What has surprised me about life in Sydney. . .

A lot of people have been asking what has surprised me most (so far) about living in Australia.  I haven’t come up with a good answer.   I wouldn’t say that I’ve been surprised or shocked by anything.  But I have certainly found that things that I would have never given a second thought to before present challenges here.  Some because we are now living in an urban area where space is at a premium and others because we have no history here. 

Here are a few examples:

Getting a mobile phone – With no permanent address and no credit history, Telstra isn’t too keen on having me as a customer.  I am currently on a prepaid plan and I get texts if I need to “top up” my account. This same issue extends to things like arranging utilities, car registration, etc.   We definitely have an advantage given that Andy works at a bank – it would be 100x harder if we didn’t already have local bank accounts and credit/debit cards and people to call if we run into a problem.  To get a driver’s license here without taking the driving test, we will have to get Texas to sign a form confirming when we were issued our driver’s license.  (The RTA - Australian equivalent to the DMV - doesn't accept that it is 10 years prior to the expiration date on our current license.)  And since that is only going to establish 4 years of driving history, it may not be worth the considerable effort likely to be required.  Which leads me to. . .

Driving – I knew this would be a challenge but I didn’t expect to feel like a 15-year-old with a learner’s permit.   Every day I am getting more and more comfortable.  (Although my confidence took a nosedive with the, uh, “incident” that I prefer not to talk about.)  Who knows, maybe I’ll even be able to turn on the radio someday soon.  For the moment, I am a very focused, patient and defensive driver.  I drive under the speed limit and am never in a hurry.   Let’s hope I never get “too comfortable” driving here – I suspect the roads would be much safer if everyone maintained the laser-like focus of a new driver.  I honestly can’t believe the “multi-tasking” that I used to do when I was driving around Austin.   No way am I talking on the phone while I drive. 

Parking -  This is somewhat connected to the above, but I think it warrants its own category.  I’m sure my friends who live in San Fran can relate, but I’ve never been so aware of parking – or the lack thereof. Picking up Sophia at school requires significant pre-planning (and often a very long walk) and I find myself selecting grocery stores, dry cleaners, etc. based on the parking options.  A huge selling point for Zachary’s preschool is the fact that they have 5 parking spaces.  You may have to fight 100 people for those 5 spaces, but at least they are there.   Sophia’s has 0 and you must park and come in.  I have never been a huge fan of parallel parking but I have no choice but to do so daily.

The Metric System – I am going to have to find an online tutorial or class because I can no longer fake it.  It means nothing to me when someone says something is “200 centimeters” or weighs “50 kilos.”  Same goes for temperature.  I have my iPhone weather set for Fahrenheit but that is just a crutch.   I have long depended on my mother’s rule that we could wear shorts to school if it was 75 degrees. . .guess I’ll have to change that to 24C for my kids.   

On the flip side, there have been just as many things (if not more) that have been much easier than I expected, including:

Making friends – We have definitely been welcomed with open arms.  From Sophia’s school to Andy’s work to “friends of friends,” we have been surrounded by new “mates.”  Add those to the few people we already knew and loved, and we already have a personal network that is sure to grow over time. 

Finding good food, coffee, wine – Everywhere you go, there are fabulous cafes, shops and more.  The food is so fresh and so delicious – thank goodness I’ve already found a gym to fight off the extra kilos!

Skyping with Home – It has been great to be able to not only talk to but see my mom and dad.  Same goes for friends.  And I can’t wait to meet my new niece and nephew over the computer.  Even Sophia has had a few “skype playdates.”  I’ve found that the best time for us is first thing in the morning (between 6 and 7 am), which is mid to late afternoon in the US.  Would love to connect with more of you – my skype handle is kris10lark. . .

Public Transportation – I know I’ve mentioned this before, but we are loving public transportation.  It is an excellent solution to both the driving and parking challenges.  I’ve taken Sophia to school on the bus and we all took the bus to her school fair last weekend.  I’ve even taken the bus home for the grocery store.  And the ferry down the end of the street makes it so easy to say yes when Zachary asks “is it a boat day?” 

I know many of you have moved to a new place in the not so distant past.  Whether it was across town, the other side of the country or around the world, what has surprised YOU about your new hometown?