First impressions of the trip

My dear ones :)

I have been travelling for almost 2 weeks now and due to a downpour in Sydney, I have some time now to bring you up to date :)

Two weeks ago on Thursday, I flew to the Gold Coast, where I stayed with my host mother's aunt and she wonderfully familiarized me with the surroundings. Highlights for me were the Chinese New Year celebration, which created a great atmosphere with delicious food and live music and ended with a spectacular fireworks display. I was also impressed by the great markets and the unpackaged store. Overall, I really liked the atmosphere on the Gold Coast, only the skyscrapers bothered me a little on the beach.

After that, I continued to Melbourne. And I have to say, even though I'm not a fan of big cities, I fell in love with this city! With the river, the little alleys, the graffiti artworks and the many little cafes and green areas, the city has a lot to offer. It is also the city with the highest quality of life worldwide. The hostel was also great and I met many great people. My highlight was attending the open-air concert of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra!

Now I am in Sydney and I was completely overwhelmed at first! The city is huge, people and construction sites everywhere! However, as soon as you drive to the coast, as I did yesterday with two girls from my room, and take the Coastal Walk, it is beautiful again! The National Art Gallery was also quite impressive, as well as the botanical garden! In the evening, I had a delicious meal in Chinatown!

I am curious to see what I will explore and discover here in the next few days, and then on Thursday it's finally off to Indonesia! I'm really excited!

Sending lots of love, and in four weeks I will already be back in Germany!

Your Leyla