Feeling Like a True Australian

By: Rachel Weinstein, CAS ’20

StartSomeGood – Sydney, Australia

I have found myself facing a striking internal contradiction, stuck between feeling like a visitor on the opposite end of the world and a native Sydney resident rushing to work each morning and scoffing at the tourists who pause and clog the sidewalks. I know to stop at the hole-in-the-wall cream puff stand to pick up 35-cent pastries after work. I know to keep to the left side of the street. I would be lost without a biweekly Wooly’s run. I’ve only been here for five weeks, but somehow during that time, Sydney has become my home. 

It’s hard for me to pinpoint the exact moment that I felt like a true Sydney native. As someone who is navigationally incompetent and has yet to learn the intricacies of the Septa system in Philadelphia, I think that my mastery of Sydney public transit is a clear embodiment of this transformation. Since my internship is only a five-minute walk from my accommodation, I had no reason to need to learn Sydney public transport. But, during one of my first few weeks here, I had a spark of inspiration and decided to head to Central Station to try my luck at meeting a friend at a downtown café. I grabbed my Opal card, an umbrella (because, as I’ve learned, Sydney winters are infamous for rain), and the bravest attitude I could muster. 

I vividly remember standing in the middle of the station, surrounded by commuters who knew exactly where they were going, and feeling completely and utterly lost. I frantically ran through the station in the rain, unable to find the bus stand I needed and seeing the time pass me by. The wind whipping my face and the rain pouring down my back just personified my inner turmoil and frustration. As I was about to give up and call an Uber, I eventually stumbled upon Stand K, and I proudly tapped my card and took a seat on bus 431.

Now, I use the trains and buses almost every day, I take advantage of the $2.60 fares on Sundays for all rides, and my Opal card is covered in scratches. Looking back, the girl panicking in the rain in the middle of Central Station seems so distant. Something as simple as figuring out how to interpret train schedules has profoundly impacted my confidence as a traveler and has made me feel a part of the city. My over pronounced r’s, drawn out a’s, and insistence on calling “chips” “French fries” always sneak out and give me away as an American. But, as I run through Central Station keeping to the left side of the escalators on the way to a meeting or a café in the city, I can certainly get lost in the illusion of being a true Australian.

The Global Research and Internship Program (GRIP) provides outstanding undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to intern or conduct research abroad for 8 to 12 weeks over the summer. Participants gain career-enhancing experience and global exposure that is essential in a global workforce. Placements and funding awards are available.

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