Day 112: Tuesday, January 1st
I stayed up for New Year’s Eve until 4am and started work at 6:30am. Although I was miserably tired and worked an 11 hour day, it was worth it because of the public holiday pay rate.
Day 113: Wednesday, January 2nd
Worked all day, Facetimed Mackenzie, and then worked wine & cheese. I was thrilled to meet another vegan named Erin. She’s also a personal trainer. We hung out together for most of the night.
Day 114: Thursday, January 3rd
An uneventful day: I worked, took a nap, made dinner, and went to bed early.
Day 115: Friday, January 4th
Eagerly spent the morning making rough plans for my future travels in Australia. Lots of budgeting and calendar logistics, but my plan is to travel to the West Coast and outback in late February. In the afternoon, I bussed to Mona Vale to spend the evening and following day at Averill’s home. When I arrived, I chatted with her roommate about my East Coast trip and life at Wake Up, played with a puppy named Jack Jack who staying at Averill’s home, and ended the afternoon at a restaurant called The Newport with Yoie and Averill. The Newport is an elaborate outdoor restaurant/café/bar with a beautiful view of the water. Not only did Averill welcome to me spend the night, but she gave me a vegan cookbook as a Christmas gift! Eating a delicious meal in Averill’s backyard and sleeping in a double bed was a much needed, luxurious experience after months on the top bunk in a hostel.
Day 116: Saturday, January 5th
Averill and I ate avocado toast and iced tea for breakfast. We went for an icy swim at Mona Vale Beach Pool, grabbed coffee at the same coffee shop we went to when I first arrived in Australia, and then went for a dip at a nearby bay. The second swimming spot was much more peaceful because there weren’t many waves and the water was significantly warmer. After eating leftovers for lunch, we met Averill’s son’s friend for a drink and he brought his puppy! Two puppies in two days, definitely a record for my Aussie experience. My bus ride back took an hour and then I worked the beer pong tournament at Wake Up.
Day 117: Sunday, January 6th
Wrote a blog for Wake Up in the morning before going to a vegan café with Mike, Sam, and my new vegan friend Erin. We had to wait nearly an hour to eat, but the food was delicious. Erin is leaving for a few days but will be back soon and stay for a week. I attempted to go bowling with Mike, Sam, and a girl named Tine who I’ve known for a few weeks, but the wait was so long that I only had time to play one round of pool before leaving to work the pub crawl for the hostel. We had over 90 attendees, meaning the three of us working were essentially responsible for safely bringing 30 people each to three different bars around Sydney’s CBD.
Day 118: Monday, January 7th
Worked, edited a few blogs for Wake Up, and did a leg workout.
Day 119: Tuesday, January 8th
Worked in the morning, purchased a shampoo bar from Lush to make traveling easier, and talked with Erin for a few hours about our lives and vegan things. It’s refreshing having another vegan to talk to about food who understands and respects my perspective. I went to see the Mary Poppins movie in the evening, it was cute!
Day 120: Wednesday, January 9th
After work, I spent the afternoon with Erin. It was my roommate and fellow promo teammate Aggy’s last night on the job for wine & cheese. She leaves for the East Coast on Saturday. Because the promo team pulled off one of the biggest pub crawls in Side Bar’s history, we were rewarded with a larger bar tab for the night. I also Facetimed Caitlin for the first time in ages today.
Day 121: Thursday, January 10th
Erin is also instafamous (follow her @killenfitness) and offered to train me for a workout. I couldn’t lift my arms above my head for four days. It was fantastic. We ate at a vegan spot after our workout and shared a smoothie. I trialed a girl for the promotions job during the pool competition in the evening. She was great and ended up getting hired a few days later. After my shift, I ran into Dan and Dave from surf camp during my first two days up the East Coast. I had a drink with them before going to bed.
Day 122: Friday, January 11th
Worked in the morning and met Jen at Clovelly Beach to swim in the afternoon. Clovelly is unique because it has a large paved area, almost like a dock but wider, that leads farther into the ocean than other beaches in the area. I worked the free drinks event and at the end of the night, ate at a vegan spot called Lord of the Flies. I ordered a heavenly vegan egg McMuffin and onion rings.
