Kelsey's Travel Blog!
I travel not to escape life, but to be sure that life will not escape me! Come join me!
Sydney Night Life
Although I only have a few more days in Sydney, I was definitely right to come and stop over here. Even if it was for not as long as I might have liked. Sydney is definitely the place to be if you are young and energetic. There are so many activities to do during the day, even if the primary activity is just shopping, and there are even more to do at night. I have been out more in Sydney than I had in almost all of New Zealand and every experience—every bar, lounge, club, etc—brings such a different crowd from one another that I think it would be quite hard to get bored with the Sydney nightlife.
One of the questions I always get from friends back home is, "So, do you ever actually go out in the evenings?" The answer is OF COURSE!
It really is not too hard to find friends while you are traveling. Contrary to popular believe, I have found that you are actually more approachable when you are on your own than when you are traveling with a friend. People WANT to take you under their wing and incorporate you into their group for the time being. Also, it is really common to find other solo travelers that want to go out and share a beer just as much as you to, so while sitting around the hostel lobby, eating dinner, it is not uncommon to be approached by other travelers with propositions for drinks and drinking games.
That is exactly how I came across two Swedish guys while cooking dinner in the kitchen who, I came to find out later on, were keen to go out, yet nobody else in the hostel was looking for a party. I just happened to have sat down while they were getting started on their box wine, struck up another conversation with them, and before I knew it, I was in my going out clothes, grabbing my purse, and heading to the bar with these two Swedes. Random, unplanned adventures like that is what makes me love traveling so much. There’s nothing better than lifting your glass of champagne and saying “Skoll!” (Swedish for “cheers!”) to new friends, adventures, and a good laugh.
The most interesting form of nightlife that I have become well familiar with since I have been in Sydney is backpacker clubs. These are clubs that are geared primarily towards backpackers, like myself. They advertise in the surrounding hostels with drink specials, free entry fees, and even a party bus that actually takes you to the club. May of these clubs are located under or near one primary hostel where they get a lot of their business.
The vibe is very international where the DJ even gives the crowd a chance to scream when he mentions their country of origin. There are more German and Swedish people here than I would have ever anticipated, and there have been way to many times I get mistaken for being Swedish. The clubs though, overall, are more or less exactly like the ones in America, just the conversation starter is always, “what country are you from?” The great thing is that if you want to go out on the town, there is always a friendly group wanting you to come with, and by the end of the night, you are the best of friends.
It's not uncommon that a a large group of backpackers will all decide that we would go out to a club, and usually, there are a number of club promoters that go hostel to hostel, advertising a party bus or discounted drinks. We ened up one night a club called Soho that’s located on Kings Cross. Kings Cross is quite the interesting place with more strip clubs than bars and old men dressed in nice suites trying to get you to come in. There’s quite a good amount of prostitutes as well, but don’t worry, it is perfectly safe since there are so many locals and tourists alike going out on a weekend night. Regardless, Soho has a two-thumbs-up in my book, I mean, who doesn’t love a bunch of backpackers drinking $3 glasses of Champagne? (more like sparkling wine, but who’s being picky?)
Another night, I came back to the hostel to two new girls in our 8-person dorm from Sweden. Instantly, we began to chat and they invited me, as well as our other roommate, Emma from Australia, to go on the Party bus leaving the hostel to go to Scary Canary, a club down town. A girl’s night out was exactly what I needed after spending a day with myself. We had so much fun on the party bus, mingling with the other backpackers who were there, and just dancing the night away.
My social life on the road has actually increased since leaving my family, which is ironic, since most people would assume it would decrease. It's really a matter of being open and welcoming to strangers, something many people I know at home are not comfortable doing. The friendships you make while traveling are very fast and intense, but that is what makes going by yourself so easy. If you are open to others, they will be open to you, and you will realize that although you are traveling alone, you are never really alone.
