L&L Archives: Sydney, Day 2

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

started my second day in Sydney at The Grounds of the City with a cup of coffee and avocado toast. It was excellent and immediately went on my will absolutely return list.

From there, I headed to Bondi Beach. It was incredibly windy, nearly empty, and not particularly romantic. I got sand in my eyes and broke my flip-flop almost immediately, which felt on brand for day two. After switching into sneakers, things improved.

I walked over to the Bondi Icebergs pool and stood there for a while taking in the views before starting the coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee Beach. The walk usually takes two to three hours. For me, it took three. Mostly because I stopped constantly to take photos, and also because my feet were killing me and my cardio is questionable at best.

For dinner, I went to Hubert. You walk down a few flights of stairs and are met with live jazz music, low lighting, and a very comforting sense that you’ve made the right decision. The cocktails were great, the food even better. I leaned heavily into seafood (crab, lobster, shrimp), and ended the night back at the hotel, unwinding with Netflix and very sore legs.

Now

Looking back, this was one of my favorite days in Australia. I remember the color of the water so clearly, and sitting on a bench during one of my breaks thinking, I can’t believe this exists. The sun was out, the walk had slowed me down, and I felt an overwhelming sense of freedom.

I wasn’t in a cubicle or sitting in a meeting, pretending to care about things that didn’t matter to me. I was fully present, living my own life, and for the first time it really landed.