surf Camp at 7 Mile Beach, north of Sydney, learning to surf
-an overnight hike in the Royal National Park, south of Sydney
-mid-semester break TBA, Cairns/Whitsunday Islands/Brisbane? (parents, send money! :) )

~~

All the pictures are from the Harbor Cruise, none of them actually show Darling Harbour, maybe I'll get a shot or two and post later..



#peacebewithyou