Coogee to Bondi Coastal Walk


For three and a half years I talked about doing this walk. Everyone says it's scenic. With most everyone at work living their normal lives on my last full day in Sydney, I thought it would be fitting to finally do it. Plus, I had promised to bring home seashells for my nieces and then forgot about it until today. Something about two birds with one stone?


 
           
Gordons Bay

















As I walked and searched for shells, and took in the beautiful sites I spent my time thinking and reflecting over the past 3 1/2 years (I may have cried a little bit).

I came to Sydney in search of adventure, but I leave having gained so much more than I could have dreamed. In my time here I've found love and heartache, I've made friends from all corners of the Earth, and while we may grow apart I've made memories with people I'll cherish forever. I've had my views challenged in the best ways, making me question my values and helping me to further grow into the person I want to be. I learned what it's like to be lost in a new place and how to figure it out without a GPS. I've faced fears I didn't even know I had, drove on the wrong side of the road, was in a car accident with a dingo, learned how to say thank you in 15 different languages (and counting), and tried (and hated) Vegemite.

Everyone keeps asking me if I'm going to miss Sydney. The short answer is yes. There's so many things I'm going to miss, the people I've grown close to most of all, but not in a way that makes me upset that I'm leaving. It sounds cliche to say it's a bittersweet feeling, but it's the truth. Every experience I've had here, everything that I'm going to miss makes me that much more excited to find somewhere new to explore  and new people to meet.

I don't know what my future holds or even what my next big move will be, but I do know it'll be amazing. I'm going to keep this blog open, but change the name to "Shayla vs The World", because if one thing is for sure, I know this isn't my last big adventure and I'll have plenty of more stories to tell.

Comments

Jessica said…
Gosh, I bet you miss a lot of this. You were in a car accident with a dingo?! How did I not know this? That's amazing. LOL.
November 8, 2020 at 1:43 AM
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