Day 123: Saturday, January 12th
Today marks four months in Australia! Amber and Aggy, my roommates for the past few months at Wake Up, left for the East Coast today. After Aggy left, I snatched her bottom bunk. Erin brought a few of us to the park and trained us. My legs were on fire by the end of it. I worked beer pong and hung out with Erin, Sophie, Mike, Sam and a few other hostel guests for the rest of the night.
Day 124: Sunday, January 13th
Was supposed to go to the Blue Mountains today but after waking up late, the group opted to postpone. I took a nap and relaxed the rest of the day.
Day 125: Monday, January 14th
Worked a double shift today.
Day 126: Tuesday, January 15th
Worked until 3 pm, FaceTimed my mom, and then met with Jen and some her friends for drinks for her birthday. After, Erin and I headed to Mike and Kamryn’s Airbnb to cook up some vegan nuggets in a real oven. I haven’t been able to use an oven since arriving in Australia.
Day 127: Wednesday, January 16th
Slept in and headed to a nearby café to catch up on my journal and plan more of my trip for the West Coast and Outback. After making my 19 for 2019 list of travel goals for the hostel, I realized I need to get moving if I’m going to accomplish all of my goals. It’s a logistical nightmare organizing the flights and tours for the best price possible, but that’s part of the fun. The Wine & Cheese event tonight was one of the craziest I’ve ever worked. The theme was country and there was another mechanical bull, I beat my record and hit 31 seconds. Unfortunately, they didn’t play any country music. For some crazy reason, I seem to be alone in my love for Thomas Rhett.
Day 128: Thursday, January 17th
Kamryn and I headed for the Blue Mountains in the morning. It’s supposed to be about a 2 hour train ride there. However, we weren’t paying attention. Around the 2 hour mark, I mentioned that we should probably check when Katoomba stop was. A guy on the train who was clearly eavesdropping said we missed it and now had to ride all the way to the end of the line and wait for the train to turn around. And just like that, we added 3 hours to our day. All in all, we spent over 6 hours on the train and couldn’t even find the waterfall in the mountains. We did, however, find the iconic Three Sisters rock formation and a mini waterfall that we sat and laid down in to cool down.
Day 129: Friday, January 18th
My friend Annelise from UW knows someone from Seattle who just arrived in Australia for a working holiday, so I met her for coffee after work. In the afternoon, Jaimmi (my blog manager) sent me a link to flights with massive discounts and I finally made a travel decision: I booked a flight to Perth on February 24th! I’ll spend four nights there and visit Rottnest Island with the iconic Quokkas. I spent the afternoon at Jen’s house tanning before shopping in Bondi Junction. At work in the evening, I coincidentally met two Australians from Perth who gave me some fantastic tips on things to do and how to spend my time in Perth.
Day 130: Saturday, January 19th
As soon as I woke up, I booked my two-week tour of the West Coast of Australia. After my four days in Perth, I hop on a bus tour to camp my way up the West Coast. My tentative plan is to then spend 3 nights in Broome 3 nights in Darwin, do a tour of the national parks around Darwin, head South to see Uluru and the outback, and then head back to Sydney for a few weeks before settling again to work.
Day 131: Sunday, January 20th
Another day, another vegan market. I feasted on a fried Seitan chicken burger and chocolate frappe. I also purchased coconut bacon, vegan Cheeze Its, earrings, and a green shirt that says “vegan” upside down. I spent a full 3 hours wandering around the market. After, I bussed to Bondi Junction and finally, after going to at least five different supermarkets, found the brand-new vegan Cornetto’s! I bought some drinks to bring to Jen’s birthday celebration, too. Her friends and I played the game “Heads Up” for hours, I was killer at the “Friends” tv show category. One of Jen’s friend’s bought her a piñata and Jen ripped each limb off, one by one, before even making a dent in the body itself. We all ended the night at a bar called Tea Gardens that I had been to before with Danielle during my first week in Sydney.
Day 132: Monday, January 21st
Began work at 6am, worked out in the afternoon, and had my second shift of the day working the free pizza night at the hostel.
