Oh Sydney......

Hey there!

What an amazing time I had in Sydney recently. It was a weekend where  I didn’t have to come home to thaw out after being at the netball. I didn’t have to do  the vacuuming  or cook tea or feed the cats or put a load of washing on. I WAS IN SYDNEY!!

Hubby helps out at a business seminar every now and again and this time, it was being held in Sydney. So instead of sending him on his way for the weekend while I held the fort, I jumped in the car with him and headed down the Hume Highway on an adventure!

Now this business seminar runs all day for three days, and long into the night. So it really is a solo adventure for the most part. And you all know, that scares me a little. 

Last time we were in Sydney for the same seminar and I was all gung-ho about trekking into the city on my own. And where we stayed then was in walking distance to the centre of the city, so off I went. And I hit a snag. I had a little panic attack. The place is huge! 

This time we are stayed a little further away, so to go on an adventure means transport……public transport. Hubby (who knows me so well) suggested an Uber. Nope, no Uber. Train! How hard can it be? Well…..public transport in Sydney is AMAZING! I walked the 10 minutes to the station, tapped my Visa card and jumped on the city circle train. Seeing as my first day required a little shopping (more on that soon) I googled “closest train station to Westfield” and I jumped off at that station, tapped my card again and virtually bumped into the Westfield shopping centre! Winning! And zero panic attacks! Last time I was there, I was overwhelmed with the size of the place, the fact that I knew no-one and the thought that anything could happen to me and no one would know (for a few hours!) scared the crap out of me. But this time, I felt like Sydney was my friend. And she said “Come on and enjoy me!”

So I did. Friday was shopping day. Halfway here I realised I’d left my handbag at home. My handbag contained half my makeup so I needed a few….essentials. Like lipstick. 

Saturday was a day doing touristy things. So back on the train and I had my coffee at The Rocks Market. Amazing. I walked around first, taking in the stalls, the people, the smells, the vibe. I sat drinking my coffee, doing one of my favourite things…people watching. Wandering where all these people come from, where they live, who they love, who loves them, what sorrow they hold on to, what makes them happy. I can’t help it. 

I saw the ferries as I walked into Circular Quay. Would I jump on one by myself? Nah…..kept walking. Walked among the hundreds of people. Should I get on the ferry to Many by myself? Nope. Not by myself. Walked toward the ferry. Feeling brave today? Bugger it….getting on the ferry. Got on the ferry!

Standing in line, waiting to go in, an elderly lady made eye contact and smiled at me. We exchanged small talk…she was a regular ferry-user and took herself to Manly every Monday to see a classic movie at the movie theatre. I asked her the best place to sit so she ushered me on, and sat on the far side where we had a perfect view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I was so pleased I got on that ferry. She pointed out some landmarks and told me a little about herself. At 89, she loved taking herself on adventures and although she never gets the ferry on a Saturday, she felt like getting out of the house and having an adventure on a day other than Monday. We spoke about our families and about her husband who had passed away. And about her love of adventure. What a lady. And there was me….tossing up about whether I should get on a ferry to Manly! She gave me some tips on where to go in Manly and we parted ways in the crowd. I want to be like that at 89. Hell, I want to be like that at 49!

So I walked with the throngs of people down the main street of Manly, amazed at how busy it was. When I got to a security check point where I had my bag checked, I was reminded of the text message my sister sent the day before telling me if I’m at a loss at what to do…head to Manly to the “Taste of Manly”. There were tents set up and local wineries and restaurants were selling food and wine. Wine at 11.00am? That’s not a normal Saturday morning activity for me. But it was today! I found myself a gluten-free lunch and a beautiful glass of Rose and I sat myself down on the ledge above the beach and felt……joy. No guilt, no anxiety, no panic, no worries. Joy. 

My second glass of wine (seeing as I was using public transport) was equally joyful. I sat there for about an hour watching the world go by, feeling the joy. No rushing, no distractions, no need to be somewhere. Just taking in the sights, the sounds, the smells. How often do we get to do that? How often? Me? Rarely. But that’s going to change. I need to make sure I do this more. Not necessarily in Manly, but just more. 

I then walked into the city. It took around 20 minutes. Looked around, got myself an early dinner, bought a lipstick (it’s possibly an obsession) and eventually caught a train back to my hotel. Bliss. Grateful. Happy. Tired!

Tired but happy…..happy to have experienced a little taste of life so different to my norm. Grateful to have had the opportunity to do so. And maybe a tiny bit proud. Proud of myself for getting out of my comfort zone. 

May was a super busy month so it was nice to have that little break in the middle of our crazy! 

Our beautiful Miss E graduated from her nursing studies (super proud…and may have to share her inspiring story in a later blog) and our Miss B had her Debutante ball. She looked amazingly gorgeous and literally had a ball! I don’t think we saw her off the dance floor all night (may take after myself and her Aunty who was shattered the DJ didn’t play any Wham songs!)

So what’s in store for June? You will have to stay tuned to find out! 

Happy long weekend!

Love,

Cherie with a C

Xxx