My thoughts on Sydney

Where do I start? I guess with the truth.  I didn't come to Sydney willingly, as I had planned my eventual trip to Sydney would be. My trip was 4 months early due to Cyclone Pam and leaving the people of Vanuatu broke my heart.  It honestly made me ashamed of being here. Sydney is full of wonder but forcing myself to be surrounded by moving cars (driving on the wrong side of the road) and constant noise and lights, an abundance of goods...well it felt like walking into another world; and one I didn't want to be in. Understand the choice to evacuate us was a hard call and I have come to accept that it was the best one but in the first few days here, that's not how I felt about it. I share that with you so that you understand the state of mind I was in when viewing Sydney for the first time.

At first Sydney felt loud and people so cold, BUT you have to understand, in Vanuatu strangers don't exist really. Everyone is just a new person in an ever-expanding family. Smiles, cheek kisses, and swats on the arm, are completely expected with in 5 minutes of meeting someone.  So it was unfair of me to judge Sydney by Vanuatu.  Once I came to accept that no matter what Sydney wouldn't be the bush villages of Vanuatu, I decided to compare it to America, Canada,  or Costa Rica.  Those seemed like fair comparisons.  

Sydney is full of amazing people who will help you when asked. I can't tell you how many times people helped me find bus stops, trains, even resources to send back to Vanuatu. Sydney is MUCH more culturally diverse then I had imagined.  Media really has affected the way we look at countries and, I believe, not in a positive way.  I saw a lot of Asian descendants who had amazing Australian accents, because well they are Australians.  But man was my preconceived mind blown the first time I saw/heard that. Just being honest.  Another interesting thing I saw was how sharply most people dress. I feel like a complete slob here in the EXACT same clothes I felt like royalty in while stationed in Vanuatu.  I really felt so out of place that I almost spent fifteen bucks on mascara and that was the cheap one. But I decided what the heck?!  I'm not spending that on something I'd never use in Vanuatu.  BUT I did buy stuff to at least fix my hair for church since all I have with me is a dress that has now been stained with soft mud and banana juice (fyi NEVER cut a green banana next to your only nice outfit.  It stains them brown), and my rugged Rainbows, which I will probably always have a tan line from.  LOL. But at least I can rock my hand made purse that my sister made me :-)

Okay, I digress a lot. Any way, if you can't tell I really miss being in Vanuatu. I feel more self conscious here than I did there.  This is a reflection on western culture NOT Sydney. 

But after I made myself get out and enjoy Sydney, I have to tell you I enjoy this place. It's a mix of cultures and customs.  I enjoyed the variety of things around me and I actually expanded the areas I traveled to because of how much I walked in Vanuatu. Another odd thing that got to me is when locals would say it was too far away to walk.  When you asked how long the answer was 30-90 minutes and I'd laugh in my head thinking, "it takes me 3 hours just to get down my mountain, I think I can handle that." :-)

Sydney is an amazing adventure but I have to say my heart is occupied by the people of Vanuatu right now! I'm so excited to have been among them.  Even in these hard times they shine so brightly of hope and faith!

Update:
Reading this back in Vanuatu I realized just how much this place has my heart.  Even surrounded by struggles we've laughed so hard! Man blong Vanuatu hemi tuff tumas!!

Until next time

JumpInTheJungle