L&L Archives: Sydney Day 1
These are notes from my time traveling in 2023. I’m sharing them now, unchanged except for context, and sharing my thoughts looking back on them today
Sydney, Australia, February, 2023
Then:
I left a rainy Los Angeles and boarded a fifteen-hour flight to Sydney. Somewhere over the ocean, about 15 minutes from landing, the view shifted and I saw rugged cliffs cutting into the water, the kind of landscape that makes you sit up a little straighter. I remember thinking: This is it, my first stop on my world tour. I can’t believe it’s happening.
After landing, I took the train to Town Hall Station, checked into my hotel, and dropped off my luggage before heading straight back out. I walked along Darling Harbour, letting jet lag blur into excitement, then stopped near Darling Station for a coffee and some people watching.
From there, I wandered into Chinatown. The hills, tram lines, and overhead wires reminded me of San Francisco. I ducked into a mall to eat at Happy Chef, which had been recommended to me and was packed when I arrived.
Later, I took the train to Circular Quay to see the Sydney Opera House in person. I joined a guided walking tour through The Rocks, the historic neighborhood where the first European settlers, many of them convicted of crimes in the UK, arrived after being transported to Australia. The tour was unexpectedly entertaining, and the views from Observatory Hill were genuinely stunning.
Afterward, a friend I met on the tour, (Irvan-he pops up later), joined me for dinner at a pub. We walked through The Rocks as the evening settled in, talking and wandering without much of a plan.
It was a strong first day in Sydney!
Now:
What stands out about this day, looking back, is how quickly the city felt familiar. Even on day one, there was a sense of ease, like my body had already decided this place made sense, before my brain could catch up.
Sydney ended up feeling like home by day three, and it showed. I was helping tourists navigate trains without stress, talking easily to strangers, letting the day unfold without forcing it. At the time, I didn’t realize how rare that feeling was, or how much I’d crave it later.
Now, I mostly remember this day as the beginning of something I didn’t yet know how to appreciate. It was literally the first day into my year long solo trip. I had seen much of the world, and had no idea what was yet to come.
