so long, farewell

2 more days. my time is running out. what is left on the clock i have been filling with the "last" experiences i may ever have in sydney. who knows when i will be able to sink my feet into sand so soft it is like silk against my skin. who knows when i will be able to walk down the street in barefeet and have no one raise an eyebrow. who knows when i be able to live in a flat only a 2 min walk from the shoreline. who knows when i will be back again.

yesterday was my last day working at nino's. my last day working at a juice bar that overlooks the ocean. my last day working with people who have become my friends in the last 5 months. my last day serving regular customers who have become my family. i said goodbye to it all.

today was the day i moved out of my flat. i packed up my trusty green pack and walked out, closing the door for the last time. i have officially re-entered the world of nomads. no home. no keys. no job. nothing aside from the excitement of knowing that everyday will be a new adventure of self-discovery. it may sound a little cheesy - but i'm not going to lie - it's true.

it's wierd to be saying goodbye to sydney... as much as i know it is not "home," it feels that way just the same. it has become my home. i have friends here. i had a job. i had a flat. i had so much and now i have to give it up again and say goodbye to that of which i now love. i know there is more out there - i am incredibly excited to continue on my journey to see the rest of australia. but it is still sad to have to leave all that i have found good here.

one customer who is a frequent regular at work (bob) commented that my leaving meant it was the "end of an era." i don't know so much about that as i think the definition of an era would have to be a significantly longer time than 5 months, but even still it is hard to know that people from sydney will miss me as much, if not more, than what i will miss them. goodbye's are hard. they are harder when you know there is a very small chance you will ever see each other again.

even still - i am happy to be on the move again. excited, really. there are so many memories from sydney i will bring with me as i go. things such as living in a hostel for a month. the endless search of flat-hunting. doing a day-trip to the blue mountains. endless days lying on the beach. meeting thousands of people from all over the world. watching "bondi rescue" on tv and knowing i was just at the beach a moment ago. learning to surf. making hundreds of freshly squeezed juices at work. walking in the rain. running the coastal walk. trying out the numerous beaches that line sydney. playing tennis into the evening as bats fly overhead. seeing the sun rise over the ocean horizon. watching dolphins play in the rolling waves. eating sushi. dealing with a break-in, power outage and a fire alarm at work (all within a few weeks). and the list goes on....

and now, as i switch gears, i can only imagine what is out there for me to still experience. so many people to meet. places to see. food to eat. things to do. i know i won't be able to fit in all it, but it's going to be so much fun trying!