Reflecting on my time in Sydney

Back in February, just a few weeks into my study abroad program in Sydney, Australia, I wrote about my initial impressions of the city and my goals for the semester ahead. Now that it is May and I am a few weeks out from completing my program, it is hard to believe how quickly the last four months have passed by. In my time here, I have learned so much about myself and others, and I feel that I have grown from this incredible experience. I am very grateful that I had this opportunity to immerse myself in the culture and lifestyle of Australia, learning about the Australian attitude towards life. 

Upon my arrival in Sydney, I was filled with nervousness but also excitement for what the next four months would bring me. My goals for the semester were to gain self-confidence and become more independent by stepping outside of my comfort zone and living in a completely unfamiliar setting. As a girl who had grown up in the suburbs, the bustling city life of Sydney was definitely a whole new environment for me and not like anything I was accustomed to. Though I still would not consider myself anywhere close to being a city person, I have grown an appreciation for the city lifestyle, such as the good public transportation, and all of the events that the city puts like the Mardi Gras parade that I attended in March. While I had two friends from my university that were also studying abroad in Sydney, our busy schedules and how large Sydney actually is meant that we did not get to meet up as much as I had initially expected. However, I quickly formed new friendships within my IES Abroad program with students from an array of different American colleges, and I made some Australian friends in my classes fulfilling my goal of forming new connections and friendships. 

Initial observations of Australian culture were that the people here embraced a slower pace of life compared to the hustle and bustle of the United States as well as having a laid back attitude towards life. Australians are usually quite friendly, but their characteristic bluntness initially caught me off guard. They often do not filter themselves as much as people do back home, and are pretty straightforward about what they are thinking. Yet, I have come to appreciate their candidness and honesty, especially in engaging conversations, as they are often quite curious about American life, especially the American political climate. Australians are very fascinated by American politics; they are more attuned to what is going on back home then I even was, but I do not blame them for being amused by the circus of the American government.  I cannot count how many times that I have been asked about American politics once they have heard my accent, but it is always out of good nature, and I respect their curiosity to get more insights beyond what is portrayed in mainstream media. Americans are often only focused on what occurs in the states, so I think it would be beneficial for Americans to also try to learn more about other countries and their lifestyles, as it really challenges one’s perception of the world.

Reflecting on my time in Australia, my initial impressions have not really changed, with my experience abroad reinforcing and refining my understanding of Australian culture. The laid back relaxed attitude of Australians is a result of their prioritization of a healthy work-life balance. They leave their work at work, and once they are off the clock, their time is their own with many retreating to the pubs for a drink with mates or heading to the beach for a quick surf session. Many establishments like shopping malls close quite early to allow workers time to get home and enjoy their evening, unlike in America where businesses remain open late to maximize their profits. This balance between work and leisure allows people to be stress-free and creates a warm aura in the community. 

Australians treat everyone as ‘mates’ where they treat strangers as neighbors to create an open sense of community. I truly felt the communal spirit in April when the tragic stabbing incident occurred at the Westfield mall in Bondi. Witnessing the community come together to mourn the loss of the victims through memorials and vigils showed the neighboral aspect of Australian society, where if one is hurt, everyone feels the pain. One student at the University of Sydney, where I am currently studying, was killed in the attack, so the school created a memorial for her where hordes of people came to leave notes and flowers in her memory. I was astonished by the amount of people that continued to come for the following weeks to bring flowers. A few weeks after the attack, I passed by a vigil for the victims at Bondi Beach, and the grief hung in the air like a thick cloud. I was really amazed by how the community came together to support each other through a difficult time which shows how connected everyone is. In America, I believe that people have become so emotionally numb to tragedy that when it occurs, it is forgotten by the next week. The Westfield mall was shut down for a week and a half at least to allow workers time to heal from the trauma that they witnessed, but if this occurred at an American mall, it is likely that workers would have to return the next few days as normal. American culture prioritizes work and money over health and happiness, creating a high-stress environment, and I would hope that American businesses would take some inspiration from Australian culture and create a less stressful working environment with happier workers. These experiences have reinforced my appreciation for community bonds, emphasizing the importance of fostering a sense of unity and empathy in my own community back home.