A Weekend Farewell to Studying Abroad in Sydney
Leaving Sydney was difficult. Saying goodbyes, packing up, finishing final assignments, and celebrating ANZAC Day made for a packed week. My calendar was a rainbow with a sheer number of colored entries, from History Final to CEA CAPA Farewell Lunch to Gift Shopping for the Family. Being busy isn’t always bad, though, and our last week was by far my favorite. Let me walk you through some of the craziness.
Jazz club chess game
Our farewell celebration
Royal Randwick Horse Races:
Our week began on Saturday at the Royal Randwick Racecourse, located between our accommodation in Zetland and Coogee Beach. My friends and I had never been to a horse race event before but looked forward to what was in store. We dressed up and spent the day putting punts on horses and spending time as a group. Afterwards, we had a nice dinner and went to a jazz club.
At the Royal Randwick horse races
View from our seats at the AFL game
Easter Sunday:
After getting back from church on Easter Sunday, we ate a quick brunch and rushed over to the Sydney Cricket Ground to watch an Aussie Rules football match, a field trip for our Sport in Australia class. The game was slightly confusing at first but with help from some locals we watched the home team Sydney Swans battle back from a large deficit in an exciting match.
Easter sunset from Coogee Beach
Some of the best pancakes I’ve ever had
ANZAC Day:
Australia’s ANZAC Day, much like our Memorial Day, commemorates the heroes who served in the Australia New Zealand Army Corps during World War I. The day is full of parades, community, and celebration. ANZAC Day was one of the few days that practically our entire program spent time together. We spent the day on the streets of Sydney celebrating.
ANZAC Day shirt signing
Our Last Night:
Before saying goodbye, we all gathered in one apartment room to share laughs and say our goodbyes before everyone flew home the next morning. A smaller group of us decided to pull an all-nighter to have fun for one last night. We discovered a late-night dinner by the Opera House and got pancakes before sitting in front of Sydney’s famed building as the sun rose.
The Opera House at night
Late-night Opera House conversations
Sunrise on departure day
