My first week as a working girly in Aus ooooover and done with! Starting work after a month of not working was quite the shock to the system, and by about 3pm in the afternoon on Monday and Tuesday I was realllllly trying to have to hold in the yawns (ooops).
Monday was a super casual first day, navigating the buses to get to the office was quite the stress first thing on a Monday morning but I made it in on time (just). My manager and Alisa (someone who I’ve worked with virtually for the past two years but never met IRL) met me in the office for my first day – I’m glad I started from the office rather than wfh, you never know how much/little to message people on teams when you’re a newbie! First day was mostly spent getting me up to speed with the clients that I’ll be working on – who are a little random and definitely not New Balance but I think will a really good opportunity for me to work across different industries/understand different client needs a bit better so I’m looking forward to it! Jinksy (my manager) and Alisa took me out for lunch and they asked me where I wanted to go, so I started reeling off a couple of places people have mentioned that I should go to and they both just started laughing at me…I think the places I was suggesting were probs the London equivalent of Sushi Samba, Chiltern Firehouse, MNKY HSE etc… slightly out of budget, oops. I went to the gym in the evening and Amelia and Mads cooked fajitas for dinner which were ready for me when I got home, what babes. I then proceeded to spend nearly an hour on the phone to Hastings Direct trying to cancel my car insurance, absolute eye roll. Not looking forward to my phone bill.
Tuesday was my first day in the office with everyone in the office! Again, more intros, onboarding and the most important training I’ll get over the next couple of months…how to use the coffee machine, it’s one of those v fancy ones with lots of moving parts (disclaimer: I still have absolutely no idea how to use it). One thing I’m already finding hard (two days in to the job lol) is dressing for the office. You go outside and you’re boiling, you come inside and the aircon is so strong that you’re freezing. It’s tough. Tuesday evening was actually a very exciting evening because….WE BOUGHT A FRIDGE!!! WAAHOOO. I mean it’s exciting but it’s also v depressing having to spend your money on such adulting things. To be fair though we got an unbelievable deal, $300 (157 GBP) for a nearly new fridge and then $150 on a guy on airtasker transporting it across the city to us (shout out to Ricardo), not too bad I say. I really do feel like having a fridge is going to be life changing. Will now be able to have cups of tea, yay!
The light coming in to my bedroom keeps on waking me up super early so on Wednesday I got up and went on the nicest sunrise walk at about 6 30am! Redic. It was another day in the office and I wore this floral dress which I’d worn on a night out in London (one that escalated from work drinks to going out out) and I noticed the split in it was ripped, and every time I walked the split would get higher and higher! Not the best impression to be making 1) on my first week 2) on for my first client meeting lol oops. After work I headed home to meet up with Nicole and Emma who I know (ish) from Uni! There is something so comforting about meeting up with people that you know from home, even if not very well, when you’re the other side of the world, it feels like *i tried to think of a good simile to go here, but I’ve got nothing*. We had a couple of drinks at Coogee Pav and then Coogee Bay Hotel (in Aus they call pubs/bars hotels) which was so fun!!!! On my way home I gave Eve (ex-work bestie <3) a call for a lil catch up, it’s so weird that every time I’m on my way home slightly waved after a night out I call someone in England and it’s midday and they’re about to head to a client meeting.
Thursday I didn’t have to go into the office (I’m usually meant to be in Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) morning I was up super early (again, wtf) and it was a beaut morning so decided to go for a swim and met Morny at the beach! I think the day must have been very chilled as nothing much else to report other than in the eve I went to the gym and saw the most unbelievable sunset on the way home. The colour gradients on the sunset were unbelievable (pics below).
Friday third early morning in a row Morns and I went to a 7am a yoga class followed by a swim, really making the most of the sunshine while it’s here as sunny days have been few and far between since we arrived. Wholesome Friday mornings are my fav, me and Morna sat there sipping our coffee’s post yoga and swim discussing how 1) we felt like God and 2) we’re better than everyone else for achieving so much by 8 30am. I think work on Friday was fine, it must have been because I can’t remember anything big or exciting happening… In the eve Me, Morns, Lottie and their friend Alice had a gals night!!!! We drank multiple bottles of wine, ate some delicious snacks and just spent the whole evening chatting which was deeeeeelightful. My head on Saturday morning was not so delightful.
I had a pretty low key day on Saturday morning, spending most of it sat on Clovelly beach reading my book and topping up my tan while receiving drunk texts from people at home which is always equal parts entertaining and heart warming. We went on an expats night out on Saturday eve which was fuuuuunnnn and a good opp to meet some more people! Australia’s night life really does confuse me, the vibes are just so different to England. All bars are soooo dressy, alcohol all seems to taste disgusting (to me anyway lol), and everywhere shuts before we’d have even started to head out in the UK (gone are the days of chasing the night until 4 am and exclusively deciding where you’re heading next by which bar is open later). The night ended in Bondi macca’s with the most unbelievably fast fast food. I literally ordered my chicken nuggs on the screen, walked to the counter and they were right there! Unbelievable. Peckham Maccy’s could really take some notes, last time I was there there was uproar over how long everyones orders were taking. In the uber home my friend messaged me that he was at a house party and I should come but I was mentally clocked off for the night so headed home for a full 8 hours of zzz’s feeling like an absolute grandma.
Sunday was spent mildly hungover sitting on the rocks at Gordon’s Bay, life admin such as my first big food shop was done and it was great. And thats we 5 as a Sydneysider!
Thanks for reading,
Chloe x
Chloe Cripps 