Day 133: Tuesday, January 22nd
Worked 6-3, ate takeaway Thai food, and briefly went to the trivia night before having an early night.
Day 134: Wednesday, January 23rd
Felt proud of myself because I actually went to the gym immediately after waking up. Jen and I went to brunch and both ordered a meal that consisted of the elements of a full English breakfast toppling over smashed avocado toast at the Walrus Café. I asked an employee at a Woolworths if they had the new vegan magnum ice cream bars in stock and before I even finished my sentence, he said no. I took that as a positive sign that there is a high demand for the new vegan ice cream.
Day 135: Thursday, January 24th
Today was a rare day that I wasn’t scheduled to work. I walked to a grocery store farther away than usual, ate Din Tai Fung for lunch, and somehow got roped into changing phone plans and providers. At least I’ll have coverage on the West Coast and in the outback. Jen messaged me and the next thing I knew, I had plans to go to a bar called Ivy with her and a few of her friends in the evening.
Day 136: Friday, January 25th
Worked another double shift today. I spent the morning in the kitchen and the evening working the free drinks and limbo event.
Day 137: Saturday, January 26th
I met Alex, who I met on the East Coast, at Coogee beach. She’s one of my longest friendships I’ve had in Australia so it was nice to catch up. We relaxed in the sun before grabbing smoothies. I had my very last shift in promotions and very last night sleeping at Wake Up tonight! After the past few months living and working at Wake Up, it was time to fulfill my goal of living in Bondi Beach. I never intended on living in the middle of the city for so long, but fell in love with Wake Up. I’m so thankful for my time there and am happy that I get to continue my kitchen job until leaving Sydney and keep the blogging job indefinitely.
Day 138: Sunday, January 27th
I packed up in the morning and departed Wake Up for my new hostel called Bondi Backpackers in the early afternoon. It’s owned by the same company as Wake Up. I’m in a 6-bed dorm on the newly renovated floor and have awesome roommates. This hostel is directly across the street from the beach, has multiple common areas filled with light and comfy seating, and a generally more relaxed environment and social scene. I’m thrilled to be here. Within an hour of arriving, I was welcomed to join a group of long-term guests for a movie night upstairs.
Day 139: Monday, January 28th
The only downside of moving to Bondi is that I now have a 40 minute commute to get to work by 6 or 6:30am three days a week. No more rolling out of bed and down the elevator. After arriving back at the hostel, I did a leg workout and went to the bar downstairs with my roommate and a few other guests for a cider. Headed to bed early because I work again tomorrow.
Day 140: Tuesday, January 29th
After my shift ended at 3pm, I worked on a few Wake Up blogs. In the evening, I drank margaritas and played card games with the same group of long term guests that I watched the movie with a few days before. Since I’ll be here for at least two weeks, it’s nice to make friends with other long term travelers.
Day 141: Wednesday, January 30th
I joined the personal training session in the morning. The sessions are run by a certified trainer and take place on the grass by the beach. With a combination of weights, cardio, and touch rugby, my face is always as red as a tomato by the end of the hour. Jen and I went to Watson’s Bay to wander around the beach and have a frozen margarita. She was heading to the city and convinced me to join her for the ferry ride and an additional drink overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Just like the Wake Up! Sydney Central wine & cheese Wednesdays, Bondi Backpackers has its own wine & cheese Wednesdays. However, each hostel has its own vibe so the events have distinct features. Bondi’s version takes place on the roof during sunset, has laidback beer pong, and is quiet enough to chat with other guests in big circles. After, everyone heads to Beach Road Hotel 10 minutes away. I already love Bondi Backpackers so I extended to stay here until my flight to Perth on February 24th.
Day 142: Thursday, January 31st
Worked 6-3, FaceTimed Mackenzie, and showered and got ready for dinner at Wake Up. I went with Jen and Shannon, one of the bar managers who is also vegan, to an Italian restaurant called Mark and Vinney’s. From a vegan egg yolk pasta, to gnocchi, to fried ravioli filled with creamy, chocolate hazelnut spread, every bite was better than the last. We went to Side Bar after because it was only 10 minutes away. I moved out of Wake Up, yet have been there every day except Wednesday this week.
