Saying Goodbye to Australia
It’s all finished. My bags are packed, I’m ready to go... Ok, enough of that. My room is empty though and to say it feels strange would be an understatement. Saying goodbye is never easy and that’s why I think it’s easier to say, “Let’s grab a drink in the pub later!” and put it off for as long as possible.
Monday night after the climb there was a going-away party across the hall. It was the last time all of us in the Parklands will be together again and it was bittersweet. My roommate left with my neighbours for Melbourne yesterday and so I said goodbye to the people I’ve spent the majority of time with in Australia. There are plenty of things I’m going to miss about this place, more than I could ever possibly write about, as well as lots of things I won’t. Studying abroad has consumed me for the past year and, as amazing as it’s been, I’m ready to move onto other things. I’ve got heaps of adventures to look forward to, as well as many mundane things to do in between. I’ll have my degrees in marketing and political science in a year and a half and, after I graduate, the sky’s the limit. I plan to move north, perhaps to Hoboken, Manhattan, or even Brooklyn, and work in New York City. Right now, I’m looking to find a summer marketing internship in the city and get settled back into life at home with my sanity intact.
I watched Munich for the second time last night and, I don’t know what is, but I am very good at finding themes in music, movies, books, wherever, and relating them to things that are going on in my life. I think everyone’s experienced this at one point or another: you break up with your girlfriend and suddenly every song you hear reminds you of her. That’s how this movie was for me last night. It raised a lot of good points about loyalty to your country, your home, and your family. Now, it would be easy to call these things clichéd, to say that they are so vague that it would be impossible not to identify with them. That may be true but, as it becomes tougher to find things left for me to add to my Aussie to-do list, it’s as clear to me as ever that it’s finally time to go home.
As for the next ten days or so, I naturally packed as much stuff in as good. Should you be in this part of the world between now and December 10th, you’ll probably see me at the Rocks tonight and touring the Jewish Museum and Sydney’s Great Synagogue with some of my neighbours tomorrow. Some of the advisors in the Macquarie International office asked me to meet them for dinner tomorrow night and then, well, that’s about it. Friday, I’m flying to Auckland where I’ll begin a nine-day tour of New Zealand’s North Island. Originally, I was supposed to stay in Sydney until the tenth but the airline’s offer to stop in Auckland on my way back east was too good to pass up. You only live once, right?
I called an office in New York City at the crack of dawn this morning in order to follow up on my resume and, I don’t know if it was because I’ve been out of the country so long or what, but the woman who answered the phone had the strongest Noo Yawk accent I think I’ve ever heard. (Yes, even stronger than my dad’s.) I’m going to miss the Aussie accent. I’m going to miss Australian hospitality, being able to get on a city bus and strike up a conversation with the first person I see. I’ll miss Aussies who have never been to New Jersey complaining about the air quality in Sydney and the poor temperament of Sydneysiders. I’ll miss the lessons I keep happening to come across that remind me quality of life is relative and, despite all other things, absolutely what you make of it.
I’m also scared. I know I should stop harping on this but I believe the transition back to life in the states is going to be more difficult for me than it would be for most. I’ve already asked for extra patience from those I’m close with at home and those that know me well know why I’ll need it. I could sit here for hours and ruminate about all the things I should or could write about in what will most likely be my last entry from Sydney. I’m not going to do that, though. I’m going to leave my desk right now with the satisfaction I’ve gained from writing all that I have and being able to deliver it to so many.
Thanks for reading!
Jason
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Gosh...this is it from Sydney, NSW? Seems like it was just yesterday that I've stumpled upon your JYA blogs...time sure flies! I've truly enjoyed every minute...reading about your international life at MacUni and Sydney. I've lived vicariously through you and I thank you for giving me an insider's first hand experience into what it's like living in Australia. Now, I have a better understanding of what it is like Down Under. I can't wait to visit Sydney and see for myself. I wish you the best of luck in all your adventures and endeavors. Enjoy the moment now and get ready for the New Jersey winter!
Aloha...
P.S. When in NZ, hope you stop by Rotorua and see the hotsprings and get a feel of the Maori culture. (Oh yeah, just thought of it...you should have booked a stop-over in Hawai'i.) Have a wonderul holiday, and a safe flight home!
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