Sydney Diary: Discovering a New Life
The story of a journey we planned long ago, thought about a great deal and then set off on in an instant… In this story, I will focus on 'feelings' rather than 'events'.
As the day of departure approached, the excitement that took hold of us came with a need to talk more about Australia, our friends' comments and our families' worries. The reactions we got were things like, 'There are fires there, be careful,' 'Watch out for the insects,' and 'It's such a long way, the flight will be boring, how will you get through all that travel!'
Living new experiences and gaining new perspectives has always been a priority for us, and with that priority we have overcome most of our worries. So, in the lead-up to going to Australia, we bought our tickets without paying too much attention to either the comments of those around us or our own inner worries, and got caught up in the excitement of the departure day. But of course, it does affect you: as we were landing in Australia, we did look out of the plane window to see whether the fires were visible from up there! But we couldn't see them.
What followed came with a few hiccups and some bewilderment, and was rounded off by the wonderful hospitality of our dear friend Ertan. At this point I, Duygu, probably because the last time I had been abroad was three years ago, felt in Australia as if I were somewhere both very foreign and very familiar. As much as Australia resembles Europe, it is just as different. The coldness and distance I felt in European people wasn't there. In fact, in Australia there is no particular majority that could show this distance and the tendency to 'other' you. In other words, people of European, Asian, Indian and many more backgrounds are basically just Australian. The country accepts everyone, and you can wander around the city comfortably like a local, without standing out among anyone and without it being obvious that you're a tourist. It's lovely.
Of course, we shouldn't underestimate how much being on holiday contributed to feeling this lovely atmosphere. It would have been a little shameful to be unhappy while holidaying in a completely different 'life', having left Turkey's chaos, my responsibilities and my daily worries about fifteen thousand kilometres behind.
During our time in Australia, connecting with warm, smiling people who were happy whatever work they did, and seeing people with the courtesy to say 'thank you' to the driver when getting off the bus, surprised me and kept a smile on my face for most of my holiday! I also saw that here, what people do for a living doesn't matter to anyone; while every morning on our way to work we walk behind the roles we put on (what job we do, how much money we earn, how many luxury items we own), they walk with what they bring along to have fun and enjoy life (their hobbies and interests). Not only does it not matter what people do for a living, but I saw that whatever their job, people have the luxury of easily accessing many opportunities, even in Sydney, Australia's biggest city. That's how I found the answer to the question, 'What kind of "life" would it be if there were no marked socio-economic differences between people?'
Rediscover life! This time I discovered a completely different life. What is life like on the other side of the world? How do people live? Are they happy, or are the worries the same everywhere? What is it like to be a woman in another world? In another world, does the way people look at you matter as much as it does here, that thing we call social pressure?
This life I discovered made me very happy. In this other life, it is easy to exist as a woman, to earn money and to dream. Daily worries are few, and opportunities to discover yourself are many. It was a lovely window onto my outlook on life and a delightful experience. Thank you.
Duygu Çankaya ÇADIRCIOĞLU, Psychotherapist
