Oh, hello there December! When did you get here?
I’ve been back in Toronto for almost a month now, and while I thought I would be itching to head back to Sydney ASAP I am loving the quality time I’ve been able to spend with my family and friends. The only time I itch now is when I go outside and it’s freezing, since I’m quite clearly allergic to the cold. 🙂
Don’t get me wrong. Of course I want to get back out there, and thoughts about the move and more are always in the back of my mind. Other things I’ve been pondering as of late:
I still struggle not to run into people while walking on the left side of the street or going up and down stairs. I had just gotten used to this in Sydney and now I’m back in a place where people walk on the right side. Busy subways are a nightmare.
I don’t feel guilty about being seen outside of the gym in yoga pants. Well, not too guilty anyway. I would say that 85% of the women in Sydney walk around in gym clothes day and night. To brunch, to the mall, out to dinner or drinks in the evening… whether they’ve been to the gym or not. (Also, this video).
None of my friends are as excited as I am that I can finally tell the difference between Aussie and Kiwi accents. And that makes me sad.
I can also tell you the difference between a flat white, a short black, a long black, a latte, and a cappuccino. (I’ve noticed that no one is impressed about this either).
There really is no substitute for graham crackers. Crazy wildlife/landscapes aside, you’d think camping in Australia would be the same as it is here. NOPE. Not without s’mores the way they’re supposed to be made. I may have to charge my friends a graham cracker tax when they decide to come visit.
I don’t think I will ever NOT be offended if someone asks me if I’m American. (Sorry my American friends. Must be a Canadian thing, eh?). 🙂
I miss having avos (avocados) readily available at all meals of the day. They are sad, tiny little things here in Canada and so expensive in comparison! They do however charge extra for guac in Australia like they do everywhere else. I thought knowing that would make me feel better but sadly it doesn’t.
I laugh at the tiny little spiders in my house (and in other people’s houses). In their tiny little faces. I do it now because I the spiders in Australia are no laughing matter. They terrify me.
I forgot how refreshing it is to talk to people and to get a straight answer to a simple question. For example, Canadians will respond with “yes” or “no” if you ask them a question that requires a yes or no answer. Many Aussies on the other hand will say “yeah nah” if they mean to say “no”, and “nah yeah” if they mean to say yes. Sometimes you’ll get “ah yeah nah yeah”… Um, what?
Canada is cold.
Apart from the whole “cold” thing (which, let’s face it, is a given) it’s funny how just one short month away can change your outlook on those little things you wouldn’t give a second thought to back home. Like spiders and accents and people wearing activewear outside the gym. It makes me look forward to this journey all the more!
-C
