5 Reasons Why I Moved to Sydney

If I am honest, I have to tell you that I don’t really know all the answers to the question of why I moved to Sydney. What I do know is that I got stuck at home in many ways and I desperately needed a change. Australia has been on my mind for a while, and Sydney seemed like an obvious choice. However, after the first weeks of living here, I did get a clearer picture of my motivations. So here are the 5 Reasons Why I Moved to Sydney.

#1 – The People

Ten years ago I was an exchange student in the picturesque Dutch town of Utrecht and lived in a legendary dormitory called Parnassos. On my first day, I was sitting in the communal kitchen when two guys walked in and changed my life forever. I had no idea where they came from, but they spoke with a funny accent, smiled all the time and brought something with them that I can’t quite put into words. There was a certain airiness around these two complete with laughs and hope and ease. Of course, they were Australians. Since that moment I wanted to come and just be here. Because after all it really is about the people, not the place.

#2 – A Multicultural City

So I was an exchange student in the Netherlands. I remember how the locals looked at me when I spent a couple of weeks in Southern Italy or in Thailand. I also know what it feels like to be an Eastern European immigrant in London. So this time I wanted to blend in. I wanted neither the attention nor the contempt. That’s why I chose Sydney, a city of immigrants with more residents born oversees than anywhere else in Australia.

#3 – Living Is Easy

In Sydney the weather is great. It’s sunny and up in the thirties during summer. I love the heat, so I can’t complain. Despite being a big city, Sydney is amazingly safe. You can walk around with your phone in hand or leave the backdoor open in the suburbs, and nothing ever happens. Then there is the harbour and the beaches and the parks. Sydney is one of the most livable cities on Earth with a laidback attitude. Let’s not forget about the scents. Sydney smells like a mixture of eucalyptus, BBQ aromas and sunscreen. And I love it.

#4 – The Great Outdoors

Despite its size I wouldn’t call Sydney a metropolis, because it doesn’t feel like one. Of course you’ll find the occasional skyscraper in the CBD (Central Business District), but otherwise space is everywhere. It seems that living on this vast continent of a country also means that the people here don’t want to be squeezed into tiny apartments. Sydney is about suburbs after suburbs that feel like various communities puzzled together into one endless piece. It’s not just the housing that’s different, but the proximity of nature. The great outdoors are here just around the corner with countless parks, beaches and infinite walking tracks all over Sydney.

#5 – Coffee and Culture

Sydney is a vibrant city packed with cultural events and festivals. With a population of more than 5 million and a constant flow of tourists, something is always on. Being a film blogger and movie enthusiast a vivid cultural scene was really important for me. Sydney Film Festival is one of the big events, and some of the local cinemas are just breathtaking. Plus the coffee is excellent. I believe that creating the flat white is the single most important invention that happened in Australia so far. Okay, WI-FI comes in a close second.

So these were the 5 Reasons Why I Moved to Sydney. This is the first piece in a new series of posts called My Story. In My Story, I write a bit more about myself and the personal experiences as I find my way around Sydney. If you are interested in the personal side of my blogging, check out Project Personal from the archives. This one is a recollection of my 29th birthday in NYC, while this piece talks about the importance of change in our lives.

Now you have read the 5 Reasons Why I Moved to Sydney. What about you? Have you ever moved abroad? What were your reasons? I would love to hear your thoughts, so please share them in the comments below.