I stayed up for New Year’s Eve until 4am and started work at 6:30am. Although I was miserably tired and worked an 11 hour day, it was worth it because of the public holiday pay rate.
Day 113: Wednesday, January 2nd
Worked all day, Facetimed Mackenzie, and then worked wine & cheese. I was thrilled to meet another vegan named Erin. She’s also a personal trainer. We hung out together for most of the night.
Day 114: Thursday, January 3rd
An uneventful day: I worked, took a nap, made dinner, and went to bed early.
Day 115: Friday, January 4th
Eagerly spent the morning making rough plans for my future travels in Australia. Lots of budgeting and calendar logistics, but my plan is to travel to the West Coast and outback in late February. In the afternoon, I bussed to Mona Vale to spend the evening and following day at Averill’s home. When I arrived, I chatted with her roommate about my East Coast trip and life at Wake Up, played with a puppy named Jack Jack who staying at Averill’s home, and ended the afternoon at a restaurant called The Newport with Yoie and Averill. The Newport is an elaborate outdoor restaurant/café/bar with a beautiful view of the water. Not only did Averill welcome to me spend the night, but she gave me a vegan cookbook as a Christmas gift! Eating a delicious meal in Averill’s backyard and sleeping in a double bed was a much needed, luxurious experience after months on the top bunk in a hostel.
Day 116: Saturday, January 5th
Averill and I ate avocado toast and iced tea for breakfast. We went for an icy swim at Mona Vale Beach Pool, grabbed coffee at the same coffee shop we went to when I first arrived in Australia, and then went for a dip at a nearby bay. The second swimming spot was much more peaceful because there weren’t many waves and the water was significantly warmer. After eating leftovers for lunch, we met Averill’s son’s friend for a drink and he brought his puppy! Two puppies in two days, definitely a record for my Aussie experience. My bus ride back took an hour and then I worked the beer pong tournament at Wake Up.
Day 117: Sunday, January 6th
Wrote a blog for Wake Up in the morning before going to a vegan café with Mike, Sam, and my new vegan friend Erin. We had to wait nearly an hour to eat, but the food was delicious. Erin is leaving for a few days but will be back soon and stay for a week. I attempted to go bowling with Mike, Sam, and a girl named Tine who I’ve known for a few weeks, but the wait was so long that I only had time to play one round of pool before leaving to work the pub crawl for the hostel. We had over 90 attendees, meaning the three of us working were essentially responsible for safely bringing 30 people each to three different bars around Sydney’s CBD.
Day 118: Monday, January 7th
Worked, edited a few blogs for Wake Up, and did a leg workout.
Day 119: Tuesday, January 8th
Worked in the morning, purchased a shampoo bar from Lush to make traveling easier, and talked with Erin for a few hours about our lives and vegan things. It’s refreshing having another vegan to talk to about food who understands and respects my perspective. I went to see the Mary Poppins movie in the evening, it was cute!
Day 120: Wednesday, January 9th
After work, I spent the afternoon with Erin. It was my roommate and fellow promo teammate Aggy’s last night on the job for wine & cheese. She leaves for the East Coast on Saturday. Because the promo team pulled off one of the biggest pub crawls in Side Bar’s history, we were rewarded with a larger bar tab for the night. I also Facetimed Caitlin for the first time in ages today.
Day 121: Thursday, January 10th
Erin is also instafamous (follow her @killenfitness) and offered to train me for a workout. I couldn’t lift my arms above my head for four days. It was fantastic. We ate at a vegan spot after our workout and shared a smoothie. I trialed a girl for the promotions job during the pool competition in the evening. She was great and ended up getting hired a few days later. After my shift, I ran into Dan and Dave from surf camp during my first two days up the East Coast. I had a drink with them before going to bed.
Day 122: Friday, January 11th
Worked in the morning and met Jen at Clovelly Beach to swim in the afternoon. Clovelly is unique because it has a large paved area, almost like a dock but wider, that leads farther into the ocean than other beaches in the area. I worked the free drinks event and at the end of the night, ate at a vegan spot called Lord of the Flies. I ordered a heavenly vegan egg McMuffin and onion rings.
