Well it’s official I’m a country bumpkin.
I’m in Sydney. It’s not going well.
Spent the morning driving around Surry Hills trying to find (a) the conference venue and then (b) a car park which was then followed by a long stint fighting with the parking meter which didn’t like any of my three credit cards (yes I have three credit cards but one’s a debit card and another is my savings/credit card and … why am I justifying myself … why do I tell you people these things) finally managed to scrounge up enough change for 45 minutes of parking. Shame my conference went for four hours.
Decided to move car to hotel after only hearing one and half sessions at the conference. Drove around in a circle for an HOUR trying to find (a) the hotel and then (b) the car park for the hotel. Turns out the car park requires driving the wrong way up a one way street to an unmarked garage (how could I have had trouble with that??).
Am hating the traffic. Am hating not knowing where I am going (although vague recollections are coming back but it’s been 17 years since I lived here and you would not believe how many streets they have made ONE WAY or NO THROUGH ROAD).
Obviously my mid-life crisis is deeper than I thought – I used to love the city. I’m also missing my kids – I don’t know where that’s coming from – because that’s just crazy talk.
There are people and traffic and it’s all a bit grimy and I’m starting to appreciate my little coastal town where it only takes five minutes to drive anywhere and a traffic jam is six cars backed up at the school’s Lollypop Lady.
The day did get a bit better when I found a few nice restaurants, a newsagency and a corner store at the end of the street I’m staying in, frankly that’s my necessities of life taken care of – food, magazines and chocolate.
Having an early night to douse my bad mood and be ready for a big day conferencing tomorrow.
Which way do you veer towards? Country or city?
PS I’m blogging ’cause my friends want to know what’s happened to the blog considering I’m not working … this is what happens when you pressure me people you get an incoherent rambling of my bad mood.
PSS There’s no photo because I was too busy driving, reading google maps on my iPhone and trying to avoid the police seeing me with phone in hand as I dodged wayward pedestrians and mad drivers who change lanes without indicating. So clearly there was NO CHANCE TO SNAP A PHOTO WITH THE PHONE AS WELL.
PSSS Rachel if you are reading this we might be meeting at the pub I’ve found at the end of my street because I haven’t seen the other one yet and so help me god I may totally lose my mind if I have to find yet another venue!!
Ha ha – yep, reading it. I like how we are now communicating through your blog. Surry Hills is a great suburb, but I can see how it would seem grimy after your beautiful beaches and streets 🙂 I hope tomorrow is a better day for you. Just text me a meeting place tomorrow and I’ll be there. I can speak ‘country’ so I’ll make you feel at home 🙂
It’s a new stats building strategy, will only communicate with everyone I know through the blog! Talks to you soon.
You know what country people say about cities…… The best view of all of them is the one you see in the rear view mirror!
I think country people have the best of life and find the rat race pretty crazy. Perhaps you have to deal with city life every day to cope with it.
yes I think I’m out of practice, when you live in the city you know where you are going, where the car parks are etc etc.
I am SO a city girl. I never feel so alive as I do walking around Sydney. Any city really (I love Melbourne, New York, London… pretty much any big city I’ve been to). I do get the attraction of smaller town living but I just couldn’t do it for more than a week or so. Short attention span maybe. I love the possibilities and the opportunities of a big city; the people, the bustle, the traffic, the chaos… all the things other people hate.
I was like that once too … I have no idea what happened … moved back to the country and become acclimatised to the rural/coastal way of life.
The only time you will see me in the city is if I have to go there for a temporary job, or there is something going on. Otherwise, I will stay to the small quiet suburbs.
Quiet is good.
well you have your necessities taken care of! food, magazines, and chocolate will keep you for a while. just try to stay out of the car. also, i’m sure your children are missing you, too.
cincinnati is a city, but it’s medium-sized, and you can find horse barns 5 minutes from here, so i’m not sure it really counts as a big city.
You have horse barns! Wow.
My friends do that too. Why haven’t you blogged recently? Or, Chrystina I’m bored at work, why isn’t there a new post? Sigh.
The pressure we are under to produce!!!
This whole question reminds me of when my best girlfriend and I were planning our weddings over the same summer. Can our dresses be both long AND short? Can the have both slim AND full skirts? It’s hard for me to decide if I’m a country mouse or a city mouse. One thing I can tell you is this: this in between, halfway trapped in suburbia hell I live in? That’s what’s not for me.
Oh yes I remember going through the same thing with the wedding dress!!! There are pros and cons of both country and city living. Even here on the coast you end up in suburbia, lots of new estates (one of which I live in) but I cling to the fact we are only 10 minutes from the beach and can currently enjoy my neighbour’s undeveloped acreage behind us for the time being.
I’m a country girl who has lived in the city for half her life now. I knew when I married and investment banker that I’d be city bound for a long time. I still dream and I do try hard to create the country life here in the city. My posh North Shore neighbours think I’m a total hick, but I couldn’t give a toss. x
Give those North Shore neighbours time – any day now they will be embracing hick as trendy!