15 Things I Miss About Sydney

An ice storm hit DFW on Friday night, and as a result, I've been stuck in my apartment for most of weekend. The trouble with snow in Texas is that it's such a rarity so when it does actually happen, we don't know how to prepare for or handle it. The roads are too icy to safely drive anywhere and even the sidewalks have become so slick that even the slightest incline is sure to send you to the ground. (I learned this the hard way yesterday when I attempted the short walk to my mailbox-- it wasn't pretty. Just ask my neighbors).

Being trapped in my little apartment makes me long for sunshine and summer and the sea. I can't help but be a little nostalgic for Sydney and the things that made it special. Here are just a few of the things I miss about this city:

1. Being able to walk to work every day
2. Public transportation-- trains, ferries, and even those pesky buses
3. The beaches, bays and coves, of which there are many
4. The mountains--just a short, cheap train ride away
5. The gigantic flying-foxes that emerge at dusk every night
6. The Coastal Walk
7. Beautiful cockatoos and lorikeets that fly freely and hang out on balconies
8. Victorian architecture
9. Hip neighborhoods like Darlinghurst, Surry Hills, Glebe, Newtown and King's Cross 
10. My dive shop and the amazing marine life I saw while scuba diving
11. The jacarandas in spring
12. Centennial Park
13. The coffee! Now that it's cold here, all I want to order is a flat white or a piccolo latte. I also love that chocolate flakes are standard on the Australian cappuccino, and I wish it were the same way here.
14. Passion fruits
15. Words like brekkie, mozzie and fairy floss which are both ridiculous and ridiculously cute

Bondi Beach

Surfboards on the bus

Sydney's skyline as seen from the Manly ferry

a perfect cappuccino made with chocolate sprinkles

I loved the balconies on these two-story homes

Lorikeets-- an example of Australia's colorful wildlife

The Blue Mountains

Jacarandas and their purple blossoms which cover the streets like confetti

I came across an old Welsh word the other day--hiraeth. While there's no exact translation in English, here's a definition I saw on Pinterest:

I think this word perfectly captures how I feel about Sydney. I do miss many things about it, but I know it wouldn't be the same even if I could go back. Many of my coworkers have changed jobs and my traveler friends have moved on to their next adventure. Sydney will always have a special place in my heart, and I may even continue to write a few posts about it. But I'm slowly learning to love the skies that I'm under and embrace the current season of my life, even if that is winter.