OTHER TIPS
Small (but important) lessons learned.
Living alone in Sydney taught me an endless amount of lessons. Here are a couple more pieces of advice I thought were worth sharing:
If you are looking for an apartment, you will get the chance to go “house hunting,” which may seem scary and stressful, but I actually found it fun! Make sure you visit many, many places until you find a home that feels like a perfect fit. Check out different areas and make sure the place you are visiting is worth as much as they are charging rent. Also, share rooms are not ideal! Four people in one room isn’t comfortable and makes sleeping tough sometimes (I lived with three others in a hostel I stayed in for two weeks). Look for double or single rooms if possible. The biggest thing I can stress on this one is to make sure your housemates are friendly and welcoming! My housemates were a fundamental part of my transition in Sydney and my personal growth. I couldn’t have survived Sydney without them.
Australians are very friendly, so if you ever need help (whether lost or confused on how to do something), just ask someone nearby! More than likely, they will be extremely generous and willing to help. I relied on this tactic countless times when I was lost and my phone was without service. Without being able to Google directions, I was truly stuck and locals saved me many times. In general, try to be social and kind as many Australians strike up conversations on the bus and other public places. It can actually be very comforting and interesting to do this and find out the backstories of random people. If you tell them you haven’t been in Sydney long, they will usually give you a small piece of advice or a recommendation on where to visit in Sydney.
Don’t be afraid to try new things! Actually, being afraid is okay, but do them anyways! I would be lying if I didn’t say I was scared to do more than half of things I did. It was pushing past these emotions that really fulfilled the experience and taught me lessons. I was terrified to come to Sydney alone, yet it is one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Travel both alone and with friends. Before Australia, I had never traveled alone. Coming here, I had no friends, so I was forced to adventure around Sydney alone. This taught me many things and proved to be very enjoyable. Once I made friends, I was able to travel with them too, which were separate, yet great, experiences. Being alone allows you to fully take in your surroundings and analyze and appreciate the beauty around you. When you are with friends, you are able to verbally share your thoughts and have a discussion. You also get to associate those places with the people you experienced them with which can be a very cool thing. Regardless of your preference, I suggest trying to travel both independently and accompanied by one or more friends!
In general, make sure you look into the cost of living in the city you are traveling to. As I discuss in Money Savers, the cost of living in Sydney is absurdly expensive and I wish I looked more into this before I planned my trip in order to budget more for food. No matter where you go, it is worth it to check out how much food alone will cost you!
Be prepared to face illness without the help of doctors. Unfortunately, my health insurance company wasn’t accepted in Sydney, so when I tried to set up a doctor’s appointment, I was told I would have to pay full price (which wasn’t cheap). In turn, I headed over to the local pharmacy which actually offers a more efficient alternative. In Australia, pharmacists are able to assess your symptoms at their desk and write you an appropriate prescription. Although I had to pay for the medicine I got, I didn’t have to pay for an appointment, so it was significantly cheaper. This being said, if you are very, very sick, see a doctor or go to the hospital and get the help you need. If it is not life or death, your local pharmacist should suffice!