The lone traveler (part 2)

Back in November, I wrote from Paris about being a lone traveler. I mused about the various positives and negatives of being in a foreign place on your own. Some of those remain true here in Sydney, but as it's quite a different place from Paris, there are other aspects.

I think the most pointed for me is just the fact that Sydney feels so much farther away than Paris ever did. Perhaps it is being in the Southern Hemisphere. Perhaps it is the extreme time difference. Or perhaps it is simply that Sydney is a helluva lot farther from Toronto than Paris is. So because I feel so much farther away, I feel that much more alone.

That being said, Sydney seems much more like home than Paris did. For one, it's English speaking. Also, the whole feeling of the city is much more North American than European (although I would argue that there is a huge Asian influence here, for obvious reasons). It is clean and seems relatively safe, though I admit that's a hard thing to grasp on a cursory glance.

I found some practical drawbacks of being on my own yesterday. I took the ferry from Sydney harbour to Manly Beach. It was a beautiful trip and I think I got some great pictures (although I am appreciating how much extra weight my kickass camera adds to my bag). The beach was stunning... the sand is much redder than I've ever seen, and the water bluer. I rented a beach chair and got comfortable. Around two hours in when I yearned for a dip in the ocean, I couldn't... couldn't leave the chair, couldn't leave my stuff. When I would've liked a trip to the washroom, nope. No food either. I sat there for four hours until I felt that I had had enough of lying in the sun. Then returned the chair, gathered up all my stuff, and went about my business.

Another drawback: sunscreen. There is an area of my back I seem to be unable to put sunscreen on. So, of course, it got searingly burnt. The contortions I did this morning to attempt to protect it would have made great comedy.

So, anyhow on some practical levels, it would've been really nice to have had a partner in crime. And I suppose on interpersonal, psychological levels as well. Always nice to share experiences with someone. But Megan will be here soon and our co-adventure will begin!