I left my heart in Sydney {& this is why I miss it so}.

Why I adore Sydney, and always will.

Aside from pregnancy-related questions, there is one question I get asked a lot, and it’s this, “How are you liking the big move north?” or “Do you think moving was a good decision?”

Moving from Sydney to the Far North Coast has been one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. We didn’t know if it would work, but when we make decision we make them for good, so it kinda had to work. Of course, we could pack back up and find a new place to live, but we dearly wanted to make it work for us and for our future. More about that another day though.

This past weekend Lacey and I took a quick trip back to Sydney for my little sister’s baby shower. While I love my new life, and my new home, I still miss Sydney. A part of my heart is still there. It’s hard to describe, but Sydney just has this magic. As you fly over the harbour you can see the City sparkle. We missed it this time because we flew in at night {and holy turbulence I was glad when we made it to land}, but it really has a bit of magic. And this might sound odd, but it has things. Things that are hard to find where we live now. Perhaps it’s because I spent 13 or so years perfecting my favourite places to eat, visit and explore.

It also has little quirks that I adore. After the baby shower celebrations I had half a day back in Sydney to do everything I wanted to do… so I had to jam it in. There was list writing {scribbled on the back of a docket from my handbag} and planning {albeit the morning of my day to play} but I got through most of it. Here’s how I spent my fun day in Sydney. Oh how I love thee.

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Staying at my sister’s new pad, which I haven’t stopped raving about since I left. Filled with such character, and light and style. Oh my. // Waiting for Lacey to wake up. The girl likes to sleep in. What? You’ve never taken a photo of yourself sleeping. OK. It’s weird. I know.

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Breakfast at Bills. It’s something everyone {who can} should do in their lifetime. I used to swear by the hotcakes or the corn fritters, but now I’m all about a simple scrambled eggs with a side of mushrooms, avocado and a bit of Sunday paper reading. // My old home. We didn’t have time to walk in the sand, but we did a drive-by of our beautiful beach. I used to love Bondi when it wasn’t summer. It feels so fresh.

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A hot chocolate to go. Hot chocolates from Bills are creamy and indulgent, where some others I’ve found are weak and watery. I don’t drink it all, but the bit I do is delectable. // Nail time. Beauty treatments at home cost twice as much and just don’t do things as well as my old faithfuls. If you’re in Bondi and want your nails done, go and see Tina. Tell her I sent you. She’s the bomb.com.

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I miss the humour of Sydney. The little restaurant up the road from our old place always had a funny sign or two. During our visit all cocktails came with a free straw. Get in quick before they sell out! // Outside my sister’s house was a stray card. I remember an episode of Sex and the City where Burger collects cards he finds. It seemed whimsical and wonderful, so I was excited to discover one. Then Lacey soon discovered there was a whole deck {almost} so she went collecting.

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If you just open your eyes, you can see such wonderful things. Perhaps if I still lived in Sydney I would have driven past this LOVE sign a thousand times and never stopped. There was lots of traffic and no parking spots, so I told my Sis to not worry about stopping. “Oh we’re stopping!” she assured me. So we did, and it was fun.

One thing we didn’t get to do, due to lack of time, was drive through Centennial Park. The trees were wrapped in neon pink ribbon for a Nike event the night before, so hopefully someone else can get that photo instead.

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We shopped. I didn’t buy anything, but I just loved being among it all. I checked out the new Pottery Barn, West Elm etc {with everyone else in Sydney, it seems!}. // More quirks. I love the signs, and the humour.

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With not very much time left at all, we headed for lunch before catching our flight. 8 courses for $50? Yes please. Ms. G’s is good tucker. There was a line-up along the pavement to get in, but it was worth that teeny wait and more. Try the ribs. And the buns.

So while I really miss all the cool stuff I’ve just shared, the thing I miss most is my family. Leaving them hurt more this time than ever before, perhaps because next time I see them I’ll probably have a baby and so will my little sister. Oh, how life will change.

What’s your favourite City? Which City would you run back to visit in a heartbeat if you could?

P.S. I’ll share what I love about where I live now too. Coming soon.

27 thoughts on “I left my heart in Sydney {& this is why I miss it so}.”

  1. I love Spokane, WA. I only lived there as a baby, but we visited so much during my childhood that I consider it a 2nd home.

