The Journey

27-28 January 2016

Everything went well during the flight to Hong Kong. The food wasn’t too bad if you’re into instant noodles. The long flight provided me with just enough time to figure out how to eat with chopsticks. And yes, I’m well aware that they have cutlery on board, but I like to adapt and blend in (at which I failed horribly). The majority of my fellow passengers were Asian, probably on their way home from Amsterdam (which might explain their glazed look).

My transfer at Hong Kong Airport went smooth and I was able to contact home and speak to some of my friends. I went on this trip alone but instead of feeling insecure or alone, I felt exhilarated! I seemed to be dreaming, but instead of just passively experiencing the dream, I got to be a part of it and interact with it. It was also my first long-haul flight (about 24 hours in total) and I had never left Europe before. But now I was on my way to Sydney, to do my internship for a renowned small-ship cruise company.

Sydney, or Australia for that matter, had not been my first choice. Initially, I wanted to go to the US to live my 6-month American Dream. But the process of getting into the US and getting hired by a company is a tough one. The agency that was helping me arrange my internship suggested that I look into Australia. Here they also speak English and if you don’t mind the wildlife trying to kill you, then it’s actually a pretty beautiful country. Plus the agency had a lot of contacts there, so before I knew it I had an interview with a company in Sydney. Due to the time difference the interview took place very early in the morning, so I had just gotten out of bed and I was very fashionable with my daring combination of collared shirt and boxershorts. It does put the casual in smart-casual. But I got the job, so I could start the immigration process and the agency would put me in touch with a host family. And a few months later here I am waiting at Hong Kong Airport for my connecting flight to Sydney.

The flight from Hong Kong to Sydney was a little rough due to some turbulence along the way. I was way too excited to be able to sleep so instead I watched as the tropical islands and atolls floated by down below. The Australian border security was not at all what I expected. Tv-shows like Border Security: Australia’s Front Line made Australia seem like an impenetrable fortress, but I spent about 30 minutes to get from the gate to the airport exit. Now it was time to find my host.

It took me a little while, but eventually after a few phone calls I managed to find her. My hosts were Ana and Johann. Both of them aren’t originally from Australia, but moved there from Brazil and Austria respectively. They got two sons who have already left the house, and a gorgeous Dalmatian named Belle. Together they host internationals who come to Sydney as part of their studies. It was already late in the evening, so everyone had already gone to bed. I didn’t bother unpacking and also went to bed. Before I went to sleep I downloaded an app to help me meet some locals. Since I was going to stay in Sydney for half a year, it would be nice to make some new friends.