Knowing that I had to fly through Sydney to get to Queenstown, I decided to fly a day early and spend a night in my former home. I met two of my friends out from the school who I’ve stayed in contact with over the years. Back when I was living in Sydney, I used to walk about thirty minutes each day to the school. So, to relive those memories, I started at the school and redid the walk from memory. However, a lot had changed. First of all, the two campuses I used to walk between were both gone. One had been converted and the other had been torn down. In its place is a massive and beautiful new campus that will be open at the end of this year. For now, the teachers and students are in temporary classrooms down the road. It was sad not being able to see the old buildings I had been in, but exciting to see the positive changes happening in the school community.
The following day, after spending the night with my two friends, I took the metro to Darling Harbor and walked to Circular Quay, where the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House are located. I found a spot in the Botanical Gardens overlooking the Opera House and read until I had to head to the airport and catch my flight. It felt strange being back in Sydney. The city helped me grow up rather quickly and started to shape who I am as an adult. I am incredibly grateful for that experience I had at 19, and happy I was able to catch up with old friends this time around.