Australia
Fun Run
I’ve read about people eagerly participating in marathon events around the world. Every day, on my way back from the gym, I see people running on the walkway around Manly Beach. I’ve never understood why some people choose running as their preferred method of fitness.
Last week, I participated in my first running event—a fun run, and indeed, it was fun. Having exercised for almost six years, I thought a 5 KM run would be manageable. It didn’t seem like too great a distance. Yet, I struggled. I managed to run the first kilometer at the start, but then it felt like the world came tumbling down. My legs started to ache in places I never imagined could experience pain. I walked the next three kilometers and ran the last one. The adrenaline rush at the end was incredible. I can now see why people choose running as a way to stay fit.
A friend messaged me asking if I was going to join the “crazy cult.” I am not. I love weight lifting and dancing and plan to stick with these activities for my fitness regimen.
Thanks Kabir and Iwona for signing me up for the run ❤️
five years
It’s been five years today since I moved to Australia. Five years since leaving friends and family behind to start an adventure which I thought would not last more than a few months. It’s been a ride, one that I have had a great time being on.
The original plan was that every year, I would spend nine months in Australia and three months in India. Staying away from mom, sister, niece and friends for more than a year was not on my mind. But here I am almost a year plus since my last visit to India. I miss them a lot and can’t wait till I get to see them again.
I did not imagine I would stop thinking about not travelling, but the more I stay here, the more I feel like continuing to stay here. What held me back before was having to apply for visas to get to the country I wanted to visit, but now with an Australian passport and the freedom to visit hundred plus countries, I have actively not made plans to travel. Has got me thinking a whole lot about how plans and life change.
Thank you Australia and everyone I have met here in the last five years. Here’s to the next five.
a month long hiatus
I did not want to miss writing here, yet here I am after a month-long hiatus of not writing any posts. So it’s good to be back.
Where have I been? Every Saturday for the last four weeks, I would get in the car early in the morning with my friend Deepankar(hi DD 👋) and drive down to Manly. We would look at about 3-4 apartments during each visit and then get breakfast before going back to Epping.
Living closer to the beach has been on my mind for a long, long time. One of the things I wanted to do when I moved to Australia was live closer to the beach. I love swimming in the ocean and enjoying my time at the beach, and with Australia surrounded by fantastic beaches, I wanted to make sure that I get to as many as I can and live closer to at least one of them for a few months.
It was not an easy decision to make, though. Few of my closest friends live in the same suburb where I lived before. I also had made good friends with people at the gym I was training at. Did I want to move away from my friends? No. I kept delaying the decision for as long as I could.
A few months ago, though, a call changed everything. I heard about a friend who passed away due to health conditions. That got me thinking about my life and everything I wanted to do before it was my time.
I wanted to live closer to the beach; I wanted to learn how to dance better; play beach volleyball; build more mobile apps. The list was entirely too long. So I picked the first thing from my list and decided to action it. It was tough moving away from my people. Anyone who knows me knows how much I like being around people. It will be tough living alone for the next year, but it is a challenge I have put forward myself.
Week one at the new place, and so far, I love the experience. I love waking up to the sound of waves crashing.
in the air
I have been thinking about the moment for more than a year now. Being able to travel again internationally and being able to travel without the need of being quarantined. The joy of landing in another country without being subjected to medical testing, where you only had to declare things you had carried in your bag.
When New Zealand announced the bubble a few weeks ago with Australia, I was pretty happy. Pretty happy does not describe the emotion. Overjoyed. That’s the word. I knew I had to make the trip. Before something goes wrong again, it’s an ever-changing situation. We are still in a pandemic. I hope the whole world gets back to normal as soon as possible. I pray.
I checked with the team and my reporting manager. It had been a long time. My usual weekend visits would no longer be enough. It had to be an extended stay. Maybe a week. I was hoping it would be a week. I am thankful that I got permission to work remotely from another country for two weeks: next thing, tickets.
Travel had to be expensive. Airlines have not been operating for more than a year now. They had to make it so that they balance their cost and recover from their losses. I knew it would be this way. I had saved up for this exact reason. The tickets were twice as expensive as my usual trip costs, but that did not stop me from clicking the “submit payment” button. I remember smiling ear to ear as I clicked the button. Giving away so much money did not feel bad. Overjoyed.
I am looking forward to travelling with James and getting to meeting Mayur again. It’s going to be a great trip.
missing home
It is sometimes the smallest of things. Seeing my niece dance on WhatsApp while we have our weekly catchup calls and sometimes a casual conversation with a friend or family back home.
A conversation with a really good friend (Happy Birthday Nikki 🎉❤️🥳) reminded me of one of my favourite restaurants to eat at in Bombay.
Hi, Australia 👋 When does international travel start again?
Current work from home setup
Macbook Pro 13 inch - 2017 - without Touch Bar - with crappy keyboard
BenQ 25 inch Monitor, 1080p | GL2580H
Week One 🇦🇺
How has your first week been in Australia? One of my close friends asked me this yesterday. He asked me to email details about week 1. I decided to write about this here instead. Hi Mayur! 👋
If I had to sum up my first week in Australia in one word, I would use the word “homesick”. I never thought I would be homesick having travelled and being outside India for an extended period, but the thought of being away for such a long period, had me missing my family and friends a lot.
I miss playing with her(Saanvi - my niece a lot. I never thought I would miss the playtime so much when I left home a week ago.
Sydney though has been great. The weather has been good, people have been friendly and the coffee.. boy, the coffee has been great. I love the fact that there are so many cafes everywhere around and people seem to be having a great time. I am also enjoying the food — so many options. The transport system and the connectivity is something I am getting used to, but thanks to the available apps and internet, getting around has not been a problem.
Ended up buying Ikea furniture for the first time and my flatmate and I had a great time assembling it. I think we even came up with the idea of being help available to hire if you wanted someone to come and join your Ikea furniture. Is somebody already doing this? Sounds like a fun side gig.
I am planning to join a gym and get back to exercise routine soon. “Once I get a routine set here first” is the reason I have been giving myself to not join the gym as yet.
Overall, love it here. Miss family and friends back home, but I plan to go back and spend time with them as often as I can.