Supriya |
Bryan |
the Beginning
The flight to LA left Reno at 4:30pm. On the way out of the town I had grown up in I realized how much I was leaving behind to live in a city I've never even seen before. I cried into my Southwest pretzels sitting next to complete strangers who had the decency to ignore me. Reality hit in the LA airport where I traipsed all my luggage out of the domestic terminal and back inside the international terminal. Thankfully, the Air New Zealand attendant let them slide a little above the 23-kilo limit. The flight left at 10:30pm and we all flew silently across nothing-but-ocean to Auckland, New Zealand. The layover in Auckland was only 2 hours but, because I had been travelling for over 20 hours, it seemed like it was an eon. By the time we touched down in Sydney I was twitching from the recycled air and confined seating. However, all was worthwhile when I realized that Bryan was waiting outside of customs for me! I was forced to throw away my beef jerky and sunflower seeds but there was a Starbucks in baggage claim, all my luggage had made the trip and I was finally with Bryan so all was well with the world. Being away from each other for a month was incredibly difficult but the real challenge in our relationship was only just beginning.
The first day was spent shuffling back and forth from our apartment in Neutral Bay (across from Sydney Harbor) and the grocery store/train station/hotel in Bondi Junction where my grandma was staying. We powered through the day and eventually enjoyed a nice, long night’s sleep in our new home. The next few days were spent figuring out the metro and bus systems as well as seeing things in our new neighborhood. The Sydney Opera House is right on our “commute” from our apartment to the Circular Quay Station where we can catch the train to other parts of the city. It is a spectacular sight and one that I hope we never get used to. Thus begins the “adventure of a lifetime”. I’m not sure if this will bring us the fortune and knowledge we hope it will but I most certainly know that it will not be the last adventure of our lifetimes. We’re only just getting started. |
The journey to Sydney International Airport was manageable. Thanks to Patty, a friend of my mother’s and a travel advisor, I scored cheap tickets leaving Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand and from Auckland to Sydney. I didn’t have much choice after she told me these tickets were around $700 compared to $1,300 leaving on any other day. I bought a southwest ticket that put me in LA 4 hours before the overseas departure.
Supriya dropped me off at the airport the evening of April 30th. After an emotional goodbye, and some repacking to ensure my bags didn’t exceed the limit, I took the short flight into LAX. After collecting my bags, I soon noticed the familiar ambiguous chaos of the Los Angeles International Airport. Those of you who have traveled internationally and had the misfortune of departing from this cursed airport know what I am talking about. You realize, even before checking your bags, that you had already left the country. After a long wait for my departure time, I found my seat way in the back of the plane. I had an aisle seat so I didn’t mind too much. The flight itself wasn’t as bad as some had made it out to be. I left at 9:45 pm. I didn’t do much else other than sleep and watch Arrested Development for the entire flight. The flight from Auckland was much longer than I would have guessed. I always imagined New Zealand being just a jump from Australia rather than the 3 hour flight. I arrived safely, gathered my bags and continued through customs to the greeting center. I was greeted by Scott who showed me to his car. Scott is one of the sons of my step-grandmother’s sister. We now just refer to each other as cousins to avoid confusion. After getting here, I soon learned that my new found cousin was eager to showing me the ins and outs of the Australian way of doing things. We got box seats to a Prince concert, saw an Australian rules football match, and joined a soccer program that is coached by an ex-English Premier player. It was a wonderful welcome from Australia and my extended family. |