Day 123: Saturday, January 12th
Today marks four months in Australia! Amber and Aggy, my roommates for the past few months at Wake Up, left for the East Coast today. After Aggy left, I snatched her bottom bunk. Erin brought a few of us to the park and trained us. My legs were on fire by the end of it. I worked beer pong and hung out with Erin, Sophie, Mike, Sam and a few other hostel guests for the rest of the night.
Day 124: Sunday, January 13th
Was supposed to go to the Blue Mountains today but after waking up late, the group opted to postpone. I took a nap and relaxed the rest of the day.
Day 125: Monday, January 14th
Worked a double shift today.
Day 126: Tuesday, January 15th
Worked until 3 pm, FaceTimed my mom, and then met with Jen and some her friends for drinks for her birthday. After, Erin and I headed to Mike and Kamryn’s Airbnb to cook up some vegan nuggets in a real oven. I haven’t been able to use an oven since arriving in Australia.
Day 127: Wednesday, January 16th
Slept in and headed to a nearby café to catch up on my journal and plan more of my trip for the West Coast and Outback. After making my 19 for 2019 list of travel goals for the hostel, I realized I need to get moving if I’m going to accomplish all of my goals. It’s a logistical nightmare organizing the flights and tours for the best price possible, but that’s part of the fun. The Wine & Cheese event tonight was one of the craziest I’ve ever worked. The theme was country and there was another mechanical bull, I beat my record and hit 31 seconds. Unfortunately, they didn’t play any country music. For some crazy reason, I seem to be alone in my love for Thomas Rhett.
Day 128: Thursday, January 17th
Kamryn and I headed for the Blue Mountains in the morning. It’s supposed to be about a 2 hour train ride there. However, we weren’t paying attention. Around the 2 hour mark, I mentioned that we should probably check when Katoomba stop was. A guy on the train who was clearly eavesdropping said we missed it and now had to ride all the way to the end of the line and wait for the train to turn around. And just like that, we added 3 hours to our day. All in all, we spent over 6 hours on the train and couldn’t even find the waterfall in the mountains. We did, however, find the iconic Three Sisters rock formation and a mini waterfall that we sat and laid down in to cool down.
Day 129: Friday, January 18th
My friend Annelise from UW knows someone from Seattle who just arrived in Australia for a working holiday, so I met her for coffee after work. In the afternoon, Jaimmi (my blog manager) sent me a link to flights with massive discounts and I finally made a travel decision: I booked a flight to Perth on February 24th! I’ll spend four nights there and visit Rottnest Island with the iconic Quokkas. I spent the afternoon at Jen’s house tanning before shopping in Bondi Junction. At work in the evening, I coincidentally met two Australians from Perth who gave me some fantastic tips on things to do and how to spend my time in Perth.
Day 130: Saturday, January 19th
As soon as I woke up, I booked my two-week tour of the West Coast of Australia. After my four days in Perth, I hop on a bus tour to camp my way up the West Coast. My tentative plan is to then spend 3 nights in Broome 3 nights in Darwin, do a tour of the national parks around Darwin, head South to see Uluru and the outback, and then head back to Sydney for a few weeks before settling again to work.
Day 131: Sunday, January 20th
Another day, another vegan market. I feasted on a fried Seitan chicken burger and chocolate frappe. I also purchased coconut bacon, vegan Cheeze Its, earrings, and a green shirt that says “vegan” upside down. I spent a full 3 hours wandering around the market. After, I bussed to Bondi Junction and finally, after going to at least five different supermarkets, found the brand-new vegan Cornetto’s! I bought some drinks to bring to Jen’s birthday celebration, too. Her friends and I played the game “Heads Up” for hours, I was killer at the “Friends” tv show category. One of Jen’s friend’s bought her a piñata and Jen ripped each limb off, one by one, before even making a dent in the body itself. We all ended the night at a bar called Tea Gardens that I had been to before with Danielle during my first week in Sydney.
Day 132: Monday, January 21st
Began work at 6am, worked out in the afternoon, and had my second shift of the day working the free pizza night at the hostel.
