The work week went by really quickly as it wasn't much different than when we were living separately in Chicago and Peoria. But then the weekend rolled around....oh...hmmm....
Okay, obviously I knew that we would have to be apart while I took this assignment but you still always kind of hope that a miracle happens and he magically gets to stay. No miracle here. Being alone in Chicago is one thing, being alone 10,000 miles away from my husband, family, and friends is quite another. Well, I happen to be in one of the most beautiful cities in the world so better make the best of it, right?
Luckily the weather that weekend turned out to be gorgeous. It was 26 or 27 Celsius on Saturday and Sunday (yeah, i know, whatever the hell that means...it was really warm out). So I decided to go to the beach. My husband had gotten the chance to go to Manly during the week while I was working and everyone at work said it's one of the nicest beaches in Sydney.
One of my favorite things about Manly is getting there. You take a ferry from Circular Quay. It's a beautiful 30 minute ferry ride and you get to see the Harbor Bridge and Opera House all along the ride. Arriving at Manly Wharf it's a short walk through a sort of walking zone through shops and restaurants until you get to the beach. Glorious!
It was one of the warmest days of the year since last summer so it was full of people. It didn't exactly plan that well so I hopped into one of the beach shops and bought a beach bag and towel.
It was quite a perfect little Saturday. Just enjoying the sunshine and people watching and a little reading. For some reason it reminded me of the time that my best friend Jaime and I went to Virginia Beach together. You'll have to get her to tell you that story.
On Sunday I decided to explore a different part of town. I walked over to Hyde Park which was only a few blocks from my apartment. I always love when there's a park in the middle of a city, so I stopped by Starbucks (I know, but hey, I was homesick... and it's not the same anyways - everything's in milliliters) and went over to the park to soak up the sunshine and do a little reading.
The park is broken up into two sections, so after a little reading I strolled up to Hyde Park North, just across the street. There was a really neat art exhibit. Every year Sydney does 'Art & About' - a way of showcasing different types of art and artists in interesting and non-typical venues throughout the city. It was a nice surprise to get to explore some art during a walk through the park.
Feeling the art itch, I walked about 10 minutes or so to the Art Gallery of New South Wales. It was so nice outside that I didn't want to be inside a museum, but it was free so I spent an hour or so wandering through some of the exhibits. It's on my list to go back and spend some more quality time there.
Not far from the art gallery are the Royal Botanical Gardens. This might be one of my new favorite places in the city. Like I said, I love a park in the middle of the city, and this is just beautiful. I'm sure it's even more breathtaking in the summer as more flowers bloom. The flowers are gorgeous and there's also a view of the Opera House and the bridge.
I didn't realize how far I had walked until my husband emailed me that he was home and wanted to Skype. It was late Saturday night for him, so he was just getting home from going out with friends. I started walking back (okay, I was pretty much running) and 15 minutes later I was huffing and puffing over Skype.
Chris: "Why are you breathing so heavy??"
Me: "I walked really far today"
Chris: "Soooo.....why are you breathing so heavy?"
Me: "I was all the way at Circular Quay when you emailed me, so I pretty much ran home"
Chris: "You ran all that way to talk to me?!"
Of course I did. It was a tough first weekend, but I had a really nice weekend, enjoyed some sunshine, got in a quick jog, and got to Skype with my husband. I think I'm going to make it.
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