  2. Oh, this made me miss Sydney just a little bit too. It’s been about eight years since we moved up north (just a little further than you, over the border) and I still gets pangs of missing. I still miss the things, too. There are not many things here.

  3. New York, hands down. (In Australia it’s a toss up between Brisbane and Sydney)

  4. Brisbane! I adore Brisbane. I’ve lived there twice and would move back in a heartbeat if I could. But I doubt it will ever happen.

  5. What a wonderful post. It got me thinking about my beloved Melbourne. I’ve lived here since I was 17 and have loved every minute of it. But now my husband and I are planning a move to the country to be closer to family and bring up our son (and future babies too fingers crossed) and I’m doing this with mixed feelings. My heart is heavy when I think about leaving this amazing place that I’ve grown up in and loved so much but I’m excited about the prospect of a quieter country life too. So nice to read about someone who has done it without regret.

  6. I live in Sydney’s western suburbs but I love, love Melbourne.
    Something about it’s charm is so inviting. I’ve only been there a couple of times with hubby but I always say to him if we ever had to move to another city i’d want to go there.

  7. Absolutely SYDNEY! Where I met my love and my life’s better-half after a huge void in my life. Now, we live in Melbourne since 2006. But, I spent my student years and all golden time with best friends in Sydney. It give me a lot of pain to remember each and every corner of Sydney city where we had shared our laughter, joy, sorrow and what not. It took me a good time to settle down in Melbourne. Though, I NEVER forget my favourite place.

    I totally understand your feelings! Thank you for this post.

  8. Oh I miss Sydney so! But when I lived in Sydney I missed Hobart. They both have their charms. But for Sydney I miss the shopping (oh the shopping); I miss our favourite little hole in the wall Thai food place in Randwick; shopping for all kinds of Italian food delights in Haberfield; I miss my gozleme for lunch from the food stall in Bondi Junction. I miss catching trains. I miss the harbour sparkling in the sunshine and McKell park which seemed like a hidden harbourside gem. Mostly I miss my friends and our extended family that were there. Christmas Eve with them was always a joy.
    And I do love discovering new and old favorites on our return visits though, and I don’t miss the crowds!

  9. I loved living in New York but the life I lived there as a single woman in her twenties would not be the same if I was there now as a mom in her late thirties. The shopping and food are pretty hard to beat. But now I am in California, just south of San Francisco, and I have to say NOTHING beats the sunshine and having a big back yard to hang out in.

  10. We are in Wollongong atm so I try to get into Sydney as much as possible – I love Sydney! It has such character – David (hubby) and I always say that we would love to live in either Sydney or Brisbane looking over the water…that is once our boys have all grown up and moved out of our Motorhome 🙂

  11. I love Brisbane, but I grew up there and would move back in a heart beat as my family is there. A city I would return to for a visit would have to be NYC. I have been there a couple of times in the summer and loved it. I spent days walking around the city (in a totally terrible pair of platform thongs) and it seemed so lively and buzzing. I would also love to go back in the winter. Another city I would love to live in is Vancouver. My husband and I fantasise about living there when we retire – though we have been lucky and haven’t got much rain. I have heard it rains quite a bit and that might drive me insane

  12. I am totally a Melbourne girl. I love the culture, the shops, all sorts of bits and pieces there. I have been visiting a bit more the last couple of years and reestablishing my must do items.

  13. Melbourne or Brisbane for me. I was born in Melbourne, so it is like home even though I call Canberra home now. I fell in love with Brisbane when I would go up there for powderfinger gigs. I could move there in a heartbeat, or possibly on the sunshine coast.

    Sydney has never done it for me, I am always glad to leave it. too busy, too crowded, and to be honest, rude people. Perhaps I go to the wrong places!

  14. I love and miss parts of Melbourne. I live on the Far North Coast too, though, and love every minute of our lives here. We are so lucky! x

  15. I agree! No place like Sydney… The cultural diversity equals amazzzzzing food! The Yum cha, sushi, Lebanese food, Thai… Oh I miss it so! Currently based in Brisbane which is an awesome place to live, but a part of my heart belongs in Sydney <3

  16. I did take a photo of myself “asleep” just recently. I thought I was super clever. My friend thought I was super weird. Shame…!

  17. Are you on the GC? One good foodie place I can recommend (and I miss so much now I live it Perth) is a steakhouse called Mike’s Kitchen. Best. Ribs. Ever

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