starting over / bondi rescue

1 made the move

after the long three hour flight, finally i reach sydney.

after the long process of filing out of the plane, claiming baggage and grabbing a bite to eat, i was finally out of the airport. i wave down a cab and find the address of my new apartment on my phone.

i'm lana or ana, whatever's easiest. i'm 20 and from new zealand, coming to live in sydney. i've lived in the same small city my entire life in new zealand and i really just wanted to escape and explore the world. i have a citizenship in australia which means i can live and work here so with some thinking and discussing with my parents, we came to the conclusion of 'why not move'.

straight out of high school i went to poly tech and studied tourism for one year but i hated it. it wasn't interesting and i hated the classes. while i was tidying that year, i had a part time job at a cafe which i loved. so the past year i've been working full time at the cafe which they've put me through my baristas, liquor and managers license which is amazing!

so my plan in australia is to find a job at a restaurant or cafe (ideally, but anywhere will do!) and live life while figuring out what i want to do.

i know a couple of people here. a few distant family relatives who i've met a couple of times and can't remember but the main one is dads friend, hoppo. dad used to work as a boatbuilder and lifeguard which bought him to sydney for a couple of years. he started boatbuilding for a couple of months but the company went into receivership meaning he was jobless. with the logical option of going back to new zealand, he begun to book a flight until someone offered him a well paying job at the local boating needs store.liking the idea of staying in sydney for longer and being around the beach, he said yes and he stayed for two years. this lead to him spending a lot of time in the water and surfing and sure enough he found him self lifeguarding and tamarama. hoppo and him got along quite well although hoppo was mainly at bondi beach. but it's been years since they saw each other. dad messaged him telling him that i was coming and hoppo jumped at that message, saying he couldn't wait to see me. i've met hoppo a couple of times, many years ago so i don't really remember him but apparently he remembers me so that's cool! i'm happy there's one person here for me.

the cab pulls outside the apartment block and i pay the man and wander inside after grabbing my bags. i didn't bring anything with me except clothes so i'm starting from scratch here. no furniture no appliances. nothing.

i walk up to the front desk and hand the lovely woman my paperwork and she enters a few things on the computer. we get chatting and her names emily. shes really lovely and she was telling me how she's here most days as her and her partner own the whole complex. eventually i recieve two keys and a swipe card and head up to my apartment. she tells me that one key is for my room, one for the main entrance door and the swipe card for the gym and pool downstairs. they used to only give people on key - for their door, but a couple of years ago random strangers started walking in and using the facilities. so now it's much safer for everyone living here.

i reach my room which is on the 4th level and unlock it to reveal an incredibly empty 1 bedroom apartment. i leave the door open for ventilation and wander through the apartment, inspecting the place.

pleased with my purchase i open the door leading to the balcony and step outside to look at the view of the city and part of bondi beach. i wanted a place close to a beach somewhere because i want to learn how to surf. i'm planning on buying a surfboard somewhere down the track when i have enough money.

it's 4pm and i need to find a bed and some food urgently. i quickly change into some clothes and i decide to head to the local camping store.

walking inside, i look around at the sheer largeness of the place and try to hunt out the air beds. "do you need any help miss?" i hear behind me and i spin around to see an employee. "oh uh, airbeds?" i ask, not even forming a proper sentence.

he takes me upstairs into the higher level and into a row of airbeds and stretchers. "how long?" he asks me. "literally anything" i say and chuckle. he helps me pick out a relitavly cheap and comfy one and i also grab a air pump. i pay and walk out, stopping by the homeward shop to pick up a duvet and a cover.

with my hands full already i head back and dump everything in my apartment. needing food, i walk a couple of blocks over to the mall where a supermarket is joint onto the end. i don't pick up much. a couple of apples, bananas, a loaf of bread, peanut butter, a pack of chocolate biscuits and a some hot chicken.

that night i make myself a chicken sandwich and blow up my bed. i sleep pretty well that night, thinking about how i've finally made it to bondi. my new home.