Day 133: Tuesday, January 22nd
Worked 6-3, ate takeaway Thai food, and briefly went to the trivia night before having an early night.
Day 134: Wednesday, January 23rd
Felt proud of myself because I actually went to the gym immediately after waking up. Jen and I went to brunch and both ordered a meal that consisted of the elements of a full English breakfast toppling over smashed avocado toast at the Walrus Café. I asked an employee at a Woolworths if they had the new vegan magnum ice cream bars in stock and before I even finished my sentence, he said no. I took that as a positive sign that there is a high demand for the new vegan ice cream.
Day 135: Thursday, January 24th
Today was a rare day that I wasn’t scheduled to work. I walked to a grocery store farther away than usual, ate Din Tai Fung for lunch, and somehow got roped into changing phone plans and providers. At least I’ll have coverage on the West Coast and in the outback. Jen messaged me and the next thing I knew, I had plans to go to a bar called Ivy with her and a few of her friends in the evening.
Day 136: Friday, January 25th
Worked another double shift today. I spent the morning in the kitchen and the evening working the free drinks and limbo event.
Day 137: Saturday, January 26th
I met Alex, who I met on the East Coast, at Coogee beach. She’s one of my longest friendships I’ve had in Australia so it was nice to catch up. We relaxed in the sun before grabbing smoothies. I had my very last shift in promotions and very last night sleeping at Wake Up tonight! After the past few months living and working at Wake Up, it was time to fulfill my goal of living in Bondi Beach. I never intended on living in the middle of the city for so long, but fell in love with Wake Up. I’m so thankful for my time there and am happy that I get to continue my kitchen job until leaving Sydney and keep the blogging job indefinitely.
Day 138: Sunday, January 27th
I packed up in the morning and departed Wake Up for my new hostel called Bondi Backpackers in the early afternoon. It’s owned by the same company as Wake Up. I’m in a 6-bed dorm on the newly renovated floor and have awesome roommates. This hostel is directly across the street from the beach, has multiple common areas filled with light and comfy seating, and a generally more relaxed environment and social scene. I’m thrilled to be here. Within an hour of arriving, I was welcomed to join a group of long-term guests for a movie night upstairs.
Day 139: Monday, January 28th
The only downside of moving to Bondi is that I now have a 40 minute commute to get to work by 6 or 6:30am three days a week. No more rolling out of bed and down the elevator. After arriving back at the hostel, I did a leg workout and went to the bar downstairs with my roommate and a few other guests for a cider. Headed to bed early because I work again tomorrow.
Day 140: Tuesday, January 29th
After my shift ended at 3pm, I worked on a few Wake Up blogs. In the evening, I drank margaritas and played card games with the same group of long term guests that I watched the movie with a few days before. Since I’ll be here for at least two weeks, it’s nice to make friends with other long term travelers.
Day 141: Wednesday, January 30th
I joined the personal training session in the morning. The sessions are run by a certified trainer and take place on the grass by the beach. With a combination of weights, cardio, and touch rugby, my face is always as red as a tomato by the end of the hour. Jen and I went to Watson’s Bay to wander around the beach and have a frozen margarita. She was heading to the city and convinced me to join her for the ferry ride and an additional drink overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Just like the Wake Up! Sydney Central wine & cheese Wednesdays, Bondi Backpackers has its own wine & cheese Wednesdays. However, each hostel has its own vibe so the events have distinct features. Bondi’s version takes place on the roof during sunset, has laidback beer pong, and is quiet enough to chat with other guests in big circles. After, everyone heads to Beach Road Hotel 10 minutes away. I already love Bondi Backpackers so I extended to stay here until my flight to Perth on February 24th.
Day 142: Thursday, January 31st
Worked 6-3, FaceTimed Mackenzie, and showered and got ready for dinner at Wake Up. I went with Jen and Shannon, one of the bar managers who is also vegan, to an Italian restaurant called Mark and Vinney’s. From a vegan egg yolk pasta, to gnocchi, to fried ravioli filled with creamy, chocolate hazelnut spread, every bite was better than the last. We went to Side Bar after because it was only 10 minutes away. I moved out of Wake Up, yet have been there every day except Wednesday this week.